What’s up with Scandinavians and animated infographics? First there was this, now there’s this:

- a fresh initiative based on a cooperation between artists / architects and a material producers exploring sustainabillity.

The first exhibition is now on display, called LINOLEUM DIAMONDS – a synergybased work of linoleum manufacturer Forbo, 036 and danish artist Malene Bach.
Durring the year alltogether 6 collaborations will be presented including events and after-work lectures and talks.

Please take a look at our new blog www.teamup2010.dk

All fotographs by: Søren Rønholt.

www.forbo.dk
www.036.dk
www.malenebach.dk

Posted by: scaledenmark

Do you fly a lot? Not like these guys.

Posteb By: sights.se

New architectural map of the Ruhr Area has appeared, GA network  partners Rhein-Ruhr and Berlin cooperate on the occasion of the European Capital of Culture 2010, our  architectural map of the Ruhr Area was published in January. It is  the fifth map in the series, continuing the previous success of maps
from Berlin, Munich, Cologne and Hamburg. All the maps are created by  members of the Guiding Architects Network.

This is the first map publication ever to cover the entire Ruhr area  and list buildings from all of its regions, which counts 53 cities  and towns. The set of four maps plus booklet contains 2300 projects  from the rich industrial history of the area, including civil structures, contemporary architecture, parks and gardens as well as  urban projects. Five of the best projects from eight historical  periods are presented with short texts and fotos.

The authors are architects Detlev Bruckhoff and Thomas M. Krüger,  supported by designer Marnie Schaefer. All three of them have profound knowledge of the area, as it’s where they grew up. The map is published and financed by the Marketing Company RVR (Regionalverband Ruhr).

Posted By: ticket-b

The Danish capital was endeavouring to be pronounced the world’s best city for cyclists in 2015. The bicycle is already considered to be the obvious means of transport by most Copenhageners because the city council has made a concerted effort to improve the infrastructure, safety and parking facilities for cyclists.

- every day 37% of everybody in Copenhagen arrives at work or education by bicycle.
- 25% of all families with two kids in the city own a cargo bike.
- the 519,000 inner city copenhageners own 560,000 bicycles!

Many people have written about the Green Wave bicycle lane in Copenhagen but few have actually documented it.

This is a long section of it, filmed from a bike. The film doesnt cover the way to the city centre but has instead a sequence of the morning bicycle rush hour. The ride started about 08:15 AM. 08:30-09:00 AM seems to be peak hours, although the flow never really stops.

Thanks to Mayor Bondam.

http://sustainablecities.dk/en/city-projects/cases/copenhagen-the-worlds-best-city-for-cyclists
http://www.kk.dk/~/media/Files/PolitikOgIndflydelse/Byudvikling/Miljoe/kk_brochure_gb_09.ashx
(Eco Metropole Copenhagen 2015)

Posted By: scaledenmark.dk

On the 4th anniversary of the accession of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Ruler of Dubai, the city has seen the official Inauguration and the surprising re-naming of the former “Burj Dubai” to “Burj Khalifa”

Starting the new decade with one of the most spectacular fireworks ever seen, the opening of the Burj Khalifa is a symbol of the end of the turbo-urbanism of the last decade; and at the same time, a symbol for the beginning of a new business and city development philosophy of Dubai.

It is symbolic that the inauguration of the tallest building in the world is connected to the fourth anniversary of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum becoming the ruler of Dubai, because it was his ambitious vision that has made Dubai the first Arabian metropolis - moreover, it is even more symbolic that it has been renamed from “Burj Dubai” to “Burj Khalifa”, because it has been the president of UAE, his highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bin Nayhan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, who has demonstrated the strength and unity of the Emirates by supporting Dubai in these difficult times.

The Burj Khalifaas a building is holding several world records, e.g.:

Tallest structure ever built: 828 m (2,684 ft)
(previously Warsaw radio mast - 646.38 m (2,121 ft) which collapsed 08.08.1991)
Tallest actual structure: 828 m (2,684 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast - 628.8 m (2,063 ft))
Tallest freestanding structure: 828 m (2,684 ft) (previously CN Tower - 553.3 m (1,815 ft))
Building with the most floors: 160 (previously both 1 & 2 World Trade Centre– 110)
The first world’s tallest structure in history to include residential space
Tallest elevator in the world up to 504m (previously Tapei 101 with 448m)
World’s fastest elevators at a speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s)
(previously Taipei 101 – 16.83 m/s)
Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 601 m (1,972 ft) (previously Taipei 101 - 449.2 m (1,474 ft))
Highest vertical concrete pumping (for any construction): 601 m (1,972 ft)
(previously Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant - 532 m (1,745 ft))
Highest outdoor observation deck in the world in the 124th floor at 420m
(indoor hold by Shanghai World Financial Centre at 474m)

http://www.burjdubai.com/the-tower.aspx
http://www.tallest-building-in-the-world.com/2008/08/19/under-construction/some-interesting-facts-on-the-burj-dubai-the-tallest-building-in-the-world-under-construction.htm
http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/burj-khalifa

Posted By: ticket-dxb.com

Green Lighthouse is Denmark’s first public CO2-neutral building. The new building, Green Lighthouse, was inaugurated on the 20th October 2009 and serves as an example in several ways.  The house is actually a lighthouse in more than one sense. It is a green lighthouse of CO2-neutral buildings up to the UN Climate Conference (COP15); It is a lighthouse of efficient public-private cooperation; and last, but not least, it is a lighthouse for the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen, which will see its student services consolidated under one roof.

