In the western part of Rødovre – in the former headquarters of the supermarket chain Irma – four yellow apartment blocks have emerged on the skyline. The brick-clad buildings are called “Stempelhusene” and they contain 88 apartments that were designed and built with aesthetics and quality in focus from the outset.
Stempelhusene are the Irma district’s first cooperative housing buildings. They are intended to help ensure that elderly residents and families with children can move into the exclusive area for less money than if the apartments were owner-occupied homes.
Carefully selected bricks and drains
Although they are cheaper than the surrounding owner-occupied apartments, no compromises have been made on the materials or the architecture. The bricks were laid according to a strict plan, and Unidrain’s linear drains adorn the bathroom floors.
So explains Line Ryming Funch, an architect at Arkitema Architects, which designed Stempelhusene.
“From the outset, we focused on the aesthetics and the little details, which often make all the difference,” she says.
Among other things, the bricks are in different shades of yellow, and in two of the buildings they are laid with the reverse side out to give the masonry a coarser look. This gives the four buildings distinct looks, though they initially look the same.
“Long before we knew that Stempelhusene were going to be used for cooperative housing, we wanted to get the details right. So, for example, the balconies have been given smoke-stained glass screens that match the buildings’ golden tiles, and the buildings are angled in relation to each other, creating an interesting outdoor space between them. Each apartment has been designed to receive maximum daylight, as they all let in light from two corners of the world,” says Line Ryming Funch, and adds:
“We also knew we wanted to fit the bathrooms with Unidrain’s linear drain. It has a simple and exclusive look and creates a seamless unity between the shower and tiles.”
Prefabricated and stylish bathrooms
The bathroom manufacturer Badelement, which prefabricated Stempelhusene’s bathrooms, were happy when they were asked to install our linear drain.
Badelement’s Managing Director Hans Henrik Nielsen says the line drains are both stylish and easy to install:
“We always hope we’ll be allowed to install linear drains. They look exclusive and they’re easy to mount.”