Architectural qualities of Danish office buildings built between 1960 and 1980, seen in a contemporary sustainable perspective

This study is about evaluating the past and present architectural quality of office
buildings built between1960 and 1980 in Denmark. The evaluation will focus on
the expression of these buildings in relation to their context, combined with the
present sustainable performance of the buildings and their critical problems.
The initial method is a historical study to define the originally intended
architectural quality of the office buildings and the different aspects related to
this quality. The architectural quality is studied in relation to the societal and
technological processes that characterized this period, with special focus on
industrialization and its impact on the design process, particularly in adopting
rational and economic solutions.
When evaluating the buildings in a contemporary, sustainable perspective, the
designer faces many problems. These include: economic problems due to high
energy consumption; comfort problems due to bad indoor climate; and
environmental problems due to the use of construction materials with a negative
impact on the environment. Site visits show that these buildings are facing many
characteristic constructional and aesthetic problems regarding material
durability, mould and fungus, and lack of tightness.
The analysis of the originally intended architectural quality combined with
current constructional, sustainable and aesthetic evaluation forms the basis for a
discussion on the possibilities of implementing sustainable solutions in the office
buildings. This implementation will have an impact on the aesthetic output, and
the concepts of possible contemporary architectures are highlighted.
Keywords: architectural quality, sustainable performance, modernism,
industrialization, environment, aesthetic aspects, economic, comfort problems,
durability and rationality.