Former mill site reborn as new housing community with an architectural nod to the past

Architect: CEBRA
Location: Malling, Aarhus, Denmark
Type: Residential
Year: 2023
Photographs: Adam Mørk, Mikkel Frost

In Malling, a stone’s throw from Aarhus, CEBRA melds historical reference with contemporary living in the new-built housing complex of Malling Dampmølle. The new community reimagines the site of a historical steam mill, integrating 52 modern dwellings into the fabric of the existing suburban tapestry. The project offers a distinct approach to residential design that honours the area’s heritage while embracing modern lifestyles.

The following description is courtesy of the architects. Malling is a small and typical Danish market town located by the railway running through Jutland and connects to Aarhus. On the historical site, which used to accommodate the steam mill Malling Dampmølle (Malling Steam Mill) in the nineteenth century, CEBRA was commissioned to design a small housing community, right between the station and the local church of the suburban satellite town.

The housing project named after the historical site comprises 52 dwellings and is located between two primary roads in Malling: Gammel Østergårdsvej and Holmskovvej. Along Gammel Østergårdsvej, which connects the city’s main street with the station, Malling Dampmølle rises with a distinctive façade, that spans from one floor towards the station to three floors towards Bredgade. Towards Holmskovvej, Malling Dampmølle appears as a coherent building complex, withdrawn from the road to minimize traffic noise.

The geometry creates intimate environments

The housing complex is a variation of the terraced house typology designed around three central courtyards creating a shape like a huge mill wheel. The yards open towards the surroundings as the wings radiate out from the centre of the plot to create an irregular star plan, shaped by the oblique angles of the site perimeter. Thus, the three courtyards form a series of small private environments for the residents while the shape articulates the historical context of the former steam mill area.

Based on the project’s urban context and a thorough analysis of the daylight conditions on site, the project’s main thrust was born. By “pulling” the roof surface up and down, the volume rises only towards the centre of the site not to cast shadows onto the adjacent private garden. Based on the same logic, only the gables of the building come near the site boundary making it appear small and less intruding to the nearby neighbours.

In addition to scaling down the building volume, the enclosed spaces offer intimate outdoor environments and a protected buffer zone between the privacy of the homes and the public streets framing the development.

A distinct interpretation of the urban fabric

The idiom of the project finds its inspiration in the urban context – both in materials and scale. The urban fabric consists of small and mostly detached brick houses, which occasionally connect to form actual street facades. Thus, traditional roof pitches made from shale and brick facades make Malling Dampmølle a contemporary interpretation of the surrounding buildings.

The housing complex is constructed using traditional, robust materials which have a very long lifespan, and require minimal maintenance. The exterior walls are made of dark bricks with dyed joints, roofs of natural slate with zinc flashings and gutters. Capping and window ledges are presented in lacquered aluminium, while windows and doors are made of wood on the inside and lacquered aluminium on the outside. Roofs and facades are kept in the same dark shade and with minimal detailing, so the entire development is experienced as one cohesive sculpture.

The shape of the roof made it possible to design a great variety of different housing units in plan and geometry supporting and attracting social diversity, which is key to sustaining any well-functioning community. The housing units include single-storey homes with direct access to gardens and staircases, and two-storey terraced houses with direct access at the first-floor level, while one of the terraced houses is single-storey. All units feature balconies overlooking a communal courtyard.

Project Details

• Location: Malling, Aarhus, Denmark
• Size: 5,600 m²
• Client: Urbanus ApS
• Function: Housing
• Completion: 2023
• Architect: CEBRA
• Turnkey Contractor: CJ-Group
• Engineer: Arne Elkjær