Tagrør

From Wetlands to Roof (Re)placements

Name
Emil Westberg Christensen
Education degree
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Architecture
Institute
Architecture and Technology
Program
Architectural Technology
Year
2025

Exploring the potential of scaling thatch as a sustainable roofing material. 

As Denmark prepares for large-scale conversion of agricultural land to wetlands—outlined in the Grønne trepartsaftale— a unique opportunity arises to reintroduce locally sourced thatching as a sustainable and regenerative roofing solution.

This project investigates and demonstrates, how traditional crafted thatch can be scaled and showcased as a viable option for roof renovations and architectural transformations. Reasserting a 6,000-year-old building tradition in a contemporary context through prefabrication of reed elements.

 

The Royal Danish Academy supports the Sustainable Development Goals

Since 2017 the Royal Danish Academy has worked with the Sustainable Development Goals. This is reflected in our research, our teaching and in our students’ projects. This project relates to the following UN goal(-s)