From Experiments to Ecosystems – Circular Architecture in Practice
- Mar 3
- 5 min read
A Conversation with Nicholas Ransome, CEO at Lendage
Photo credit: Rasmus Hjortshøj.
Denmark is known for its strong design tradition — but also for having one of the highest demolition rates in Europe. Within this tension, a new architectural culture is taking shape. It is less concerned with bold stylistic gestures than earlier design movements — yet far more far-reaching in its consequences.
This approach is not defined by a single material, one technology, or one certification. It is defined by a fundamental shift in mindset: circularity is no longer an experiment. It is becoming part of the way construction functions as a whole.
The most forward-thinking architecture today therefore rarely begins with an empty building site. Instead, it takes its point of departure in what already exists — in buildings, structures, and materials that already contain cultural, technical, and climatic value.
It is within this field that Lendager operates. For more than a decade, the practice has been among the leaders in the development of circular construction — not as a narrow specialist discipline, but as a comprehensive cultural, technical, and organizational transformation.
When I spoke with Nicholas Ransome, it became clear that we are at a turning point. Circularity is moving away from isolated material experiments and pilot projects and toward becoming a new shared framework for how construction is planned and carried out.
A New Point of Departure for Architecture: Building On What Already Exists
In its early years, circular architecture was often understood as innovation through substitution — replacing one material with another. Today, Lendager works with something far more fundamental: changing the very starting point of architectural decision-making.
Instead of asking what should be built, the first question is what already exists — and what can be reused.
Nicholas highlights Høje Taastrup City Hall as an illustrative example. The former municipal building had been approved for demolition when Ikano Bolig sought to develop housing on the site. The building comprised approximately 17,000 m² and was originally considered obsolete.
However, an early analysis revealed something different. The structure was intact and robust, and the building’s floor heights and load-bearing system made it flexible and suitable for new purposes. The initial assumption had been that the building should be removed and replaced with a conventional new development.
Lendager’s proposal was simple — yet far-reaching: preserve and transform instead of demolish.
This decision changed the entire logic of the project. Demolition, waste removal, new foundations, and the construction of load-bearing structures became unnecessary. A building that was otherwise on its way to becoming waste instead became the foundation for new homes.
According to Nicholas, this is no longer an isolated case, but a sign of a broader cultural movement:
“It no longer looks good to tear things down. Renovation is suddenly on the agenda — politically, socially, and architecturally.”
From Material Experiments to Value Chains
Lendager is known for working with reused and upcycled materials — from bricks and timber to glass, concrete, and large composite components from infrastructure. However, the decisive change lies not only in the materials. It lies in the collaborations and processes required to make circularity work in practice.
Nicholas points to an early project in which decommissioned wind turbine blades were transformed into solar shading elements. The project required bringing together actors who do not typically collaborate: composite specialists, recycling companies, demolition contractors, façade engineers, and regulatory authorities.
The experience quickly demonstrated that circular construction cannot be solved within a single organization. It requires new forms of collaboration across disciplines, industries, and regulatory frameworks.
At this point, circularity begins to function as an ecosystem rather than as isolated innovations.
The focus shifted from design concepts and material experiments to coordinating interfaces — between technical requirements, legislation, supply chains, and on-site construction execution.
Living Labs: Buildings as Testing and Learning Environments
Drone credit: Anders Nymann Wejse, Velkendt.
The Living Lab initiative demonstrates how circular solutions can be developed and scaled in practice. In a 20-storey timber-hybrid building — the tallest of its kind in Denmark — three floors have been designated as Living Labs. Each floor tests different material strategies: biogenic materials, reused components, and upcycled building elements.
The background is the TRÆ project, which challenged prevailing norms in Danish construction. At the time the project was initiated, there were no precedents for timber-hybrid construction at this height in Denmark. Many systems that are typically executed in steel or aluminium had to be rethought from the ground up.
The façade structure — behind the reused metal cladding — also required close dialogue with fire authorities, as timber is rarely used in high-rise construction. As Nicholas put it:
“We were doing things that had no precedent. Everything had to be proven at full scale.”
Rather than viewing innovation as a risk, testing and documentation were embedded directly into the project. Materials were tracked from procurement to installation to ensure traceability. Contractors tested workflows and tolerances on site. Authorities were involved continuously, allowing fire and building requirements to be adjusted on an informed basis.
In addition, data was collected on financial performance and operational outcomes after occupancy — knowledge that is typically lacking for new material solutions.
The result was a shared testing platform that many companies would otherwise not have had access to. Several suppliers used the laboratories to obtain certifications or further develop products so they could meet current regulatory requirements.
As Nicholas observes:
“The first movers pay the price. The next ones reap the benefits.”
In this way, the TRÆ project becomes more than a single building. It serves as a springboard where new solutions are matured and prepared for wider application — benefiting the entire construction industry.
Barriers and Shifts in the Market
Despite growing momentum, the circular transition continues to face barriers: risk premiums among contractors, insufficient documentation, cautious insurance models, outdated standards, and legislation that is often aligned with linear construction logics.
Yet change is underway.
According to Nicholas, the coming decade will be shaped by more transparent material data, clearer regulation, and decisions increasingly guided by CO₂ budgets rather than conventional aesthetics. Requirements for documented climate impact and knowledge of material availability are becoming ever more non-negotiable.
The next phase, therefore, is not about a single decisive innovation, but about the industry’s ability to operate within clearer frameworks and shared data — with circularity as a fundamental condition.
Perspective: A New Normal for Danish Construction
Viewed from a broader perspective, Denmark is moving away from isolated circular experiments and toward a more systemic practice. The next chapter in construction will be characterized by:
Transformation and renovation as the first choice
Demolition as a last resort
Regional material cycles
Standardized low-emission solutions
Knowledge sharing and shared testing infrastructure
Early collaboration across all disciplines
Circular construction is no longer about isolated ingenuity, but about adaptation — technical, organizational, and cultural.
Lendager’s work demonstrates what this next phase can look like in practice: not as a break from architecture, but as a consistent evolution of the systems that make it possible to build on what already exists.
Here, Denmark has the potential to lead the way — by turning proven solutions into standard practice and shaping a construction culture grounded in long-term responsibility and continuity.
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Written by Talia Sanchez
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