FOCUS Denmark

Vol. 4 2006

Colophon

Title:
FOCUS Denmark

Subtitle:
Vol. 4 2006

Publisher:
Trade Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Responsible institution:
Trade Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Author:
Trade Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Other contributors:
English Editor: Nigel Mander; Photography: Sisse Jarner; Design: Niels Bøving; Advertising: DG Media; Print: SaloGruppen ; Editorial text: Jacob Benthien

Language:
English

URL:
http://www.netpublikationer.dk/um/7610/index.htm

ISSN:
1601-9776

Version/edition:
19-12-2006

Data formats:
html,htm,jpg,gif,pdf,css,js

Publisher category:
statslig

Table Of Contents

DENMARK IS NO.1

DANISH ECONOMY FLOURISHING

IN BRIEF...

ARCHITECTURE IS AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY, BUT ALSO… DEMOCRACY

THE DIAMOND IN DANISH ARCHITECTURE

SIMPLE, CLEAR AND UNPRETENTIOUS

NEW LIFE FOR HARBOUR AREA IN CROATIA

DENMARK AND CHINA

VISIONARY ARCHITECTURE AT ORDINARY PRICES

FASHIONABLE RESIDENCES ON THE WATERFRONT

CUSTOMIZED PREFABRICATION

FACADE RENDERING IN NATURAL COLOURS

A CLEAR VIEW OF THE HEAVENS

FIRED CLAY

ARTIFICIAL VOLCANO SAVES BILLIONS

FACTORY AS ARCHITECTURAL PEARL

DANISH MOLES

PAINT IS MORE THAN JUST COLOUR

DANISH UNIVERSITIES TO BE MERGED

CONCENTRATED KNOWLEDGE

COMPANY PROFILES

DENMARK IS NO.1

THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT:

BUSINESS CLIMATE: It’s not a question of taxes or wage levels –it’s a question of quality of society; of flexibility and creating value for business. Denmark scores high on education, infrastructure and a sophisticated financial sector.

What makes Denmark the best place in the world to invest and conduct business? It is not size; Denmark is small. It is not wage levels; Danes earn high salaries. It is not language; Danish is incomprehensible. But, paradoxically, it might be all these things put together that have forced the Danes to create a society and economy, which are uniquely efficient, flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, creating huge value for business and society. In short, Denmark seems to have found a working solution to compete in a globalised economy.

Hire & Fire

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit ranking in Global Outlook (May 2006) Denmark will have the best business environment in the world in the period 2006-2010. This is no spurious result, since Den-mark obtained the same position last year, when the 2005 EIU ranking placed Den-mark top of the world for the period 2005-2009 – and the margin is widening.

According to the EIU study Denmark stands out for the successful balance that it has struck between the state and market. Product markets operate efficiently and labour markets are flexible (with low non-wage labour costs and few restrictions on hiring and firing). Denmark’s top rank appears to belie the claim that globalisation is forcing countries to engage in a “race to the bottom” by slashing taxes. Companies’ investment decisions are motivated by more than tax differentials. Furthermore, Denmark compensates for its high tax burden with the quality of its public goods, notably infrastructure and higher education.

Stability

Denmark scores well across the whole range of categories in the business environment (10 in all) covered by the EIU. Among the most prominent are the political and institutional environment, macroeconomic stability, policy towards private enterprise, foreign investment policy, financing and infrastructure, and a labour market characterized by a highly educated and flexible workforce. In addition the financial system is transparent and diversified, with a strong banking sector. The transport network is among the best in the world, with further improvements expected, especially in and around Copenhagen. The construction of bridges linking the island of Sealand with Germany via Jutland, and Co-penhagen with Malmö in Sweden, has made Denmark a hub for businesses shipping products to other Nordic countries and to Central and Eastern Europe.

The “Danish model”

Denmark’s highly developed infrastructure and institutions, skilled labour force, political and economic stability and sophisticated financial sector are features shared by other developed EU states. However, Denmark stands out in that its business-friendly governments have strongly encouraged private enterprise and competition. Furthermore, Denmark followed the earlier experience of the Anglo-Saxon countries in implementing a host of structural reforms that have liberalised its labour market and made it highly flexible. The country has had a carefully managed fiscal policy which targets budget surpluses while at the same time ensuring high levels of public services. Contrary to the trend in some countries, Denmark has refused to compromise its social welfare system in order to compete on low taxes. It is significant that the country has achieved a high degree of competitiveness and a favourable investment climate without resorting to radical public spending and tax cuts.

Global leader

Denmark is also a global leader in the development of information and communications technology infrastructure. In a recent study by IBM and the Economist Intelligence Unit of Web-savvy nations Denmark remained No.1 in taking advantage of the Internet, both connecting citizens securely over broadband and wireless networks as well as using its near ubiquitous hook-ups for Internet banking and government services such as tax returns. “E-procurement (for public services) is saving Danish businesses EUR 50 million (USD 62.1 million) and taxpayers as much as EUR 150 million per year. The rest of Europe is expected to follow Denmark’s lead,” the study said.

Steve Balmer of Microsoft is among the international businessmen who have long been aware of Danish opportunities: “My ambition is to make the whole world Danish,” the Microsoft CEO said in a keynote speech at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto. “If we were just as successful in other countries as we are in Denmark, the Microsoft Business Solutions (unit) would be a factor of 10 bigger in terms of revenue.”

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DANISH ECONOMY FLOURISHING

By Steen Bocian, Chief Analyst, Danske Bank

ECONOMY: As we come to the end of 2006, it seems only natural to cast a glance back at the year that was and look forward to the year ahead. 2006 was the third year of the economic upswing which started for real in the Danish economy at the beginning of 2004. Growth in 2006 was in excess of 3.5%, which enabled the already low level of unemployment at the start of the year to fall further. Looking ahead to 2007, there is everything to suggest that the upswing will continue – but the upswing is not bullet-proof. We therefore expect it to draw to a close towards the end of 2007, leaving us with a slightly more subdued economic climate in 2008.

Broad-based economic upswing

Looking more closely at economic developments in 2006, it was not just a year of strong growth. This growth was also unusually broad-based. Consumer spending continued to rise thanks to good job growth and soaring house prices. Business investment also played a part. Persistently low interest rates, coupled with high capacity utilisation and a still favourable growth outlook, prompted a surge in investment activity in the business sector, further boosting growth. Danish exports also surprised on the upside. This meant that the upswing was fuelled by all parts of the economy – and the benefits were plain to see.

Unemployment keeps on tumbling

This strong economic growth enabled the slide in unemployment which started at the beginning of 2004 to continue, and unemployment is approaching just 4.0% of the workforce at the end of 2006. This is the lowest level since the early 1970s and a decrease of 2.5 percentage points in just three years. Low unemployment is good news, of course, but it does bring a number of challenges in terms of the future of the upswing. More and more businesses are reporting a shortage of labour – and this problem is set to escalate if the upswing continues. So far the historically tight labour market has not had any major impact on wage formation. Wage growth has risen only marginally – in the third quarter wages were 3.2% up on a year earlier, which is still a very modest rate of growth. 2007 will bring the renegotiation of pay settlements across large parts of the Danish labour market. The big settlements do not play the same role as they did 15-20 years ago, but they still send out strong signals. It will therefore be interesting to see how great an impact the tight labour market has on the negotiations and, consequently, wage formation.

Strong wage growth could, in fact, be the factor which ultimately derails the Danish upswing, and indeed this is what we expect to happen. However, this will not be a sudden affair. Slightly higher wage growth will eat into economic growth only gradually, and so the labour market does not pose any immediate threat to the economic upswing in 2007. But when we look ahead to 2008 and 2009, we expect this to be one of the reasons why the upswing slowly but surely peters out.

Favourable current account and fiscal balances

If the upswing does simply peter out, the shape of the current upswing will be very different to that typically seen in the Danish economy. Normally economic upswings have put pressure on the current account, forcing the politicians to react by tightening fiscal policy, but this has not been the case this time around. The current account is expected to show a surplus of 2.1% of GDP in 2006. While this is slightly lower than in 2005, we are not talking about any real pressure on the current account. The continued healthy surplus is the result of 20 years of reformist economic policy – together with an element of luck in the form of North Sea oil revenue and healthy earnings at Danish shipping companies.

