Climate, resources and biodiversity
High ambitions for a lower footprint
Construction accounts for a large proportion of global CO₂ emissions, and it is essential for the industry to find more climate-friendly solutions. With Travbyen, we want to show how it is possible to significantly reduce the climate footprint of construction – well below the legal requirements and the industry's most stringent requirements.
We are doing this by, among other things, building with bio-based and recycled materials that reduce CO₂ and material consumption – and by designing smaller housing units and using materials that can be dismantled and reused.
At the same time, we are actively working to increase biodiversity: by creating wilder natural areas, reopening watercourses, preserving existing nature and incorporating green courtyards and communal gardens. The goal is for Travbyen to give back more nature than there was before we built.
On this page, you can read more about how we work with climate, resources and biodiversity in Travbyen – you will also have ongoing access to materials where you can delve even deeper into the details.
s.
4.5 CO₂e per m²/year
is Travbyen's climate footprint in the first phase – significantly below legal requirements and the Reduction Roadmap.
89%
The insulation above ground level in Travbyen's first construction phase consists of bio-based materials such as wood fiber.
Nature x2
Our ambition is to double biodiversity based on biofactors and species diversity compared to what was in the area before development began.
Dive into the numbers
Earlier this year, we launched the first report in a series of publications featuring construction industry insights. Here you can read much more about what we have done in the first phase of construction to achieve the lowest possible impact on the climate, resources and biodiversity.
In the video, you can hear Christian Nørgaard, Project Director at Travbyen, and Søren Nielsen, professor at Aarhus School of Architecture, talk about the report and why you should take a look at it.
The climate crisis is accelerating, and ideally we should not be building much more, but if we are going to build something, we need to reduce CO² emissions even further – and we can do that.
Søren Nielsen, Professor, Arkitektskolen Aarhus, Cand.arch
If we are going to build, we must do so wisely
The world's population is growing, and according to the World Bank, more and more people will need a roof over their heads in the future – especially in the global south. At the same time, construction accounts for a significant proportion of global CO₂ emissions – up to 37%, according to the UN.
This presents the construction industry with a double challenge: we must ensure accessible, robust housing for a growing world population, while significantly reducing our climate footprint and using fewer scarce resources.
With up to 87% of the climate footprint of new construction coming from materials and construction, the greatest potential for improvement lies in the way we design and build – and in the materials we choose.
If we are to build more while emitting significantly less, we need to rethink the materials we use, how much we use and how they are processed. This is precisely where Travbyen has a key objective: to make the industry smarter about how this can actually be done in practice.
Experimental buildings: Small houses with big ambitions
When we build Travbyen, we are constantly working with new materials and solutions throughout the project – and in our experimental buildings, we are taking it one step further. In the first phase of Travbyen, we are constructing three experimental buildings: the Community Centre, the Clay House and the Rebellious Terraced House, the first of which has already opened.
The experimental buildings, or ‘playground projects’ as we call them, serve as a living laboratory where materials and methods that reduce the climate footprint are tested before being sent out into the ‘schoolyard.’ This is done in collaboration with skilled consultants, researchers and craftsmen who are testing new, bio-based solutions and methods using, for example, hemp and clay. These solutions may not be ready for the market yet, or they may lack sufficient documentation or scale – but we believe they are promising. The experimental buildings help us to see what can be used in practice, what requires further development – and, not least, to make mistakes that the next builder does not have to pay for.
We will regularly publish our data and experiences from the experimental buildings, which the rest of the industry can use and build on.
In October 2025, Fælleshuset was completed as the first play centre project. Here, we are working with new materials such as hemp concrete in exterior walls, clay floors and mussel shells as insulation to further push the boundaries of how far the climate footprint can be reduced.
Learning from construction site to construction site
Travbyen is being built in different phases in line with demand for housing. When phase II of the housing project gets underway, we will build on the experience gained from phase I. This applies both to knowledge about housing types and sizes and to the more technical experience gained from the homes and the experimental houses that have been built.
The ambition is for Travbyen to continuously stay ahead of the broader market and on par with the most ambitious builders and developers in the green transition of construction. Our focus is on significantly reducing our carbon footprint and strengthening biodiversity.
The solutions we are looking for are rounded off by:
- A bio-based, regenerative material palette
- Materials processed under atmospheric pressure and ‘room temperature’
- Minimisation of material consumption and simplification of constructions
- Fewer, but smarter, technical/tech solutions
- Circularity-ready building systems
Read more about urban development in Travbyen
Playful architecture and urban spaces
Knowledge bank
Urban development for people, with nature
Frequently asked questions
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What are Travbyen's ambitions in relation to climate and the environment?
Travbyen will set new standards for sustainable large-scale new construction. The first phase will achieve 4.5 kg CO₂e/m²/year (BR25) – significantly below both legal requirements and the industry's own reduction targets. The ambition is to show that it is possible to build an entire neighbourhood with a significantly lower climate footprint, while maintaining architecture, functionality and everyday quality of life.
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How does Travbyen reduce its climate footprint?
We consistently work with materials and construction principles that have been proven to reduce CO₂ emissions. This includes bio-based materials, recycled bricks, steel and aluminium, and wooden structures that bind CO₂.
In addition, we build according to principles of design for disassembly, so that materials can be reused in the future, and we test new solutions on a full scale to find those that both work and can be used on a large scale.
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How does Travbyen perform compared to other new buildings?
Travbyen is significantly below the average for new construction in Denmark.
Whereas new construction in Denmark typically emits around 8.8 kg CO₂e/m²/year (BR18 method), Travbyen's comparable figures are 6.6 – and 4.5 according to the new BR25 method. -
How do you work with biodiversity and nature?
Travbyen aims to restore more nature than the area had before. We are working with new wild nature areas, green courtyards, communal gardens, and the reopening of waterways. The ambition is to increase biodiversity—and that is why we are conducting before and after measurements to document that nature is actually becoming richer than before we built.