Hindsgavl Nature Centre
A place that inspires outdoor recreation and community
Location
Middelfart, Denmark
Developer
Middelfart Municipality
Size
450 m2
Acquisition
Winning proposal in project competition in 2010
Status
Completed in 2012
Architect
AART
Engineer
Rønslev Andersen
Awards
Middelfart Kommunes Arkitekturpris
Isover Best of Energy Efficiency Award
Isover Best of Energy Efficiency Award
Hindsgavl Nature Centre is a place that inspires outdoor recreation and community in Hindsgavl Deer Park. Emerging out of the hilly landscape, it acts as a frame for scenic experiences and is the first nature centre in Denmark constructed as a passive house.
Emerging out of the landscape
Hindsgavl Nature Centre’s close interaction with its surrounding landscape is reflected in the massive window sections, numerous terraces and use of natural materials that blur the boundaries between inside and outside. The nature centre also emerges out of the hilly landscape and includes direct access to the grass-covered roof, which serves as an excellent vantage point for the deer parks’ abundant and varied wildlife. With its open spaces and functions, the nature centre provides opportunities for a variety of activities in safe as well as more challenging surroundings, be it morning or evening or summer or winter.
Raises the bar for sustainable building
With reverence for its scenic surroundings, the nature centre has been designed to serve as a lighthouse project for sustainable building. The design is a result of a close collaboration with Middelfart Municipality and has been built as Denmark’s first nature centre that fulfils the requirements for passive house construction. This means that the centre’s energy consumption is significantly reduced, which has been made possible by designing it in relation to the local climate, e.g. by using the large overhangs as sunshade to protect against and benefit from the heat from the sun.