The absence of current account problems has allowed the upswing to be longer-lived than previous ones, and for once the end of the upswing will not be driven by fiscal policy tightening. This time around, the upswing is set to draw to a close on the economy’s own terms, which gives grounds for optimism about it being a soft landing.

If we were to highlight just one risk factor in the economy which could trigger a more abrupt economic reaction, it would be the housing market. As in many other Western countries, house prices have risen rapidly in Denmark over the last decade. There is now much to suggest that the market is about to turn – the time it takes to sell a home is growing fast, and the number of homes up for sale is higher than for a long time. Whether this heralds the onset of a soft or hard landing in the housing market is still too early to say with any certainty, but if it is a hard landing, the economic repercussions will be considerable.

For the time being, we remain optimistic. As long as interest rates do not rise sharply, we believe that the housing market will make a soft landing. The upswing will therefore be able to continue for a while yet before the tight domestic capacity situation slowly takes the wind out of the economy’s sails, leading to subdued growth and slowly rising unemployment –but not until 2008. 

 
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IN BRIEF...

Danish bank is world’s best FX market place

More than 4,000 professional investors from around the globe have judged Den-mark’s Saxo Bank, a leading internet bank, the world’s best foreign exchange market place. The result was part of FX Week magazine’s Best Bank Awards 2006. Last year, Saxo Bank was ranked 9th but this year surged to the top, passing giants like UBS, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and HSBC.

Eric Michelsen, director of Saxo Bank says: “The most important thing to us is that we were chosen by the investors. It is the market itself which decides their choice. But we are also proud that even though we were up against the heavyweights which have dominated the industry for so long, we were still judged the best.” Saxo Bank is headquartered in Den-mark, with operating offices in London and Singapore and an IT development centre in St. Petersburg, Russia. The bank employs more than 675 people from 40 countries to service its clients around the world.

Investments by Danish businesses hit new record

A new survey by Danske Bank reveals that Danish businesses are investing like never before. This year, an unprecedented DKK 177 bn (USD 30 bn) will be spent on new machinery, equipment and IT. This corresponds to investing DKK 88,000 (USD 14,960) in each of the country’s approx. 2 million private sector workplaces. The respective investment totals for 2004 and 2005 were DKK 138 bn (USD 23.5 bn) and DKK 155 bn (USD 26.4 bn).

According to Peter Birch Sørensen, professor of economics at Copenhagen University, the sizeable increase in investment will allay future risks of the economy becoming overheated: “It exerts a doubly positive effect, since companies will be able to collectively produce more with the same total workforce.”

Norman Foster designs hotel for Tivoli

Following a three way competition, legendary amusement park Tivoli in Copenhagen, has chosen a design by world-renowned Sir Norman Foster for a new hotel and apartment complex to be built on a corner site of Tivoli’s ground adjacent to the City Hall Square in the centre of Copenhagen.

Foster + Partner’s eye-catching design respects the existing skyline of predominantly single spire buildings, its sole 102 metre high tower being 3 metres shorter than the nearby City Hall spire. The complex will include a 150 bedroom luxury hotel and 50 exclusive apartments for private ownership. Tivoli is currently negotiating with the Four Seasons chain to run the new hotel in the complex, which is expected to be completed by 2010.

Unemployment hits all-time low

Unemployment in Denmark has never been lower than in September 2006. In that month a mere 117,100 people were registered with the unemployment funds, the first time the figure has been below 120,000 in recent memory.

The flipside of the coin, according to economists, is the risk of the economy overheating. Bottlenecks have also started appearing when new jobs need to be filled, which has led to increasing use of labour from Sweden, Poland and Germany.

The Nordic region’s largest bank

Danske Bank has become the Nordic region’s largest bank after acquiring Finland’s Sampo Bank. Danske Bank put EUR 4 bn on the table for the Finnish bank, which has a 15% market share in Finland and large branches in the three Baltic states. Danske Bank has already acquired banks in Norway, Sweden, Northern Ireland and Ire-land. With the acquisition of Sampo Bank, Danske Bank has a total balance of DKK 2,704 bn, corresponding to EUR 363 bn.

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ARCHITECTURE IS AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY, BUT ALSO… DEMOCRACY

ARCHITECTURE: In recent years, Danish architecture has become an international brand. In one competition after another, Danish architects are taking 1st or 2nd prizes and always with spectacular solutions which make a lasting impression in cities all over the world.

Until a few years ago, the great names like Jørn Utzon, Arne Jacobsen, Johan von Spreckelsen and Henning Larsen represented Danish architecture, but in recent years a new generation of Danish architects has emerged. They all capture the unmistakable Danish expression of elegance, lightness, pure lines and aesthetic enjoyment. At the same time, every project displays built-in functionality and care. Their architecture is not only outstanding, but also user-friendly and considerate towards both the general environment and the local surroundings in which the buildings are placed.

According to Bjarne Hammer of architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen, the success of Danish architects abroad is due both to the shared basis of architectural training and the egalitarian culture which has characterised Denmark for decades.

Architect Tom Danielsen, C.F.Møller

Decoding context

“We have all learnt to think in totalities,” he says. “To draw something beautiful is actually the smallest part. Our approach to an assignment is first and foremost to decode the context it forms part of – what the surroundings are, what kind of people will use the building, the history behind it, and the functional environment. There are many specific questions to ask before the building project starts to take shape.”

Architect Tom Danielsen of another large Danish practice, C.F.Møller, has the same view.

Sought after welfare

“One of our specialities is hospitals, which are highly complex assignments,” says Tom Danielsen. “Our approach is holistic. We view a hospital as a totality, where patients’ interests must be ensured while at the same time providing a good workplace for the staff. The overall principle is to put the patient at the centre. The reason why we have such success designing hospitals and health centres abroad, is essentially because the Danish welfare system is sought after abroad. Not just a hospital in terms of buildings, but also a model for patient care.” Regarding healthcare planning, C.F.Møller does not see itself as solely an architectural firm, but also as a planning tool for contractors, with economists, engineers and political scientists who are just as indispensable as the architects in the initial planning processes.

Architect of Schmidt Hammer Lassen, Bjarne Hammer

“Besides possessing a difficult-to-define sense of aesthetics, Danish architects have a perception of wholeness which is vital,” says Bjarne Hammer. “Above all, we respect the individual and have a democratic approach to our work. When those values are incorporated into a beautiful design, the foundation is laid for sublime architecture.”

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THE DIAMOND IN DANISH ARCHITECTURE

SCHMIDT HAMMER LASSEN:

First the Royal Library in Copenhagen, now Aberdeen’s new university library. The architects of Schmidt Hammer Lassen are showing their talents abroad

In Copenhagen, the building is known simply as the Diamond. It is located by the harbour, where light reflected from the water sparkles on the black stones – just like a black diamond. It is the extension to Denmark’s Royal Library. Designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, the Diamond has attracted attention as a piece of Danish architecture of international class. ´

The building was the big breakthrough. Today Schmidt Hammer Lassen is one of Denmark’s most well-known and prosperous architectural firms with a wealth of assignments at home and abroad. The Aros art gallery in Århus, a new cathedral in Alta, Norway and a number of libraries in Sweden are among the most remarkable buildings of recent years. Not to mention a comprehensive set of residential buildings in several Chinese cities.

Perfect architectural match

“Today half our revenues are generated abroad, with Great Britain as one of the most interesting and challenging countries to work in,” says creative director and partner Bjarne Hammer. “When it comes to contemporary architecture, the Britons are among the most demanding, but also the most courageous. This has led to us winning a number of international competitions in the UK, including a new university library in Aberdeen, and soon a very large project in the centre of London will be announced.” In summer 2006, Schmidt Hammer Lassen opened an office in London to be in close contact with the UK market.

