Lendager is a Danish-Icelandic architecture and innovation company founded in 2011 by Anders Lendager out of frustration with the construction industry's resistance to sustainable solutions. Based in Copenhagen with offices in Aarhus and Reykjavik, the firm employs 35 people and has evolved from a small startup into a globally recognized leader in circular architecture.
The company operates across three main areas: architecture, strategic consulting, and material innovation. Rather than treating sustainability as an aesthetic addition, Lendager fundamentally reimagines buildings and materials from waste. The firm has developed techniques to extract brick sections from decommissioned buildings using diamond saws, repurpose industrial waste plastic from Carlsberg into building components, and cast concrete using refuse from infrastructure projects like the Copenhagen Metro.
Notable projects demonstrate the firm's approach. Upcycle Studios, a 20-townhouse residential development in Copenhagen's Ørestad district, incorporates recycled concrete, reclaimed windows, and salvaged flooring while reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 60 percent over 50 years. The Resource Rows project reused brickwork from Carlsberg's historic breweries, creating what Lendager describes as one of the world's first commercially realized circular economic buildings.
In 2024, Lendager UP and its subsidiary Re-Plastic were rebranded as A:GAIN following investment from a consortium of Danish investors. This expansion reflects growing market demand for sustainable construction materials, with the new company positioned as an independent platform delivering upcycled building products to the broader construction industry.