The students at University of Copenhagen are to have a new energy saving building which will probably be completed for the UN’s climate conference in Copenhagen in 2009.

Next year a brand new and CO2 neutral building will be completed for the students at University of Copenhagen. The sustainable project is called Green Lighthouse and has come into existence in collaboration with the skylight manufacturer Velux, Copenhagen City and University of Copenhagen. A committee has selected the best bid of three projects and the winning project was unveiled recently by Minister of Science & Technology Helge Sander (V).

The architects Christensen & Co. won with their concept for Green Lighthouse whose circular and green building is inspired by a sundial and has an energy consumption of only 22 kWh/m² annually. According to the engineers of the building its consumption of energy is 80 per cent less than existing buildings of the same size. The project won due to the fact that “Green Lighthouse combines aesthetic with sustainability and a good indoor environment for the students”, as pro-rector Lykke Friis said at the presentation in the historic building Lindegården at Frue Plads.

Thanks to insulation, energy windows, encapsulation and recycling of heating as well as solar cells on the roof the green house will have a very low energy consumption.

The energy saving university building will be a three storey 950 m² tall building with address at Nørre Campus located on the corner of Tagensvej and Nørre Allé and will among other things have study administration, student services functions, meeting facilities and a student association. According to plans the building will be completed in May 2009 – just in time for the United Nations’ large-scale climate conference in Copenhagen.