Malling Dampmølle: innovative housing project in Danish market town

Innovative housing project in Malling, a quaint and typical Danish market town situated along the railway that traverses Jutland and connects to Aarhus. On the historical site of the former Malling Dampmølle steam mill from the nineteenth century, CEBRA was commissioned to design a small housing community, located between the station and the local church of this suburban satellite town.

The innovative housing project, named after the historical site, comprises 52 dwellings and is positioned between two main roads in Malling: Gammel Østergårdsvej and Holmskovvej.

Along Gammel Østergårdsvej, which links the town’s main street with the station, Malling Dampmølle features a distinctive façade that rises from one floor near the station to three floors towards Bredgade. Along Holmskovvej, Malling Dampmølle appears as a coherent building complex, set back from the road to minimise traffic noise.

The Geometry Creates Intimate Environments

The housing complex is a variation of the terraced house typology, designed around three central courtyards that create a sculptural form. The courtyards open towards the surroundings, with the wings radiating from the centre of the plot to form an irregular star plan, shaped by the oblique angles of the site perimeter. Consequently, the three courtyards provide a series of small private environments for the residents, while the shape articulates the historical context of the former steam mill area.

Based on the project’s urban context and a thorough analysis of the daylight conditions on-site, the project’s main thrust emerged. By manipulating the roof surface to rise and fall, the volume only rises towards the centre of the site, avoiding casting shadows on the adjacent private gardens. Similarly, only the gables of the building approach the site boundary, making it appear smaller and less intrusive to nearby neighbours.

In addition to scaling down the building volume, the enclosed spaces offer intimate outdoor environments and a protected buffer zone between the privacy of the homes and the public streets framing the development.

A Distinct Interpretation of the Urban Fabric

The design of the innovative housing project draws inspiration from the urban context, both in materials and scale. The urban fabric consists of small, predominantly detached brick houses that occasionally connect to form actual street façades. Therefore, traditional roof pitches made from slate and brick façades make Malling Dampmølle a contemporary interpretation of the surrounding buildings.

The housing complex is constructed using traditional, robust materials with a long lifespan and minimal maintenance requirements. The exterior walls are made of dark bricks with dyed joints, and the roofs are covered in 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 façades are kept in the same dark shade and feature minimal detailing, creating the impression of a cohesive sculpture.

Voluntary Community

Malling Dampmølle functions as a modern, voluntary community, featuring a communal house, guest apartment, shared greenhouse, and kitchen gardens, which residents can participate in as they wish. The shape of the roof allowed for a variety of different housing units in plan and geometry, supporting and attracting social diversity with a mix of older and younger families with children, which is key to sustaining a well-functioning community. The innovative housing project include single-storey homes with direct access to gardens and staircases, and two-storey terraced houses with direct access at the first-floor level, while one of the terraced houses is single-storey. All units feature balconies overlooking a communal courtyard.