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Dear Denmark, 

Too Perfect Seven New Denmarks 

Remember the late 1940s? That was when a group of young Danish architects and 

designers decided to throw off the shackles of tradition-bound design. They formed 

a distinctly Danish movement, inspired by natural materials, organic forms, 

handcrafting, and Danish humanism. Worldwide, Danish Modern became a sign of being 

innovative and experimental. Today it means nothing – an invisible image. 

Fifty-odd years later, Danish Modern is so pervasive in Denmark that it's become 

a stylistic canopy blocking the light necessary for new developments to flourish, 

a formal straitjacket that's "too perfect." Isn't it time for a new generation to 

break free? 

The Danish Architecture Centre (DAC) had a hunch that in order to cut a clearing 

in the forest for reinvention and to return Danish design to a leading position on 

the international scene, it was necessary to look at Danish culture and tradition with 

new eyes. DAC called in our Canadian design studio, Bruce Mau Design, to work with 

a team of Danish architects. 

Bruce Mau Design believes that design has become a way of thinking that is 

relevant to all aspects of living. Design allows us to re-imagine the way we live. 

It reveals opportunities. For design to do that, we must liberate ourselves from 

the straitjacket of style, and figure out what we want as effects, as capacity – 

the human capacity to plan and produce desired outcomes. 

We would like to propose a new model of design that encompasses life in all 

its complexity and imperfection; a model that provides a way of responding to basic 

questions of human existence – How should we live? Who might we become? 

From the start, we were commissioned to conduct an identity exercise. The 

exercise: to rebrand Denmark. To change Danish design is to change the country's 

image, both inside and outside its borders. What if we imagine Denmark as the world's 

biggest business. What should that enterprise offer the world? 

To answer that, we formed a collaboration with five teams of extraordinarily 

talented young Danish architects and designers: PLOT, Arkitema, Kontrapunkt, NORD 

and SRL Arkitekter. Together we have travelled from Denmark's farmlands and coastline 

to its cities and ports, and we have developed seven propositions that push us to 

the edge of our social imagination. Each one starts with our current condition, and 

imagines a set of design solutions. Then it claims and explores the territory in 

between here and there, finding in that middle ground "pragmatic utopias." A pragmatic 

utopia rests on a triple bottom line of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. 

It uses argument and analysis to develop its proposition. It takes architecture beyond 

the realm of buildings and into other areas of life that we have the capacity to 

design. It has universal potential. If Denmark were to adopt any one of these 

pragmatic utopias, there would be a global resonant impact. 

continued... 

Danish Architecture Centre Strandgade 27B, 1401 Copenhagen Bruce Mau Design 197 Spadina Avenue, Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2C8

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What if Denmark was the port to the New Europe? Superharbour proposes to 

consolidate all industrial harbour activity into one Baltic gate in order to liberate 

the harbor cities for new forms of urban life. 

What if Denmark had an energy bill of zero? HySociety proposes a design plan to 

reduce Denmark's consumption of fossil fuels to zero, by feeding waste energy back 

into the consumption loop. 

What if Denmark farmed pharmaceuticals? Pharmland proposes that Denmark transform 

its farmland into pharmaceutical production sites, creating a much higher yield per 

hectare and liberating much of the country's landscape. 

What if Denmark was the world's housing factory? House Express argues that most 

manufacturing industries have evolved from craftsmanship to mass production. But not 

the construction industry. This project shows how that evolution could create housing 

for the global market. 

What if Denmark made parenting effortless? Child Inc. argues that, as with many 

industrialized societies, Danish society is turning into a childless one. This project 

proposes solutions to a series of lifestyle conflicts, solutions which will radically 

transform the notion of caring for children. 

What if Denmark doubled its coastline? Endless Coastline is a tool kit that 

structures tourism and prevents it from destroying the authenticity of a place, in 

part by increasing Denmark's most sought-after feature: its coastline. 

What if Greenland was Africa's water fountain? New Greenland argues that lack of 

water is one of the world's most pressing dilemmas. Greenland, a semi-autonomous 

region of Denmark, has the natural resources to relieve a major part of the world's 

water stress. 

To launch its utopias into the world and test their pragmatism, this open letter 

is formulated as an exhibition of propositions addressed to the people who hold the 

purse strings and have the power to make each pragmatic utopia come true. Should 

Denmark take the shape of the future – or should the future take the shape of Denmark? 

Sincerely, 


Bruce Mau Design 

and the Too Perfect Project Team 


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Kære Danmark, 

For Perfekt Syv Nye Danmarker 

Der var engang i slutningen af 1940érne en gruppe unge danske arkitekter og designere 

som besluttede sig for at frigøre sig fra den traditionelle formgivnings lænker. 

De dannede en enestående dansk bevægelse, inspireret af naturmaterialer, organiske 

former, håndværk og dansk humanisme. Verden over blev dansk design et symbol på 

nytænkning og opfindsomhed. I dag har dansk design ingen betydning – et usynligt image. 

Godt halvtreds år senere er den Danske Modernisme så dominerende i Danmark, at 

den er blevet et stilmæssigt dække som blokerer for det nødvendige lys, der får nye 

tendenser til at blomstre. Den er en formmæssig spændetrøje, som er "for perfekt". 

Er det ikke på tide at give plads til nye generationer? 

For at kunne føre dansk design tilbage til en førende position på det 

internationale marked, mente Dansk Arkitektur Center (DAC), at det var nødvendigt at 

se på dansk kultur og tradition med nye øjne. Hermed kunne der skabes en rydning i 

skoven til genopdagelse. DAC inviterede vores canadiske designfirma, Bruce Mau Design, 

til at arbejde sammen med et hold af danske arkitekter. 

Vi mener, at design er blevet en måde at tænke på, som er relevant i alle 

livets aspekter. Design giver os mulighed for igen at forestille os måder at leve på. 

Design åbner for nye muligheder. Men for at design virkelig kan udfolde disse nye 

muligheder er det nødvendigt, at vi frigør os fra tidligere stilarters spændetrøjer 

og finder ud af, hvilke resultater vi ønsker og hvilken kapacitet der skal udnyttes. 

Vi vil gerne foreslå en ny designmodel, som favner livet i dets kompleksitet 

og mangelfuldhed. En model som giver mulighed for at svare på den menneskelige 

eksistens basale spørgsmål: Hvordan bør vi bo og leve? Hvad kan vi blive til? 

Fra starten var vi hyret til at gennemføre en identitets-undersøgelse. Øvelsen: 

At "brande" Danmark igen. At ændre dansk design er at ændre landets image, både 

indenfor og udenfor landets grænser. Hvad nu, hvis vi forestiller os, at Danmark 

er verdens største virksomhed? Hvad ville denne virksomhed tilbyde verden? 

For at svare på spørgsmålet indgik vi et samarbejde med fem talentfulde teams 

af unge danske arkitekter og designere: PLOT, Arkitema, Kontrapunkt, NORD og SRL 

Arkitekter. Sammen har vi rejst fra Danmarks landbrugsområder og kystlinjer til byerne 

og havnene, og har udviklet syv forslag, som presser os til grænsen af vores sociale 

forestillinger. Hvert forslag tager udgangspunkt i vores nuværende forhold og et 

sæt mulige design-løsninger. Derefter tager det fat i og udforsker området mellem 

nutiden og fremtiden, finder balancen og dermed de "pragmatiske utopier". En 

pragmatisk utopi hviler på en tredelt bundlinje af økonomisk, social og økologisk 

holdbarhed. Den bruger argumenter og analyser til at udvikle forslaget. Den fører 

arkitekturen ud over bygningens ramme og over til andre aspekter af livet, som vi 

har mulighed for at designe. Der er et universelt potentiale. Hvis Danmark 

gennemfører en enkelt af disse pragmatiske utopier, vil det give genlyd globalt. 

fortsættes... 


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Hvad nu, hvis Danmark var havnen til det nye Europa? Superharbour foreslår at 

sammenlægge al industriel havneaktivitet i Østersøen, så havnebyerne bliver frigjort 

til nye former for byliv. 

Hvad nu, hvis Danmarks energiregning var på nul kroner? HySociety har udarbejdet 

en plan for, hvordan Danmark kan nedbringe sit forbrug af fossile brændstoffer til nul. 

Hvad nu, hvis Danmark dyrkede medicin? Pharmland foreslår, at Danmark omdanner 

landbrugsområder til medicinale produktionsområder, som skaber et meget højere afkast 

pr. hektar og frigør meget af landets natur. 

Hvad nu, hvis Danmark var verdens boligfabrik? House Express hævder, at de fleste 

produktionsindustrier har udviklet sig fra håndværk til masseproduktion. Bare ikke 

byggeindustrien. Dette projekt viser hvordan det, at bygge huse for det globale marked 

kunne foregå. 

Hvad nu, hvis Danmark gjorde det lettere at være forældre? Child Inc. hævder, at 

ligesom i mange andre industrialiserede samfund, er det danske samfund ved at blive 

et barnløst samfund og foreslår løsninger til en række livsstilskonflikter. Løsninger, 

som radikalt vil forandre opfattelsen af omsorg for børn. 

Hvad nu, hvis Danmark fordoblede sin kystlinie? Endless Coastline er en række 

værktøjer til hvordan turismen kan struktureres og forhindre ødelæggelse af stedets 

egenart, delvist ved at øge Danmarks mest efterspurgte attraktion: Dets kystlinie. 

Hvad nu, hvis Grønland var Afrikas brønd? New Greenland hævder, at manglen på vand 

er et af verdens vigtigste problemer. Grønland, en delvist selvstyrende region i 

Danmark, har en naturlig ressource, som kan afhjælpe en væsentlig del af verdens 

mangel på vand. 

Meningen med dette brev er at sætte de syv utopier og forslag ud i verden og 

teste deres bæreevne. Brevet er stilet til de mennesker, som styrer pengene og som har 

magten til at gøre hver pragmatisk utopi til virkelighed. Sammen har vi magten til at 

få fremtiden til at tage form af Danmark, frem for at Danmark tager form af fremtiden. 

venlig hilsen 

For Perfekt Syv Nye Danmarker 


og holdet bag For Perfekt projektet 


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Cara Danimarca, 

Troppo Perfetto Sette Nuove Danimarche 

ricordi i tardi anni quaranta? Fu quando un gruppo di giovani architetti e designers 

danesi decisero di spezzare le catene dei tradizionali confini del design. Crearono un 

movimento esplicitamente danese, ispirato da materiali naturali, forme organiche, 

artigianato e umanesimo danese. Il movimento moderno danese divenne, su scala mondiale, 

simbolo di innovazione e sperimentazione. Oggi non significa niente-un'immagine 

invisibile. 

Più di cinquanta anni dopo, il movimento moderno danese ha compenetrato a tal 

punto la Danimarca da divenire una sorta di copertura stilistica che impedisce alla 

luce di far fiorire nuovi movimenti. Una camicia di forza figurativa, che è "troppo 

perfetta". Non è forse ora che la nuova generazione se ne liberi? 

Il Centro di Architettura danese (DAC) ha avuto la sensazione che per poter aprire 

un varco nella foresta per la reinvenzione e portare nuovamente il design danese a una 

posizione di punta nella scena internazionale fosse necessario guardare alla cultura 

e alla tradizione danese con un nuovo sguardo. DAC ha così chiamato il nostro studio 

di design canadese, il Bruce Mau Design, per lavorare con un team di architetti danesi. 

Crediamo che il design sia divenuto una maniera di pensare pertinente a tutti 

gli aspetti del vivere. Il design ci consente di re-immaginare il modo in cui viviamo. 

Rivela delle opportunità. Perché il design possa fare questo, dobbiamo dismettere 

la camicia di forza dello stile e capire cosa vogliamo in termini di effetti e 

capacità-intendendo la capacità umana di pianificare e produrre i risultati auspicati. 

Vorremmo proporre un nuovo modello di design che racchiuda la vita in tutta la 

sua complessità e imperfezione; un modello che fornisca un modo di rispondere 

alle questioni basilari dell'esistenza umana. - Come dovremmo vivere? Chi dovremmo 

diventare? Dall'inizio ci era stato chiesto di condurre un esercizio di identità. 

L'esercizio: dare un nuovo marchio alla Danimarca. Cambiare il design danese 

significa cambiare l'immagine del paese, dentro e fuori i suoi confini. Proviamo a 

immaginare che la Danimarca sia il più grosso business del mondo. Che cosa dovrebbe 

offrire questa impresa al mondo? 

Per rispondere a questo quesito abbiamo dato luogo a una collaborazione con 

cinque team di giovani architetti e designers danesi particolarmente dotati di 

talento: PLOT, Arkitema, Kontrapunkt, NORD e SRL Arkitekter. Insieme abbiamo viaggiato 

dalle aree coltivate e dalla costa sino alle sue città e ai suoi porti, e abbiamo 

sviluppato sette proposte che ci spingono ai limiti della nostra immaginazione 

sociale. Ognuna prende spunto dalla nostra condizione attuale, e contempla una serie 

di soluzioni di design. Poi si appropria del territorio e lo esplora trovando in 

un'area intermedia "utopie pragmatiche". Una utopia pragmatica si poggia su una 

triplice linea di fondo di sostenibilità economica, sociale ed ecologica. Si serve 

del dibattito e dell'analisi per sviluppare le sue proposte. Trasferisce 

l'architettura aldilà del mondo degli edifici, in altri spazi della vita nei quali 

possiamo progettare. Ha un potenziale universale. Se la Danimarca adottasse qualcuna 

di queste utopie pragmatiche si produrrebbe un impatto di risonanza globale. 

continua... 


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E se la Danimarca fosse il porto delle Nuova Europa? Superharbour propone di 

concentrare tutte le attività industriali del porto in un unico gate baltico in modo 

tale da aprire i porti delle città a nuove forme di vita urbana. 

E se la Danimarca avesse una bolletta dell'energia pari a zero? HySociety propone 

un piano di design per ridurre il consumo di conbustibile fossile a zero, reimettendo 

l'energia in eccesso nel circuito del consumo. 

E se la Danimarca fosse una fattoria per prodotti farmaceutici? Pharmland propone 

che la Danimarca trasformi le sue fattorie in aree per la produzione farmaceutica, 

in modo tale da avere un raccolto molto più alto per ettaro e quindi affrancare gran 

parte del paesaggio del paese. 

E se la Danimarca fosse l'industria per gli allogggi nel mondo? House Express 

sostiene che le industrie manifatturiere si siano evolute dall'artigianato alla 

produzione di massa, ma non così l'industria della costruzione. Questo progetto mostra 

come questa evoluzione possa avvenire, realizzando alloggi per il mercato globale. 

E se la Danimarca producesse parentele che non affaticano? Child Inc. ritiene 

che, così come molte società industrializzate, la società danese stia divenendo una 

società senza bambini e propone soluzioni ad una serie di conflitti dello stile di 

vita, soluzioni che trasformerebbero radicalmente la nozione dell'allevare bambini. 

E se la Danimarca raddoppiasse le sue coste? Endless Coastline è un kit di attrezzi 

che struttura il turismo e gli impedisce di distruggere l'autenticità di un luogo, in 

parte incrementando la caratteristica più ricercata della Danimarca: la sua costa. 

