The VELUX Group opens LKR Innovation House
A landmark for creativity, collaboration, and product development
Today the VELUX Group opens a hub for innovation in an old wooden warehouse converted into a modern workplace for creativity to thrive. LKR Innovation House has a carbon footprint well below similar buildings in Denmark due to the renovation and the reuse of more than 50 percent of the original materials.
Located in Østbirk, Denmark, LKR Innovation House gathers around 500 VELUX employees focusing on the further development of roof windows and accessories, plus other innovation that goes beyond the Group’s core products. It is named after Lars Kann-Rasmussen, son of the founder of VELUX.
“With this amazingly transformed building, we now have a first-class innovation hub for developing the best products and solutions in the building industry for our customers,” says Tina Mayn, Executive Vice President, Products & Innovation in the VELUX Group. “LKR Innovation House is also a shining example of our commitment to renovation and more sustainable building methods and materials.”
A building for the future transformed with respect for its past
The 30-year-old building is restored and renovated with respect for its initial design. By reusing and repurposing as many as possible of the existing materials it was built in, more than half of the original materials were spared in the transformation process. This means that about 55 percent or 4,576 tonnes of materials have been saved compared to what it would take to construct a new building of the same size and function.
With a carbon footprint of only 4.6 kg CO2e/m2/year, LKR Innovation House is future proof beyond current projections for Danish building legislation in 2029.
‘Experiment in wood’ by Lars Kann-Rasmussen
It was Lars Kann-Rasmussen’s idea to construct the original building using primarily wood as the main material due to environmental considerations. Wherever possible, materials like concrete and steel were substituted with untreated wood. The wood was intentionally untreated to test the durability and thereby sustainability of using it as a primary building material.
When inaugurated on May 15 in 1995, the building was thus referred to as ‘an experiment in wood’ because of the untreated and responsibly grown wood sourced from Danish and Swedish forests. It has stood the test of time as the wood used on the facade of the building remains in good condition and is expected to continue to withstand.
Synergies in innovation
LKR Innovation House is transformed into a modern workplace with offices, laboratories and workshops to drive VELUX product development. These workspaces are expected to spark a high degree of collaboration and creativity and result in significant innovation synergies.
Source: https://press.velux.co.uk/the-velux-group-opens-lkr-innovation-house/
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