“In Great Britain our architectural view makes a perfect match,” says Hammer. “Although we are up against some of the world’s most accomplished architects, our totality of view and way of presenting our solutions make an impact. We include the users of our buildings in a wholly different way than is done abroad. We communicate and break down barriers, create dialogue where others perhaps tend to sit in their ivory towers and present their work with a ’take it or leave it’ approach.”

http://www.shl.dk

Schmidt Hammer Lassen has been operating in China for a number of years – with projects including residential buildings in Beijing and Tianjin. In Beijing there is a 93,000 m2 residential development – the Upper Eastside project –consisting of a number of white towers on a sculpturally shaped green base. Construction is scheduled for completion in time for the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008.

Schmidt Hammer Lassen has designed what will become one of Copenhagen’s most spectacular buildings, the headquarters of Danish finance group Nykredit. Because of its architecture, the building has already been named ’The Crystal’. The building will be supported by a rhombus shaped construction system so pillars are not required, making the building look as if it is floating above the ground.

Schmidt Hammer Lassen won 1st prize in an international competition for Aberdeen University’s new library. The building is designed as a 10 storey cube. The facade functions as a climate buffer which changes character when light is projected onto it. During the dark winter months, it will be visible as a glowing landmark across the entire city.

A large organic opening on each floor creates an atrium throughout the full height of the building. In contrast to the building’s orthogonal geometry, the curvilinear atrium helps to create a more organic architectural expression. The atrium also gives access to a number of adjacent study areas.

Inside the university library is a showcase half the height of the external building. This will house an exhibition of the university’s large collection of rare books, and also connects the public space with the library’s many storage rooms in the basement. 

SIMPLE, CLEAR AND UNPRETENTIOUS

C.F.MØLLER: The architectural firm has designed the extension to the Natural History Museum’s Darwin Centre in London. The centre will become one of London’s most striking buildings – a giant cocoon encased in a glass shell.

In 2001, C.F.Møller won an international competition for the extension of the world famous Natural History Museum in London. The 19,500 m2 building is scheduled for completion in 2009 and will house the museum’s unique collection of 28 million insects and 3 million plants. It will also become an open workplace for more than 250 scientists from all over the world.

“The Darwin Centre will be one of the most striking buildings in London,” says senior architect Tom Danielsen of C.F.Møller. “After prequalification among 58 architectural firms, we won the competition against four other major international players – three British and one Spanish – especially because of the great signal value we attached to the building, which will help brand London as a leader in the museum area.”

C.F.Møller won the competition to design the Darwin Centre in Lon-don, a 19,500 m2 extension of the Natural History Museum. The extension will be shaped like a giant cocoon encased in a glass shell. The museum will open in 2008.

Branding the environment

The firm was founded in 1924 by the late Professor C.F. Møller. In the early 1930s, C.F.Møller gained the assignment to design Denmark’s second university, in Århus, and the firm has kept its headquarters in the town ever since.

“Today a lot more than half of our revenues are generated abroad,” says Danielsen, “but it is still founded on Danish architectural expression. Our work is based on simple, clear and unpretentious ideas, adjusted to the individual project where local or regional characteristics are considered. Today, buildings which add signal value to cities and regions are sought after; buildings which can add branding to the local environment. And it is exactly in this cross-field between functional, aesthetic and spectacular design that we have our strength.”

Comprehensive references

In summer 2006, C.F.Møller was chosen to build a 180 meter building in Malmø, Swe-den. It is an exceptionally prestigious construction, since the high-rise building, together with Malmø’s other striking high-rise building, The Turning Torso, will characterise Malmø’s skyline for decades to come.

C.F.Møller employs over 240 people and is one of Scandinavia’s largest and oldest architectural firms, which in addition to its headquarters in Århus, has regional offices in Copenhagen, Vejle and Aalborg as well as offices abroad in Oslo and London. The firm carries out design, project planning and consultancy for all forms of building and planning assignments: Buildings for education, hospitals, residential buildings, cultural institutions, sports facilities as well as industrial and office buildings.

http://www.cfmoller.com

The cocoon is so enormous that from inside, its full size cannot be viewed from any one point. Its extensive dimensions also give visitors a feeling of the scale of the large collection of insects and plants.

This summer, C.F.Møller won a competition to design the 180 meter high Malmø Tower, which will become the Swedish city’s latest landmark. Malmø has already become known around the world for being home to Scandinavia’s tallest residential building, The Turning Torso. Malmø Tower is being constructed in connection with the development of a large complex of shops, restaurants and residential buildings.

NEW LIFE FOR HARBOUR AREA IN CROATIA

URBANISATION: A whole new district is about to take shape in Rijeka, Croatia, where an old harbour area will be rebuilt to nclude a cultural centre, modern housing, a marina and shops.

The dilapidated harbour area of Rijeka will soon be transformed into a modern housing, cultural and commercial district that will also feature a brand new marina facility and ferry terminal.

This project is about to become a reality as Danish consulting group COWI and Gehl Architects collaborate to create a master plan, design guidelines and tender documents for both the harbour authorities and the local authorities.

International developers

The project will attract international developers and heir investment partners whose responsibility it will be to manage the individual building projects. Binding contracts will be secured with selected developers.

A major infrastructure project has diverted harbour activities and traffic away from the down town city area, making way for the urban developments that are about to take place. We must now help to ensure that these developments are founded on user requirements and built to harmonise with their environs, so they become a natural extension of the city’s existing capacity,“ says Development Manager, Niels Meinertz-Nielsen.

Modern apartments and marina

The projected developments will cover an area of some 17 hectares (42 acres). A conceptual design has already been drawn up for the site, and space has been allocated for a marina, park, esplanade, ferry terminal, hotels, offices, shops and various cultural attractions. In addition, a large area will be allocated for apartments. In total the project covers a floor area of some 185,000 square metres.

“We must review the master plan and translate it into what is going to be tendered for. For example, more than 75,000 square metres of floor space have been allocated for housing, but no decision has yet been made as to the nature of the properties - whether they will be holiday homes for tourists or accommodation to satisfy local housing needs,“ says Project Manager Jens Ove Skjærbæk He adds, “The marina will also occupy a good deal of space. And in contrast to the old part of the city – which has very narrow streets –substantial areas have been reserved as open spaces to encourage more town ife. These will become the city’s oases.”

Attracting tourists

Rijeka’s geographic location close to the Adriatic Sea and just opposite Venice makes the city an obvious tourist attraction, and this has been taken into account iin the master plan. “Rijeka has waited for years for a development of this nature. The new hotels and the marina offer significant new opportunities for attracting tourists, and the marina will be able to accommodate holiday sailors, large yachts and cruise ships too,” says Jens Ove Skjærbæk.

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DENMARK AND CHINA

COLLABORATE ON URBAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

MEGA CITIES: Danish architects and Chinese universities collaborate to develop sustainable solutions to intense urbanisation in China

Over the next 20 years, more than 400 million Chinese are expected to move from rural to urban areas. To cities already packed with millions of people, but which will soon become mega-cities with populations similar to medium-sized countries. In a few years, Tokyo’s 25 million population will be surpassed by Shanghai with 40 million. At the same time, the Chi-nese government has set the objective that living conditions must be significantly improved. Homes must have their own bath and toilet, electric lighting, heating in winter and cooling in summer, and have connections to the transport network. All of this creates immense pressure on the consumption of natural resources.

Resources

Prior to this year’s Venice Biennale, a unique collaboration was established between four recently established Danish architectural firms and four of China’s most prominent universities. The question they aim to answer is: How can China fulfil its ambitious project to create better living conditions for its population without exhausting necessary resources?

The collaboration, involving Chi-nese universities in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Xi’an, entitled Co-Evolution, has resulted in four visionary proposals for sustainable city development addressing a wide range of economic, environmental, social and cultural problems associated with the rapid urbanisation taking place in China. The projects are not only innovative and holistic in relation to sustainable development, but also take account of the unprecedented scale and speed of China’s urban development.

Method

The projects were presented in Venice and attracted considerable attention, especially because of the close collaboration on an interdisciplinary level between architects, engineers, city planners and sociologists –something that is not always easy to implement when different cultures meet.

http://www.dac.dk

Magic Mountains
Team: Architectural firm Cobe and Chongqing University
The project proposes a green, new business district which resembles the city’s natural skyline and is formed as mountain tops. The organic forms are dwellings and densely built urban centres connected via a system of paths. The valleys are green and contain systems for water treatment and energy supply. The dense built-up area also reduces total energy consumption.