E se la Groenlandia fosse la fontana d'acqua dell'Africa? New Greenland sostiene 

che la mancanza d'acqua sia uno dei problemi più gravi del mondo. La Groenlandia, una 

regione semiautonoma della Danimarca, ha delle risorse naturali capaci di risolvere in 

gran parte l'emergenza acqua nel mondo. 

Per lanciare le proprie utopie nel mondo e testare il loro pragmatismo, questa 

lettera aperta è concepita come esibizione di proposte indirizzate a persone che 

detengono il potere economico e quello per rendere reale ognuna di queste utopie 

pragmatiche. Possiamo fare in modo che il futuro assuma la forma della Danimarca, 

piuttosto che la Danimarca assuma la forma del futuro? 

Cordiali saluti 

Troppo Perfetto Sette Nuove Danimarche 


e il team del progetto Troppo Perfetto 


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21528 snd 8/9/04 1:04 PM Page 8 

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danish designer 

1960 

(above) The National Bank of Denmark, Arne Jacobsen, 1978. Photo: Hans Dissing 

(right) Wishbone Chair, Hans J.Wegner, 1963. 

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1960 

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1960

21528 snd 8/9/04 3:30 PM Page 9 

This project presents a new global 

future for Danish architecture and 

design with prospects for the coming 

generation of Danish architects. With 

it we have allowed ourselves to be 

self-critical. We asked ourselves 

whether Danish architecture and 

design have been resting on their 

laurels too long, have been too much 

polished perfection, have waited for the 

genius in vain and have made too few 

inventions. 

And so we brought up the question 

of whether Denmark has been outstripped 

by the 21st century’s global 

innovation culture. We have asked 

the future generation of architects to 

answer this question and to consider 

a classic, but cool challenge: Where 

do we come from, and where are 

we heading? How do we re-think 

the unique tradition of Danish 20th 

century architecture and design so 

as to transform it into a cultural and 

financial asset in the 21st century’s 

global society? 

We invited the Canadian designer 

Bruce Mau to curate. Bruce Mau 

was an obvious choice when creating 

an exhibition focusing on the future 

and identity of design. To be able 

to make a decision on whether to 

accept or decline the invitation, Bruce 

Mau asked us to deliver exactly 

100 books about Danish architecture, 

design and culture. We sent Bruce 

Mau 99 of our most influential books. 

Bruce Mau Design researched the 

material for months and returned with 

the conclusion: “You are simply too 

perfect – together we can do something 

about that!” 

This publication is book No. 100. 

It contains the exhibition’s seven 

specific bids for future architecture 

and design – documented by a myriad 

of analyses, data, inspiration, and 

thinking. 

I would like to thank Bruce Mau 

for accepting our invitation and for his 

acquaintance, which provided us with 

tremendous insights and boundless 

visions. I thank the BMD team for 

giving Danish architecture and design 

a vigorous boost of a broad spectrum 

nature. And I thank the PLOT studio 

for their tenacity in assuming the dual 

role of co-curator and architect team 

in preparing the exhibition, together 

with the architects of Arkitema, SRL 

Arkitekter, Kontrapunkt and NORD. 

I want to thank all participants for 

making an unparalleled effort. The 

same applies to DAC’s own staff and 

its highly competent teamwork with 

all of the partners in the project. 

Moreover, I would like to thank 

the Danish Minister of Cultural Affairs 

Brian Mikkelsen for appointing DAC 

the commissioner for the official 

Danish contribution to the 9th 

International Architecture Biennale 

in Venice 2004. It has been the entry 

point to a world of innovation. The entire 

project has come into being thanks to 

the cooperation and financial support 

of DAC’s business partners, public 

authorities and other partners. I want 

to express my thanks to William J.S. 

Boyle, Harbourfront Centre, for his 

generosity. My thanks also go to the 

Danish Ministry of Cultural Affairs, 

The Danish Arts Agency, the Danish 

mortgage bank Nykredit, The 

Realdania Foundation, NCC, Arkitema, 

Montana/Djob, Carl Bro and Vision 

Lab as well as The Danish Arts 

Foundation’s Architecture Committee 

for their professional and financial 

support. I also thank the Architects’ 

Association of Denmark, The Danish 

newspaper Berlingske Tidende, ZEES, 

DTKommunikation and all contributors 

to The Danish Modern Hall of Fame 

and to the exhibition itself for their 

important support. 

Kent Martinussen 

Architect and Director 

DAC | Danish Architecture Centre

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21528 snd 8/10/04 10:17 AM Page 11 

(clockwise from upper left) 

Room 606, Arne Jacobsen, 1960. Photo: Kim Ahm 

Chieftain Chair, Finn Juhl, 1949. 

Le Klint 172, Poul Christiansen, 1971. 

Monkey, Kay Bojesen, 1951. 

Langelinie Pavillonen, Eva and Niels Koppel, 1958.

21528 snd 8/9/04 1:05 PM Page 12 

(top) Plus-Linje Collection, Verner Panton, 1960. 

(left) EJ 100 Ox Chair, Hans J.Wegner, 1960. 

(right) Arne Jacobsen Cultery, Arne Jacobsen, 1957.

21528 snd 8/9/04 1:05 PM Page 13 

Dette projekt præsenterer bud på en 

ny global fremtid for dansk arkitektur 

og design. Vi har tilladt os at være 

selvkritiske. Vi stiller os selv spørgsmålet, 

om ikke dansk arkitektur og design har 

hvilet for længe på laurbærrene, filet 

for meget på perfektionen, ventet 

forgæves på “geniet” og opfundet for 

lidt? 

Vi stiller således spørgsmålet, 

om Danmark er blevet overhalet 

af det 21. århundredes globale 

innovationskultur? Og vi har bedt den 

kommende generation af arkitekter, 

om at komme med svarene og forholde 

sig til et klassisk, men cool spørgsmål: 

Hvor kommer vi fra og hvor skal vi hen? 

Hvordan gentænker vi dansk arkitektur 

og designs enestående tradition fra 

det 20. århundrede, så den bliver et 

kulturelt og økonomisk aktiv i det 21. 

århundredes globale samfund? 

Vi inviterede den canadiske 

designer Bruce Mau til at kuratere en 

projektudstilling. Valget var oplagt, når 

vi sætter fokus på arkitektur og designs 

fremtid og identitet. Som grundlag for 

at tage stilling til invitationen bad 

Bruce Mau om præcis 100 bøger om 

dansk arkitektur, design og kultur. 

Vi sendte Bruce Mau 99 af vores 

mest indflydelsesrige bøger. Bruce 

Mau Design researchede materialet 

i måneder og vendte tilbage med 

konklusionen: “I er simpelthen for 

perfekte, lad os sammen gøre noget 

ved det”! 

Denne publikation udgør således 

bog nr. 100. Den rummer udstillingens 

syv konkrete bud på fremtidens 

arkitektur og design dokumenteret 

af en myriade af analyser, data, 

inspiration, tænkning og gentænkning 

global innovation! 

Jeg vil gerne takke Bruce Mau for at 

have taget imod invitationen og for et 

fantastisk bekendtskab med svimlende 

indsigter og uendelige udsyn. Jeg 

takker Bruce Mau Design for at have 

givet dansk arkitektur og design en 

kraftig indsprøjtning af bredspektret 

karakter. Jeg takker tegnestuen 

PLOT for sejt, at have påtaget sig 

dobbeltrollen som såvel co-kurator 

som arkitektteam i udstillingen 

sammen med arkitekterne fra Arkitema, 

SRL Arkitekter, Kontrapunkt og NORD. 

Alle deltagere takkes for en enestående 

indsats. Det samme gælder DACs 

egen stab og dens proffesionelle 

teamwork med alle projektets 

samarbejdspartnere. 

En særlig tak til Kulturminister 

Brian Mikkelsen for udpegningen som 

kommissær for det officielle danske 

bidrag til den 9. Internationale 

Arkitekturbiennale i Venedig 2004. 

Det har været indgangen til en verden 

af udvikling. Det samlede projekt er 

blevet til i samarbejde med og med 

nødvendig støtte fra DACs erhvervspartnere, 

offentlige instanser samt 

øvrige samarbejdspartnere. William 

J.S. Boyle, Harbourfront Centre takkes 

for sin generøsitet. Kulturministeriet, 

Kunststyrelsen, Nykredit, Fonden 

Realdania, NCC, Arkitema, Montana/ 

Djob, Carl Bro og Vision Lab samt 

Statens Kunstfonds Arkitekturudvalg 

takkes alle for deres faglige som 

økonomiske opbakning, ligesom 

Akademisk Arkitektforening, Berlingske 

Tidende, ZEES, DTKommunikation 

samt alle bidragydere til The Danish 

Modern Hall of Fame samt udstillingen 

i øvrigt takkes for deres støtte. 

Kent Martinussen 

Arkitekt og direktør 

DAC | Dansk Arkitektur Center

21528 snd 8/10/04 12:51 PM Page 14 

VP Globe, Verner Panton, 1969.

21528 snd 8/10/04 11:15 AM Page 15 

Brand Position 

It rose into the world 

as the zenith of modern 

domestic style. 

Danish Modernism 

was born as 

“a curve with 

meaning 

and purpose.”1 

To break free of this 

stylistic straightjacket 

we must look at 

Danish design from 

a new perspective. 

Peakpunkt 

Too Perfect 

The Madonnakurven 

For pop star Madonna, the act of 

reinvention is what life is all about. 

At the exact moment public interest 

wanes, she reinvents herself, using 

the old identity as a springboard into 

the new. 

Katapult 

Time 

Seven New Denmarks 

Now, it's settled into 

a slow decline, as the 

ideal turns too perfect. 

1 Hans J. Wegner, 1958

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EJ 5 Corona, Poul Volther, 1961.

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What if 

Denmark 

was the 

port to 

the New 

Europe? 

Superharbour 

PLOT

21528 superharbour 8/9/04 10:13 PM Page 2 

Mærsk McKinney Møller, Senior Partner 

A.P. Møller – Maersk A/S 

Esplanaden 50 

1098 Copenhagen, Denmark 

Dear Mærsk McKinney Møller, 

A series of changing conditions confront Denmark as a nation with new challenges and 

opportunities. 

1. The European Union has expanded to the east. By 2005, This “New Europe” will be 

larger in population and GDP than the US. Denmark occupies a geographically and 

culturally key position to facilitate the growth and integration of the New Europe. 

2. Danes are rushing to the city centres. Increased density is driving house prices 

sky high and the poor out of town. The average Dane spends more than half of his or her 

income on rent! The exodus of the poor to the periphery is threatening the egalitarian 

welfare state. 

3. Real estate value is defined by location. Location is defined by proximities: 

proximity to the city centre and proximity to the water – in both cases, the closer a 

property is, the higher the value. At the moment, industrial harbours occupy our most 

attractive sites with the most noisy, dusty and polluting activities. 

Do five million people need more than one harbour? Could a single harbour serve a 

hinterland of 300 million people? 

We propose consolidating all Danish harbour traffic into a strategically located 

Superharbour, creating a new gate to the Baltic Sea markets and a new industrial 

growth zone joining CoMa (Copenhagen-Malmø), HamBrem (Hamburg-Bremen) and BeNeLux 

(Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg) into one continuous belt of economic growth. 

The new Superharbour will be located on the soon-to-be-built Fehmern bridge between 

Denmark and Germany, at the optimum intersection of north-south traffic between 

Scandinavia and Europe, and east-west traffic between the New Europe and the rest of 

the world. 

The Superharbour will liberate 20 billion euros worth of prime real estate in 

Denmark’s 12 biggest cities for new forms of urban life, allowing the cities to 

consolidate their growth where people want to live, rather than scattering ever more 

suburban developments on the urban peripheries. 

The Superharbour will become a reality sooner or later. It’s only a matter of how and 

when. If we initiate it now – through one coordinated, collective effort rather than 

an endless series of random conversions – we can exploit all the advantages and 

synergies of a planned process, and achieve a super harbour worthy of the world’s 

largest fleet. 

Sincerely, 


PLOT 


cc. Mr. Fleming Hansen, Minister for Transport, Denmark 

cc. Mr. Manfred Stolpe, Minister for Transport, Germany 


21528 superharbour 8/9/04 10:17 PM Page 3


WHY DO WE SPEND OUR 

BEST PLACES ON THE 

MOST NOISY AND DUSTY 

ACTIVITIES? 

DOES 5 MIO PEOPLE PEOPLE 

NEED MORE THAN ONE 

HARBOUR... 

HARBOUR... 

300 MIO PEOPLE ? 

AND COULD ONE PORT BE 

THE GATE TO... 

WHY ARE WE PUSHED TO 

THE PERIPHERY, WHEN WE 

WANT TO LIVE TOGETHER 

IN THE CENTRES? 

COULD DENMARK 

CREATE A BALTIC 

SUPERHARBOUR?


FLEET... 

THE... ...WORLD! 

BLUE DENMARK IS 

TWICE THE SIZE OF 

GREEN DENMARK! 

WORTHY OF... 

THERE ARE 2 MAPS OF 

DENMARK. 

A GREEN ONE... 

THE LARGEST... 

IN... 

...AND A BLUE ONE. 

THE DANISH 

COASTLINE IS 7000 

KM LONG.


40% OF OUR 

COASTLINE IS! 

BUT IF WE LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF MONEY 

WE MAKE ON THESE AREAS, WE CAN SEE 

THAT THE TOTAL REVENUE FROM THE 

DANISH HARBOUR ACTIVITY IS A FRACTION 

OF FOR INSTANCE TOURISM! 

IF WE STRETCH IT OUT 

IT WILL REACH ALL THE 

WAY TO SOUTH AFRICA 

OR PAKISTAN! 

IT SEEMS THAT 

WE USE THE BEST 

PLACES FOR THE 

WORST BUSINESS! 

BUT A GROWING 

BUSINESS!! 

ALL OUR MAJOR CITIES ARE 

ON THE WATERFRONT. AND 

EVEN THOUGH ONLY 12 % OF 

DENMARK IS URBANISED... 

2/3 OF THE DANES 

LIVE WITHIN 5 KM 

OF THE SEA!


TODAY 98% OF 

GLOBAL GOODS 

TRAFFIC IS BY SEA! 

AND THE NEW EUROPEAN 

COUNTRIES HAVE THE 

HIGHEST GROWTH RATES IN 

EUROPE... 

AND CONTAINER TRAFFIC 

AND IN THE CONTAINER BALTIC SEA TRAFFIC 

IN DOUBLES THE BALTIC EVERY SEA 5 YEARS! 

DOUBLES EVERY 5 YEARS! 

BALTIC CONTAINERTRAFFIC 

BALTIC CONTAINERTRAFFIC 

BUT ONLY 7 % OF THE 

NATIONAL GOODS TRAFFIC 

IS BY SHIP...SHIPPING IS 

GLOBAL - TRUCKING IS 

LOCAL! 

IN DENMARK 75% 

OF INTERNATIONAL 

TRAFFIC GOES ON A 

SHIP! 

INDUSTRIAL HARBOUR EVOLUTION DK 

1930 1970 2004 

THE AMOUNT OF CONTAINERS 

ON THE OCEANS HAS GROWN 

EXPONENTIALLY SINCE THE 

DK HAS A REDUCING 

AMOUNT OF 

INTERNATIONAL 

HARBOURS!



CARGO TRAFFIC THROUGH FEMERN BELT 2002 

2.2 MIO TEU 

THE MOST EXPENSIVE 

SOLUTION IS A PURE 

BRIDGE... 

