Sydhavn Skole/South Harbour School

Built for generations to come

ROCKWOOL products help create a sustainable space for learning

Good education depends on a comfortable, healthy learning environment. But the architects of South Harbour School went several steps further when they created this award-winning building: they gave the school an exterior that communicates inclusiveness and dynamism, and a form and design that blend seamlessly into its waterfront surroundings.

South Harbour is also built to stringent energy standards. It uses power and resources as sparingly as possible, meeting the strict Danish building legislation that has made low-energy building the standard in 2015.

ROCKWOOL materials have been instrumental in helping South Harbour School combine creativity with sustainability and safety. Its colourful exterior, which features quirky graphics, is made from custom Rockpanel® cladding. The cladding boards are made from compressed stone wool, which use less energy to produce than alternative products, are fully recyclable the end of their long lifetime and offer the highest levels of fire safety.

Teachers and students at South Harbour School can also learn without disruption from corridor noise, machinery, or the sound of distant voices, thanks to Rockfon ceilings. The improvements they make to interior acoustics mean teachers can be heard clearly and any noisy activities do not disrupt other classes. And through the school year, ROCKWOOL insulation helps maintain a comfortable indoor environment while also minimising the school’s energy demand.

The school’s architects went to great lengths to screen materials for sustainability: ”We compared the Environmental Product Declaration of the Rockpanel boards with those of other cladding materials. It turned out that the boards made from sustainably sourced basalt have a lower environmental impact both in terms of energy use and CO2 emissions during production. According the EPD, the product life of the Rockpanel products is 60 years, another important point when we want to build in a sustainable way.” Jørn Kiesslinger, Architect and DGNB auditor at JJW Architects, Copenhagen

With its combination of durable ROCKWOOL materials and sensitive design, South Harbour School is built to last for generations to come.

Project Data