WoodHub By C.F. Møller: Denmark’s Largest Timber Office Building

Located in the heart of Odense, Denmark, WoodHub by C.F. Møller Architects represents a landmark in sustainable public architecture. Completed in 2025, this pioneering office building gathers multiple government agencies under one roof, providing modern, flexible, and climate-responsible workspaces for 1,600 public employees. As Denmark’s largest timber office building, it is celebrated as a national flagship for low-carbon construction, setting a benchmark for sustainable architecture and large-scale timber design.

Sustainable Timber Construction & Carbon Reduction

The building’s 31,000 m² solid timber structure dramatically reduces the lifetime CO₂ emissions by approximately 5,400 tonnes compared to conventional construction. Exposed glulam columns and CLT (cross-laminated timber) floors are not only structural elements but also serve as carbon storage, delivering both technical efficiency and sensory warmth. The visible timber structure enhances indoor environmental quality while demonstrating the aesthetic potential of large-scale timber construction.

Contextual Design & Façade Strategy

The façades use recycled aluminium panels in warm red-brown tones that harmonize with the surrounding brick buildings. Varied façade depths are carefully aligned with the sun path, providing passive shading that minimizes energy use while maximizing natural daylight. This design strategy ensures thermal comfort throughout the building without relying on mechanical screening, highlighting bioclimatic architecture principles.

Spatial Organisation: Work, Collaboration, and Urban Integration

WoodHub’s layout is organized around two staggered C-shaped office wings facing east and west, rising from three to six floors. These wings converge in a seven-storey central hub, which houses meeting rooms designed to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration. The flexible interiors can be reconfigured over time, supporting adaptive reuse and long-term functionality.

At ground level, the building seamlessly integrates public front-office functions, a canteen, and a meeting center, connecting urban life with the building’s inner courtyard. Nooks and recreation spaces along the façade create dynamic interfaces between the public realm and workplace, encouraging interaction and social engagement.

Green Spaces & Biodiversity

Roof terraces, courtyard gardens, and raised green areas extend workspaces outdoors, providing spaces for breaks, informal meetings, and community engagement. These green interventions enhance biodiversity, support employee well-being, and strengthen the building’s connection with nature, embodying the philosophy of blending work, city, and environment.

National Impact & Architectural Significance

WoodHub is widely regarded as a benchmark in low-carbon, large-scale timber construction, inspiring future projects across Denmark and internationally. It demonstrates that public architecture can simultaneously prioritize sustainability, aesthetics, functionality, and community engagement. The project reinforces C.F. Møller’s leadership in climate-conscious design and innovative timber architecture.

All the photographs are works of  Rasmus Hjortshøj