PFA Plans JORD, Denmark's Tallest All-Timber Office Building, in Copenhagen's Nordhavn

Danish pension investor PFA has been granted planning permission for JORD, a new office building in Copenhagen's Nordhavn district that is designed to be Denmark's tallest building with all above-ground load-bearing structures made exclusively from timber. PFA is developing the project in partnership with urban developer Kilden & Hindby and architecture firm Lendager.

PFA announced that construction is planned to begin in 2027 on the final plot in the Århusgade district, at the corner of Kalkbrænderihavnsgade and Århusgade. A later project update identifies November 2026 as the planned groundbreaking.

JORD Project Details in Nordhavn

JORD is planned as a nine-story office building of approximately 12,000 square meters, or about 129,000 square feet, on building plot 2.03 in Nordhavn. It will sit next to PFA's Nordhavn headquarters and at the entrance to the district.

According to PFA, the building will also be Denmark's largest new-build project to date to use cosmetically rejected panes in all of its facade windows. The window design follows the principle of "form follows availability," meaning the facade architecture is based on the panes that are available.

The building will be built entirely without concrete above the foundation. The design calls for a timber structural system, including a cross-laminated timber core and timber floor decks, along with biogenic materials such as clay and hemp.

Timber, Hemp and Clay: The Materials Strategy

PFA said work is ongoing to test and develop materials that are far from standard products in the construction industry. The firm aims to use unfired tiles instead of fired tiles, which have a greater climate impact, as well as cosmetically rejected materials and new upcycled materials in the building's interiors.

The facades will incorporate discarded double-glazed panes and untreated robinia timber, which was chosen for its durability and resistance to the elements. Timber and hemp insulation will be used in both the structure and the facade.

"With JORD, we want to show that the office buildings of the future can be designed differently. We are building with timber, hemp and other biogenic materials to challenge conventional thinking in the industry and create a building that points towards the future. In many ways, we are rediscovering traditional virtues in a new context. As a long-term investor and developer, PFA wants to contribute to new solutions that can inspire the rest of the industry," said Peter Morgan, Head of Property at PFA.

Building on the TRÆ Project in Aarhus

JORD was developed through a partnership between PFA, Kilden & Hindby and Lendager, the same three partners behind TRÆ in Aarhus, which is Denmark's tallest building with a timber load-bearing structure. TRÆ demonstrated how timber, reuse, upcycled materials and new construction methods can be translated into a modern office building.

With JORD, the partners plan to take the approach further by working more consistently with biogenic materials and significantly reducing the use of traditional, heavy construction materials. Concrete is to be eliminated from the core and replaced with timber.

"In many ways, JORD is a further development of the experience we gained from TRÆ. Here, we are taking another step by eliminating concrete from the core and replacing it with timber. At the same time, we are working even more consistently with biogenic materials and with an architecture in which the structure is not merely a technical element but part of the story. It is a building that shows how timber, clay, hemp and other natural materials can provide the framework for a modern office building while also creating spaces characterised by warmth, tranquillity and a sense of presence," said Anders Lendager, architect and founder of Lendager.

Completing the Århusgade District

JORD will mark the completion of the Århusgade development in Nordhavn. The district opened to the people of Copenhagen in 2004 and was previously a harbour area behind locked gates. It has since become a neighbourhood with homes, workplaces, shops and urban life.

"It is special that the final plot in the Århusgade district is now to be developed. Just over 20 years ago, the area was still part of the working harbour and largely unknown to most Copenhageners. Today, it has become a neighbourhood with homes, workplaces, shops and urban life. JORD will be the final piece in this development and, at the same time, a landmark building at the entrance to Nordhavn. We look forward to seeing it become part of the city," said Nanna Westerby Jensen, CEO of By & Havn.

PFA said the project is intended not only to be an office building but also to contribute to the construction industry by promoting greater awareness of materials and a different approach to new-build projects.

Copenhagen Office Market Context

Copenhagen's office market has remained comparatively resilient, particularly for well-located, high-quality buildings. Market commentary cites a 4% prime office yield in the central business district since 2023, prime CBD rent of approximately DKK 2,450 per square meter per year, and CBD vacancy of about 5.9% in the first half of 2026. The same analysis identifies continued demand in business districts including Nordhavn.

The market has also become more polarized. JLL reported that Copenhagen's top 5% of office rents have risen approximately 11% since 2023, while median rents were broadly unchanged. Prime buildings are benefiting from stronger tenant demand, while less competitive or obsolete stock faces greater vacancy pressure.

PFA is a major Danish pension investor with property exposure as part of a broader portfolio that includes equities, bonds and alternative investments. JORD adds to its Nordhavn presence alongside its headquarters in the district, and the building is positioned as a demonstration site for construction methods that PFA hopes will inform the wider development industry.

Sources

• PFA: PFA builds the high-rise of the future in Nordhavn using timber, hemp & clay