Essential milestone: First platinum pre-certification for residential renovation project underway at Hellebæk Klædefabrik

The renewal and development of the historical and conservated property, Hellebæk Klædefabrik, near Helsingør, is progressing. The construction of the 32 quality dwellings has now obtained the DGNB platinum pre-certification and is thus the first residential property to achieve this award. Sisse Normann Canguilhem, Acting Director of the Council for Sustainable Construction, says: “It is a pleasure for us to see investors with ambitions in the green sector and the willingness to put in the hard work to achieve them. We look forward to carrying out the final certification for Hellebæk Klædefabrik.”

Community comes first
Hellebæk Klædefabrik is all about putting the community first. The ambition is to create a vibrant community with optimal conditions for combining work and leisure. Solveig Rannje, Head of Real Estate Investments at Velliv, says:

“In addition to the platinum pre-certification, Hellebæk Klædefabrik has also been certified with DGNB Heart, which promotes health and well-being with humans at the center, which is a major focus of the construction. We have set high ambitions for the social dimension and want to contribute to an increased quality of life for residents, neighbors, unions in the area, and Velliv’s pension customers. It means a lot to us that it is being recognized in terms of a pre-certification.”

First sale completed
Partner in EDC Poul Erik Bech Helsingør, who is responsible for selling the 32 dwellings, Søren Blom Hesselhede, says: “The first dwellings have been sold, and the first open houses will be held within a short amount of time. The dwellings will be ready for occupancy in two stages. The sale of the 2nd stage has just opened, so the dwellings in the 1st stage will be ready for occupancy on July 1, 2023, and the 2nd stage will be ready on October 1, 2023. The sizes of the dwellings vary from 64-182 sqm with prices from DKK 3,500,000-6,995,000.”

Circularity is a common thread
The CO2 impact has been assessed in the pre-certification, and it will be significantly lower than the legal requirement (12.0 kg CO2/sqm/year) and is assessed as low. This is partly because the existing historical framework is converted into new attractive homes and commercial leases while the new construction is also built in wood.

“The pre-certification is an important milestone for the development of Hellebæk Klædefabrik, which indicates that we are fully on the right track and have chosen to focus on what truly matters. We are focusing, among other things, on contributing positively to the circular economy and resource utilization through the project. This is, for example, done by reusing bricks in the greenhouse and selecting coatings. We also have a comprehensive waste sorting system on the construction site,” says Marius Møller, CEO of PensionDanmark.

Hellebæk Klædefabrik’s heating supply has also been replaced from gas to geothermal spirals, reducing the operation’s heat consumption and CO2 emissions. It has a positive impact on the building’s climate impact, overall economy, and energy consumption. The new heating system results in an annual reduction in CO2 emissions, equivalent to about 450 round-trip flights to Paris.

“Two words stand out when we talk about Hellebæk Klædefabrik: ‘community’ and ‘reduction of the carbon footprint’. Both areas of focus are rewarded in the pre-certification, and it has been successful in good cooperation with a wide range of skilled partners, each contributing with their expertise and ambitions,” says Kasper Ørsnes Larsen, Senior Development Manager, DEAS Asset Management.

About Hellebæk Klædefabrik

• In 2020, the owners of Hellebæk Klædefabrik’s, PensionDanmark and Velliv, collaborated with DEAS Asset Management and were in dialog with users and neighbors, intending to develop a vision and masterplan to transform klædefabrikken into dwellings, open offices, and green meeting spaces.
• With a focus on community, a green profile, and preserving the existing framework, 32 dwellings are being built, and 60 commercial leases are being renovated.
• The transformation of Hellebæk Klædefabrik into dwellings, open offices, green outdoor spaces, and communities began in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2023. Read more at klaedefabrikken.dk.