Lundgaard & Trunberg’s Ørestad Apartments (2006).

Despite a relatively benign climate compared to most Canadian Cities (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter), the Danes are experts at minimizing thermal bridging in their building envelopes. One of the most visible indications of this is the attached balcony (common place in Copenhagen), as opposed to the structurally cantilevered balcony (too often used in Canada). Interestingly, the ubiquitous application of the attached balcony has manifest a different, and in my opinion a pleasantly playful, design sensibility of the façade. Many condominium/apartment projects throughout Copenhagen use these attached prefab balconies, and their inherent minimum three points of contact, as the primary means of façade differentiation. The façade itself is simple, generally one or two materials, but the more particular prefab balcony/wall/enclosure turns the appearance of the building into something much more textured and identifiable.

BIG’s VM Houses (2005).

Lundgaard & Trunberg’s grey slate clad The Lighthouse (2006).

JJW Architecture’s Ørestad Plejecenter (2012).