Commissioned by Lejerbo, a Danish non-profit affordable housing association, this 73,195-square-foot building offers 66 new residential apartments that don’t compromise on style or coziness. Despite the strict budget allocated for the project, BIG designed each apartment with warm and welcoming features such as 11.5-foot-high ceilings, expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, and outdoor terraces.

Named the Dortheavej Residence, after its address in the northwest part of Copenhagen, the five-story apartment building winds through an area of car repair shops and industrial buildings constructed from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Lejerbo wanted the new building to create much-needed public space for the neighborhood. They also sought to create open pedestrian walkways while preserving the green yard adjacent to the site.

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BIG responded to Lejerbo’s brief with a singular prefab structure based on a checked pattern.

“Conceived as a porous wall, the building gently curves in the center, creating space for a public plaza towards the street on the south side and an intimate green courtyard towards the north. On the street level, the building opens up to allow the residents and general public to pass seamlessly into the courtyard,” says BIG’s founder Bjarke Ingels.

The cuboid modules are reiterated along the building's curve and stacked up to the height of the surround buildings. The stacked formation creates space between the modules so each apartment can have its own small terrace, fresh air, and sunlight.

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The building’s facade is clad with long wooden planks that accentuate the outline of the modules and the structure’s checkered pattern. The apartments range from 646 feet to 1,238 square feet. All have floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook views of the green courtyard and bring in plenty of light.

The north side of the facade looks towards an enclosed green public courtyard that residents of Dortheavej Residence and the neighboring buildings can use for recreation. On the south side, which faces the sun, the apartments have balconies that add depth to the facade.

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Bjarke Ingels Group / @big_builds

Builder: MOE

Client: Lejerbo

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This Curving Prefab Building in Copenhagen Contains 66 Affordable Apartments