FAQ

Our method to estimate carbon load is based on LCAbyg, a tool that calculates Life Cycle Assessments for buildings. We consider LCAbyg to be the most operational tool available to the construction industry. The regulatory targets for CO2 in the national building code for Denmark to be implemented from 2023 are based on this tool which is also a point of reference in EUs guidelines for sustainable construction. It is not mandatory that you have a LCA for your solution, but you are of course welcome to attach any documentation you may have

The impacts are calculated over the entire life cycle of the building and therefore include the procurement of raw materials, production of building materials, energy and resource consumption during operation and maintenance, as well as disposal and possible recycling of building parts and building materials.

In our current calculations, we have followed the national building code requirements to be implemented from 2023, excepting phase A4 on transport and A5 on construction where data are still limited (all phases will be covered in our final assessment on low carbon strategies).

Our general concern is to reduce carbon emissions from housing to a sustainable level. Hence, we encourage solutions that reduce size (square-meters per capita) as well as carbon footprint per unit (CO2/m2). However, to be able to compare solutions and to stress that sustainable living is not only about minimal living, our “hard measure” in this campaign is on CO2 load per square meter.

We encourage the next generation of architects, engineers, designers, and other young professionals to submit your radical take on sustainable housing in a post-carbon society. You can apply as an individual or as a team. You can apply as a private person or as a company. You are not required to have a proven list of records or substantial knowledge on legal or technical requirements related to residential housebuilding in Denmark - our main focus is how coherent and clear your residential housing concept is.

Applicants that are appointed as winners in this open phase will be required to register a company in Denmark (CVR-number) in order to receive financial support in the subsequent phases.

We encourage companies and inventors to submit your best- and next-practice solutions for low carbon housing. We seek materials, products, and methods that technically are at a mature state, but still need adjustment to fit markets, legislation or for which supply chains or sales channels are not fully developed. For instance, solutions developed outside of construction or in niche housing markets and hence solutions, that are not used in full scale for housing construction in Denmark.   

You can apply as an inventor, a start-up company or a consolidated firm interested in offering radical new solutions.

The basic idea of this open call is to map and display the various ways absolute sustainability, particularly on carbon footprint, can be achieved. All submitted ideas are expected to be made public and promoted via events, displays and publications. We encourage you to submit your idea in a way that is suited for publication. If there are confidential details you consider to be essential for us to know, you can include them in an attachment labelled “CONFIDENTIAL”.

The Union of International Architects has chosen Copenhagen as the host city in 2023. More than 15.000 architects from the 2nd of July to 6th will explore how architecture can drive sustainable development. In 2023 Copenhagen is also appointed World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO. In short, in 2023 Copenhagen will be the global hotspot for explorations on how architecture can create sustainable futures where no one is left behind.

A site in Central Copenhagen has been assigned to us as the plot where the three winning teams in Next Generation Architecture will be granted permission to build pavilions to display and test their respective housing concepts. Situated as an open space in the heart of Copenhagen, and with direct access to the waterfront and in close proximity to the Parliament, The Danish Architecture Center, the Royal Library and other significant institutions, it is really the place you would like to showcase your ideas to peers and citizens from all over the world.

In Next Generation Architecture, 6 teams will be awarded 50,000 DKK to transform their design pitch into a project proposal. Three of these teams will receive an additional 250,000 DKK to detail the proposal into a fully-fledged concept for low carbon residential housing, including the design of a pavilion that tests and illustrates the fundamentals of the housing concept. The funds are expected to cover salaries, travel cost and other internal expenses of the teams.

The three winning teams will receive an additional 500,000 DKK to cover out of pocket expenses related to building the pavilion, for instance to cover costs of materials or contractors. The teams are free to reach out to suppliers or other companies, for additional funding in cash or kind.

• The 50,000 DKK award will be paid up front.
• The 250,000 DKK award will be divided 25% up front, 50% mid-term and 25% on completion.
• The 500,000 DKK coverage of external expenses for pavilions will be  based on documented expenses.   

There are no formal requirements with respect to how much time you spent on your project / what hourly rates and levels of self-finance you use. However, the above-mentioned price levels are based on the premise that basic internal costs, but not full external contribution margins are covered.

Awards will be given as a grant in compliance with the general procedures and obligations used by Realdania and VILLUM FOUNDATION. For this, you need to hold a legal registration number for a company based in Denmark (CVR-number).

Please note that as the awards are given as philanthropic grants, VAT can not be added to above mentioned amounts. 

Acknowledging the need to upgrade the existing building stock, this initiative is focused on new build housing, more precisely multi-family houses, terraced houses, and detached houses suited for Denmark (for sites not yet specified). Our main reason for this is to make performance-levels comparable - CO2 targets for retrofitted buildings are hard to compare as they depend on a wide range of building specific contingencies.