The Braunstein Taphouse from ADEPT

The Braunstein Taphouse, a brewery and local event venue, is located in the harbor of Køge, a city in the southwest of the Danish capital Copenhagen. The special thing about the building is that it was designed from the outset to be as easy as possible to dismantle and recycle.

With the Braunstein Taphouse, the Copenhagen-based architecture firm ADEPT is pursuing the exact opposite approach of building “for eternity”. Initially, the building is to stand for ten years. During this time, it will serve as a brewery for the nearby Braunstein microbrewery and as a venue for community events.

In the future, the harbor quay could become an area for Køge’s climate adaptation strategy due to rising sea levels. As a result, the building, which is located on the same harbor quay, is designed according to the “Design for Disassembly” approach. For example, the building’s connections are mechanical and can therefore be easily dismantled. In order to ensure the highest possible recyclability, no paints or joint sealants are used on the primary wall surfaces in the building. The wooden floors in the Braunstein Taphouse are already a recyclate in themselves: they consist of waste products from the flooring manufacturer Junckers, which has its headquarters just around the corner.

The roof of the Braunstein Taphouse from ADEPT consists of polycarbonate panels. They are clicked together. The building’s façade is made from CO₂-neutral Accoya. ADEPT wanted to use as few, unmixed and sustainable materials as possible for the building. This should reduce the effort involved in dismantling and the volume of waste that may be generated. A side effect of the modular design is also the relative ease with which damaged parts of the building can be replaced if necessary.

The fact that the building is partially energy self-sufficient and generates electricity from a photovoltaic system contributes to its sustainability. A natural ventilation concept also helps to reduce the need for artificial ventilation. At the end of its useful life, the Braunstein Taphouse will either be rebuilt at a new location or its materials will be used for other projects, depending on the conditions in ten years’ time.

There is also an adaptable, sustainable building in Rotterdam. Find out more about the Fenix I residential building here.