City wall
Team: Architectural firm Transform and XAUAT University, Xi’an

The project proposes a new city wall for Xi’an around the existing wall. Xi’an, which contains China’s most historically important city buildings, is experiencing heavy pressure from mass tourism. The project shows how the inner city can be relieved while preserving the impression of a dense city core. The new wall will provide the city with transport, hotels, parks and information centres.

Performative Urbanism
Team: Architectural firm Cebra and Tsinghua University

The project is based on exploiting around 10 million m3 of polluted soil from a previous industrial area, which will be used in the production of bricks for a green new local city which will be energy self-sufficient and create local jobs.

Shanghai SubCity
Team: Architectural firm Ef fekt and Tongji University

The project combines urban living with exceptional natural surroundings. To ease the pressure on Shanghai, the local authorities are planning a number of peripheral sub-cities around Shanghai. The project proposes a densely built new SubCity in a beautiful eco-park setting. The project is designed to look like a giant ’Che’ –the Chinese character for car. The recreational park surrounding the town will supply the inhabitants with renewable energy and water. The park also functions as a giant geothermal plant which heats the town during winter and cools it during summer.

VISIONARY ARCHITECTURE AT ORDINARY PRICES

FAMILY HOMES: Six of Denmark’s most well-known architectural firms have joined forces to design individual family homes costing the same as mass produced standard houses. The concept has met with immediate success in Denmark and will now be offered abroad

Architect-designed or standard design?
For most people the choice has so far been determined in advance. The architect-designed house often costs a fortune and the building process is slow. The mass produced standard house which looks like all the others in the street, is on the other hand quickly built at a much more manageable price.

At least that was how it was until a few months ago. But then a completely new was launched on the Dan-has met with instant suc-Denmark’s trendiest architecarchitectural firms have designed a selection of fascinating and unconventional houses which can be built to prices matching standard houses. The architect-designed homes are marketed by M2, a company which handles everything from purchasing individual plots to complete urban development, and handles sales of ready-tooccupy houses which are built by MT Højgaard, one of Denmark’s largest building contractors.

The architects at Bjarke Ingels Group designed ’Hill House’ which can be attuned to hilly landscapes.

Sweeping lines

The designs are visionary, transcending all customary ideas of how a ’standard house’ should look. Sweeping lines and pure cubism are both employed. All the designs feature unconventional compartmentalisation and oblique angles, and great importance has been attached to a large influx of light. Sizes range from 185 – 220 m2, at prices, depending on the location, from around EUR 500,000. Ready to occupy on your own plot of land.

In 2005, when M2’s director Jesper Øhlenschlæger spotted the contemporary trend and consumer requirements for more individual and challenging architecture, he contacted some architectural firms which instantly leapt on the idea. Today six architectural firms are involved: 3 x Nielsen, CEBRA, C.F.Møller, Bjarke Ingels Group, schmidt hammer lassen and Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter. In addition to individual family homes, the idea has been expanded to include summer cottages which have the same groundbreaking design as the allyear- round residences.

The immediate success of M2’s concept on the Danish housing market – all 400 offered projects have been sold and building has started – has encouraged M2 to look towards neighbouring Sweden and Germany where M2 will launch the model: Architectdesigned houses at affordable prices.

CEBRA’s ’Delta House’ is intended for sloping ground.

Architectural firm 3xnielsen designed the ’Flower house.’

http://www.m2.dk

Not just a home, but a lifestyle

In autumn 2006, the share majority in M2 was acquired by the Nordic region’s largest property company Keops A/S in Denmark. Keops, which owns and administers properties worth more than EUR 2.67 bn (DKK 20 bn) in the Nordic region and Europe, saw that M2 would give it the opportunity to enter the high-end market for family homes. To date, the company has only been involved in housing complexes and commercial properties.

“The market for family homes is very difficult to enter,” says Development Manager Hans Christian Holm of Keops Development A/S. “With M2’s

super smart houses and the whole building and delivery concept, we saw an opportunity to cultivate a new trend which enables ordinary people to buy family homes adapted for future requirements without costing a fortune.”

Financial strength

Keops’ acquisition of M2 will not result in any immediate change to M2’s commercial basis. The company continues as an independent subsidiary of Keops A/S.

“Clearly we can give them financial strength and security, while they can give us market access and an innovation which we so far have lacked in this specific market segment,” says Holm. “M2 has found a giant gap in the market where it is not just homes, but lifestyles they are selling. And the synergy between us as a professional property company and M2 as creative and architectural masters is optimal.”

Risk management

Keops plans continued development of M2 with more architect partners and more housing types being added gradually as the market expands. According to Hans Christian Holm, Keops is already leading developments with housing projects in Spain and Turkey, both holiday village areas and large housing projects.

“We have large scale projects going on especially in Turkey, where our competence in project risk management is something so far unseen there,” says Keops’ foreign director Frank Heskjær. “And our principle of never starting to build before at least 50% of a project has been sold, gives us a solidity and security which does not otherwise characterise housing projects in that part of the world. In addition we are extremely good at discovering what new owners want for their homes. By breaking some traditions around fitting out and equipment in the residential units, we have helped to start a trend that appeals to the Turkish population.”

http://www.keops.dk

Hans Christian Holm (left) and Frank Heskjær

FASHIONABLE RESIDENCES ON THE WATERFRONT

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT: Old harbour and industrial areas in the Port of Copenhagen are in the process of being developed into highly fashionable residential areas

When property developer Sjælsø Group put a residential development in Copen-hagen harbour up for sale in 2005, potential buyers camped on the pavement for several nights prior to the sale to secure the right apartment. And that was based on just an artist’s drawing of the project. In the first few days, Sjælsø Group sold 119 apartments. Another 91 were sold in an equally short time, while various investor groups took over the other 319 apartments.

Canal system

The Sluseholm project has become one of the most fascinating residential projects in Co-penhagen in recent times. From being an old harbour and industrial area located at the old weir at the southern end of the harbour, Copenhagen Municipality, the Port of Copenhagen and a consortium led by Sjælsø Group, have developed the area into one of the most sought after residential areas for the future. Eight small islands have been created by excavation and landfill, separated by a newly constructed canal system. On each island individual buildings are constructed in close interplay with the water.

“Architecturally we wanted to create a development which on the one hand expresses individuality, and on the other meets the requirements for in-dustrialised buildings,” says Johan Stoustrup, head of letting at Sjælsø Group. “Individuality has been achieved by all buildings having different heights and colours. Windows and doors are placed differently, and the arrangement of balconies and access to the water have been created so that each resident feels that their property is different from all the others. And all this achieved without having a negative impact on the modern, effective building process which is necessary from a price perspective.”

Revitalised harbour

“The Sluseholm project is the first part of a large plan to revi-talise Copenhagen harbour,” says Johan Stoustrup. “The next project – Teglholmen – will be the development of an even bigger old harbour area situated opposite. The area will be transformed into a 160,000 m2 development with businesses, shops and almost 1,350 new residential apartments, as well as a school and various institutions.” The two harbour projects are some of Sjælsø Group’s largest projects so far. But the most spectacular is expected to be the construction of a World Trade Center in the southern part of Ørestad, Copenhagen’s new urban enterprise zone. The 130,000 m2 WTC will be located close to both the motorway which connects Ørestad with Copenhagen’s international airport, and to the Øresund Bridge which provides direct access to Sweden.

http://www.sjaelsoe.dk

Buying into foreign expertise

In just a few years, Sjælsø Group has become one of Denmark’s largest property developers. In 2005, the group generated revenues of approx. EUR 300 million, a growth of more than 120% compared to 2004. Sjælsø Group forecasts further growth in revenues and profits in 2006.

Growth has been driven by a boom in the Danish residential property market in the last two years. In 2007, this is expected to plateau so Sjælsø Group will intensify its focus on commercial construction.