...SEPARATING THE COMA 

REGION - COPENHAGEN / 

MALMØ FROM THE GROWTH 

ZONES IN NORTHERN 

GERMANY! 

HAMBURG 

5.5 MIO TONS 

BUT A HYBRID CONNECTION OF BRIDGE 

AND TUNNEL WILL SAVE 1/2 A BILLION 

EUROES AND PROVIDE A NEW ARTIFICIAL 

ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CROSSING 

OF FLOWS OF INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC! 

KØBENHAVN 

KØB KØ KØB 

THIS IS THE CROSSING POINT OF THE TWO 

MAIN FLOWS OF GOODS IN THE REGION. 

THE NORTH/SOUTH AXIS FROM SCANDINA- 

VIA TO EUROPE, AND THE EAST/WEST AXIS 

FROM THE NEW EUROPE TO THE REST OF 

THE WORLD! 

TODAY THIS AREA 

EXPERIENCES 

NEGATIVE GROWTH.... 

THE NEW SUPERHARBOUR 

WOULD BECOME A LOGISTIC 

AND INDUSTRIAL HUBSPOT 

CONNECTING THE TWO 

EXISTING GROWTH ZONES... 

HAMBURG 

OR A PURE TUNNEL... 

FEMERN 

LOLLAND-FALSTER 

KØBENHAVN 

KØB KØ KØB



AND 36.000.000 M2 

OF HARBOUR! 

IF POPULATED WITH THE DENSITY 

OF TOKYO, A THIRD OF THE DANISH 

POPULATIOIN COULD MOVE THERE. 

ALLOWING ALL DANES TO LIVE BY 

DENSITY COMPARISON 36 KM2 

THE SEA!! 

THE FREED WATERFRONTS 

ARE WORTH 20 BILLIONS 

EUROES - 20 TIMES MORE 

THAN THE COST OF THE SU- 

PERHARBOUR! 

120 KM OF URBAN 

COASTLINE! 

LA PARIS NEW YORK TOKYO 

THE LIBERATED WATER- 

FRONTS WILL DOUBLE 

THE SIZE OF THE CITY 

CENTRES! 

36KM2 

25 

36KM2 

THE NEW 

WATERFRONTS 

CONSTITUTE... 

MORE THAN 25 

TIMES THE LENGTH 

OF COPACABANA!!


COLLECT ALL THE AREAS YOU 

NEED TO ACCOMODATE. 

RESHUFFLE THEM 

ACCORDING TO 

PROGRAM AND USE... 

...WE ARE FREE 

TO ORGANISE THE 

SUPERHARBOUR WITH 

PIERS IN ALL DIRECTIONS! 

EACH PIER CAN 

BE DEVOTED TO A 

PARTICULAR PURPOSE... 

...WE ARE FREE 

TO ORGANISE THE 

SUPERHARBOUR WITH 

PIERS IN ALL DIRECTIONS! 

AND ALL PIERS WILL 

BE CONNECTED TO THE 

CENTRAL NODE OF TRAINS, 

TRUCKS AND INDUSTRIES! 

COLLECT ALL THE AREAS 

YOU NEED TO ACCOMODATE/ 

CONCENTRATE...


AND HAVE THE SAME 

CONTAINER CAPACITY 

AS ROTTERDAM! 

...VISIBLE FROM 

OUTER SPACE!!! 

THE SUPERHARBOUR 

THE SUPERHARBOUR 

WILL BE SEVEN TIMES 

WILL BE BIGGER SEVEN THAN TIMES THE APM 

BIGGER TERMINAL THAN THE IN APM MIAMI... 

TERMINAL IN MIAMI... 

...VISIBLE FROM 

OUTER SPACE!!!




Cylinda-Line, Arne Jacobsen, 1967.

21568 pharmland 8/4/04 1:11 PM Page 1 

What if 

Denmark 

farmed 

pharmaceuticals? 

Pharmland 

NORD


Franz Fischler, The European Commissioner of Agriculture 

200, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 

B-1049 Brussels, Belgium 

Dear Franz Fischler, 

The Farmer is our national hero. Our welfare is founded on his creation: the most 

efficient Farmland the world has ever seen. But our hero is suffering. Like a roman 

gladiator he is caught in the coliseum of politics. EU subsidies make him perform his 

tricks over and over again. EU subsidies keep the more competitive non-EU farmers from 

taking his place. This sentences all farmers in the world to an uncertain future. 

The crowd will grant our gladiator only one chance of deliverance – a return to 

the past. "Do it like in the old days, do it less dirty, do it less efficient," they 

keep shouting. 

In the crowd only one person is silent. His name is is August Krogh and he holds 

our message of deliverance. In 1923 Mr. Krogh was the first Dane to see more in pigs 

than just bacon. He saw the insulin in their pancreas and unknowingly initiated a new 

story about Denmark as – no longer a Farmland – but a Pharmland. 

Mr. Krogh feels pity for the Farmer-Gladiator and whispers: "Do it my way. Become 

a Pharmer." "Make your fields, greenhouses and stables produce something more beneficial 

than food. Make medicine for the world. Give the Danes something to be proud of again." 

Mr. Krogh's whisper goes out to you, dear Commissioner. Help us reinvent Denmark 

as a Pharmland: a contemporary production landscape that cures our suffering landscape 

by injecting it with pharmaceuticals. We will use genetical engineering to change 

the output of agriculture from low value food to high value medicine and industrial 

products. We can once again become world leaders in designing production landscapes. 

And in so doing, providing a new welfare for Denmark and letting the world benefit 

from the new curing output of our landscape. 

In a free global market we will need to add value to our agriculture if we 

want to be competitive. And the time for change has come. Today, subsidised farming 

occupies 62% of Denmark. In Pharmland a much smaller production landscape could 

support our welfare and thereby liberate 20% of Denmark that can be given back to the 

people. They would use it to fulfil their dreams: a new wilderness, a new golden age, 

new ways of building and living in the landscape. 

Help us make Pharmland come true. 

Yours sincerely, 


NORD 


In collaboration with 2+1 

cc. Giovanni Alemanno, Italian Minister of Agricultural and Agri-Food 

cc. Hans Christian Schmidt, Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries 


21568 pharmland 8/2/04 12:53 PM Page 3







21568 pharmland 8/6/04 8:24 AM Page 10







Panton Chair, Verner Panton, 1959-60. 

Photo: Hans Hansen

21528 child inc 8/4/04 4:09 PM Page 1 

What if 

Denmark 

made 

parenting 

effortless? 

Child Inc. 

Kontrapunkt


Dr. Torben M. Andersen 

The Danish Welfare Commission 

Landgreven 4 


Dear Torben M. Andersen, 

One of the biggest challenges facing Danish society is its inability to reproduce 

itself. The Danish birthrate has been in steady decline since the 1960s. 

The statistics are staggering. Where we used to have a pyramid structure (more 

young than old people), we are now approaching a reverse pyramid. By 2040, almost half 

of the population will be over 60 years old. 

Will Denmark be the retirement capital of Europe? Can we imagine a successful 

society that declines? Can Denmark be an island of homogeneity in a heterogeneous Europe? 

The declining birthrate – a problem facing almost all European countries – will 

have huge economic, social and political consequences. Those societies with a majority 

population of retirement age will most likely be unable to sustain their standard of 

living because there will be fewer people to pay into the pension system. So long as we 

continue to educate and liberate our citizens, the birthrate will continue to fall. 

The only way to correct the imbalance is to create a society where caring for children 

is supported and embraced. This is simply a precondition for sustaining our welfare. 

To remain a society with a healthy ratio of young and old people, we will need 

65,000 more children per year in Denmark until 2050. We can either import them or 

produce them. No matter where the children come from, the problem of raising children 

in Denmark remains. 

We have a proposal. We have analyzed why people in Denmark don't want children. 

According to our research, a large number feel one or several of the following: that 

child-rearing is too expensive, that they don't have the time, that it takes their 

freedom away, that it doesn't fit with their lifestyle. Our proposal, Child Inc., 

consists of a number of design solutions that address these lifestyle conflicts – 

proffering everything from 24-hour childcare institutions to custom child "half steps." 

We believe that parenting can be made effortless, or at least stylish and 

interesting. We also believe that the market is the most efficient way of 

disseminating solutions. 

We see Child Inc. as a company dedicated to developing and selling design solutions 

to prospective families. To enable everyone to benefit from the services we provide, 

we are calling on the Welfare Commission to increase the "Child Cheque" that all parents 

in Denmark currently receive to cover three products from Child Inc. 

We think it's worth the investment. Remember: no children, no future. 

Sincerely, 


Kontrapunkt 


cc. Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services and the 

Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration 


What is the most 

pressing life style 

problem facing the 

Danish society? 

CHILD_INC_Catalog.indd 1 7/30/04 2:59:46 PM


: A childless future 

The birthrate is in rapid decline. 

Children are perceived as a burden instead 

of a blessing. 

More and more people complain that living 

a modern balanced life with children is 

difficult. 

The social, political and economic 

consequenses of the declining birthrate is 

severe. 

A childless future is an issue facing all 

developed countries. 


THE NUMBER OF ANNUAL 

BIRTHS ARE DECLINING 

70,000 

69,000 

68,000 

67,000 

66,000 

65,000 

64,000 

63,000 

62,000 

61,000 

60,000 

1960 

1963 

1966 

1969 

THE AVERAGE AGE OF 

FIRST TIME MOTHERS 

IS RISING 

30 

29 

28 

27 

26 

25 

24 

23 

22 

21 

20 

1960 

1963 

1966 

1969 

1972 

1972 

1975 

1975 

CHILD_INC_Catalog.indd 4 7/30/04 2:59:49 PM 

1978 

1978 

1981 

1981 

1984 

1984 

1987 

1987 

1990 

1990 

1993 

1993 

1996 

1996 

1999 

1999

85 

80 

75 

70 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

85 

80 

75 

70 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

85 

80 

75 

70 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

1840 

Men Women 

1890 

Men Women 

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES 

IN DENMARK 1840–1990 

85 

80 

75 

70 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

85 

80 

75 

70 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

85 

80 

75 

70 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

1922 

Men Women 

1990 

Men Women 


BY 2500 THERE WILL BE 

NO CHILDREN BORN IN DENMARK 

70,000 

65,000 

60,000 

55,000 

50,000 

45,000 

40,000 

35,000 

30,000 

25,000 

20,000 

15,000 

10,000 

5,000 

0 

1950 

1975 

2000 

2025 

2050 

2075 

2100 

2125 

2150 

2175 

BY 4050 WOMEN WILL DIE 

BEFORE THEY GIVE BIRTH 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

0 

1950 

2050 

2150 

2250 

2350 

2450 

2550 

2650 

2750 

2200 

2225 

2850 

2950 

2250 

2275 

3050 

3150 

2300 

2325 

3250 

2350 

2375 

3350 

3450 

2400 

2425 

3550 

3560 

2450 

2475 

3750 

3850 

2500 

2525 

3950 

2550 

2575 

4050 

4150 

2600 

Average dying age 

Average age of first time mothers 

CHILD_INC_Catalog.indd 6 7/30/04 2:59:50 PM 

4250

Why does this 

matter? 

Financially – How will society pay for the 

older generation in the long run? How will 

society generate growth, innovation and 

new ideas? 

Socially – Will society be worth living in 

with only an aged population? 

Politically – A higher average age correlates 

with increased resistance to change. 

The challenge is to design a society where 

children are valued, wanted and growing in 

numbers. If Denmark is able to do this it can 

set an example for all developed countries. 



Our mission: 

We are providers of a secure, safe and fun parental experience. 

At Child Inc. we care about parents. We take out the worrying part of 

having children and make sure that Child Inc. families can live the life 

they want. We want our parents to love, live, work and enjoy life.


Our products: 

As a Child Inc. family you can be sure that your child is cared for. We make 

sure that your child learns and grows in just the direction you want. You 

don´t have to have a bad conscience about going to a late meeting, going to 

the cinema, having a nap on the sofa or working hard at night. We are there 

whenever and whereever you need us to be. As a Child Inc. mother we help 

you build the career you want and reach your professional goals. And as a 

Child Inc. parent we help you build a lasting and loving relationship. No more 

fights, no more stressed mornings. Just love, care and happiness. That is 

why we promise you a life we call: don´t worry. Welcome the Child Inc.

Child Inc. offers 5 x 3 package solutions for your child-related problems depending on its source 

and degree. If, for example, your reluctance to parenting can be traced back to concerns about your 

career you can choose the Working Package. Subsequently, you can choose from different types of 

Working Packages depending on the degree of your problem (minimum, medium or maximum) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHILD_INC_Catalog_02.indd 10 8/3/04 9:51:20 PM

c 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHILD_INC_Catalog_02.indd 11 8/3/04 9:51:45 PM

9LifeWallpaper 

9 layers of wallpaper in one 

Tear off a layer whenever you want (e.g. when redecorating your home) 

Can also be used to fresh up the look of your home 

Use your children's artwork as a decorative element in your 

interior design solution 

ChildBox 

Noise-reducing materials 

Semi-transparent walls 

Choose between 10 sizes 

Free activity package (books, games, edutainment, movies) 

Subscribe to monthly Activity packages 

The ChildBox fits all kinds of indoor working environments 

and makes it easy for you to bring your child to work 

DriveInKindergarten 

Deliver and pick up in a moment 

No waste of time 

When you're on your way to kindergarten the staff gets 

ready for your driveby 

ChildResponse Playpen 

Entertainment center 

Pics, films, 

music & sounds 

Blanket with calming 

vibrator and alarm sensor 

Food Supply 

(Remote access) 

Online video/audio 

contact 

Let ChildResponse Playpen take care of your child or do it 

yourself with remote access 

ChildEquipWeekly 

Put together your own selection 

100% right of return 

Order online 

Special family collections 

All you need for your child delivered directly to your door 

ChildSafeZone 

Playgrounds 

ChildGuards 

Traffic Locks 

ChildSafeZone 

Green areas 

The freedom to let your children be on their own outside 

the home. ChildSafeZones is a part of all Child Quarters 

FamilyCare Companies' 

Network 

ParentsClub 

For 

productive 

people 

Be part of the network and find a job in a company where 

family and job are considered equally important 

OnlineOffspringTester 

Mother Father 

Offspring 

Get access to our OnlineOffspringTester and see what 

posibilities your partnership will bring. Shows your 

offspring at any age 

BoardRoomSet 

The total boardroom furniture solution. Designed to accommodate 

the needs of a family friendly company culture 

21528 child inc 14_15.indd 12 8/8/04 3:02:59 PM

ChildHalfsteps 

ChildSafe rubber structure 

Easy to clean 

Fits all standard stairways 

Customized length 

Add on ChildHalfsteps and make it easier for your child to 

go up and down the stairs 

24HourKindergarten 

cinema, 

entertainment 

gym/playfield 

cafe, livingroom 

park 

bedrooms 

school and library 

Give your child the most stimulating environment, the best 

social possibilities, professional individual coaching and 

high quality education. Let your child live at one of our 

24HourKindergartens 

Lovers'Holidays 

Horseback riding in Mongolia 

Visit hotsprings on volcano Rinjani 

Romantic dinner on top of the Eiffel Tower 

Sleeping under a thousand stars in the desert 

Child Inc. help you set up the perfect trip for you and 

your love 

LoveTreat 

Total makeover for you and your partner. Get advice from 

your personal stylist or get a membership to LoveStudio: 

Gym, Fitness, Yoga, Military Training etc. 

