The balance between cultural heritage and sustainability

The history of Hindsgavl Castle stretches back hundreds of years. And we are still writing on that history, even though the buildings today have completely different functions than when they were built. The main building from 1784 and the farm buildings from 1785 are part of Denmark’s cultural heritage and are listed. This condition imposes certain restrictions on modernisation and other adaptations.

Of course, our responsibility and respect for our history and past does not exempt us from responsibility for our surroundings today and for the future. That’s why we continuously look at how we can optimise the buildings within the framework of the preservation order. This sometimes requires some compromises, but better that than no optimisation. Again, it is an overall assessment that determines the outcome.

Realdania By & Byg took over the buildings in 2003-2005 and has since carried out a comprehensive transformation of the site with extensive restorations at a cost of hundreds of millions DKK. The aim is to preserve the castle in its entirety while ensuring a sustainable economic framework for the site and making it accessible to all.

Renewal with care

When we energy-optimise, renovate or repair, we do so not only with consideration for the castle, its history or aesthetics, but equally for the environment and people – by focusing on increasing energy efficiency, maximising guest comfort and improving the working environment.

Quality ensures longevity

At Hindsgavl Castle, we have a clear stance on materials, whether we are renovating our buildings, furnishing the rooms, or purchasing beds, furniture, and textiles for the guest rooms. They must be of a quality that lasts as long as possible and is as environmentally friendly as possible.

Through a conscious choice of materials, we ensure that the lifespan of our rooms is significantly longer than the standard in the hotel industry – without compromising on comfort and aesthetics.

The rooms in the stables still look great, even though they were built in 2006. Due to the care taken with the materials, there has been no need to renovate them since.

Circularity as a strategy

Why buy new furniture just because the upholstery is worn, or the tabletop is scratched? At Hindsgavl Castle, we give furniture new life by practising reupholstery and upcycling extensively.

We reuse the elements that are still in good condition and only add new ones where needed. In this way, we minimise both waste and the consumption of new resources where we can.

At the same time, we make sure to sort our waste correctly. Over 70% of our waste is sent for recycling.

Brick recycling

When we restored and decorated the rooms in the stables in 2006-2010, we used recycled bricks sourced locally on Funen – some of them still with paint residues from the buildings they were originally part of.

Although it wasn’t the cheapest way to build, it was important to us that the stone in the new walls matched the aesthetics, colour and patina of the original stone in the rest of the building.

In addition to adding another layer of history to Hindsgavl Castle’s historic buildings, the reused bricks also reduced the carbon footprint by 90% compared to new bricks.

If you have any questions about our efforts or work with ESG, you are always welcome to contact us at +45 6441 8800.