Framehouse, a 1,810-square-meter flexible office building in Dragør, Denmark, is a highly sustainable workspace wrapped in warm, natural materials. The industrial business area 12 kilometers south of central Copenhagen is dotted with repurposed aircraft hangars and new constructions influenced by their form. While the simple building volumes of Framehouse are a nod to the local context, the building is a rare gem in Denmark: a sustainable and innovative exposed timber structure.
A two-story building divided into three parallel volumes, Framehouse is an open, collaborative office space that encourages co-creation and interaction.
Framehouse is aiming for DNGB Gold certification, and sustainability permeates the project from the landscape to the rooftops. Outside, four electric car charging stations allow tenants to power up on-site.
The center volume is the heart of the building, where common functions such as the entryway, meeting rooms, and the canteen are housed.
Douglas fir, oak, and green plants are plentiful throughout the building and provide a material tranquility that lends the space a warm, inviting atmosphere.
Inside on the ground floor, concrete flooring retains heat, while the hard-pressed oak planks that make up the upper level floors have never been used for construction in Denmark before now. Fitted windows in the three roofs allow for natural ventilation, and the exterior roof surfaces are covered with green sedum plants.
This shared space is flanked by two flexible outer volumes that can accommodate offices and meeting rooms at a variety of scales.
The choice of materiality not only lowers the impact on the environment, but also ensures that Framehouse will stand the test of time, ageing naturally and gracefully.
