When the Bright Idea Award was presented last year, the jury behind the award had another idea in mind when reviewing this year’s nominations. In the jury’s opinion, it could not win one of the main prizes, but it was still so interesting that the jury felt it also deserved recognition and a financial pat on the back of DKK 100,000.
And it was well deserved. Now the recipient of the extraordinary runner-up award in 2022, Jannike Borg, can help write Danish history in innovative, sustainable construction.
Jannike Borg graduated in 2022 with a Master’s degree from Aarhus University. Together with her father, carpenter Finn Borg, she has developed and patented the Global Nature Element (GNE) building structure in their company ACERA. The product is a 100% biodegradable building structure that can be used for foundation, floor, wall and ceiling construction in the construction of single-family homes with a carbon footprint that is at least 70% smaller than traditional building materials.
Selected for showcase building
There is apparently so much potential in their development work that ACERA is one of four visionary Danish house builders selected to build exemplary buildings in the Housing from 4 to 1 planet initiative . The initiative was set up by the Villum Foundation and Realdania with the aim of contributing to a greener construction industry and developing new solutions and examples that make it possible to reduce the climate footprint of new housing construction in Denmark by 75% by 2030.
Project Manager at Realdania, Stig Hessellund says about the selection of ACERA:
“We see great potential in simplifying a pure wood-based building construction – both in terms of buildability, but hopefully also price. The many extra layers that our buildings currently consist of must be reduced in number and complexity, but without compromising architectural quality, indoor climate and durability. It is also our hope that this wood-based system will result in a building with a significantly lower carbon footprint. This is an agenda that we in Boligbyggeri fra 4 til 1 planet share with Acera and that we are quite confident the project will contribute to.”
We don’t have time to wait
Like JDH-BYG, MTHøjgaard Property Development and Tiny Varigheden, ACERA will build single-family homes and all will receive a small grant from the programme initiators. ACERA will build a 147 square metre house and there is already a buyer for the house.
“We are of course super proud. We are both the smallest and youngest company, but also very far ahead in having a total solution, so being selected and having a voice in how we build people’s homes both for now and in the future is a clear recognition.
There is a huge need for a generational shift in the construction industry. We don’t have time for the very conservative conventional solutions if we want to deliver something that is in line with the Paris Agreement and have a chance of limiting global temperature rise,” says Jannike.
What does it mean for a company like ACERA to be selected for Housing from 4 to 1 Planet?
“First and foremost, we hope to raise awareness that all the good solutions already exist. In addition, of course, we also have a commercial aim and hope that ACERA can get a lot of business out of it. And on a personal level, well, I’m a little proud to be part of potentially writing Danish history,” says Jannike.
To get there, there’s still a lot of work to be done. The prize money from the runner-up award from the Otto Mønsted Foundation will now benefit ACERA in the upcoming documentation work with the construction of the example house.
“When you take steps that no one has taken before, there is a natural scepticism towards your solutions. That’s why we want to ensure that everything is completely thorough, and that’s what we’ll use the allocated funds for. So when we break ground, it can quickly take off and be a technical and commercial alternative to conventional housing construction.”
The Bright Idea is awarded again this year
In 2023, the Otto Mønsted Foundation will award the Bright Idea prize for the fifth consecutive year, totalling DKK 500,000. The award is aimed at promising talents at Danish universities who have the right innovative idea, project or process that can make a difference and has commercial potential. The nomination period ends on 1 September 2023 and all applications are assessed by a jury based on specific criteria. Read more about the award
About Housing from 4 to 1 planet
Denmark consumes the Earth’s natural resources at a rate equivalent to having four planets at our disposal. Every year. Construction, which accounts for up to 30% of CO2 emissions in Denmark, therefore plays a crucial role in the ambitions to combat climate change. The programme also includes example buildings in terraced houses and social housing. Source: Housing from 4 to 1 planet