In 2006, Sjælsø Group created a Nordic platform by acquiring Ikast Byggeindustri A7S (IBI), an expert in construction of retail parks in the Nordic region. With IBI, the group has gained access to expert knowledge not only regarding retail parks, but also the processes and official procedures required for developing office and residential projects in the countries concerned.

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CUSTOMIZED PREFABRICATION

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION: Prefabricated concrete construction is not what it used to be. Today it must be able to harmonise with other materials like wood, steel and glass. And it must be tailored as well.

Managing director Poul Kirkegaard, Expan A/S

Denmark’s largest manufacturer of prefabricated elements in concrete and lightweight concrete for residential buildings, Expan A/S, has supplied elements for inner walls, dividing walls and party walls for a building project managed by property developer Sjælsø Group on one of the eight islands of Sluseholmen. Over a 30 week period, Expan supplied around 24,000 square metres of elements for what has become one of the most fashionable residential buildings in Copenhagen, located right on the waterfront.

Complexity

“Birkholm on Sluseholmen is one of the largest building projects we have supplied to so far,” says managing director Poul Kirkegaard, Expan A/S. “Sluseholmen is a good demonstration of how modern concrete building has developed. The specifications of the elements are becoming increasingly demanding, both regarding the complexity of the combination of lightweight and ordinary concrete in the elements, and also how the elements harmonise with other materials like wood, steel and glass. The architects’ design requirements were also a challenge. There are practically no two apartments alike. It is a highly individual building where all doors and windows are placed differently.” The fact that almost all of the concrete elements were different was no problem for Expan, being a made-to-order company with six concrete factories in Denmark and one in Germany.

Exploiting industrialisation

“Our particular collaborative strength with manufacturers of new buildings is the extensive use of customized solutions in the architectural expression. But even customized solutions are based on the exploitation of industrialisation, and the use of a number of standards for placing doors, windows, electricity, HWS and ventilation. Put simply, we optimise all the building areas where we have influence,” says Kirkegaard.

Poul Kirkegaard ascribes the increased use of prefabricated concrete elements in the Danish building industry to the Danish climate, with its relatively cold, rain-lashed and snowbound winters, and the relatively high wages of Danish building workers. Using elements allows fast installation on the building site and closing of the shell, after which work can continue both outdoors and indoors. And the industrialised fabrication of the elements means much higher quality and accuracy.

“The Sluseholmen project also shows that using industrialised concrete doesn’t have to result in boring rectangular building blocks,” says Poul Kirkegaard. “The diversity of the facade expression makes it one of the most fascinating residential buildings of recent times in Denmark.”

In the last four years Expan A/S has generated a revenue growth of DKK 250 million, making it necessary to expand the headquarters in Vejle, Jutland. The company used its own elements for the construction, naturally.

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FACADE RENDERING IN NATURAL COLOURS

FACADE COLOURS: Instead of painting a rendered exterior with plastic paint, professional workmen are increasingly using coloured cement

These days, Danish home owners have plenty of money in their pockets. Rising house prices and a number of new types of loan make it possible to exploit the increasing equity, which is often spent on property extensions and renovation.

Skalflex is one of the companies benefiting from this trend, especially regarding renovation of old facades. The company produces a number of cement based products containing natural iron oxide colours which, in addition to extreme durability and environmental friendliness, save the owner the additional work of painting the facade.

Long lasting

“Our cement based paints enable the house to breathe, in contrast to conventional plastic paint,” says director Poul Pedersen, Skalflex. “And the homogeneous colour of the products help to make the final result a lot more consistent. No flaking occurs with subsequent repair work.” Skalflex’s rendering systems comprise a large number of speciality products which have made the company a market leader in Denmark, especially with the Skalcem 100 product, a coloured cement powder paint which is extensively used in Denmark.

Aesthetics

“Our particular strength is our approach to collaboration with professional workmen,” says Poul Pedersen. “We focus more on the finished result than the individual product, because it can be a combination of several of our own products and others. The complete, aesthetic result is what matters. So it is vital that our advice to workmen is professional and impartial. We take the liberty to say so, because our products always win when it comes to quality.” In recent years, Skalflex has started a budding export to countries including Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Bal-tic States.

http://www.skalflex.dk

 
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A CLEAR VIEW OF THE HEAVENS

GLASS ROOFS: A glass roof not only protects against wind and weather – it is also a window to the sky

Vitral’s two directors, Jens Borelli-Kjær (left) and Henrik Theisler reflect on further success for the company

There is a world of difference between Bologna in Italy and the Valby suburb of Copenhagen. But one thing they have in common – the vision of creating a public open space where the inhabitants can walk under shelter regardless of the weather: in Bologna by virtue of the city’s wonderful colonnades, and in Valby by virtue of a 2,700 m2 glass covering of the main square and adjacent streets, which will be one of the largest outdoor covered areas in northern Europe.

Vitral in Ølstykke north of Copenhagen is planning and installing the large glass roofs. The company is among Denmark’s largest manufacturers of roof glazing systems, and absolutely the largest regarding production of openable roof solutions.

Established in 1893, Bedales School in Petersfield, Hampshire, was unusual for its time on account of its educational theory which placed the child at the centre. When the school was renovated, the architects chose glass panels from Vitral. Scientific research has shown that optimum use of natural daylight helps improve learning by as much as 20%.

Openable glass roofs

“Vitral’s core competence is openable glass roofs with patented profiles in stainless steel,” says managing director Henrik Theisler. He and his colleague Jens Borelli-Kjær took over the company from the global window group Velux via a management buy-in. Over the last couple of years, the two men have managed to effect a turnaround by going after projects that lie within the company’s core competence.

“It is actually extremely difficult to make

an opening glass roof which is also weathertight,” says Borelli-Kjær. “We can do that, and that has increased our lead when it comes to complicated solutions where the requirements for indoor climate and building regulations are a combination of light, air and good design.”

Sheffield Winter Gardens, together with the associated Millennium Galleries, won the Royal Institute of British Architects Award in 2005. The glass roof over The Winter Gardens was planned and supplied by Vitral in Denmark.

Crystal Palace

By focusing on the company’s competencies Vitral has made strong progress abroad in recent years, particularly in Great Britain and Ireland. The company’s British subsidiary has gained international attention for its glass roofs for Sheffield’s Millennium Garden and the Pollock Centre in Glasgow. Another possible major project could be participation in the rebuilding of the legendary Crystal Palace, which is planned in connection with the 2012 Olym-pic Games in London.

“The original Crystal Palace was the world’s first, large glass building. It became something of an icon, but it burnt down in 1936. The new Crystal Palace will without doubt be just as unique, and will be a feather in the cap for everyone who participates in the building process,” says Henrik Theisler.

http://www.vitral.com

 
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FIRED CLAY

TILES: Danish brickyards and tileworks supply bricks, roof tiles and floor tiles for buildings all over the world. Today tiles are product developed as never before

It is the world’s oldest building material, dug up from the ground, formed, dried and fired into a hard and virtually everlasting building block. Clay that was formed many thousands of years ago is today the basic material for making bricks, roof tiles, floor tiles and ceramic art in all its forms.

Firing clay is not a Danish invention. While Danes were still living a Stone Age existence 5,000 years ago, the peoples of Babylon and China were fabricating spectacular buildings which are still there today. But ever since the technology arrived in Denmark 1,000 years ago, fired clay has been the preferred building material of Danes. And the technology has been developed to such perfection that Danish brickyards and tileworks export bricks and roof tiles for architectural masterpieces around the world.

Thomas and Jens Piper

Product development

“In contrast to most other building materials, bricks are regarded as something permanent and indestructible, the epitome of robustness,” says managing director Jens Piper of A/S Randers Tegl, which is Scandi-navia’s largest manufacturer of bricks, roof tiles and floor tiles. “And although the production method is basically the same today as it was 6,000 years ago, there is rapid product development of new types of bricks and tiles, in various colours and

firings which has an influence on contemporary construction.” Until a few decades ago, there were vast numbers of brickyards and tileworks across Denmark making various forms of bricks and roof tiles dependent on the type of clay available locally. But at the beginning of the 1960s automation gained speed, mergers and acquisitions occurred, and the numbers dwindled from around 220 to around 40 brickyards and tileworks at the beginning of the 1980s. In Denmark today there are around 25. A/S Randers Tegl is a sales organisation for 9 brickyards and tileworks, 7 of which are in Denmark. Pipers Teglværker is the dominant member of the group, owning 6 of the 9 companies.

