MAKE THE BUILDING AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE

This studio asked us to go beyond first impressions and question how much weight a building really carries.

The starting point was a structure that seemed light but wasn't: Tipperne Bird Sanctuary, in Denmark. To make the difference visible, we were tasked to scale it up for the exercise and not consider foundation weight and structural stability.

Same design logic, same kg/m². The brief was to reduce weight as far as possible, without increasing carbon.

We tested three strategies:
1. Doubling the height of each floor to halve the horizontal structure needed,
2. Tailoring the vertical elements to their actual loads,
3. Doing the same for the horizontal elements.

These cut the structure's weight by nearly 70%. Calculations and formulas were not included.

I will remember this project as the one where Excel became a design tool, where SCORS ratings and charts turned out to be genuinely interesting to look at. It was a way to see how much a building's impact can actually be reduced.

Ringkøbing Fjord, Denmark
Reference Project: Tipperne Bird Sanctuary, Johansen Skovsted Arkitekter