Green Attraction

1. Circularity

DAC aims to promote circular thinking and generate as little waste as possible. We work to reduce the use of newly purchased materials—such as paper, wood, metal, and plastic—and to reuse, borrow, or pass things on whenever possible, especially in the production of new exhibitions and cultural activities. In DAC Café, we also focus on minimizing food waste.

2. Climate Impact

DAC is committed to reducing its climate impact by carefully managing resource consumption, including energy, water, and electricity. This also applies to transport and travel. At DAC Café, we prioritize organic and locally sourced seasonal ingredients.

3. Communication

DAC’s core mission is to communicate and facilitate dialogue about architecture and the built environment. A vital part of this is highlighting sustainability and future solutions for both professionals and the general public. This is achieved through exhibitions, events, and digital platforms.

4. Social Sustainability

DAC is an inclusive attraction where everyone—regardless of background—should feel welcome and gain access to knowledge about sustainable development in architecture.

As a workplace, we are a modern organization that involves employees in management through a cooperation forum and employee-elected board members.

How We Work with Sustainability in Practice

Outreach to Professionals

Our industry-focused initiatives address environmental, social, and economic sustainability, climate economy, green transition, inclusion, and diversity in the built environment for citizens and decision-makers in Danish regions and municipalities.

Through our professional development program Strategic Urban Governance, we strengthen participants' skills in developing sustainable cities. Courses and study trips provide decision-makers with a deeper understanding of how to approach urban development holistically. This leads to increased knowledge sharing, the creation of concrete projects, and changes in practice—helping our cities and municipalities move in a more sustainable direction.

Café and Kitchen

To reduce food waste in our café and conference operations, we’ve partnered with an external provider that collects food scraps and organic kitchen waste, converting it into biofuel. The collected volume is tracked online, giving us insight into the scale of food waste.

We strive to use as much organic produce as possible and continuously monitor the balance between organic and conventional products. We source meat and dairy with the Danish state animal welfare label and prioritize seasonal, local ingredients in our menus and conference catering. Of course, vegetarian options are always included.

Technical Operations

We actively work to reduce waste and, together with other BLOX tenants, have a system for sorting, collecting, and weighing waste. Thirteen types of waste—including glass, plastic, and paper—are recycled directly. In public areas, waste is sorted into four categories.

All newly acquired technical equipment is assessed based on product life cycle. This ensures DAC meets its own standards for understanding how products are manufactured, how long they are expected to last, and how they can be disposed of responsibly.

Our focus on electricity usage is reflected in lighting regulation, energy-efficient appliances, and ensuring that equipment is only powered on when needed. Our large screens run on green energy and are turned off outside opening hours. We monitor everything through monthly reports on waste, electricity, and water usage, ensuring transparency in our sustainability efforts.

The BLOX building, which houses the Danish Architecture Center, is a modern facility built according to the best environmental standards of its time.

Exhibitions and Cultural Activities

Wherever possible, DAC uses circular materials and ensures that exhibitions can be disassembled so materials can be reused. Exhibition items and materials are reused either internally or in collaboration with external partners. Environmentally certified paint is used in exhibit production, and signage, texts, and printed materials are repurposed internally. AV equipment in exhibitions is only powered on during opening hours. We also prioritize locally produced materials to reduce transport emissions.

We aim to promote social sustainability by bringing people together through shared experiences, knowledge, and storytelling—across both physical and digital platforms. Our content highlights climate and environmental solutions, as well as insights into the built environment with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Design Shop

The DAC Design Shop’s purchasing strategy focuses on high-quality products that are circular and recyclable, and on suppliers who comply with CSR and sustainability standards. We aim to avoid plastic and promote the most climate-friendly packaging solutions. Through our product range, we also strive to communicate sustainability to our visitors.

Communication and Marketing

We actively communicate information about sustainability in architecture and the built environment through our own print and digital channels. We also promote DAC’s other activities, such as guided city walks, MorgenDAC, and AfterDAC.

We use certified suppliers for print production and digital media hosting. As a baseline for web accessibility, the Danish Architecture Center follows international standards.

Read More

Planet Copenhagen

In 2022, the Danish Architecture Center signed the Planet Copenhagen Manifesto, which unites the entire tourism industry around the goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable destination.