The Great Wall of Chine

“As with so many other things, the construction industry is influenced by fashions, and naturally is also affected by economic conditions,” says Jens Piper. “Bricks have always epitomized permanence and timelessness, both concerning quality and aesthetics. In the last 10-15 years, wood has become a popular house-building material on the Danish market, but today we see progress for brick construction as never before. This is particularly driven by new brick products which open up a wealth of opportunities regarding colours, structures and architectural expressions.”

 One Danish building which has not been affected by fads is Skejby Hospital in Århus, Denmark’s second largest city. The first part of the hospital was built just over 20 years ago in red brick supplied by Randers Tegl. And the hospital is being continuously enlarged with exactly the same bricks as when construction first began.

“So far we have supplied more than 30 million bricks,” says Jens Piper, “and that makes it Denmark’s largest brick construction. To us it is substantial, although I must admit that it doesn’t come close to the world’s largest construction – The Great Wall of China. Without knowing for sure, I would reckon they used about 4 billion large brick blocks for that wall. And it’s still there 2,000 years later. That says something about their indestructibility.”

RANDERS TEGL

A/S Randers Tegl produces around 170 million bricks and 35 million roof tiles annually at the 9 brickyards and tileworks that the sales organisation represents. That corresponds to around 6,500 fully brick built Danish one-family houses. The Group, which employs around 400 people, has Scandinavia’s broadest product range with more than 80 different types of brick and more than 50 types of roof tile in various sizes, firings and colours. The Group forecasts revenues of more than DKK 500 million in 2006.

http://www.randerstegl.dk

PREFABRICATED BRICK WALLS

One of the companies in A/S Randers Tegl Group, Carlsberg Mur, was the first to develop industrial production of prefabricated brick walls. They are supplied in a range of finished forms, with load bearing beams, window and door rebates and integrated electricity cable conduits and sockets. The key differentiating factors from traditional brickwork are precision, time saving and building economy. The prefabricated walls are manufactured in an advanced plant and are supplied directly to building sites where the shell can be built in a single day.

Industrialised craft

“We use a fully automated plant where the entire brick assembly part is controlled by robots,” says Thomas Piper, who is head of strategy and development at A/S Randers Tegl. Thomas Piper, the son of director Jens Piper, is a 4th generation family member in Scandinavia’s largest brickyard and tileworks group. “With element construction we have taken the step from traditional brick building to rational and industrial construction of inner walls and divid-

Prefabricated brick walls offer quick building times and rapid construction and closing of the shell. The advanced robots, which carry out work based on 3D models and digital project descriptions, have so far enabled an unmatched accuracy and a strength corresponding to the best concrete element construction. The brick walls are all produced pre-stressed i.e. with built-in reinforcement, and so have a high load bearing capacity providing considerable flexibility and architectural freedom.

“Brick construction has always been unrivalled when it comes to indoor climate and insulation ability, both regarding sound insulation and heat insulation,” says Thomas Piper. “Bricks also provide the aesthetic and architectural character which bring genuine added value to the building. It is quite simply rational construction with the qualities of the craft.”

http://www.carlsberg.dk

ARTIFICIAL VOLCANO SAVES BILLIONS

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: 40% of all the energy consumed in Europe and North America is used in buildings, either for heating and lighting in the winter or for air conditioning and cooling in the summer. Energy which is mainly generated from fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas. Forms of energy which everyone knows will be exhausted one day, and now cost increasingly more to extract. Meanwhile, there is much to gain each time buildings are made more energy efficient. If all houses were optimally insulated, the 40% figure could be halved to 20%.

Group chief executive Jakob Sørensen in front of the Rockwool research centre near Copenhagen. The research centre is itself a study in insulation. The outer walls are lined with visible stone wool batts which keep cool in summer, and retain the heat in winter. In all the ceilings, walls and floors, Rockwool has been used for sound insulation, while Rockfon acoustic sheets regulate the acoustics inside the rooms. The 4,000 m2 building uses 60% less energy for heating than a conventional office building. The cost of cooling is as little as EUR 30 annually.

These are the hard facts on which the Danish Rockwool Group bases its business. Rockwool is the epitome of stone wool insulation material, which in addition to retaining heat in the winter and keeping heat out in the summer, also helps to fireproof and sound-insulate buildings.

Through the company’s comprehensive research into stone wool, the material has become an integrated part of the building process, where more and more Rockwool products are becoming building materials in their own right.

Fire-proof Pentagon

“Rockwool has a number of qualities which jointly outperform other insulation materials,” says group chief executive Jakob Sørensen of Rockwool Group. “First and foremost, the fire-proofing properties of Rockwool are better than the two other types of insulation material. Plastic foam is made from combustible material, and glass wool can stand about 600°C, whereas Rockwool can resist more than 1,000°C. When it comes to fire safety, Rockwool is superior to these other insulation materials.” Currently however, it is the energy saving properties of Rockwool that generate revenues. The fire protection value of Rockwool is often something which is first recognised after an accident. One example is the Pentagon, home to the US Ministry of Defence, which was insulated with plastic foam prior to 9/11. Today the rebuilt Pentagon is insulated with fire-proof Roxul, the name of the Rockwool Group’s product in North America.

When buildings are under construction or refurbishment in Europe, the proportion of insulation used is currently about 1/3 respectively of glass wool, stone wool and foam, with stone wool showing clear progress.

“That is not only due to stone wool’s fire-proof quality, but also its technical qualities,” says Jakob Sørensen. “Rockwool keeps its shape well, which has great importance on building sites. The Rockwool Group is constantly conducting research into new and improved products, for instance on fibre orientation in the stone wool which helps keep the products stiff and durable.

Savings

“Technologically we must constantly keep abreast of requirements and developments in construction,” says Sørensen. “And that means being proactive, not reactive. We have for example created a biodegradable stone wool whose fibres decompose if they enter the human organism. Another example is stone wool batts which are com-

pressed during transport, but return to their original shape during construction.” “These are excellent technical refinements, but the fundamental issue is that proper insulation is a necessity if we are going to conserve our known energy resources. That applies both to summer and winter. In Europe alone, more than EUR 270 bn disappears into the air simply because modern, effective insulation is not used for building and refurbishment. That is more than EUR 600 per capita. Not to mention the extra 400 million tons of CO2 which Europe adds to the atmosphere. It could all be saved by careful thinking,” says Jakob Sørensen.

http://www.rockwool.com

The Group. In 2005, the Rockwool Group employed 7,500 people in 33 countries throughout the world, and generated around EUR 1.35 bn. The stone wool products are made at 22 factories in Europe, North America and Asia.

Erupting volcano
The most energy intensive part of the production process of Rockwool is the melting of the stone which takes place at 1,500°C – comparable to an erupting volcano. The stone is converted into lava, and spun into fibres while the material is fluid. Nonetheless, during its service life Rockwool insulation typically helps to save 128 times the amount of energy used to produce it.

Sound insulation
Rockwool not only insulates against heat and cold, but also functions as sound insulation. The Rockfon subsidiary is among Eu-rope’s largest companies producing acoustic ceiling plates, which are made of painted stone wool and cut to size. The ceiling plates are frequently used in open plan offices, institutional buildings, schools and factories.

FACTORY AS ARCHITECTURAL PEARL

PLASTIC COMPOSITES: Fiberline’s plastic composite material has been called the building material of the future. The company’s new factory has itself been futuristically designed – in an architecture which has been nominated for the world’s most distinguished architectural award – Mies van der Rohe 2007

Fiberline Composites A/S produces a unique building material, and plans to expand its production fivefold. So what could be more natural than to use its own materials for building the company’s new factory? Fiberline’s new headquarters in Middelfart, Denmark, is a factory which in addition to creating the framework for a state-of-the-art production of plastic composite materials, is itself an outstanding building, nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2007. It is one of the very rare occasions where an industrial building is a contender for what is dubbed ’The Architectural Oscar’.

