Delhus Project

The Delhus Vidensprojekt (Danish for “Share House Knowledge Project”) deals with the pressing question: How do we create livable space for everyone within the ecological boundaries of the planet?

Denmark is standing at a critical crossroads: The planet’s ecological boundaries are tightening, and the carbon budget is rapidly shrinking. Simultaneously, the Danish population is projected to increase by 175.000 inhabitants until 2040, driving a significant housing demand.

Delhus investigates the possibility of covering the projected population growth through the existing building stock – in this case single-family houses – without new construction. It maps and gathers knowledge on the sub-division of single-family homes.

This project is part of Bevar Mere, which aims to support a shift in mindset and practice in Denmark, so that the transformation and renovation of the existing building stock becomes an attractive and qualified alternative to new construction. The work has been carried out by EFFEKT and VIGØR. The proposal is open source and available for download and use in English and Danish.

Delhus i Kommunen (Danish for “Share House in Municipalities”) is a new tool for local implementation of shared housing. What if transforming just 15% of our single-family homes could meet tomorrow’s housing needs – without new construction?

Delhus i Kommunen – the second phase of the Delhus project – is a practical tool for municipal planners to support the transformation of existing single-family homes into multi-family housing. By making better use of the current building stock, municipalities can meet the projected population growth without building new homes. In Lejre municipality, 30% of residents could imagine a Delhus solution – and only 15% are needed to cover future demand. Municipalities play a crucial role in scaling shared housing across the country. But how do you actually do it in practice?

The project provides open-source resources – including the main booklet, slidedecks, project poster and templates for project coordination, municipal revisions, and more – creating a clear guide for municipalities to implement shared housing solutions. The material is available for download and use here (English version coming soon).

Delhus i Kommunen is developed by EFFEKT and VIGØR in collaboration with the city of Lejre and supported by Bevar Mere.