Who says an urban community is boring? While it is true that a lot of them follow the same rectangular design, there are some that are as innovative as they are beautiful. Moreover, using aviation and satellite photography, the bird’s eye view of such a community is truly spectacular.
One such example is in Denmark. The community goes by the name Brøndby Garden City or Brøndby Haven. In all of the urban areas that exist, this one has perhaps the most unique design. It sits a short drive from Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
Read: Round Houses of Raw Earth: 3D Printing Sustainable Homes in 200 Hours
The specialty of the community is its circular design. There are multiple ‘community gardens’ that have this design. Honestly, we won’t blame you if, at first glance, it looks like a work of fiction! The community garden would fit right into a futuristic science fiction world.
The housing scheme in Brøndby features large patios. They make for a quiet retreat surrounded by nature and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Moreover, the area also allows the residents to nurture hobbies such as landscaping and gardening.
All of the residents own an exactly equal amount of land. The symmetrical shapes allow for the perfect distribution.
Honestly, it would be a dream come true for a lot of us to have a house in such a community. Imagine being surrounded by greenery and yet not being isolated either!
The Brondby Borough approved the idea behind the ‘Garden City’ in 1964. They soon set aside the land needed for the circular communities.
Read: IKEA Released Free Design For Garden Sphere That Feeds a Neighborhood
Making The Community Stronger
The concept also shortens the distance between residents in a community, physically. Apparently, one of the original aims of this project was to bring people closer. The goal was to increase the social interaction among the residents of these housing areas.
Read: 10 Examples of ‘Anti-Homeless’ Hostile Architecture That You Probably Never Noticed Before
These photographs were taken by Henry Do. Here is the photographer’s Instagram account. His pictures are one of the most famous pictures of the unique housing community.
However, as impressive as they are, some think that it is only great in theory. For example, one user wondered: “No garages. And who mows the grass outside the circles?”
Another pointed out: “Neat looking…but it would be terrible on grocery day or moving day.”
Moreover, at the end of the day, the circular shape is nowhere near as efficient as the traditional square shape when it comes to space utilization. Just like this user said: “Visually appealing, but very poor use of space, you could fit way more buildings if you went squares and still have room for parks.”
So, what do you think of this design? Sometimes, there’s more to life than just being efficient.
Keep Reading: Amsterdam’s floating ‘masterpiece’ of 160 homes pushes the envelope.
Sources
- “This Community In Denmark Lives In Surreal Circle Gardens.” Bored Panda. Andželika. 2020.