By Anna Diaz Korsaa, AAU Communication. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication

- It was a bit of a quick fix, says Kenneth Knirke, an engineering assistant in the Department of Electronic Systems clad in his Thursday version of the week's seven Christmas sweaters and laughing.

He and his colleague Claus Skipper had noticed a strip of light at the top of the outer doors at Frederik Bajers Vej 7B, but before reporting it on the AAU Building Support app, they wanted to see if they could solve the issue themselves. So Kenneth Knirke drew a prototype: a small horseshoe-shaped disc to be put on the hinges of the outer door and thus seal it.

- The first version from the 3D printer didn’t work, but the second time I made the edges more oval, and the nylon-carbon material meant that they could easily be put on the door hinges, says Kenneth Knirke.

It's not as if staff members are walking around freezing in 7B. The combination of a lot of people and equipment means that they have a comfortable 22 degrees, say the two engineering assistants who on a daily basis make sure that the facilities are in order and assist students and researchers at the department.

If everyone makes a small difference...

But when Claus Skipper reported the issue – including the solution – on the Building Support app, Michael Baden Sørensen, team leader in Campus Service, initially rejected the solution.

- We have to prioritise strictly in Campus Service, and our initial assessment was that the cost of having to dismantle the old, crooked doors would not match the gain, he explains.

However, Kenneth Knirke and Claus Skipper didn’t give up, says Michael Baden Sørensen. They called and explained that the discs could be put on without completely dismantling the doors. So said, so done – and now the four outer doors are no longer draughty.

- It's a fun gimmick – and a good example of thinking outside the box. Maybe it doesn't matter much in the overall heating bill at the university, but it's about everyone contributing and making a small difference so we reach our goal together, says Michael Baden Sørensen.