Centre for Health

Centre for Health addresses rising needs for a holistic treatment of lifestyle-related illnesses. Bordering Copenhagen’s historic nursing home park and the dense residential area of Nørrebro, it introduces a new gateway to the park and community space. Formed as a soft curve embracing a garden, and creating a new pocket square, it naturally guides and invites the visitor. Inside, a stepped landscape, exposing the timber structure and surfaces create a calm, tactile setting supporting physical movement, community, and wellbeing – an inclusive alternative to traditional healthcare institutions.

Developed through a collaborative process involving users, staff, and central administration, Centre for Health translates therapeutic and social needs into spatial form. The program requires a wide range of treatment spaces and a key principle in the design is the inclusion of what users call “third half-time” areas for informal meetings, friendships and community. The design centres on a generous atrium – the Heart Room – connecting all functions: training areas, classrooms, consultation rooms, and teaching kitchen. At its core, a large movement stair serves both as seating and gathering place. Circulation is conceived as movement therapy: stairs and walkways encourage activity and visual contact across the space while the lift is set apart to promote use of the stairs. Niches along the façades offer moments of privacy and conversation. The building’s curved volume engages the urban grain, forming a protective edge to the street while opening to a new public square and inner garden.

Social and environmental sustainability has been a profound focus. The structure is composed of glulam pine frames with stacked timber slab floors, only using a thin concrete layer for fire and sound protection for the lowest carbon footprint. Pine plywood defines interior linings, acoustic panels, and built-in furniture, ensuring zero carbon material, coherent expression and warmth. Renewable energy is integrated through 164m² of rooftop solar panels. Durable anodised recycled aluminium façades protect against urban wear, while exposed timber ages gracefully, requiring minimal maintenance. Concrete is used only where functionally necessary – in the basement and ground floor slab – while upper levels feature pine flooring for comfort and sensory quality. The hybrid deck construction enhances flexibility and disassembly potential. Overall the centre embodies a holistic approach to wellbeing, sustainability, and longevity – a dignified alternative to conventional healthcare architecture.