The Klimahuse headquarters.
Energy-efficient housing that is good for everyone “We have seen a massive shift in consciousness towards environmentally friendly houses among both the public and investors in the last few years,” says Claus Keld Hansen, chairman of the board of the Danish company Klimahuse. “But none of that matters if the houses available do not live up to the other high expectations, dreams and standards people have for their future homes.” By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Gunnar Merrild
With roots dating back to 1973, Klimahuse became the first construction company in Denmark to completely commit to environmentally friendly housing. “It became clear quite quickly that we wouldn’t just help the environment, we would actually help our clients save quite a bit of money too. It was literally a win-win situation for us, for the environment and for our customers. It wouldn’t make sense for us to cut corners or go for anything but high-quality products because our purpose is so closely tied up in making a house that 36 | Issue 117 | October 2018
will still be at the top of its game in years to come. We have to keep up with the newest developments in construction and environmental technology.”
Long-term savings Claus Keld Hansen believes Klimahuse is currently using techniques and materials that everyone will be using in five years or so. “It’s a hugely interesting industry to be part of – the innovations we’ve seen in the market in the past ten years have been astounding.” Klimahuse does not just future-proof
their houses in technical ways either. “We work closely with our private clients to make sure that the house they get will meet their needs now as well as in ten or twenty years – do we need to arrange for more children’s bedrooms down the line? Is it supposed to be the family’s first, next or last house?” Starting with a series of architect-drawn model houses, the company works with their client to choose the house that best meets their needs, then modifies it to fit them entirely, beginning with the layout of each room and ending with materials both inside and out. Private clients can approach Klimahuse with their own plot of land in mind, ask Klimahuse for help with finding the perfect spot, or buy into one of the large-scale projects Klimahuse is currently building with investors across Denmark, including Munksbakke in