Henrik Thorning in front of Fiberline Composites’ new factory in Middelfart. The factory was designed by Jan Søndergaard at KHR Arkitekter A/S, and is nominated for the Mies van der Rohe award 2007. “The design of the factory was inspired by the old Danish Viking fortresses which blend into the landscape. It gives the effect of constant movement – and thus also symbolises a company in motion,” says Henrik Thorning.

Potential

Over 27 years, Fiberline has become one of the world’s five largest manufacturers of plastic composite profiles, which combine high strength and corrosion resistance with low weight and simple machining.

Fiberline’s construction profiles are for example used for bridges, cooling towers and in concrete reinforcement as a replacement for steel. The profiles are also thermally and electrically insulating and suitable for preventing thermal bridges in wall facades and windows, at the same time as gaining ground in many places with requirements for electrical insulation.

The Spanish architects José Selgas and Lucia Cano have used Fiberline’s facade system for the construction of the congress hall and concert hall in Badajoz in Spain. The system creates a poetically braided sun screening which emits a soft light in the evening when the centre is lit from within.

 “But in reality we are only seeing the beginning of a trend which will bring plastic composite materials into a lot more areas,” says director Henrik Thorning, owner of Fiberline Composites A/S. “There is amazing potential in these materials which have such superior properties. Not just for replacement of steel and concrete, but everywhere where there are special requirements for design, strength and lightness.”

Development oriented

Henrik Thorning is a fiery soul who combines technical knowledge with perseverance and the will to create more than just profiles – regardless of how good and strong they are. When he and his wife Dorthe established the company 27 years ago, it was based on his development of a pultrusion technology which enabled him to produce plastic composite profiles in much larger dimensions than had up to then been possible. It opened up almost limitless opportunities.

“We are not the largest when it comes to volume production, but we are by far the most development oriented in the industry,” says Thorning.

“Our technology makes us highly flexible and so able to produce unique products in relatively small batches. It has resulted in us gaining contact with designers and architects who have seen opportunities in our products. Our technology has made it possible to create things which previously were impossible.”

Cultural canon

When Denmark a few years ago decided to create a cultural canon – a list of cultural works which represent Danish cultural heritage – Fiberline’s facade system was selected to represent the most outstanding example of design driven innovation. The facade system is a translucent constructive system. It can carry a glass facade which enables light to pass through. It has realised many architects’ dreams of creating a facade that is bright and light and virtually removes the difference between the outdoor and indoor environment.

“As always when something new is introduced, the first years were hard uphill work,” says Henrik Thorning. “But we believed in our ideas and we learned a lot the hard way. That benefits us today. We are very development intensive which also has the effect that we are best when the tasks are highly complex.”

http://www.fiberline.com

Fiberline stepped into the limelight when the company built a bridge over the railway line in Kolding. The bridge was constructed during just three nights, and so the work caused only a minimum of disturbance to train services. It has served as a model for a number of other bridges in e.g. Spain and Great Britain.

DANISH MOLES

GROUND LEVEL AND BELOW: For work at ground level and below, Denmark’s Per Aarsleff is among the world’s best. They are specialists in foundation work carried out by driving concrete piles down into the ground

Managing director Ebbe Malte Iversen, Per Aarsleff A/S

The method is known among contractors around the world as ’the Danish pile driving formula’, and is increasingly being used for creating solid foundations beneath building constructions. Reinforced concrete piles are driven into the ground until the piles reach the required load capacity, calculated on impact height, weight of the hammer, and the number of impacts for every 20 centimetres the concrete pile goes into the ground. When the number of impacts reaches a certain value, the pile has reached the required load capacity for the foundation to be laid onto it.

Cheaper

“The method is used for 95% of all foundation assignments in Denmark,” says managing director Ebbe Malte Iversen, Per Aarsleff A/S, Denmark’s largest contractor for civil engineering at ground level and below. The company has its own factories in Denmark, UK and Poland where the reinforced concrete piles are made.

“When foundations are made abroad, in the vast majority of cases a screw is used to drill a hole to sufficient depth, after which the hole is filled with concrete. It is not necessarily an inferior way to do it, but in a number of cases where the ground conditions are suitable, pile-driving is often a cheaper method. The markets reflect this, and we see great progress for this part of our business in the UK, Germany and Po-land.”

Pipe renovation

Aarsleff’s work at ’ground level and below’ should be taken literally. Two of its mainbusiness areas are pipe renovation and the aforementioned pile-driving. The company is also actively involved in infrastructure such as harbours, railways, roads, tunnels, bridges, energy supply, water supply and communication systems. Regarding construction above ground, Aarsleff enters partnership agreements with other companies.

Ebbe Malte Iversen divides the company into industry and projects. “Our most in-dustrialised activities are the prefabrication of foundation piles and renovation of pipes by means of tube lining. The lining tubes and associated curing systems are made at our own factory in Denmark.”

About 25% of Aarsleff’s revenues are generated from renovating old drains, which are provided with new lining. The method, known as tube lining, consists of installing a polyester impregnated tube into the existing pipe by means of water pressure. The tube is then cured by the application of heat, resulting in a smooth new pipe. Aarsleff is among the largest contractors in Europe using this technique. Photo: Ole Hein

Synergies

In addition to the activities associated with the company’s industrial products, Aarsleff has a large number of ongoing projects all over the world. Road construction in Central America, Africa and Asia. Water purification and drinking water facilities in Eastern Europe and Russia. All projects which require competencies in piping.

“We aim to exploit the synergies of our engineers who are special-individual areas,” says Ebbe “When we enter a project it spin-off from our industrial have to be able to do to earn on another.”

It can also work the other way, where project work – perhaps – starts developing into an industry. That is what experience shows from some large sewer projects which Aarsleff has carried out in Mumbai in India and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Russian factory

“It was some major renovation work on pipes built by British engineers during the colonial period, involving large, egg shaped drains which had started to fall into disrepair,” says Iversen. “We have developed a technology where we make large composite based pipe segments which are lowered into the wells, after which they are pushed together inside the existing pipe so they form completely new pipes. The space between the new pipes and the old existing drain is then concreted. In both Mumbai and Colombo, we have produced the pipe segments locally at a site factory. But in association with similar work in Russia, we will now build our own factory for industrial manufacturing of these pipe segments in Moscow. It could become part of our industry in the long term.”

Aarsleff employs around 2,500 people. Revenues in 2005 were about DKK 3.5 billion (approx. EUR 475 million).

One of the largest assignments Aarsleff is currently involved in is the building of a tunnel in Malmø, Sweden, just across the sound from the Danish capital Copenha-gen. The Citytunnel comprises a 5 kilometre bored double tunnel and a 700 meter approach ramp. Inside the tunnel, a large space for a future metro station is being established. Aarsleff has 25% of the construction contract which is being carried out by an international contractor consortium.

Photo: Perry Nording

PAINT IS MORE THAN JUST COLOUR

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING: Flügger Farver is quickly developing from being a regional Scandinavian paint manufacturer to becoming an international player

When painting contracts for construction projects in Scandinavia are costed, the paint itself accounts for only around 13% of the total price. The rest is mostly labour costs. So for the painting contractor it is vital that the paint is easy to apply, preferably gives a proper finish in one coat, can be applied even to moist surfaces, and adheres well.

For ordinary consumers, price is the main competition parameter, but for professional painters the mantra is quality, quality, quality.

Market leader

“That is one of the reasons why we are proud to be a market leader for paint in Scandinavia, especially to the professionals,” says group chief executive Søren P. Olesen of Denmark’s Flügger Group. With factories in Denmark and Sweden which produce water and oil based paints, more than 500 Flügger stores in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Iceland and China, and revenues of more than DKK 1 billion, the group is rapidly developing from a regional to an international player on the market.

“Although Norway, Sweden and Iceland are technically abroad, we consider these markets to be a part of our home market,” says Olesen. “It is only when we move out into parts of the world where Nordic languages are not spoken, that we talk about exports. And here our revenues are strongly increasing, from 3% three years ago to 10% today.”

