Anders Lendager and Kasper Guldager Jensen from 3XN/GXN won the individual award “The Sustainable Element” by Building Green in Copenhagen last week. The two friends back from the architecture school were nominated for “their great engagement in the transition to sustainable construction and use of raw materials and waste as a resource”. And this transition must be mainstream in the construction industry as it is responsible for two-thirds of Denmark’s total waste.
Thus we carry a massive responsibility as architects, engineers, constructing architects, contractors and clients – because we create the future society. The individual award is an acknowledgement that commits in the fight for a more sustainable future with reduced CO2-emission. A future where regenerative cities and buildings are mainstream.
But how can we make sustainability and circular economy in architecture and organisations mainstream? How do we ensure that buildings and cities obtain more CO2 than they emit? Our previous generations have created a world where pollution has constantly increased. The amount of waste in the world is continuously growing, so we need action. Joint actions with a common goal of a more sustainable and healthy future.
Lendager Group and our collaborators encourage partnerships and collaborations across organisations, professions and disciplines – instead of competition. Innovation instead of conservatism. Yes, we must take responsibility together. We must upcycle building materials and waste to new and beautiful materials, which can be reused in new buildings. Without producing new products and without emitting CO2.
Right now the construction industry invests huge amounts in upcycle building materials and sustainable architecture. Lendager Group develops houses that can be disassembled and used again for new purposes. Concrete that is upcycled directly at the construction site of crushed concrete from the former building. And we upcycle and process aesthetically materials that all had former lives in another building. So the development is in full swing.
The development is a visible proof that it is possible to create a healthy and sustainable future – and make good business at the same time. It is possible to create a sustainable world with regenerative cities and buildings. A world with circular economy, where buildings actually obtain more than they take.
That is the world we at Lendager Group believe in. And we are ready to lead the way!