PHPP- Passive House On the plot of the former Odense Public Slaughterhouses, the municipality has established a nursery for 55 children which is certified as a PHPP – passive house and has an extensive use of Nordic ‘SVANE’ labeled products (certification of non-toxic products).
House that breathes The institution is built from solid wood elements in both internal and external walls. Overseas experience shows that massive wooden houses are healthy buildings with a good indoor climate and low energy consumption. This means that a vapour barrier is not obligatory, a vapour ‘retarder’ can be used, and therefore lets the building breathe. Wood is also an environmentally friendly building material, easy to transport, process and restore.
Historical context Located in a conservation and historical area, the architecture of the new nursery harmonizes with the existing slaughterhouse premises, whilst being a visual instrument for the transformation of the area as Odense Municipality has initiated.
Architectural design In the design of the nursery, there is a conscious desire to integrate ‘passive house’ principles into the architecture, such as the optimization of the building's solar orientation, the overall compactness and density of the building, and natural ventilation principles. The biggest openings in the facade are oriented south and west. Using south-orientated Orangeries (unheated transitional spaces) passive solar heating can be implemented. In hot periods, the Orangery acts as a natural ventilation shaft that draws hot air out of the group rooms. In cooler periods, the warm air that is accumulated from the solar radiation is passed back into the group rooms. The north and east facades are more closed and compact. This area contains all the nursery’s service and technical rooms. These ‘passive’ elements give the building a more closed and heavy expression, acknowledging the former architecture of the slaughterhouse.
Pedagogical program Education in the nursery is created in close cooperation with the Odense Municipality Institutions department which is based on young children's primary needs. The focus is on the self-reliant child, therefore, the nursery is divided into smaller manageable units where the child can find safety in small groups. New pedagogical and architectural elements are also introduced such as playing cloakrooms and orangeries.
