Aarhus is expected to grow by 75.000 new inhabitants by 2030. The site is located in Lisbjerg, 6 km north of central Aarhus. With a future of 25.000 inhabitants and a direct connection to central Aarhus through a new light-rail, Lisbjerg will become an important part in the future development of Aarhus. The Future of Lisbjerg is high density in close relation to the surrounding landscape.

Postmodern society has since the 1960´s been focused on getting away from what was seen as a suffocating and schematic form of collectivism. However after half a decade of an individualisation of everything from transport to public space, the environmental crisis once again raises the question of the collective. The question today would then be: How can we create a new form of collectivism, which enables us to address climate change, without eliminating space for individual expression?

The usual strong ideology and set of shared rules, which defines the objectives of and framework for the community is today not suitable. A contemporary community needs to be something that residents can opt into or out of. Privacy in one’s own home and in outdoor areas is a primary wish and requirement in medium density contemporary dwellings.

The project holds a strong overall sustainable identity unfolded through a series of strategies which ensures an individual and diverse form of collectivism.

By using a series of outwardly coherent but inwardly diverse units as enormous flowerpots for trees, we propose a contemporary sustainable village. The development is based on urban qualities from the existing village, yet holds a new skyline typology composed of different trees, which offers a unique neighbourhood identity.

The flowerpot are placed on top of and based on the structural/technical core of the units. This will not only create extremely well isolated roofs and “actual” green gardens on the top (not just terraces), but it will make it structurally and spatially (in terms of the roots) possible to carry trees of a substantial size.

A series of traditional suburban gardens elevated to make room for social space in between the buildings, will offer a panoramic view over the surrounding distinctive hilly landscape, creating an important distinctive value for future residents of the neighbourhood.
By organising and combining dwellings that vary in typology, size and function, the project aims at creating a mixed community, which suggests a direction in developing new solutions for the increasing problem of urban segregation. The project is designed as a graded community that offers a variety of housing types and sizes, inviting different residents across various phases of social situation, education, economic status and age.