Denmark has invested more than €5.3 billion in strengthening its hospital infrastructure. The programme encompasses 16 projects, including the construction of four major new hospitals. North Zealand is one of them. It will serve as an acute care centre for the 310,000 residents of the capital region, who were previously divided between the hospitals in Hillerød, Elsinore and Frederikssund.
Herzog & de Meuron and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects have adopted a four-leaf clover shape to unify the different parts of the building and facilitate its integration into the natural environment, while at the same time streamlining internal circulation. With a maximum height of 4 storeys and despite its large surface area of 123,000 m², the hospital remains on a human scale. The patient wards, located on the upper levels, offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Working closely with the client, Artelia managed the sustainable development of the facility. The building is designed to meet the energy requirements of the Danish building class 2020 and is aiming for DGNB Gold certification (a highly demanding German sustainable construction label). To achieve this, our teams carried out extensive energy calculations, in particular to anticipate heat loss and thermal bridges. They also paid particular attention to the quality of the indoor climate. As most of the rooms are unique, the indoor climate was simulated for more than 100 of them (bedrooms, operating theatres, staff rooms, waiting rooms, etc.). Advanced CFD studies were carried out in the naturally ventilated entrance hall. Our teams also carried out daylight simulations for all types of rooms intended for long-term stays and for the workplaces.

Artelia is also responsible for the creation of the site’s infrastructure and associated civil engineering works (roads, parking areas, traffic lights, drainage, utilities, lighting, ground improvement, geotechnics, environmental improvements). A 3D digital model was built for the design. In accordance with the hospital’s district plan, a rainwater retention system (SUD) was set up with ditches, rainwater tanks, underground reservoirs and temporary flooding zones. The hospital and technical facilities, as well as the access road to the hospital, will thus be protected against extreme events (100-year frequency), while the rest of the site is able to cope with very heavy rainfall (20-year frequency).

Credits : Herzog & de Meuron et Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects