UN17 Village - Global first sustainable building integrating all of 17 SDGs in one building

UN17 Village at the southern tip of the Copenhagen district of Ørestad has the stated ambition to set new standards for sustainable construction. NREP, developer and investor of this project aims to build a unified building that bring all of UN's 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) in one building project.

Project Background

CG Jensen, the construction company of this project, has worked intensively to design as sustainably as possible, including the use of greener cement and concrete. FUTURECEM^®, Cementir low carbon cement technology, will be used for the retaining walls of the village, the foundation of the entire project and the fifth building. It is for the first time in a larger scale use low-carbon concrete based on FUTURECEM^® that reduces up to 30% CO₂ emissions.

Designed by Aarstidernes Arkitekte, UN17 Village will consist of five separate buildings with a total area of 35,000 square meters. The building will house both family homes, community homes, flexible housing, minimal housing and senior communities.

FUTURECEM^® has been an obvious choice to use in the concrete structures and thereby achieve significant CO₂ savings. Our experience is that FUTURECEM^® based concrete works well and fully on par with traditional concrete in most contexts

--- Rasmus L. Frederiksen, Project Manager of CG Jensen

Q: What makes FUTURECEM^® product stand out from other cement options in this project?

Rasmus L. Frederiksen (RLF): Sustainability has been central to the UN17 Village construction project. Therefore, FUTURECEM^® has been an obvious choice to use in the concrete structures and thereby achieve significant CO₂ savings. At CG Jensen, we have an ambition to become climate neutral as early as 2029. Therefore, we warmly welcome products such as FUTURECEM^®, which can help reduce our CO₂ footprint. We are pleased to be able to help bring forward a more sustainable alternative, so that concrete can also be a useful product in the future.

Q: What is your favorite feature of FUTURECEM^® product?

RLF: Despite the low clinker content of FUTURECEM^®, the concrete behaves in many ways like concrete with traditional Portland cement. It is a great advantage for us to be able to follow the known work processes.

Q: What has exceeded your expectations since working with us?

RLF: We have had a really good collaboration with Unicon / Aalborg Portland (Cementir Group) on adapting recipes so that the interaction between the sub-materials in the concrete could be optimized. They have great technical competence and knowledge, which was crucial for a quick and efficient solution to the natural challenges we faced in the start-up phase.

Q: What was one unexpected benefit you experienced when using FUTURECEM^® product?

RLF: The use of calcined clay in the cement gives the concrete a light brownish, warm shade. This nuance difference excites many, including architects who see it as a quality, where the concrete is visible. After we in collaboration with Unicon have found the right recipes, the concrete has proven to be robust and with good workability in most contexts.

Q: What would you tell industrial peers who's considering FUTURECEM^® product?

RLF: Just get started! It is an easy and efficient way to ensure CO₂ savings in a building. Our experience is that FUTURECEM^® based concrete works well and fully on par with traditional concrete in most contexts.

UN17 Village - Project based on FUTURECEM^®