The Arsenaløen island is located between the Copenhagen Opera and the hippie “free state” of Christiania in the centre of the Danish capital. Its current use corresponds well to this position between high culture and subculture. A ‘green oasis’ for everyone has now developed where, in former centuries, the Danish navy used to store weapons and ammunition. The sports fields are eagerly used by local schools and sports clubs, there is a campsite for scouts in a small nearby woodland and, in summer, canoeists paddle along the many canals around Arsenaløen.
    Many of these activities are centred around ‘Hal C’, a two-storey building with red-painted timber cladding, which houses a large sports hall, a dance studio, fitness area and a large open conference room. Every day from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., you can follow the hustle and bustle of students, athletes, visitors and passers-by in and outside the building.
   Whereas the dance studio and conference room are located on the first floor, the latter with a sweeping view towards the city centre, the sports hall on the ground floor opens out onto the sports fields and the nearby canal via high windows on either side. External wooden shutters keep off direct sunlight and heat, so that the athletes inside benefit both from outside out and a pleasant indoor climate.
   This is further enhanced by four rows of modular skylights, which bring natural daylight into the centre of the building. Three of these are located above the sports hall while the fourth is positioned above the staircase to the first floor. All skylights are inclined 20° north and inserted in deep light wells to prevent glare and ensure an even light distribution. Some of the modules can be opened for natural ventilation, providing a fresh indoor climate that is ideal for workout, public meetings and other cultural events.

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Location:
Arsenalvej 6, Copenhagen, Denmark
Client:
City of Copenhagen
Architects: Christensen & Co.
Arkitekter, Copenhagen

Healthy Homes Barometer 2018

(Un)healthy homes, offices and suburbanisation in Europe

The Healthy Homes Barometer 2018 is the 4th edition of this pan-European study, which takes the pulse of Europe’s buildings and examines the effects of housing on inhabitants’ health. The 2018 Barometer sheds light on some stark realities, especially in Europe’s rapidly-growing suburban areas:

• Europe’s suburbs have grown 54% more than urban areas over recent decades, and are made up of 62% single-family homes
• Single-family homes are up to 33% more likely to result in residents reporting ill-health than multi-family homes
• Investing in healthy office buildings should be a no-brainer for companies.

Suburbanisation and the (un)healthy home 
Urbanisation is a familiar topic to many, but in Europe as a whole, it is actually suburban areas which are growing fastest, outpacing urban growth by 54% between 1961 and 2011 (when the last 10-year dataset is available). A house in the suburbs is still the dream for many Europeans, who move out of cities looking for more space, lower costs and better quality of life. Single-family homes dominate the suburban landscape, comprising 62% of dwellings in these areas. Yet many of them are old and deficient, and they are significantly more likely to cause poor health. For example, occupants of single-family homes with overheating issues are 33% more likely to report poor health than those in multi-family homes with the same problem.

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