ChildVille 

Highway 

Park/ 

playground 

Amusement 

park 

Parking 

School 

Parking 

ChildVille is a city primarily built for families. Children can 

travel by themselves everywhere and the infrastructure is 

optimized according to children's behavior. No cars are 

allowed in ChildVille 

GetaGrandma 

Parking 

Housing 

CityTrain 

Mall 

Find the Grandma or Grandpa that suits your family in our 

large database 

Examples of products offered by the Child Inc. Packages. 

FamilyCare Company 

Buildings 

Facilities in kids height 

Children friendly stairs, doors 

and escalators 

Outdoor playfield 

Choose from more than 

8 famous architects 

FamilyCare Company Buildings 

are 100% suitable for both working children and adults 

HelperClub 

A group for every need; 

also groups with single fathers, 

mothers or gay couples 

Find space to discuss the 

things that bother you 

Get rid of fears and anger 

In the HelperClub you will allways find the support you 

need - at the very time you need it! 

PenguinClub 

Join the national PenguinClub and share child 

responsibility with fellow members. Decide 

when you have time for children and when you 

need time for other things 

Share your morning delivery problem 

Help other penguins and gain PenguinService when you need it 

Enjoy dinner at Penguin Restaurants 

Get penguin service in holidays 

Get bonus invitations to PenguinEvents at cinemas, themeparks, etc. 

21528 child inc 14_15.indd 13 8/8/04 3:04:20 PM

21528 child inc 8/6/04 11:02 AM Page 16 

PH Artichoke, Poul Henningsen, 1957.

21528 housing 8/4/04 2:30 PM Page 1 

What if 

Denmark 

was the 

world’s 

housing 

factory? 

House Express 

Arkitema


Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin 

Corporate Development Department 

Virgin Management Limited 

120 Campden Hill Road 

London, England W8 7AR 

Dear Sir Richard Branson, 

We need to change the way houses are built. Innovation in the construction industry 

has come to a grinding halt. Production is flagging. As the price of housing soars, 

a home is becoming an impossible investment for many people. Meanwhile, the world is 

rapidly becoming urbanized. For the next decade, cities in the developing countries 

will have to accommodate in excess of one million new inhabitants each week. 

Things must change. Other industries have transformed their production model from 

one based on craftsmanship to one based on design for mass production. The results 

have been astonishing – high productivity, high quality and low prices. So why has 

the construction sector not undergone the same transformation? 

Logistics are holding us back. Houses are built on site, rather than in factories, 

because it would be impossible to deliver full-sized housing by truck. The construction 

sector cannot be industrialized unless we transcend the physical limitations of land 

transportation. 

The solution is at hand. Airships with a cargo capacity of 1,000 tonnes – or 20 

medium-sized family houses – are in the final stages of development. These airships 

constitute the foundation of our House Express business scheme. 

House Express will establish housing factories in which the benefits of technology, 

industrialization, specialization and repetition can be fully harnessed. From these 

fixed and permanent sites, ready-made housing will be delivered by airship, more cheaply 

than by any existing mode of transportation, to any corner of the globe. 

Today's housing industry has many problems. It lacks productivity, innovation, 

development, and competition. It is too complex and organisationally overloaded. 

Craftmanship is its spine, it uses one-off production methods that produce too much 

waste, too many mistakes, and require too much transportation. It is unsafe, 

unhealthy, and unecological. A new production model plus a new distribution model 

equals the solution. 

You can make the difference. You have successfully reinvented existing industries, 

benefiting the world with quality products at low prices in the process. House Express 

is a reinvention of the construction sector, and we urge you to join us in realizing 

that reinvention. Together, we can be pioneers in the production of quality housing 

the global market can afford. If we are successful in capturing only 1% of the market 

we would be housing 10,000 people a week. 

Sincerely, 


Arkitema 


cc. Ingvar Kamprad, Founder of IKEA 


Housing Factory pg3-15_CS.indd 3 7/28/04 12:25:51 PM

The world population 

reached 6 billion in 1999. 

At the current rate, the 

world will have 7 billion 

people soon after the year 

2010. 

Source: www.unhabitat.org 

Over the next 10 years, 

21 million new housing 

units are required in developing 

countries each year. 

Source: Habitat for Humainty International. 

www.habitat.org 

For the next decade, cities in the developing countries 

will have to accomodate in excess of 

one million 

new inhabitants each week 

In 1985, there were 245 

1,000,000+ cities in the 

world. 

By 2015, that number will 

have grown to 527. 

Source: United Nations Human 

Settlement Programme. 

www.unhabitat.org 

World population 

(millions) 

5,000 

4,500 

4,000 

3,500 

3,000 

2,500 

2,000 

1,500 

1,000 

500 

0 

1950 

1955 

1960 

1965 

1970 

1975 

1980 

1985 

1990 

1995 

2000 

2004 

Urban population Rural population Source: United Nations 

www.un.org 

1.1 billion people are 

forced to endure inadequate 

housing conditions in 

urban areas. 

Source: Habitat for Humanity International. 

www.habitat.org 

2005 

2010 

During the last 25 years, 

the price of a one-family 

home has increased 

tenfold. 

Source: Swedish research 

2015 

2020 

€ € € € € 

€ € € € € 

Housing Factory pg3-15_CS.indd 4 7/28/04 12:25:55 PM 

€€€€€ 

€€€€€ 

2025 

2030

1. Lack of productivity 

29% task 

The main problems of the 

housing industry today 

1. Lack of productivity 

2. Lack of innovation and development 

3. Too much waste 

4. Craftsmanship is the spine of the industry 

5. Complexity/organisationally overloaded 

6. Lack of competition 

7. One-off production 

8. Too many mistakes 

9. Health and safety issues 

10. Environmental issues 

Construction sector 

productivity is 

not increasing 

rapidly enough 

32% preparation 

39% waste 

Productivity scheme for a 

Danish building site. 

Source: Wall element assembly 

at Novi Park 6, time study 

conducted in collaboration with 

Skanska. Aalborg University. 

Waste is expensive. 

A 10% increase in construction 

sector productivity 

will cause the GNP of Denmark 

to increase by 3-4%. 

This would amount to dkr. 

30-40 billion per year in 

Denmark alone. 

Source: Australian research 

In the OECD countries, 

productivity in the construction 

sector increased by 

1.5% in the period 1966- 

2000. 

In comparison, industry 

productivity increased by 

3.6%. 

Source: Statistics Denmark and 

Economic Council of the Labour 

Movement. 

From 1990-2002, employment 

in the construction 

business increased faster 

than the value added. This 

means that in 2002 it took 

more workers to produce 

the same added value as 

in 1990. 

In the industry 10% fewer 

workers produced a 25% 

higher added value in 

2002, as compared to 

1990. 

Source: Ministry of Economics and 

Business Affairs, 

‘Vækstredegørelse 03.’ 


2. Lack of innovation and development 

Innovation is the 

driving force 

of modern society 

Other industries innovate and change the world. 

Today’s adult generation has witnessed the evolution from typewriter 

to computer, but who can name any real groundbreaking 

innovations in the building industry over the last 50 years? 

The Danish building industry has 

the lowest investments 

in research and development 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

0 

Investment in research and development for different industries (index 1989=100) 

Source: Research and development in the business community – research statistics 1998. 

The Danish Institute for Studies in Research and Research Policy, October 2000. 

When the conveyor belt 

was introduced in the 

car industry, production 

changed from craftsmanship 

to mass production, 

and productivity consequently 

exploded. 

Engine assembly: 62% 

reduction in workingtime. 

Large-component assembly: 

88% reduction in 

workingtime. 

Source: 

Translated from ‘Princippet der ændrede 

verden’ by Pia Karlsbøl. 

€€€ 

By craftsmanship 

€ € € 

By mass production 

Over a period of 10 years, 

Ford reduced the cost price 

for the consumer by two 

thirds. 

Source: 

Translated from ‘Princippet der ændrede 

verden’ by Pia Karlsbøl. 

Medical industry 

Manufacturing industry 

Food industry 

Building industry 

1900 

2000 

= 

= 

At the beginning of the 20th 

century, the price of a onefamily 

home was approximately 

the same as that of a 

family car. 

By the beginning of the 

21st century, the price ratio 

between the two had grown 

to approximately 10:1. 

Car production has quite 

obviously gone through 

stages of evolution, whereas 

the building industry remains 

in the primordial soup. 


3. Too much waste 

= 

= 

In 2002, 83% of all businesses 

in the construction sector had 

less than 10 employees. 

5. Complexity/organisational 

overload 

The building of a house 

management 

craftsman 1 

activity 1 

management management management management 

craftsman 2 

activity 2 

Mass production of a sofa 

management 

worker 1 

activity 1 

worker 2 

activity 2 

craftsman 3 

activity 3 

worker 3 

activity 3 

Specialized repetitive work means less coordination 

A Japanese car manufacturing company 

successfully reduced to zero 

the amount of in-plant waste requring land-fill disposal at its 

production plants in Japan by the end of fiscal year 2001. 

4. Craftsmanship is the spine of the industry 

80 kg 

of waste is produced for every m² of building built. 

The production of 

1 m² house requires 

about 9 hours of 

manpower. 

The production of 

1 m² car requires 

about 2.5 hours of 

manpower. 

Source: Danish Ministry of Economics and 

Business Affairs. 

‘Vækstredegørelse 03’. 

It is not easy to change existing 

traditions and structures, 

even if they are awkward. In 

other sectors, low efficiency 

and obsolete structures often 

act as an open invitation to 

foreign competitors to take 

over the market. Competition 

forces an industry to evolve 

and improve, but global 

competition will remain nonexistent 

while construction is 

based on craftsmanship. 

Flaws in logistics account 

for 10-15% of all building 

expenses. 

Source: National Agency for Enterprise 

and Housing, 2000. ‘The Danish construction 

sector in the future – From tradition 

to innovation’. 

craftsman 4 

activity 4 

worker 4 

activity 4 

craftsman 5 

activity 5 

management 

worker 5 

activity 5 

Source: Copenhagen Business 

School, MBA Byg, Mikkel Thomassen 

bricklayer 

kitchen supply 

carpenter 

painter 

blacksmith 

sanitation 

6. Lack of 

competition 

Competition focuses 

mainly on craftsmanship, 

not products. For that 

reason, competition exists 

only locally, not globally, 

and refers only to prices. 

The construction industry 

is based on national 

traditions, standards and 

practices, and is configured 

almost exclusively for the 

home market. 

So far, the sheer physical 

size of building components 

has prevented 

international trade on a 

significant scale. 

Source: National Agency for Enterprise 

and Housing, 2000. ‘The Danish construction 

sector in the future – From 

tradition to innovation’. 


7. One-off production 

Building a house is a one-off production. 

Design, partnerships, planning, and production site 

are unique to each and every product. 

The involvement of different sets of companies on different projects 

entails little or no repitition and thus a 

lack of motivation for companies to cooperate on new product 

and process investment. 

8. Too many 

mistakes 

15-20% of new housing 

units in the non-profit 

sector show severe defects 

within 5 years. There 

are plenty of reasons for 

these defects: inferior 

materials, poor workmanship, 

obscure drawings or 

failures of coordination. 

9. Health and 

safety issues 

The building site is the 

second most dangerous 

working place of all 

The probability 

of falling victim 

to a work-related 

accident is twice 

as high in the 

construction business 

as it is in the 

industry 

The probability of 

falling victim to a 

fatal work-related 

accident is three 

times as high in 

the construction 

business as it is in 

the industry. 

10. Environmental 

issues 

25% of all cargo transportation 

on roads is construction 

business related. 

Only 49% of the cargo payload 

is utilized in Danish 

road freighting. 

The Task 

10 issues: 

From low productivity 

to high productivity 

From high complexity 

to low complexity 

From tradition 

to innovation and 

development 

From routines 

to specialisation 

From waste/refuse 

to efficiency 

From consumption of 

resources 

to limitation of 

resources 

From many involved 

partners 

to few involved 

partners 

From general 

working method 

to specialized 

working methods 

From building site 

to factory 


Attempts have been made in the construction business 

to overcome several of the problems of the industry 

Prefab construction systems 

– Steel framed structures 

– Concrete box structures 

– Concrete panelled structures 

– Aluminium structures 

– Timber framed structures 

– Massive timber structures 

The limitation 

Width: 2.55 m Height: 4.00 m Weight: 3,200 kg 

If a load exceeds these limitations, special permission is needed. 

! ! ! ! 

Most problems in the 

construction industry, 

are related to the fact 

that building houses is 

one-off production – that 

separate production sites 

must be established for 

each and every product. 

‘Eradicate from your mind any hard and fast 

conceptions in regard to the dwelling-house 

and look at the question from an objective 

and critical angle, and you will inevitably 

arrive at the ‘House-Machine’, the massproduction 

house, available for everyone, 

incomparably healthier than the old kind (and 

morally so, too) and beautiful…’ 

Le Corbusier, 1931 

The elimination of land 

transportation will make 

possible the elimination 

of the traditional building 

site. 

‘We must create the mass-production spirit. 

The spirit of constructing mass-production 

houses. The spirit of living in mass-production 

houses…’ 

Le Corbusier 

Land transportation regulations and the headrooms of 

bridges and power lines limit the dimensions and 

thus the possible designs of manufactured homes. 

Other industries have 

benefitted immensely 

from the change from 

craftsmanship to factory 

production. The 

construction business 

should learn from their 

experience. 

Changing the mode of 

production and distribution 

will benefit the world 

economically, socially, 

architecurally and envi- 

ronmentally. 

new production methods will lead to 

new possibilities 


Load capacity today: 

Weight: 3.2 tonnes 

Width: 2.55 m 

Height: 4.00 m 

Load capacity tomorrow (SkyCat): 

Weight: 1,000 tonnes 

Width: 12.2 m 

Height: 8 m 

Length: 80.8 m 

Cruising speed: appr. 180 km/h 

The SkyCat 1000 storage 

room holds 800 mediumsized 

cars or 20 mediumsized 

one-family homes 

The SkyCat 

With hovercraft landing gear, lighter-than-air 

technology and added lift due to its fl ying 

wing shape, the SkyCat transcends the 

traditional airship/airplane distinction. It is, in 

short, the future of air transportation. 

Housing will be 

produced in 

factories 

new production methods will lead to 

new possibilities 

Denmark establishes a factory that produces 

and distributes housing for the global market. 

Where other attempts to do this have failed, 

we succeed thanks to our solution to the problem of 

transportation. We distribute our houses by airship. 

Eliminating 

the limitations 

of transportation on land, will bring about 

The SkyCat has a very large working radius, 

is able to land on virtually any reasonably fl at 

surface, and requires neither landing strip 

nor ground crew. 

In other words, it would be able to carry 

houses directly from the factory to their 

delivery sites. Delivery by SkyCat would be 

faster than sea freight and cheaper than any 

existing mode of transportation. 

The SkyCat would be able to deliver houses 

within a radius of 1,500 km and return in less 

than 24 hours. 

The energy consumption of the SkyCat 

is less than the energy consumption of a 

superfreighter. 

Compared to land transportation, airship 

transportation reduces energy consumption 

by at least 70% and CO2 emission by at 

least 66%. 

a new way of building houses. 

