Roof Window in Thyme Garden Social Housing | VELUX Group

In Danish, "Timianhaven" means a thyme garden. Velux skylights were used in these social houses as a tool for providing certain qualities to the tiny interiors: necessary daylight, ventilation, and an upgrade to the appearance of the rooms.

Social Housing in Denmark

Denmark’s social housing sector is one of the biggest on the market. Long-term and sustainable are key qualities that tenant-run housing cooperatives aim for. The architects responsible for Timianhaven, Vandkunster Architects create, in their own words, “architecture for communities”.

3,710 m2 is occupied by forty-four housing units, a community room, gardens with sheds, and parking. The project in Havdrup – is 30 kilometers south of Copenhagen. It is less densely populated so generous meadows were able to be inserted between the rows of houses. A community house can be found on the northern corner of the site, surrounded by greenery.

The Units

The size of the units varies between 42 and 105 m². The downstairs of each duplex apartment has a kitchen with a dining area; the position of the living room varies according to the unit type: in the smaller ones, it's tucked in on the first floor, together with the bedrooms. One bathroom is located next to the main door. Designing functional areas into niches – such as the shower placed behind the wardrobe – enables all necessary features to be included without compromising the quality of the space.

GGU Skylights by Velux are like little hats on the building; one large window on the façade-like roof provides light for some bedrooms; others got an additional light source from a smaller Velux roof window placed above a light shaft, flush with the plastered exterior wall.

Project Data