Malling Dampmølle Malling, Denmark
The Malling Dampmølle housing community reimagines a former steam mill site. The complex features a distinct variation of the terraced house typology, designed around three central courtyards that form private environments for residents.It comprises 52 two- to five-room rentals ranging from 55-164 m2, none of which are identical. One of the scheme’s main goals was to foster social diversity and to facilitate both privacy and a sense of fellowship among the residents.
Malling Dampmølle functions as a modern and voluntary community featuring a communal house, guest apartment, shared greenhouse, and kitchen gardens, allowing for get-togethers and shared activities. The shape of the roof, a vital part of the sculptural thrust, made it possible to design a great variety of different housing units in plan and geometry, supporting and attracting a mix of families with children, senior residents, and households of different sizes. The apartments are arranged to accommodate various needs, while the ambition was to attract people with ties to the local community, with a focus on high architectural quality, easy access to shopping and the light rail, and proximity to the countryside, forest, and beach.
The geometry creates intimate environments
The housing complex is a variation of the terraced house typology, designed around three central courtyards, creating a sculptural form. The yards open towards the surroundings as the wings radiate out from the centre of the plot to create an irregular star plan, shaped by the oblique angles of the site perimeter. Thus, the three courtyards form a series of small private environments for the residents, while the unique shape articulates the significance of the historical area.
Based on the project’s urban context and a thorough analysis of on-site daylight conditions, the project’s main thrust emerged. By “pulling” the roof surface up and down, the volume rises only towards the centre of the site, not to cast shadows onto the adjacent private garden. Based on the same logic, only the building's gables come near the site boundary, making it appear smaller and less intrusive to nearby neighbours. The height of the roof ridge varies continuously from 8.5 meters at the gables to 14 meters, culminating in three peaks. The rising and falling roof lines result in a distinctive profile. Inside the apartments, the shapes of the roofs are experienced in the pitched ceilings, creating a distinct spatial experience.
An interpretation of the urban fabric
Malling Dampmølle is highly inspired by the urban context – both in materials and scale. The community living development integrates naturally with its surroundings right between the station and the local church, adding a distinct yet locally respectful identity to the local area’s heritage. The urban fabric consists of small, mostly detached brick houses that occasionally connect to form actual street facades. In this way, the complex’s traditional shale roof pitches and brick facades make Malling Dampmølle a contemporary interpretation of the surrounding built environment.
The housing complex is constructed using traditional, robust materials which have a very long lifespan and require minimal maintenance. The exterior walls are made of dark bricks with dyed joints, and the roofs are of natural slate with zinc flashings and gutters. Capping and window ledges are presented in lacquered aluminium, while windows and doors are made of wood on the inside and lacquered aluminium on the outside. Roofs and facades are kept in the same dark shade and with minimal detailing, so the entire development is experienced as one cohesive sculpture.
