long-term and collaborative approach

“My life work has been focused on how we can develop thriving inclusive cities and neighbourhoods. The complexity is humbling, and success requires a will to truly understand the local context and a multi-disciplinary collaborative approach to provide the solutions. The regeneration of the socially disadvantaged Tingbjerg area in Copenhagen is a case in point. Our innovative partnership with the municipality and two social housing companies unlocked solutions that will set the area on a completely different trajectory than would otherwise have been the case.”

“I have worked in care my entire career, and creating better living for our elderly is profoundly personal to me. There is a structural problem that I am worried about, but most people who have been to a couple of care homes probably know that there is also a moral imperative to provide our seniors with a more positive living environment. A care home environment should provide a sense of a stimulating, safe and caring home – not a worn down hospital ward. Our concept is based on methodical research, years of experience from care home operations and meticulous optimisation of a myriad of design and production details that all add up to something that I hope will make a difference.”

“Sustainability requires change, and it is not easy in practice to align partners and service providers in a real estate development to do things in new ways. Every project involves a new constellation, and change means managing unknowns and risks. A major part of my work at NREP, and say 30% of my time, is therefore focused on pushing initiatives and projects that make real estate better from a social and environmental perspective, while still managing risks and achieving strong economic viability. It is challenging, but I believe it is important and rewarding. And with every project iteration both we and our partners get up the learning curve. An example is Resource Rows and Upcycle Studios, which were challenging but then paved the way for more effective and efficient application of circular solutions in subsequent projects.”

“To me, sustainability is about rethinking habits and exploring new opportunities. NREP strives to take the lead on inspiring people to healthy and climate-friendly food-habits, but we also see the production, preparation and consumption of food as an important catalyst for connectedness between people in our buildings and communities. I believe it is an important part of how we can breathe life into the spaces we create.”

“I stepped over to NREP from the renewable energy industry to act on the immense opportunity for real estate to play a role in combating climate change. Technologies to step from being a huge part of the problem to being a part of the solution are already here, but the challenge is to do it in practice. A combination of factors are making it a lot easier said than done, so I am extremely proud of how we in different ways have pioneered on-site renewables production in the Nordics and how we are progressing our program towards carbon neutral or carbon positive buildings.”