DTU achieves prestigious sustainability certification

From a worn-out auditorium building to the learning environment of the future

The bright learning and study environment has space for academic and social activities and is accessible to students around the clock. Teachers can offer a wide range of teaching methods in the B208 in auditoriums, workshop-style classrooms and group rooms. State-of-the-art technical facilities enable hybrid teaching, interactive teaching and group work with a shared screen. 

"When Campus Service transforms a building, we have to make the building accommodate new requirements while getting the most out of the building as it is. It's important to say that Campus Service doesn't do anything alone. We facilitate the collaboration with teachers, students, DTU's IT department, consultants and contractors, who are involved in the early stages of the building project. Our job is to understand what is being said and translate the essence into physical and technical solutions," says Anders B. Møller.

Energy consumption on par with a brand new building

The indoor climate in B208 has been significantly improved with new skylights, larger openings in the facade and strengthened indoor-outdoor relations. Artificial lighting, acoustic panels and the addition of natural ventilation ensure a pleasant indoor environment. 

In addition, the building's energy consumption has been improved so that it is now on par with a new building. The result is a transformed building with a high level of sustainability that performs as if it were brand new. And that's exactly how it should be, according to Anders B. Møller. Møller:

"Even today, B208 is already much cheaper to run. But it's all about responsibility in relation to energy consumption and the environment, so we're making something that's long-lasting and works well. The best buildings we have are the ones we don't have to repair when they are renovated or newly built. Campus Service is both the client and the operator, so we focus on the whole circle. We are the ones who will be renovating the building again. That's why we prioritise long-lasting solutions."

The very first step of the renovation consisted of a review of the existing materials, fixtures and technical equipment to see if they could be reused in the building or elsewhere at DTU. Reused light sources have now been upgraded and repositioned in the building according to the new layout of rooms and functions. 

Concrete structures, slate floors and brick walls have been preserved, preserving most of the building's embedded CO2. In some places, bricks have been removed, cleaned and rebuilt in other places. Where new bricks have been needed, recycled bricks have been purchased for the benefit of both the carbon footprint and the finished look. 

"When I look around, not only in Denmark, but also at other universities around the world, many face the same challenge as DTU; they have to transform older buildings into new ways of teaching. The alternative is demolition and new construction, but it's far more sustainable to reuse the building. "We've reused concrete, bricks and some of the fixtures and fittings, but given the building a new interior, so it's actually a new building with soul. For example, you can see the scratches of the past on some of the teaching desks that have been varnished," says Anders B. Møller about the extensive renovation work.