The airship hovers in mid-air. 

While loading and unloading, 

it can deliver cargo at any 

destination. 

Cargolifter 

Load capacity: 

Weight: 160 tonnes 

Width: 8 m 

Height: 8 m 

Length: 50 m 

Cruising speed: appr. 90 km/h 

The airship carries payloads to a range of up 

to 10,000 km. 

The airship gains lift solely through the use 

of helium, a non-fl ammable lifting gas, and 

therefore only requires energy for forward 

propulsion. 

The airship loads and unloads without landing. 

It hovers 100 m above ground, while the 

load is lifted or lowered via anchor winches 

and four anchoring points. In order for the 

total weight and fl ight characteristics of the 

airship to remain constant, the freight will be 

replaced with ballast water. 

Hovering while unloading, permits the airship 

to reach and deliver very large cargo in hard 

to reach destinations. 


On-site production 

Building houses is traditionally 

a one-off production. A new 

production site and organisa- 

Factory production 

By shifting the mode of production 

towards factory production, 

organisation will become less 

complex. 

Partners will cooperate continuosly, 

and this will encourage 

development and innovation of 

Housing will be 

distributed 

to the whole world 

by airship 

tion is established for every 

house. The everchanging 

relations between partners do 

production and products alike. 

New methods of production, 

replacing craftsmanship and 

small enterprises by specialized, 

industrialized labour 

implementing new technology, 

will lead to new possibilities 

not encourage innovation or 

development. The building site 

is logistically ineffective, is dan- 

regarding materials, construction 

and architecture. 

In the controlled environment 

of a factory, logistics will be 

optimized, safety will be high, 

and the amount of waste and 

mistakes will be reduced. 

Homes will be delivered on site 

ready-made from factory 

gerous, creates too much waste 

and unsustainable transportation, 

and too many mistakes. 

Transportation will be more 

sustainable. Materials will be 

delivered to the house factory 

mainly by ship, and the houses 

will be distributed by airship. 


Building components are 

shipped from different parts 

of the world to assembling 

factories, where houses are 

produced and distributed to the 

world by airship… 

Purchasing 

a house 

traditionaly 

Purchasing 

a house 

through 

House 

Express 

building components 

future 

house owner 

future 

house owner 

designer sketches 

engineer 

– The global network 

Housing factory 

designer 

producer of building components 



contractor 

contractor 

contractor 

contractor 

contractor 

craftsman 

craftsman 

craftsman 

craftsman 

craftsman 

catalogue production distribution 

designer 







building the house on site 

fi nished house on site 






engineering 

design 

contracting 

component supply 

The structure of the 

traditional building proces, 

from idea and design to 

construction, is marked by 

the seperation of proffessions 

and competences. 

The architectural product 

is often a result of compromises 

and solutions that 

are chosen to meet the 

very different succes criteria 

of the different actors. 

Architecture is 

suffering under these 

conditions. 

To rescue architecture from 

this fatal situation, and 

create new 

possibilities and 

new ways to let architecture 

evolve, the proces 

needs to change. 

Architecture can only 

evolve through the 

integration of diciplines. 


– New technology 

– Specialized labour 

– Centralized planning 

– Standardization of 

skills and procedures 

Contracting 

+ 

Manufacturer 

of building 

components 

Engineering Design 

Interaction between the different actors in the construction business 

is limited. They view their input as an isolated part of the process, 

and they may all have different success criteria. 

Changing the mode of production 

will fundamentally 

change architecture 

as we know it. 

Today, programming, design, 

engineering and construction 

are isolated processes with 

limited interaction. 

This is not benefi cial, either 

for architecture as such or for 

users. 

New mode 

of transportation 

In House Express, 

the various specialists will 

cooperate closely 

throughout the process, from 

programming and design all the 

way through to production. 

Production specialists will be 

involved in the preliminary 

design stages, and designers 

will continue their involvement 

even into the most detailed 

stages of production. This integration 

of design and technology 

will entail signifi cant mutual 

insights into various skills and 

potentials. 

Engineering 

= 

Production 

Design 

Specialists work together in an integrated organisation, with shared 

success criteria. Knowledge is shared and decisions are made in 

unison. 

– Affordable housing 

– Global market advantages 

– Match global housing demand 

– Improved housing conditions for more people 

– Sustainable production 

– Improved environment 

– Higher productivity 

– Improved housing quality 

– Improved safety for workers 

– Improved national economies 

– Improved cities 

– Fewer mistakes 

– Less waste 

The different areas of expertise 

will be developed through 

dynamic interaction, 

and the end result will be 

continuous improvement. 

High quality, innovative 

technical solutions, new architectural 

possibilities, improved 

functionality and greater variation. 

– Providing solutions 

It is possible to 

standardize production 

without 

standardizing the 

product. 

New industrial production 

systems make possible 

factory production of 

individual quality housing. 

By using a combination of 

standardized processes 

and standardized components, 

variation and high 

architectural quality will be 

not only maintained, but 

improved. 

The key is improved learning 

and effi ciency through 

standardization of processes, 

not standardization 

of products. 

Experience from shipbuilding 

shows that industrial 

production of unique and 

complex products is possible. 

The production of ships 

is even more complex 

than that of housing. 

Even so, the change from 

craftsmanship to factory 

production has been made. 

Disciplinary boundaries 

have been eliminated, 

production planning has 

become centralized and 

logistics are thoroughly 

controlled, internally as 

well as externally. 

Over the last 20 years, 

the shipbuilding industry 

has doubled its productivity. 

Source: Danish Maritime 





The Safari Chair, Kaare Klint, 1933.

21528 endless coastline 8/4/04 6:44 PM Page 1 

What if 

Denmark 

doubled 

its 

coastline? 

Endless Coastline 

SRL Arkitekter

21528 endless coastline 8/6/04 1:39 PM Page 2 

Bendt Bendtsen, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Economic and Business Affairs 

The Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs 

Slotsholmsgade 10-12 


Dear Minister Bendt Bendtsen, 

How do we increase the revenues of tourism while keeping our authenticity intact? 

Denmark's coastline is its most sought-after natural feature. A seascape of sand 

dunes, heath, and rustic villages, it is both beautiful - and fragile. Tourists 

attracted by an untouched and tranquil environment are flocking to summerhouses 

on this coastline. But the irony of mass tourism is that once it touches an area 

of unspoiled beauty, the beauty evaporates. That danger threatens Denmark's 

coastline now. 

Twelve per percent of the Danish coast is already developed with summerhouses - 

not a large number in itself, but 93 percent of these houses are within the 

three-kilometre-wide coastal zone. When our government recently revised the zoning 

law that prevented any more coastal development it initiated a construction boom. By 

2010 there won't be room for any more houses on the coast. The coastal ecosystem will 

be ruined and the authenticity of the seaside towns will be destroyed - all without 

satisfying the increasing tourist demand. 

Travel and tourism is the largest industry in the world, accounting for eleven 

percent of the world's exports and seven percent of all employment. Tourism is an easy 

way to strengthen economic growth; there are regions in Denmark that rely on tourists 

for their economic survival. We recognize all that. The challenge, as we see it, is to 

promote tourism while protecting our most precious and coveted natural and cultural 

resources. This is a global challenge; a globally adaptable strategy to meet it would 

benefit the world. 

Our proposition has a local application but global potential. To prevent tourists 

from taking over the Danish coast, we propose doubling the coastline by making two 

artificial islands. The islands are designed by using fractal geometry to model and 

extrapolate the natural coastline's unique contours. The efficiency of fractals allows 

400 km of coastline to be created within an area of 100 km2 - that’s 10 times the 

capacity of the existing coastline. The new coastline - Beach Island and Lagoon Island - 

will have space for 100,000 new summerhouses, all with direct sea access. That's 

50 percent more than the current capacity. 

The Endless Coastline proposition does more than create new islands. It designs a 

tool kit that structures tourism to be sustainable. With your support, we can achieve 

three enviable goals: shelter the existing coastline from expanding tourism, increase 

waterfront access, and stimulate regional economical growth. 

Sincerely, 


SRL Architects 


cc. Mr. James Scott Peterson, Minister of International Trade House of Commons 

cc. Mr. Antonio Marzano, Italian Minister for Productive Activities 


21528 endless coastline 8/6/04 1:10 PM Page 3


21528 endless coastline 8/8/04 8:56 AM Page 5











21528 endless coastline 8/6/04 10:34 AM Page 16 

Superellipse table, Piet Hein and 

Bruno Mathsson, 1964.

21528 energy 8/5/04 11:41 AM Page 1 

What if 

Denmark 

had an 

energy bill 

of zero? 

HySociety 

PLOT

21528 energy 8/9/04 7:58 AM Page 2 

Bjørn Lomborg, Director 

Institute for Environmental Assessment 

Linnesgade 18, 1st Floor 


Dear Bjørn Lomborg, 

The heated debate triggered by "Copenhagen Consensus" – the initiative to put a price 

tag and a priority on Earth's greatest social and environmental challenges – uncovers 

a fundamental misunderstanding that pits ecology against economy as good vs. evil. In 

fact, they are not diametric opposites but rather two sides of the same coin. 

Ecological initiatives will only prosper in the real world if they work as viable 

economic models. 

Economy and ecology need to merge into ecolomy. 

We believe that today's environmental problems are not political, economic or 

even ecological – they are simply a design challenge! 

We have designed HySociety, an urban super block that contains a cross section of 

Denmark boiled down to a living and work setting for 1,500 people in which all 

currently available environmental technologies are being deployed in the most 

ecolomically profitable way. HySociety is a test tube in which to demonstrate that 

sustainability is not a question of science fiction but rather applied science. 

In economy, waste is worthless. In ecology, there is no waste. The waste of one 

is the food of another. By designing a series of interconnected loops that feed output 

back into the consumption loop as input, we have created a model Denmark with an 

energy bill of zero – a society where the more energy you spend, the more energy you 

make! Rather than getting more sustainability for our money, we want to get more money 

from our sustainability. 

The western world's oil addiction is one of the main reasons for global conflict 

today. The explosive growth in Asia – that will soon have an immense impact on the 

global environment – could be based on the ecolomical designs of today, rather than 

the outdated economic models of the past. 

Our public investment in windmills in recent decades has made Denmark a world 

leader in sustainable energy. However, the problem of natural energy sources such as 

wind and solar power is that you can't rely on them – they only work when the wind 

blows or the sun shines. What we need is an energy currency into which all energy can 

be invested. That currency is hydrogen. We are now at a crucial juncture where only a 

coordinated, collective effort can transform Denmark into a model hydrogen society. 

The HySociety project has the critical mass to trigger this energy revolution, and 

make Denmark a world leader in ecolomical living. 

Sincerely, 


PLOT 


cc. Thor Pedersen, Danish Minister of Finance 


21528 energy 8/9/04 8:50 AM Page 3

Energy ENERGY consumption CONSUMPTION 

world dk 

1980 

1623 kg/oil per inhabitant 

2000 

1.694 kg/oil per inhabitant 

1980 - 2000 

+4,4% 

1980 


2000 


1980 - 2000 

-5,7% 

While the world has spent more and more 

oil the last 20 years, DK has spent less. Is 

DK slowly on the way to an energy equilibrium? 

SUN CELLS 

1747 KM2, or the size of Lolland - Falster 

Price:1.000.000.000.000€ 

What would it take to supply all of DK with 

sustainable energy? 

If we rely on the sun we would have to 

cover all of the Storstrøms islands with 

solar cells. 

NUCLEAR 0,0012 €/kWh 

COAL 0,016 €/kWh 

GAS 0,031 €/kWh 

OIL 0,037 €/kWh 

WIND 0,040 €/kWh 

WAVE 0,048 €/kWh 

SOLAR 0,068 €/kWh 

The problem of renewable energy so far, is 

that it simply doesn’t pay. 

The problem of renewable sources is that 

they only work when the wind blows or the 

sun shines. We need a currency into which 

all energy can be invested, allowing free exchange 

between users and producers. 

ENERGY BILL DK= 

174.771.372 mWh 

The annual Danish energy bill is still enormous. 

With the fuel we burn for our daily 

lives we could send a rocket to Mars and 

back again 50 times pr year! 

BIOGAS 

One big pig farm covering the size of the greater Copenhagen 

metropolitan area 

If we rely on biogas we would need the manure 

from a pig farm the size of the greater 

metropolitan area of Copenhagen. 

But with the exponential increase in efficiency 

and the gradual decline in cost 

what used to be science fiction has turned 

in to applied science. 

FAMILY HOUSING 

+ 

- 

37.500 m2 - 100 a1, 100 a2, 100 a3 

Size per household: a1=100 m2, a2=125 m2, a3 150 m2 

Lokated towards south. 

Maximun depth of single orientated houses 7 m - two sided orientation 14 m 

DRINKING WATER 

RAIN WATER 

GREY WATER 

BLACK WATER 

BURNABLE WASTE 

RE-CYCLABLE WASTE 

FITS WELL WITH 

parking - playground - supermarket - kindergarden - 

PROGRAM 

ENERGY INPUT 

ENERGY OUTPUT 

If we could analyze the consumption pattern 

of each program in our society and 

get an overview of the particular needs 

and excesses of energy, heat and water... 

75 C WATER 

ELECTRICITY 


RAIN WATER 

GREY WATER 

BLACK WATER 

MULTISTORY HOUSING M2 



HEAT 

ELECTRICITY 

WATER 

GARBAGE 

WASTE WATER 

ORGANIC WASTE 

75 C WATER 

30 C WATER 

ELECTRICITY 

HYDROGEN 

ENERGY CONSUMPTION DK IN SECTORS 

PJ/year 

250 

OXYGEN 

200 

150 

100 

1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 

CHARLES F. BRUSH 

CREATES FIRST FULLY 

AUTOMATIC 12,5 KW 

WINDPOWERED GEN- 

POUL LA COUR IN- 

VENTS 

THE MORE EFFICIENT 

FAST RUNNING TYPE 

WITH FEWER BLADES. 

WINDENERGY 

75X75 KM2 matrix of windmills 

WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT 

SEAS BUILDS THE 

INOVATIVE GEDSER 

200 KW MILL. THE 

WORLDS LARGEST 

IN 20 YEARS. 

TVIND ORGANISA- 

TIONS 2 MW WIND 

POWER GENERA- 

TOR. 

VESTAS V90 

3 MW WIND POWER 

GENERATOR 

VESTA´S PRE- 

DICTED 

10 MW POWER 

GENERATOR 20015 

100M 10MW 

1887 1897 1956 1979 2000 2015 

HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 

ELECTRICITY mWh 

GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS 

HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 


GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS 

HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 


GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS 

TRANSPORT 

INDUSTRIES INDUSTRIES 

HOUSING 

SERVICE 

If we look at where the energy goes we see 

that architecture has become more and 

more efficient, whereas movement uses 

more and more and more... 

A wind farm of 75 x 75 km of windmills 

could keep us covered. However all systems 

rely heavily on one massive centralised 

enterprise. Could we solve this issue 

at a lower level? 

The latest generation of Danish windmills 

have a wingspan of 130m! Enough to power 

2000 families. 22% of all Danish energy 

is provided by windmills. 

...We could knit together a network of different 

programs that would reach an equilibrium 

of complementing energy supplies 

and demands. 

