Highly commended: Sustainable renovation of the year 2025. Djernes & Bell have renovated the Hedeskov Living Lab at the Centre for Regenerative Practice, transforming a former rural school in Djursland, Denmark.

A regenerative transformation of a 600-square-metre rural school and 180-hectare rewilded site into a living lab for ecological design.

Commissioned to translate 40 years of nature restoration into architecture, this project is grounded in the principle of making good – prioritising repair, material circularity and the integration of hyper-local resources over demolition and new build.

The material design at Hedeskov Living Lab began with a landscape audit with Local Works Studio, mapping bio- and geo-resources around the site.

Moraine clay, red iron-rich sand and bullrush fibre were selectively harvested in ways that improved biodiversity and restored microhabitats.

These site-won materials were processed locally and used in clay plasters, floors and natural insulation.

Judges comments: "Denmark's Hedeskov Living Lab provides an ambitious example for how a building can grow from – and ultimately benefit – its local context, combining existing structures, hyper-local site-won materials and upskilling opportunities for local artisans."

Studio: Djernes & Bell
Project: Hedeskov Living Lab
Credits: Local Works Studio, Hedeskov Center for Regenerative Practice, Aalborg Build and Realdania