GARTNERBYEN

Hi-Con has contributed balcony solutions in UHPC to a DGNB Gold-certified building

Build Year

2022-2023

Architect

Arkitema

Entrepreneur

H. Skjøde Knudsen A/S

Engineer

COWI

A FOCUS ON A COMFORTABLE EVERYDAY LIFE

Trekløveren, three residential buildings in Gartnerbyen, Odense, in Denmark, are located in a quiet and historic neighborhood where green areas, parks, well-utilized common areas, and large balconies create optimal conditions for a comfortable everyday life. These buildings, which contain 89 apartments, are one of the final elements among the nearly 2000 homes that make up the area. Situated in a green and scenic location close to the city center, Trekløveren has already become an iconic landmark for Gartnerbyen. The construction also emphasizes sustainability and is DGNB Gold certified.

One of Trekløveren's most distinctive features is the unique outdoor areas attached to each apartment. Each home offers large and modern balconies or terraces, providing residents with a private outdoor space while adding an extra layer of comfort and functionality to the homes. These spacious balconies also form a significant part of the building's facade, contributing to giving each home a distinctive visual impact. The balconies are produced by Hi-Con and made from our own generation of Ultra High Performance Concrete - CRC i2©.

"Although the project was originally planned with standard concrete balconies, we turned to high performance concrete balconies due to Hi-Con's proposal and sleek design. Hi-Con's ability to deliver these slender balconies was a crucial factor in our decision for balcony choice in Gartnerbyen. Aesthetics and durability were also important factors."

Henrik Sørensen Kongsted

Project Manager, H. Skjøde Knudsen A/S

LARGE BALCONIES IN UHPC

Although the project was originally planned with standard concrete balconies, Hi-Con was chosen to deliver balconies in Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) as we could offer very slender large-format elements that supported the building's vision and visual expression. The contractor's good knowledge of Hi-Con and previous collaboration was also one of the reasons for the partnership on Trekløveren.

Hi-Con has delivered 64 balconies in three variants in UHPC CRC i2®. We have also supplied steel columns and brackets for the project.

Variant 1: 40 balconies with dimensions 3.77 x 2.70 m

Variant 2: 12 balconies with dimensions 2.94 x 3.06 m

Variant 3: 12 balconies with dimensions 6.30 x 3.06 m

The balconies have a slab thickness of about 70 mm with a slope towards the front for water drainage and are designed with a standard profiling and a textured underside for aesthetics and functionality.

Additionally, we have delivered 76 RHS columns with dimensions 120 x 120 x 5 mm and a height of approximately 3.0 m, which will serve as supporting elements for the balconies.

Photo: Christensen Photography

UHPC opens up design possibilities that blend aesthetics and functionality, resulting in impressive and beautiful outdoor spaces for residents. In Gartnerbyen, it allowed for the creation of large, sleek balconies that perfectly matched the building's modern facade.

The material's durability is crucial for the long-term sustainability of Gartnerbyen. With an expected lifespan of over 100 years, UHPC requires no maintenance or replacement, leading to lower lifetime costs for the developer and end user. This aspect also ensures the long-term comfort of residents while reducing future maintenance costs.

Due to the material's extreme strength and density, we use less material compared to similar elements in regular concrete. For Gartnerbyen, a UHPC solution supported the project's focus on resource efficiency and environmental impact more effectively than what the project would have achieved with standard concrete balconies.

Thanks to a very dense matrix and low porosity, our material, CRC i2®, possesses enormous compressive strength. This strength surpasses regular concrete, fiber concrete, and high-strength concrete. For Gartnerbyen, the high strength enabled the creation of large and sleek balconies without compromising durability.