21528 energy_REV.indd 4 8/8/2004 9:20:28 AM 

HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 


GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS

Energy ENERGY consumption CONSUMPTION 

world dk 

1980 


2000 

1.694 kg/oil per inhabitant 

1980 - 2000 

+4,4% 

1980 


2000 


1980 - 2000 

-5,7% 

While the world has spent more and more 

oil the last 20 years, DK has spent less. Is 

DK slowly on the way to an energy equilibrium? 

SUN CELLS 

1747 KM2, or the size of Lolland - Falster 

Price:1.000.000.000.000€ 

What would it take to supply all of DK with 

sustainable energy? 

If we rely on the sun we would have to 

cover all of the Storstrøms islands with 

solar cells. 

NUCLEAR 0,0012 €/kWh 

COAL 0,016 €/kWh 

GAS 0,031 €/kWh 

OIL 0,037 €/kWh 

WIND 0,040 €/kWh 

WAVE 0,048 €/kWh 

SOLAR 0,068 €/kWh 

The problem of renewable energy so far, is 

that it simply doesn’t pay. 

The problem of renewable sources is that 

they only work when the wind blows or the 

sun shines. We need a currency into which 

all energy can be invested, allowing free exchange 

between users and producers. 

ENERGY BILL DK= 

174.771.372 mWh 

The annual Danish energy bill is still enormous. 

With the fuel we burn for our daily 

lives we could send a rocket to Mars and 

back again 50 times pr year! 

BIOGAS 

One big pig farm covering the size of the greater Copenhagen 

metropolitan area 

If we rely on biogas we would need the manure 

from a pig farm the size of the greater 

metropolitan area of Copenhagen. 

But with the exponential increase in efficiency 

and the gradual decline in cost 

what used to be science fiction has turned 

in to applied science. 

FAMILY HOUSING 

+ 

- 

37.500 m2 - 100 a1, 100 a2, 100 a3 

Size per household: a1=100 m2, a2=125 m2, a3 150 m2 

Lokated towards south. 

Maximun depth of single orientated houses 7 m - two sided orientation 14 m 


RAIN WATER 

GREY WATER 

BLACK WATER 



FITS WELL WITH 

parking - playground - supermarket - kindergarden - 

PROGRAM 

ENERGY INPUT 

ENERGY OUTPUT 

If we could analyze the consumption pattern 

of each program in our society and 

get an overview of the particular needs 

and excesses of energy, heat and water... 

75 C WATER 

ELECTRICITY 


RAIN WATER 

GREY WATER 

BLACK WATER 

MULTISTORY HOUSING M2 



HEAT 

ELECTRICITY 

WATER 

GARBAGE 

WASTE WATER 

ORGANIC WASTE 

75 C WATER 

30 C WATER 

ELECTRICITY 

HYDROGEN 

ENERGY CONSUMPTION DK IN SECTORS 

PJ/year 

250 

OXYGEN 

200 

150 

100 

1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 

CHARLES F. BRUSH 

CREATES FIRST FULLY 

AUTOMATIC 12,5 KW 

WINDPOWERED GEN- 

POUL LA COUR IN- 

VENTS 

THE MORE EFFICIENT 

FAST RUNNING TYPE 

WITH FEWER BLADES. 

WINDENERGY 

75X75 KM2 matrix of windmills 

WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT 

SEAS BUILDS THE 

INOVATIVE GEDSER 

200 KW MILL. THE 

WORLDS LARGEST 

IN 20 YEARS. 

TVIND ORGANISA- 

TIONS 2 MW WIND 

POWER GENERA- 

TOR. 

VESTAS V90 

3 MW WIND POWER 

GENERATOR 

VESTA´S PRE- 

DICTED 

10 MW POWER 

GENERATOR 20015 

100M 10MW 

1887 1897 1956 1979 2000 2015 

HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 


GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS 

HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 


GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS 

HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 


GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS 

TRANSPORT 

INDUSTRIES INDUSTRIES 

HOUSING 

SERVICE 

If we look at where the energy goes we see 

that architecture has become more and 

more efficient, whereas movement uses 

more and more and more... 

A wind farm of 75 x 75 km of windmills 

could keep us covered. However all systems 

rely heavily on one massive centralised 

enterprise. Could we solve this issue 

at a lower level? 

The latest generation of Danish windmills 

have a wingspan of 130m! Enough to power 

2000 families. 22% of all Danish energy 

is provided by windmills. 

...We could knit together a network of different 

programs that would reach an equilibrium 

of complementing energy supplies 

and demands. 


HEAT mWh 

FRESHWATER L 


GARBAGE T 

WASTEWATER L 

WATEHEAT mWh 

BYPRODUCTS

10 COMMANDMENTS OF GOOD CONSUMPTION 

What if ecology wasn’t about regression - but about progress. What if sustainable living wasn’t about changing 

your lifestyle and turning of the lights, turning down the heat and slowing down. What if we didn’t have to adapt 

our lifestyle to sustainability, but adjusted our sustainable designs to the way we want to live. Instead of trying to 

change people, we could change the world. What if we could design a society where the more energy you spend, 

the more energy you get? A new manifesto for hedonistic sustainability. 

640.2 640.2 MIO M2 MIO DKM2 

DK 

334.3 334.3 640.2 MIO M2 MIO HOUSING M2 DK HOUSING 

131.5 131.5 MIO 334.3 M2 MIO MIO AGRICULTURE 

M2 M2 AGRICULTURE 

HOUSING 

61.1 131.5 MIO 61.1 M2 MIO SERVICE M2 AGRICULTURE 

SERVICE 

58.8 MIO 58.8 61.1 M2 MIO INDUSTRY M2 SERVICE INDUSTRY 

40.2 MIO 40.2 M2 MIO INSTITUTIONS 58.8 M2 INSTITUTIONS MIO M2 INDUSTRY & CULTURE & CULTURE 

13.9 MIO 13.9 40.2 M2 MIO SUMMERHOUSES 

MIO M2 SUMMERHOUSES 

M2 INSTITUTIONS & CULTURE 

2.292.268 

13.9 

2.292.268 

MIO 

CARS 

M2 SUMMERHOUSES 

CARS 

2.292.268 CARS 

100.000 100.000 M2 DKM2 

DK 

100.000 51.000 51.000 M2 M2 DKHOUSING 

M2 HOUSING 

51.000 20.000 20.000 M2 HOUSING AGRICULTURE 

M2 AGRICULTURE 

20.000 10.000 M2 10.000 M2 AGRICULTURE 

SERVICE M2 SERVICE 

10.000 9.000 M2 9.000 M2 SERVICE INDUSTRY M2 INDUSTRY 

7.000 7.000 9.000 M2 INSTITUTIONS M2 INDUSTRY INSTITUTIONS & CULTURE & CULTURE 

3.000 7.000 3.000 M2 M2 SUMMERHOUSES 

INSTITUTIONS M2 SUMMERHOUSES & CULTURE 

3.000 M2 348 SUMMERHOUSES 

CARS 348 CARS 

348 CARS 

MINI DK 

The idea of turning all of DK into an economical and ecological €cosystem seems utopian because of its magnitude. 

All concrete proposals will appear like abstract principles because we can’t grasp them. Therefore we have boiled 

the components of DK down to the size of an architectural project: all of Denmark’s different programs compressed 

proportionally into a 100.000m2 urban block - like a biopsy of the Danish urban tissue. 

At this scale the challenge becomes as tangible as any other commision - solve the program and keep count of the flow of resources 

and energy like we do with the square meters and the construction costs. 

21528 energy_REV.indd 6 8/9/2004 9:22:21 AM

10 COMMANDMENTS OF GOOD CONSUMPTION 

What if ecology wasn’t about regression - but about progress. What if sustainable living wasn’t about changing 

your lifestyle and turning of the lights, turning down the heat and slowing down. What if we didn’t have to adapt 

our lifestyle to sustainability, but adjusted our sustainable designs to the way we want to live. Instead of trying to 

change people, we could change the world. What if we could design a society where the more energy you spend, 

the more energy you get? A new manifesto for hedonistic sustainability. 

640.2 640.2 MIO M2 MIO DKM2 

DK 

334.3 334.3 640.2 MIO M2 MIO HOUSING M2 DK HOUSING 

131.5 131.5 MIO 334.3 M2 MIO MIO AGRICULTURE 

M2 M2 AGRICULTURE 

HOUSING 

61.1 131.5 MIO 61.1 M2 MIO SERVICE M2 AGRICULTURE 

SERVICE 

58.8 MIO 58.8 61.1 M2 MIO INDUSTRY M2 SERVICE INDUSTRY 

40.2 MIO 40.2 M2 MIO INSTITUTIONS 58.8 M2 INSTITUTIONS MIO M2 INDUSTRY & CULTURE & CULTURE 

13.9 MIO 13.9 40.2 M2 MIO SUMMERHOUSES 

MIO M2 SUMMERHOUSES 

M2 INSTITUTIONS & CULTURE 

2.292.268 

13.9 

2.292.268 

MIO 

CARS 

M2 SUMMERHOUSES 

CARS 

2.292.268 CARS 

100.000 100.000 M2 DKM2 

DK 

100.000 51.000 51.000 M2 M2 DKHOUSING 

M2 HOUSING 

51.000 20.000 20.000 M2 HOUSING AGRICULTURE 

M2 AGRICULTURE 

20.000 10.000 M2 10.000 M2 AGRICULTURE 

SERVICE M2 SERVICE 

10.000 9.000 M2 9.000 M2 SERVICE INDUSTRY M2 INDUSTRY 

7.000 7.000 9.000 M2 INSTITUTIONS M2 INDUSTRY INSTITUTIONS & CULTURE & CULTURE 

3.000 7.000 3.000 M2 M2 SUMMERHOUSES 

INSTITUTIONS M2 SUMMERHOUSES & CULTURE 

3.000 M2 348 SUMMERHOUSES 

CARS 348 CARS 

348 CARS 

MINI DK 

The idea of turning all of DK into an economical and ecological €cosystem seems utopian because of its magnitude. 

All concrete proposals will appear like abstract principles because we can’t grasp them. Therefore we have boiled 

the components of DK down to the size of an architectural project: all of Denmark’s different programs compressed 

proportionally into a 100.000m2 urban block - like a biopsy of the Danish urban tissue. 

At this scale the challenge becomes as tangible as any other commision - solve the program and keep count of the flow of resources 

and energy like we do with the square meters and the construction costs. 

21528 energy_REV.indd 6 8/9/2004 9:22:21 AM

€CO SYSTEM 

21528 energy_REV.indd 8 8/8/2004 12:00:02 PM

€COLOMY BALANCESHEET 

SECTOR PROGRAM 

AREA 

RAIN 

WATER 

DRINKING 

WATER 

GREY 

WATER 

BLACK 

WATER 

ELECTRICIT 

Y BURNABLE 

WASTE 

ORGANIC 

WASTE 

HYDROGEN 

75 

C HEAT 

30 

C HEAT 

OXYGEN 

M2 

M3 

M3 

M3 

M3 

KWh 

TONS 

TONS 

M3 

KWh 

KWh 

M3 

EXTERNAL 

RAIN 

WATER 

29750, 

00 

INCINERATIO N PLANT 

1278245, 24 

957, 92 

1278245, 

24 

HOUSING FAMILY 

HOUSING 

35000 

16138, 50 

2411, 

50 

13541, 50 

5008, 

50 

157500, 00 

414, 69 

7, 

59 

525000, 

00 

YOUTH HOUSING 

10000 

6960, 00 

1040, 

00 

5840, 00 

2160, 

00 

260000, 00 

118, 48 

2, 

17 

150000, 

00 

VACATION DWELLINGS 

5000 

1392, 00 

208, 

00 

1168, 00 

432, 

00 

28000, 00 

59, 24 

1, 

08 

75000, 

00 

LUXURY APPARTME 

NTS 

2000 

991, 80 

148, 

20 

832, 20 

307, 

80 

12600, 00 

23, 70 

0, 

43 

30000, 

00 

HOSTEL 2000 

922, 20 

137, 

80 

773, 80 

286, 

20 

49000, 00 

23, 70 

0, 

43 

30000, 

00 

INDUSTRY HYDROGEN 

PLANT 

500 

2740, 00 

1152373, 

18 

230474, 

64 

172855, 

98 

577471, 

32 

BIOGAS PLANT 

1000 

14096, 

00 

14096, 00 

5297, 94 

17, 84 

12361, 

85 

FUEL 

CELLS 

300 

HEAT PUMPS 

100 

5000, 

00 

SERVICE OXYGEN 

BAR 

200 63, 00 

7, 

00 

49, 00 

3920, 00 

1, 64 

0, 

07 

577471, 

32 

KINDERGAR TEN 

500 

157, 50 

17, 

50 

52, 50 

122, 

50 

8750, 00 

4, 10 

0, 

17 

7500, 

00 

POST OFFICE 

500 

45, 00 

5, 

00 

15, 00 

35, 

00 

13300, 00 

4, 10 

0, 

17 

7500, 

00 

PUBLIC CAFÉTERIA 

1000 

270, 00 

30, 

00 

90, 00 

210, 

00 

19600, 00 

8, 21 

0, 

34 

15000, 

00 

FIRESTATIO N 

1000 

450, 00 

50, 

00 

150, 00 

350, 

00 

24500, 00 

8, 21 

0, 

34 

15000, 

00 

PUBLIC LIBRARY 

20000 

4680, 00 

520, 

00 

1560, 00 

3640, 

00 

740000, 00 

168, 69 

0, 

00 

100000, 

00 

OFFICES 10000 

900, 00 

100, 

00 

300, 00 

700, 

00 

303000, 00 

82, 

10 

3, 

37 

SUPERMAR KET 

5000 

765, 00 

85, 

00 

255, 00 

595, 

00 

500000, 00 

41, 

05 

1, 

69 

400000, 

00 

OUTDOOR ROOT 

ZONE 

JUNGLE 

2500 

32974, 

00 

7500, 

00 

40474, 

00 

PARKING 25000 

2740, 

00 

230474, 

64 

POOL 2000 

2000, 00 

1800, 00 

200, 

00 

186000, 

00 

166800, 

00 

389200, 

00 

SOLAR CELLS 

2180000, 

00 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

8 

0 

1 

7 

0 

, 

3 

6 

6 

1 

4 

3 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

0 

, 

0 

0 

0 

, 

0 

4 

7 

2 

0 

0 

, 

9 

8 

9 

6 

2 

0 

0 

6 

3 

2 

1 

E 

C 

N 

A 

L 

A 

B 

Y 

G 

R 

E 

N 

E 

L 

A 

T 

O 

T 

0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 

0,00€ 

 

NUMBER OF CARS SUPPLIED 115 TOTAL ENERGY BILL 

BLACK NUMBERS = PRODUCTION, RED NUMBERS = CONSUMPTION. 

COLOUR CODING FOR ENERGY TRANSACTIONS: HEAT, ELECTRICITY, OXYGEN, RAINWATER, DRINKING WATER, HYDROGEN, GREY WATER, BLACK WATER. 

