One of the world’s first circular daycare centres
The Swan Daycare Centre
A daycare centre for the future based on the past and a pioneering project for sustainability. The facility is being built as a circular building, where some of the construction material from the former Gladsaxe School is reused, which means that waste is minimised and the CO2 footprint is reduced.
Facts about the project
Client
Gladaxe Municipality
Place
Gladsaxe, Denmark
Status
Completed
Size
1 270 sqm
Eco-labelled and circular construction
Gladsaxe School, built in 1937, is from a time when construction materials used offers excellent potential for upcycling, with a range of unproblematic materials for reuse, especially brick and timber. Upcycled materials are used where they significantly contribute to the identity of the building. Such materials can change its character and be incorporated into a new context, for example, in furniture.
For example, outdoor play equipment from the Fort Daycare Centre is also reused in the project. Materials that are not reused are directed to other construction projects in the municipality. Circular practices ensure that we reduce the environmental impact by using materials that already have embedded impacts from resource extraction, transport, and the construction process.
Award-winning circular building architecture
The Swan Daycare Centre won the Sustainability Award at the Building Awards 2022, the Danish Design Award 2022 in the ‘Save Resources’ category, and was most recently selected for the Danish newspaper Børsen’s Sustainable Cases 2024 for its circular approach, proving that it is possible to save resources without compromising on design, user experience, or quality.
