Aarhus Vand HQ Aarhus, Denmark
The headquarters brings all business units together in one location for Denmark’s leading water tech company, Aarhus Vand. No matter where you sit in the office building or go in the landscape, the design mimics natural freshwater habitats. As such, the architecture conveys the significance of careful management, preservation, and recycling of water.The public atrium references the bottom of a lake with a series of lily pads rising across the floors, articulating a shared identity among the 230 employees.
For the first time in our 150-year history, Aarhus Vand gathers all staff members under one roof, gathering their competencies in one headquarters that supports the many functions and municipal obligations of Aarhus Vand. The complex unites three facilities: two service buildings, one for clean water and one for wastewater, both connected to a central administration building organised around the active atrium space. The ground floor contains public functions, meeting facilities and a canteen, both for external users and company staff – all arriving through the same entrance regardless of title or job description.
Upper floors, accessible only to staff members, are organised with open-plan layouts that support Activity Based Working (ABW) to foster well-being. Through a flexible environment, employees can choose between a variety of company spaces: quiet rooms and common office spaces in different sizes, presentation spaces, and lounge areas, supporting activities rather than fixed workstations.
Lilly pads shape identity
The three main volumes of the facility form a composition of regular boxes with the administration block on top of the service buildings. Together with the outside landscape, whose materials, colours, and vegetation are pulled into the building, the interior shapes a compelling experience. The atrium appears like an irregular pond filled with round platforms at varying heights. Entering the building and looking up gives the impression of being at the bottom of a clear lake where light filters down between the water lilies’ pads and slender stems.
Supporting natural habitats
Naturally, water forms a visible element throughout the Aarhus Vand headquarters.From the facade design resembling shimmering water surfaces to rainwater collection for toilet flushing, as well as the utilisation of drainage systems as both climate adaptation and recreational elements throughout the surrounding landscape.
The landscape design contributes to preserving the local habitats of the Northern Crested Newts in the area by establishing the Newt’s Route.The specially designated watercourse runs from the ponds in the central landscape of the water cluster around the residence's arrival area and parking islands, continuing north along the eastern boundary of the plot through the forest to the depression at the northern pond. The landscape features visible rainwater management within reservoirs, small streams, and plant beds. This integration coexists with biodiversity initiatives, including low-maintenance zones where indigenous plants can flourish naturally, fostering diverse flora and fauna. To support biodiversity, the project includes ditches with varying water levels and native plants, benefiting birds and insects year-round.
Selected references