* DATA USED FOR CALCULATIONS. ANNUAL NUMBERS. CONSUMPTION: ‘ELO'S NØGLETAL’ IS USED FOR CONSUMPTION PATTERNS OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS (ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION NUMBERS ARE REDUCED BY 30%, DUE TO NEWER AND MORE EFFICIENT INSTALLATIONS. FOR 

HEAT CONSUMPTION, 15 KWH/ M2 IS USED, THE CURRENT MINIMUM IN EXISTING ECO-PROJECTS. WATER: RAINFALL IS 700 MM, OF WHICH 85% IS COLLECTED. RAINWATER IS SUPPLYING 87% OF WATER NEEDS (EVERYTHING EXCEPT DRINKING AND COOKING). 1325 INHABITANTS 

PRODUCE 0,6 T MANURE/PERSON, GASSING 210 KWH/TON, TRANSFORMED IN A BIOGAS-DRIVEN GENERATOR TO 30% ELECTRICITY AND 70% HEAT. 2500 M2 ROOTZONE JUNGLE CLEANS THE WASTEWATER AND PRODUCES 3 T/M2 DESTILLED WATER BY EVAPORATION. ELECTRICITY: 

20.000 M2 OF SOLAR CELLS PRODUCE 109 KWH/M2. INCINERATION PLANT PRODUCES 3336 KWH PER TON OF GARBAGE, TRANSFORMED TO 40% ELECTRICITY, 40% HEAT AND 20% LOSS. GARBAGE PRODUCTION IS 0,59 T/PERSON, OF WHICH 85% IS BURNABLE, 12% IS RECYCLABLE AND 

3% IS ORGANIC. HYDROGEN: THE HYDROGEN PLANT PRODUCES 0,2 M3 OF COMPRESSED HYDROGEN, 0,1 M3 OF OXYGEN AND 0,15 KWH OF HEAT PER KWH. HYDROGEN CARS ARE ASSUMED TO DRIVE 5 KM PER M3 OF HYDROGEN AND 10000 KM/YEAR. 


SOURCES: WWW.DST.DK, STATISTISK ÅRBOG 2003, AFFALDSSTATISTIK DK 2002, ENERGI E2 A/S, ENERGILEDELSESORDNINGEN (ELO), ENERGISTYRELSEN, 'FRA TAGET TIL TOILETTET' (ERHVERVS- OG BOLIGSTYRELSEN), H2LOGIC, WWW.DANSKSOLENERGI.DK, JØRGEN LØGSTRUP 

(TRANSFORM - DANISH ROOTZONE)

21528 energy 8/9/04 12:43 PM Page 10 

METRO STATION 

DR PLADSEN 

ØRESTADS BOULEVARD 

AMAGER FÆLLEDVEJ 

GRØNJORDSVEJ 

SITE 

Allow shortcuts between all urban key positions 

WNW 

WSW 

NW 

SW 

Total irradiation in year, Stockholm 

NNW 

SSW 

N 

90? 

80? 

70? 

60? 

50? 

40? 

30? 

20? 

10? 

© Econergy bv, 2000 

W E 

? 

S 

NNE 

SSE 

? = maximum (1225 kWh/m²) at orientation = 1° tilt = 44° 

NE 

SE 

ENE 

ESE 

contour levels in % of 

maximum (5% interval) 

PEDDER LYKKESVEJ 

SOLAR ORIENTATION 

The building volumes should be optimized for sunexposure for maximizing 

active solar cell performance as well as passive solar heat gain. 

FACADE EXPOSURE 

The pyramids cast shadows on each other. 

TERRASSE CONFIGURATION 

Housing and terrasses on facades with no more than 2 hours of shadow per 

day. 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

BUILDING SITES 

Shortcuts subtracted from site 

N 

W E 

S 

N W S 

E N 

SOLAR OPTIMIZED FACADE ANGLES 

Each facade is angled according to orientation, defi ning a series of 

triangular pyramids. 

ACTIVE SOLAR PANEL CONFIGURATION 

Solarpanels on facades that always have sun. 

FACADE CONFIGURATION 

Yellow = solar panels, yellow+green = housing, grey = offi ce/public/ 

parking

21528 energy 8/9/04 9:19 AM Page 11

21528 energy 8/9/04 9:19 AM Page 11

21528 energy 8/8/04 9:27 AM Page 13

21528 energy 8/9/04 8:37 AM Page 14

21528 energy 8/9/04 8:38 AM Page 15

21528 energy 8/5/04 11:49 AM Page 16 

Margrethe bowls, Sigvard Bernadotte and 

Acton Bjørn, 1950.

21528 greeenland 8/10/04 9:08 AM Page 1 

What if 

Greenland 

was 

Africa’s 

water 

fountain? 

New Greenland 

Bruce Mau Design


Hans Enoksen, Premier of Greenland 

Greenland Home Rule 

Postboks 1015 

3900 Nuuk, Greenland 

Dear Hans Enoksen, 

To Greenland's Home Rule government and to your citizens we propose the New Greenland – 

a pragmatic utopia to bring you economic prosperity and political sovereignty. 

Today, most atlases of the world show your country as a ghostly white island, for 

which there's "no data." Greenland has been self-governing since 1979 but is still 

part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland's economy is dependent on exports of fish, 

but half the revenues come from Denmark. 

For a country that's mostly not on the map, you've been showing up in the media 

lately with dramatic images of the melting ice cap and frightening stories about the 

potential impact of rising sea levels. Bye-bye Manhattan. So long Bangladesh. We know 

it's not your fault. Greenlanders don't drive SUVs. Greenlanders have no roads. 

Now imagine the New Greenland. The first thing you do is stop the flood – 

yourselves. Grab the meltwater and put it to good use. You've already given license 

to companies whose ships are pulling up along side your fjords and taking your melt 

water directly into their tanks. Using icebergs that float down from Greenland, 

private companies are already making a profit on iceberg water, iceberg vodka and 

iceberg beer. If they can do it, you can too. Create national wealth by partnering 

with a company that has deep pockets, global marketing smarts, and the world's biggest 

distribution network. Next, transfer the wealth into profitable infrastructure, 

educational expenditures and sustainability. Norway did it with oil. Botswana did 

it with diamonds. 

But don't stop there. Today, 1.2 billion people don't have access to clean water. 

The entire continent of Africa supports 700 million people with 11% of the world's fresh 

water. Greenland has 20% of the world's fresh water and only 57,000 people. What if 

Greenland was Africa's water fountain? The technology exists for transporting water in 

bulk – in massive water bags. Aquarius has been doing it in the Greek Islands since 1997. 

Consider the New Greenland project. Take it to the Arctic Council for environmental 

assessment. Test it against the economic models in the Copenhagen Consensus. Consult 

the water experts at The Hague. Ask the United Nations if they'd like to meet their 

U.N. Millennium goal for water before 2015. Ask Greenlanders if they'd like to achieve 

three amazing ambitions: provide fresh water for those who need it, lessen the 

effects of global warming, and establish Greenland's transition towards economic and 

political sovereignty. 

Sincerely, 




In collaboration with Work Worth Doing 

cc. Marianne Lykke Thomsen, Arctic Council Senior Policy Advisor, Greenland 

cc. Mary Simon, Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs, Canada 



A 

1. Stop 

the 

Flood 

Greenland is melting as its ice cap retreats 

inland, driven by global warming. Tons of fresh 

water are pouring into the North Atlantic, 

displacing the dense salt water that drives ocean 

circulation. The fresher the ocean gets, the more 

threatened are the currents that keep Europe 

warm. Cascading moulins (A) create a wildly 

beautiful site for tourists but pose a slippery slope 

to climate upheavals and disaster. Is it mountain 

or molehill? For 400,000 years, temperature and 

CO2 levels in the Vostok ice core have cycled in 

synch. More recent readings show CO2 levels 

at their highest ever. Temperatures are likely 

heading the same way, which means more and 

more melt water. Stop the flood and make the 

melt water an economic enabler of Greenland’s 

independence. Stop the flood and turn it into 

a solution for water-stressed Africa.


B 

2. Turn 

Melt Water 

Into Money 

Others are making profits while Greenland melts. 

In 2003, Greenland’s Home Rule government 

issued the first license to collect and export its 

melt water to Aquapolaris, a private company. 

In Beverley Hills, bottles of iceberg water sell for 

$10 U.S. each. And in Newfoundland, icebergs 

are replacing fish as the basis of new business 

opportunities. Every spring, icebergs from 

Greenland parade south, past the coast of 

Newfoundland. The same people who used to 

fish now harvest icebergs from a floating barge, 

using a grapple crane to break off chunks of ice. 

The ice is crushed, melted and stored in tanks. 

The water is used for free by the Canadian Iceberg 

Vodka Corporation to produce Iceberg Vodka (B).

21528 greeenland 8/10/04 12:58 PM Page 5 

C 

D 

3. Expand 

the 

Economy 

Greenland’s economy is dependent, in equal 

measure, on financial support from the Danish 

Government and exports of fish (C). Mostly 

shrimp. But with billions of litres of water flowing 

into the sea, opportunity knocks (D). Harvest 

only 34% of Greenland’s icebergs to match the 

total worldwide bottled water production of 

89 billion litres a year. Convert that to bottles 

and get 178 billion bottles of water. Times that by 

2 euros = total sales of 356 billion euros. Divide 

that by the population of Greenland – 57,000 – 

and each citizen gets a cool 6.2 million euros per 

year. Try controlling just one percent of the bottled 

water market. That produces an additional per 

capita income of 62,000 euros.


E 

F 

4. Become 

a New 

Greenland 

The flag of Greenland is white and red (E). 

White symbolizes the ice and snow, red the sun. 

The proposed New Greenland flag (F) symbolizes 

water, the new source of wealth and the economic 

enabler of political independence. There are places 

in the world where citizens are benefiting from their 

country’s natural resources. Look to nearby Norway, 

where the government controls the petroleum 

resources, enabling its citizens to enjoy the world’s 

highest quality of life. Consider faraway Botswana, 

where the government is transferring much 

of the wealth created by rich diamond deposits 

into profitable infrastructure and educational 

expenditures. Bottling water presents Greenland 

with a strategy to become a wealthy new nation.


G 

H 

5. Distribute 

the 

Wealth 

# of people 

% of world’s 

fresh water 

The world is divided into water rich and water poor. 

With 20% of the world’s fresh water (G) and only 

57,000 citizens, Greenland is one of the water 

richest. With 11% of the world’s fresh water and 

700,000,000 people, Africa (H) is the water 

poorest. Show the world responsible stewardship 

of water wealth. Every year 189.3 billion litres 

of melt water flow into the sea. Harvest the melt 

water. Send it to Africa.


I 

6. Develop 

the Big 

Ideas 

Using the ocean to transport bulk water is an 

industry in its infancy, but evidence of experiments 

and new technologies abound. 

The Medusa Bag (I) is a giant bag designed in 

1988 by James Cran of Calgary, Alberta to meet 

the anticipated requirement for large scale water 

imports to California as well as to Israel, Jordan 

and Palestine. It can carry 100,000 m3 of bulk 

water. The Norwegian Shipping Company used 

a similar bag to transport water in Scandinavia.


J 

Over 1 billion people lack access 

Over 1 billion people lack access 

to clean drinking water 

to clean drinking water 

= 1,600 billion litres 

= 1,600 billion litres 

Greenland’s meltwater 

Greenland’s meltwater 

= 189.3 billion litres of water, 

= 189.3 billion litres of water, 

or 12% of the water deficit worldwide. 

or 12% of the water deficit worldwide. 

If Greenland provided their meltwater 

If Greenland provided their meltwater 

to Africa, they could assist more than 

to Africa, they could assist more than 

129 million people 

129 million people 

= 18.5% of the population of Africa, 

= 18.5% of the population of Africa, 

or 

or 

the equivalent of the combined 

the equivalent of the combined 

populations of Guinea, Sierra Leone, 

populations of Guinea, Sierra Leone, 

Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, 

Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, 

Benin, Cameroon, and 1/2 of Nigeria. 

Benin, Cameroon, and 1/2 of Nigeria. 

Each person would receive 4 litres 

Each person would receive 4 litres 

of water per day per year. 

of water per day per year. 

To ship Greenland’s meltwater 

To ship Greenland’s meltwater 

would require a total of 1,893 Medusa 

would require a total of 1,893 Medusa 

bags per year, 

bags per year, 

or 

or 

the equivalent of sending 

the equivalent of sending 

5 bags per day. 

5 bags per day. 

GREENLAND 

IS MELTING 

1 Medusa bag 

= 100,000 m 3 of water 

7. Relieve 

the Water 

Stress 

Millions are dying every year in Africa from water 

related diseases. Desalination is relieving extreme 

water scarcity in the north but is too expensive 

and energy intensive for most of the continent. 

Just above the equator, on the west coast of Africa, 

Porto Novo is a gateway to nine African countries: 

Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, 

Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon. The New 

Greenland Bag Water Plan (J) envisions a train 

of five Medusa bags embarking daily to deliver 

189.3 billion litres of water per year. That would 

mean four litres of water per day, every day of the 

year, for 129 million people. This plan relieves the 

water stress and moves the U.N. closer to meeting 

its Millennium Development Goal for water. 

5 Medusa bags/day 

AFRICA 

IS THIRSTY 

Togo 

1/2 Nigeria 

Benin 

Guinea 

Sierra Leone 

Côte 

d’Ivoire 

Liberia 

Ghana 

Porto 

Novo 

Cameroon


K 

L 

M 

8. Piggyback 

Transport water with local know-how and existing 

distribution methods. Piggyback on common forms 

of transportation and humanitarian efforts such 

as the Peace Corps (K) to build infrastructure. 

Carry the water where it’s needed with human 

motivation plus the latest liberating inventions, 

such as the hand-held relative of the steamroller, 

the Hippo Roller (L). Hitch a ride with Coca-Cola, 

the biggest distribution network on the African 

continent (M) – it’s a powerful and pragmatic 

possibility.


Niels Tanderup Kristensen 

Head of Section, 

Greenland Home Rule 

Government, 

Department of Foreign Affairs 

Commented on the politics 

of Greenland, the marketable 

quality of their 12,000 yearold 

water and their interest 

in playing a role in a 

humanitarian effort 

Grant Gibbs 

The Hippo Water Roller 

Project, www.hipporoller.org 

South Africa 

Described how the hippo roller 

is transforming the daily task 

of transporting water in African 

villages 

Dr. Rafael Gomez 

Professor of Economics, 

London School of Economics, 

His graduate students worked 

on a project about bottling 

water from Greenland 

9. Weigh In 

With 

Experts 

Warned of “fiercely 

competitive” bottled water 

market and possible future 

water wars. Pointed to 

different economic scenarios 

in which one country’s citizens 

benefit from the sale of natural 

resources and another country’s 

citizens are left in poverty as 

their politicians cream the 

wealth 

Freeman Dyson 

Futurist, physicist, expert in 

quantum electrodynamics, 

Author of Disturbing the 

Universe, Infinite in All 

Directions, and Imagined 

World 

Said that using satellites to 

stop Greenland from melting 

is stupid and impractical; 

suggested we talk to 

economists not astronomers 

Adnan Z. Amin 

Director, New York Office, 

United Nations Environment 

Program 

Predicted that funding would 

have to come from the private 

sector not the public sector 

Draw on the ideas and knowledge of many. Gather 

expertise in the field and around the globe. Test ideas 

and feasibility with leading organizations and think 

tanks. Measure the economic, environmental and 

social impact. Reach consensus among world 

thinkers and local stakeholders. Margaret Mead, 

anthropologist, states “Never doubt that a small 

group of dedicated individuals can change the 

world … Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” 

Ms. H. L. MacLean 

Associate Professor, 

Environmental engineering, 

economics and public policy, 

Department of Civil 

Engineering, 

University of Toronto 

Suggested we look at the 

project from a Life Cycle 

Assessment perspective 

Tania Del Matto 

Canadian Centre for 

Pollution Prevention, 

Windsor, Ontario 

Recommended an 

environmental assessment and 

asked how we planned 

to help Africa become water 

self-sufficient over the 

long term 

Bernard W. Funston 

Executive Secretary, 

Arctic Council Sustainable 

Development Working Group, 

Secretariat, 

Ottawa, Canada 

Asked if Denmark and 

Greenland planned to bring 

this proposal forward in the 

Arctic Council 

David Fairman 

(Harvard professor) 

Vice President, 

The Consensus Building 

Institute Inc., 

Cambridge, Massachusetts 

Advised on successful methods 

for joint fact-finding and the 

use of technical experts in big 

water projects with multiple 

stakeholders 

Bryan Karney 

Professor, 


Engineering, 

Pumps, pipelines and 

hydraulics, 


Proposed three big issues that 

will need careful consideration: 

energy requirements, volume 

of water and value of water 

Baher Abdulhai 

Associate Professor, 

Director ITS Centre, 


Engineering, 

Intelligent transportation 

systems, 


Encouraged the big thinking; 

cautioned that the milliondollar 

question is: feasibility? 