With Green Lighthouse it has been proven that it is not rocket science, but primary common sense to construct carbon neutral buildings. The design concept of the house alone contributes to an energy use reduction by ¾.The unique design involves the optimal use of daylight, an automatic ventilation system and an automatic cooling and heating system. The orientation of the building, with regards to the sun, means that full advantage of solar energy can be taken. With Green Lighthouse two birds has been killed with one stone; futuristic carbon neutral construction is beeing combined with a modern study and research environment.

In 2007, Copenhagen defined itself as the environmental capital of Europe.

The vision for 2015 is to become the Eco-Metropole of the world. In order to meet the vision four themes has been defined;

Worlds best city for cycles, centre for world climate policy, A green and blue capital city, a clean healthy major city.

Lord Mayor, Ritt Bjerregaard, City of Copenhagen, states;
- With Green Lighthouse we have demonstrated that it is also possible to build CO2-neutral structures when it comes to office buildings. Green Lighthouse is a perfect example of reaching great heights through new partnerships. In the City of Copenhagen, we are proud to show future building owners how they can contribute to making the city CO2-neutral.

www.greenlighthouse.ku.dk

Photo credits: Adam Mørk

Posted By: scaledenmark.dk

Each year, one European city is awarded the title of European Green Capital. The award goes to a city that has a consistent record of achieving high environmental standards; is committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development; can act as a role model to inspire other cities and promote best practices among other European cities. For 2010, the award goes to Stockholm. So, what has Stockholm done to win this prize?

City development: The city is building two new eco-profile residential areas, using experience gained from eco-profiled Hammarby Waterfront. Located on former brownfields, one of the new areas – Stockholm Royal Seaport – aims at being fossile fuel free by 2030, while the entire city of Stockholm is aiming to achieve this by 2050. Stockholm Royal Seaport is to be a showcase for sustainable urban construction where innovative environmental technology and creative solutions are developed, tested and presented. This city district will be an example for other cities to follow, a world-class environmental urban district.

Biogas is produced in waste water plants, through digestion of organic waste sludge. In Hammarby eco-district, the waste water from a single household produces sufficient biogas forthe household’s gas cooker. Most biogas is, currently, used as fuel in eco-friendly cars and busses. Collection of food waste for biogas production is to increase from 4,500 tonnes to 18,000 tonnes between 2008 and 2012.

Green areas: 90% of the population live less than 300 metres from a green area. This allows for a better, local quality of life, recreation, water purification, noise reduction, and enhanced biodiversity and ecology. Stockholm has 24 official bathing beaches within the city’s boundaries, and several more are planned.

Congestion charge: A congestion charge was introduced in 2006 for cars travelling in and out of the inner city area during daytime hours. The emission reduction levels from congestion taxes was approximately 30,000 tonnes CO2 in the year 2006. Emission levels are down 10-14% and air quality has been improved by 2-10%. Traffic has been reduced by 20%.

Transportation: All inner city buses run on renewable fuels and all subways and commuter trains run on renewable electricity making them an even more environmentally sustainable means of transport. In Stockholm, the number of people cycling has increased by 75% over the past ten years. Stockholm has 760 km of cycle lanes, and more are being built.

Towards a fossil fuel free city: Stockholm has reduced CO2 emissions by 25%, compared to the 1990 levels. Stockholm has the ambitious target of becoming a fossil fuel free city by 2050. 69% of all households have access to district heating – and the share of renewable energy in district heating is nearly 70%.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/green_cities.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEv12li9hyI&feature=player_embedded
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/green_cities_submenu/stockholm_2010_2011.html
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/docs/about/brochure/egc-brochure-stockholm_en.pdf

Posted By: sights.se

Thank you, Finnish Rail Administration (RHK, Ratahallintokeskus), for delaying an international train from St Petersburg to Finland for 4 minutes, due to a Mplus group that arrived late at the station.

The group of Swiss architects originally arrived in a timely manner on Ladoshsky railway station in St Petersburg in order to travel to Helsinki by train. Unfortunately, Russian Railways had suddenly re-located the departure of this train to Finland railway station - some 5 km away. These things happen in Russia.

So I called the driver of the tour bus and asked him to return to Ladoshsky railway station and transfer the group to Finland railway station. What followed was 35 Minutes of traffic jams, broken Ladas, fire brigades passing by, among other things.

One minute before the departure of the train I ran onto the platform and asked the Finnish conductor to stop the train until the arrival of the group which was just getting off the bus in front of the station. And he did it! Thank you, Mika (the conductor) and also Andrey (the Russian bus driver)!

If the group hadn’t caught the train to Finland, there might have been serious difficulties, because their visas expired at end of the day… But even for this we would have found some solution. Just stay calm. After all, this is Russia.

Russian traffic jam

Finland Station, St Petersburg (1969)

Posted by: Peter Knoch, Mplus

From 20 until 22 February, the annual guiding architects network meeting took place, this time in the Ruhr area. We made a little film during the meeting, which gives a nice impression of our members and what we do during the meetings. This time, we held our usual presentations about the past year, talked a lot about the new website and the blog, but also about organizational issues and marketing ideas, we ate some typical Ruhr-area pea soup and finally did a guided tour to local architecture, led by local member Detlev Bruckhoff.

Music partly from “Symphony A40″ by mongkok
Posted by: guiding architects