New partnership breathes life into vacant buildings

Across Denmark, thousands of buildings stand vacant and underutilized. This costs owners heavily in operations, worsens the condition of the buildings, and creates uncertainty in local communities. At the same time, many municipalities are seeking solutions to housing challenges, community spaces, and flexible frameworks for temporary needs.

The collaboration between Monoma and PLH has been formed with the ambition to offer a holistic solution. Monoma activates the building temporarily, while PLH contributes technical insight and strategic architectural advice – with the goal of protecting property value, creating life in the short term, and paving the way for long-term solutions.

Tailored solutions – from temporary activation to permanent transformation

The partnership between PLH and Monoma offers flexible solutions that can be scaled to everything from smaller institutional buildings to large office complexes. Temporary activation can take the form of student housing, co-working spaces, or refugee centers – with secure operations, minimal risk of vandalism, and a strong sense of responsibility towards the surrounding community as an integral part of the solution.

“We can temporarily activate and manage vacant buildings – for instance as student housing, helping to address the shortage faced by many municipalities. In this way, we create value for owners, users, and local communities alike,” says Emilie Weilby, Country Manager for Monoma Denmark.

For PLH, the focus is not only on the temporary but also on the long-term potential: “Once a building is brought to life through temporary measures, a natural window opens to think further ahead. Our experience with transformation and revitalization makes it possible to develop a vision and strategy that can guide the building into a new, permanent reality,” says Claus Johannessen, Senior Project Manager at PLH.

A win-win for owners and society

For property owners, the collaboration means reduced operating costs, protection of investments, and an enhanced reputation. For local communities, it creates safety, vitality, and togetherness where there was once stagnation. And for the climate, it represents a circular solution – making use of existing resources and reducing the need for new construction.