James Cran 

Inventor: Medusa Bag 

Said that transporting water 

is economically feasible when 

done on a massive scale; the 

optimum size is a 2 million ton 

bag. Described the features 

of the Medusa Bag and his 

proposition for delivering water 

to the Gaza Strip.



A collaboration of the Danish Architecture 

Centre, Harbourfront Centre and the Power 

Plant, as part of SUPERDANISH: Newfangled 

Danish Culture. Curated by Bruce Mau 

Design, in collaboration with Plot. With 

the participation of Kontrapunkt, Nord, SRL 

Arkitekter, Arkitema and Plot. Commissioned 

by the Danish Architecture Centre. 

DAC | DANISH ARCHITECTURE 

CENTRE 

The Danish Architecture Centre, 

located in the heart of Copenhagen, is 

the most important centre for the exhibition 

and development of architecture in Denmark. 

It hosts exhibitions and trade activities 

focussed on both Danish and international 

architecture, with the goal of helping the 

Danish architecture and construction 

industries to grow. However, the exhibitions 

are produced for and open to not just the 

trade but also the general public. The Danish 

Architecture Centre is known for exhibition 

concepts that create debate. 

Recent ones include The New World Trade 

Centre, which was the first showing outside 

New York of Daniel Libeskind’s project for the 

new World Trade Center; Architecture without 

Boundaries, which showed the work of Daniel 

Libeskind, Jean Nouvel, Zaha Hadid, and Sir 

Norman Foster, who are the first international 

architects to work in Denmark for more than 

250 years; Futures2Come, about the use 

of 3D real time in construction designs; 

and Kids in Space, an exhibition that gave 

thousands of children the opportunity to 

play and explore architecture physically as 

well as virtually. 

The Danish Architecture Centre also works 

internationally to market, develop and 

re-brand Danish Architecture. Through the 

cooperation with international architects 

and designers, exhibitions and concepts 

are developed that place Danish architecture 

on the international scene. 

The Danish Architecture Centre is subsidised 

by the Danish government, the Danish 

business sector, and the Danish construction 

and architecture industries. (www.dac.dk) 

HARBOURFRONT CENTRE 

Harbourfront Centre is Canada’s leading 

multi-disciplinary cultural centre. Artistic 

programming spans the spectrum from the 

experimental to the traditional, from popular 

culture to the leading-edge contemporary 

work. Harbourfront Centre’s goal is to enliven, 

entertain and educate the public by delivering 

cultural, educational and recreational 

programmes year-round. Harbourfront Centre 

comprises five theatres, two art galleries and 

several exhibition spaces, an outdoor concert 

venue and a craft studio. 

Harbourfront Centre presents SUPERDANISH: 

Newfangled Danish Culture – a provocative 

exploration of current, creative Danish 

culture, running from September 28 to 

December 2004 and featuring more then 

200 artists participating in over 130 events. 

SUPERDANISH offers premier performances, 

screenings, exhibitions, readings, lectures, 

symposiums and concerts exploring culture 

in all its aspects, including visual art, 

architecture, craft, design, music, opera, 

literature, theatre and dance, film, food, 

and public culture. Events take place at 

Harbourfront Centre and at participating 

galleries and partner organizations throughout 

Toronto. (www.harbourfrontcentre.com/ 

superdanish) 

THE POWER PLANT 

The Power Plant is Canada’s leading public 

gallery devoted exclusively to the art of our 

time. A prominent, non-collecting exhibition 

facility located in Toronto, it features new 

works by today’s best artists and is on par 

with a handful of the finest international 

institutions in the field. The Power Plant is 

an integral part of Harbourfront Centre and 

a locus for a wide variety of activities and 

resources related to contemporary art. 

Since 1987, The Power Plant has won 

international attention and praise for 

consistently presenting the highest level 

of contemporary art activity. Their exhibitions 

celebrate the diverse tendencies of visual 

art practice, including painting, sculpture, 

photography, film, video, installations 

and other media. Their publications are 

found in libraries and bookstores around 

the world, while their lectures and other 

public programmes present the most 

respected local and international authorities 

in the field. (www.thepowerplant.org)


The exhibition Too Perfect: Seven New 

Denmarks is shown in three different locations 

in the world at the same time – the 

Danish Architecture Centre in Copenhagen, 

where it forms the first part of an exhibition 

trilogy entitled DAC RE-THINK; the 9th 

International Architecture Biennale in Venice, 

where it is Denmark’s official contribution, 

and Harbourfront Centre in Toronto as part 

of the festival SUPERDANISH. 

COPENHAGEN 

Danish Architecture Centre 

Modelværkstedet by Morten Gehl, fabricator, 

construction of exhibition models 

MAJ Byg by Søren Hansen, fabricator, 

construction of exhibition walls and panels 

Kristina Adsersen, architect/design manager, 

research, design and sourcing of Hall 

of Fame objects and exhibition design 

Susanne Pauline Svendsen, architect, 

research and quotes for Hall of Fame 

Peter Kleist, technical manager, overall 

set-up at DAC 

Johan Galster, marketing and brand manager 

and responsible for contact with our many 

sponsors 

Sussi Heimburger, PR, our contact with the 

Danish press 

Fie Sahl, graphic designer, local work for 

the DAC exhibition 

Malene Mærsk Lippmann, project manager, 

overall coordination of all 3 exhibitions – 

DAC, Venice, Toronto 

Kent Martinussen, director, boss and 

idea manager 

PLOT 

Bjarke Ingels, Julien De Smedt 

with Dan Stubbergaard 

and 

Mads Birgens 

Louise Breiner 

Uffe Bruhl 

Teis Draiby 

Andreas Pedersen 

Ole Schroder 

Nina Ter-Borch 

VENICE 

M+B studio 

Troels Bruun, Executive Architect 

Daniela Murgia, Translation/Coordination 

Filippo Lovato, Assistant Architect 

Mariagiovanna Nuzzi, Assistant Architect 

TORONTO 

Harbourfront Centre 

William Boyle, Executive Producer, 

SUPERDANISH and CEO, Harbourfront Centre 

Tina Rasmussen, Artistic Producer, 

SUPERDANISH 

Allison Bottomley, Associate Producer, 

SUPERDANISH 

Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery 

Wayne Baerwaldt, Director 

Anette Larsson, Assistant Director 

Reid Shier, Curator 

Paul Zingrone, Head of Installations 

Christy Thompson, Exhibition Coordinator 

Julie Faris, Anitra Hamilton, Brad Johnson, 

Garth Johnson, Doug Moore, Mark Phillips, 

Hamish Pelletier, Craig Whiteside, 

Installation Crew 

Xandra Eden, Assistant Curator 

Terence Dick, Head of Public Programmes 


Too Perfect: Seven New Denmarks 

curated and designed by 

Bruce Mau 

with Amanda Ramos 

and 

Mike Bartosik 

Angelica Fox 

Barr Gilmore 

Tobias Lau 

Kyo Maclear 

Laurel Macmillan 

Catherine Rix 

Jim Shedden 

Leonard Wyma 

Exhibition fabrication: Display Arts of Toronto 

Exhibition graphics: Icon 

Catalogue printing: C.J. Graphics 

Back cover photo: Maris Mezulis


Project Team 

Arkitema K/S is one of Denmark’s largest 

architectural firms, representing more than 

30 years of experience in planning, architecture 

and design, supervision and inspection 

as well as construction project management 

and landscape architectural consultancy. 

Arkitema’s motto is “architecture on human 

foundations,” a focus that has remained 

at the core of the company through its rapid 

expansion over the past decade. In recent 

years, Arkitema has won about 120 large 

competitions, both public and closed, in 

Denmark and as far afield as China. Most 

of these projects have been built. Arkitema 

has a tradition of engaging in research and 

development projects. The company is 

currently working on number of residences 

where the goal is to rationalize and enhance 

the efficiency of construction through 

sustained collaboration. (www.arkitema.dk) 

Pragmatic Utopia: House Express 

Project team: Mette Rødtnes, Jørn Kiesslinger, 

Dorthe Kreis, Ola Jonsson, Per Feldthaus 

Kontrapunkt is a Copenhagen-based brand 

consultancy specializing in strategy, design 

and innovation and providing advice on the 

creation of identities to large corporations, 

multi-nationals, and several nations. 

Kontrapunkt has won more design prizes than 

any other design firm in the Nordic region. 

They are an established firm that has recently 

taken on new, young partners, one of whom, 

Rasmus Bech Hansen, is working on Too 

Perfect. They have repositioned the firm to 

do work based on the idea that “design is 

not solely about style, software or technology, 

it is about fulfilling human needs in new and 

better ways.” Kontrapunkt considers this 

approach to be rooted in the Scandinavian 

design tradition, “which, in every way, is 

about humanistic values.” Kontrapunkt has 

worked with clients as diverse as Adidas, 

Lego and the European Commission. 

(www.kontrapunkt.dk) 

Pragmatic Utopia: Child Inc. 

Project team: Rasmus Bech Hansen, 

Christian Leifelt, Rikke Storm, Maria Aakjær 

NORD (Northern Office for Research and 

Design) was founded by four young architects 

who joined forces and situated themselves 

in Copenhagen, Denmark to combine their 

experiences from international studies, 

employments and teaching. Convinced 

that the world does not need yet another 

traditional architectural firm, NORD believes 

that in order to trigger real change within the 

society, you have to design and operate within 

various cross-disciplinary domains. Their 

practice focuses on process design within 

urban areas and the rural landscape. In their 

view architecture and design has the capacity 

to be the negotiater between individuals, 

organizations and institutions. They are 

particularly interested in projects that 

investigate alternative means of material 

organization, planning strategies and landscape 

design. They are engaged in a number 

of participatory planning projects, including a 

branding/identity strategy for social housing, 

cultural planning of new urban developments 

in Copenhagen, scenarios for a post-industrial 

site and an open-source design involving the 

inhabitants of 425 dwellings. 

(www.nord-web.dk) 

Pragmatic Utopia: Pharmland 

Project team: Morten Rask Gregersen, 

Johannes Pedersen, Anne Katrine 

Hornemann and Lars Serup, in collaboration 

with 2+1 

SRL Arkitekter was established in 1991 after 

being awarded first prize in the competition 

for the new Museum of Modern Art in 

Copenhagen. In the years since, the studio 

has participated in competitions and has 

been awarded several prizes for their projects, 

both national and well as international. The 

concept that physical space can be formed 

into something other than a purely functional 

framework is one of the studio’s most important 

development goals, especially when 

participating in new business networks. Since 

1997, SRL’s principal, Søren Robert Lund, 

has been affiliated with Copenhagen’s famous 

amusement park, Tivoli, as Head of Design 

and Development. In that role, he has been 

responsible for a large-scale invention program 

in the park and is currently renovating Tivoli 

Concert Hall and developing a new Tivoli 

Hotel. SRL Architects, in collaboration with 

CEBRA, is also at the moment designing 

two 8,000m2 schools, which are both under 

construction. (www.srlarkitekter.dk) 

Pragmatic Utopia: Endless Coastline 

Project team: Søren Robert Lund, Naja 

Hoffmeyer, Line Birkebæk Holst, Nicolai 

Haagensen, Sine Martini, Michael Droob 

PLOT was founded in Copenhagen in 2001 

by two young architects, Julien De Smedt and 

Bjarke Ingels. PLOT’s practice is focused 

on turning intense research and analysis 

of practical as well as theoretical issues 

into the driving forces of design. The office’s 

name encapsulates its design philosophy: 

“A narrative is a series of events that are tied 

together in a PLOT…. The PLOT makes architecture 

more than a random accumulation 

of toilets and bedrooms.” In the citation for 

a recent award, architect Eric Messerschmidt 

praised PLOT by saying that “their work is a 

brilliant example of how you can, by turning 

the architect’s method and attitude upside 

down, set yourself free from known solutions 

and rethink architecture.” They have recently 

completed a youth club of 1,600m2 and are 

undertaking the construction of a 25,000m2 housing block, a 6,000m2 psychiatric 

hospital, and are developing several urban, 

residential, commercial and cultural projects. 

(www.plot.dk) 

Pragmatic Utopias: Superharbour, HySociety Project team: Bjarke Ingels, Julien De Smedt, 

with Dan Stubbergaard, Andreas Pedersen, 

Mads Birgens, Ole Schroder, Uffe Bruhl, 

Louise Breiner, Teis Draiby, Nina Ter-Borch 

Bruce Mau Design Inc. (BMD) was founded 

in Toronto in 1985. Since then the studio has 

gained international recognition for innovative, 

interdisciplinary work. For BMD, design is 

a means, not an end. The studio considers 

the evolutionary design process itself to be 

a fundamental part of the outcome and the 

solution. 

The studio has a distinct make-up in that its 

designers and members come from diverse 

educational and professional backgrounds 

and various industries. The studio provides 

both expertise and innovation in a wide 

range of projects: identity and branding, 

research and conceptual programming, 

print design and production, environmental 

signage and way-finding systems, and 

exhibition and product design. 

The studio’s emphasis on content-driven 

work, coupled with Bruce Mau’s insistence 

that everything is design-related, has encouraged 

it to cross numerous disciplinary boundaries. 

The Institute Without Boundaries, BMD’s 

most radical undertaking, is a studio-based 

lab formed out of the belief that the future will 

demand a new breed of designer, a generalist 

with the capacity to articulate possibilities. 

The IWB’s first undertaking is Massive Change, 

a multi-year, discursive project on the future 

of global design. Massive Change will embody 

a traveling exhibition commissioned by the 

Vancouver Art Gallery, a book published by 

Phaidon Press, web-based projects, public 

events, and products. (www.bruce 

maudesign.com) 

Pragmatic Utopia: New Greenland 

Project team: Bruce Mau, Amanda Ramos, 

Angelica Fox, with Kyo Maclear and Work 

Worth Doing (Lorraine Gauthier and Alex 

Quinto), Leonard Wyma


“Re-invent yourself” 

– Madonna


www.tooperfect.dk

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