Group chief executive Søren P. Olesen of Denmark’s Flügger Group

Paint for China

Flügger is expanding mainly in Poland. But now also China, with its boom in building activity, is waking up to the quality of Danish paint.

“Like so many others, we have outsourced a number of labour intensive processes to China. But in addition we have a large licensed production of paint in Beijing. We also buy most of the materials for our paint brushes in China. But instead of just sending empty containers to China to collect the outsourced products, it made good economic sense to send finished products to China. Results are far in excess of expectations, and the potential is enormous.”

Support

 Flügger’s success is largely built on the chain store concept. The group owns about a third of the 500 stores, while the rest are run on a franchise basis.

“When you target the professional segment like we do, it is vital to be present where the work is carried out,” says Olesen. “You need to be open when painters start work, and have professional people in the stores who can advise and provide support when it is needed.”

http://www.flugger.dk

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DANISH UNIVERSITIES TO BE MERGED

UNIVERSITIES: The number of universities and state research institutions will be more than halved from 2007. Mergers will strengthen competition and put Denmark among the international leaders

The University of Copenhagen

The Danish university system is set to change. Today there are 12 universities and 13 sector research institutions. From 1 January 2007 there will be just three large universities, five smaller universities, and three national research institutions.

The three large universities will be concentrated around the University of Copenhagen, the University of Aarhus and the Technical University of Den-mark in Copenhagen. The University of Copenhagen will merge with the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University. The University of Aarhus will merge with the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, the National Environmental Research Institute and Aarhus School of Business. Finally, the Technical University of Denmark will merge with Risø National Laboratory, the Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, the Danish Space Center, the Danish Institute for Fisheries Research and the Danish Transport Research Institute.

The University of Aarhus

The three universities will be among Europe’s largest in terms of resources. This will strengthen the opportunities to keep and attract talented students and researchers, says the Danish Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Helge Sander. In the future, two thirds of all public sector research will be conducted at these universities.

Among the five small universities, Aalborg University will merge with the Danish Building Research Institute, while the University of Southern Denmark will merge with the National Institute of Public Health. The IT University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Business School and Roskilde University continue as independent units.

Strengthened Danish building research

The merger between Aalborg University and the Danish Building Research Institute raises Danish building research to an international level. The two institutions will have 281 research scientists and PhD students in this specific area. The merged institution will not just be a leader in building research in Denmark but also match other leading international knowledge institutions in e.g. France and Great Britain.

Continuing on its own

Copenhagen Business School (CBS) will continue on its own. Rector of CBS, Finn Junge-Jensen, says this is because the school would not gain any professional advantages from a merger. He commented to national newspaper Berlingske Tidende that the institution’s autonomy is more important than a merger.

“CBS has more than 300 collaboration partners all over the world and is today Europe’s third largest business school. The collaborations we already have can be expanded with economies that outweigh the financial advantages we could gain from a merger,” he says.

 
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CONCENTRATED KNOWLEDGE

SCIENCE PARKS: Northern Europe’s largest concentration of high-tech research in biotech, medico and pharma, Medicon Valley, which is spreading around Copenhagen and the south of Sweden, is not just characterised by its universities and institutions of higher education, but equally by a number of science parks which provide research results to sustainable, commercial companies.

Scion-DTU is Denmark’s first university based science park. It started back in 1962 in Hørsholm north of Copenhagen, and is today home to a number of Den-mark’s most intensively knowledge-based companies. For many years the science park had a loose collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), which was formalised in 2004 when the university and science park merged, the latter becoming a subsidiary of the university. They are physically located in Hørsholm and Lyngby respectively, separated by just 12 kilometres of motorway.

“Today Scion-DTU contains the largest concentration of biotech and medico companies in Medicon Valley,” says director Kim Høgh. “There has been a very strong growth in the number of small companies since we merged, and today we have more than 155 large and small companies across 260,000 m² in Hørsholm and 25,000 m² at the University in Lyngby.”

Incubator

Scion-DTU has had success as an incubator for small research based companies which have grown out of the university environment. With the science park’s facilities and infrastructure, its professional offers on service and consultancy and access to both management and capital, the foundation for increased internationalisation has now been created.

“We have the large network and research intensive environment which foreign companies seek when planning to use Denmark as a bridgehead to the Nordic region and the Baltic area,” says Kim Høgh. “Following the merger with the university, we have shifted the perception of ourselves from business park to fully fledged science park, where we offer access to the entire range of services – human resources, offices, access to capital and knowledge sharing to help build networks. Everything that is necessary to make innovative research into sustainable commercial business.”

Penetration power

Since Kim Høgh became director in spring 2006, he has been busy redefining Scion-DTU’s strategic direction, starting with focused consolidation. He is at the same time a tireless champion of closer collaboration between the seven existing science parks in Denmark.

“When you look around in Denmark, the science parks shine like high-tech lighthouses. But when viewed from abroad, the light seems much dimmer because we are scattered around the country. With the new university reform, the first step has been taken towards closer collaboration where our collective competencies gain much bigger penetration power. Instead of shining individually, we must shine together. Because collectively we have formidable, professional and research-wise strength,” says Kim Høgh.

http://www.sciondtu.dk

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COMPANY PROFILES

The following Company Profiles have been submitted by the advertisers in this issue

ETA Danmark A/S
Kollegievej 6
2920 Charlottenlund
Denmark
Phone: + 45 45 76 20 20
Fax: + 45 45 76 33 20
Email: eta@etadanmark.dk
http://www.etadanmark.dk

ETA-Danmark A/S is the Danish approval body for construction products and is notified by the Danish Government to issue European Technical Approvals according to the EU Directive on Construction Products. ETA-Danmark A/S issues national approvals for construction products according to the Danish building regulations by authorisation from the Danish Government.

ETA-Danmark A/S develops approval guidelines for both ETA’s and national approvals.

In the framework of the Euro-pean Agrement Union – UEAtc –ETA-Danmark A/S issues voluntary approvals and confirmations for construction products. ETA-Danmark A/S is owned by Danish Standards and is a part of DS Certification A/S

ETA-Danmark A/S is a member of EOTA, UEAtc and WFTAO Search words: Europæiske Tekniske Godkendelser, MK-godkendelser, VA-godkendelser, Overensstemmelseserklæringer, CE mærkning, Byggevaredirektivet, Byggevarer, EOTA, WFTAO, UEAtc, ETA og CPD

Rambøll A/S
Bredevej 2 2830
Virum Denmark
Phone: + 45 45 98 60 00
Fax: + 45 45 98 67 00
Web: http://www.Ramboll.dk

The Ramboll Group is a leading Nordic provider of knowledge services. We employ more than

5,000 dedicated specialists who operate from offices in the four Nordic countries and from permanent and project offices in over one hundred countries around the world. In Ramboll we offer engineering, consultancy, product development and operation services within a broad diversity of areas such as:

• buildings
  
  
• infrastructure
  
  
• industrial processes
  
  
• energy
  
  
• water and environment
  
  
• telecommunication
  
  
• management
  
  
• IT
  

Our business approach and all our solutions reflect our integrity and aim to contribute towards better living and working conditions for more people in more places.

Sadolin & Albæk A/S
Nikolaj Plads 26
DK-1067 Copenhagen K
Phone: + 45 70 11 66 55

Sadolin & Albæk A/S
Rosensgade 22
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Phone: + 45 70 11 66 55
Web: http://www.sadolin-albaek.dk
Web: http://www.fredericiakommune.dk

DanmarkC, Fredericia
– one of the foremost growth centres in Denmark. Situated in the heart of the Triangle Region, DanmarkC offers you the best possible conditions for setting up in Denmark.

Thanks to the strongest recruitment base for well-qualified labour in the Triangle Region, DanmarkC takes your company even closer to the brightest minds in Denmark. Within a travel time of 60 minutes the companies of the region may pool highly educated labour from Odense, Aarhus, Esbjerg,

Vejle and Kolding.

Fredericia is located between the university cities of Aarhus and Odense, which places the city at the hub of the largest science centre outside Greater Copenhagen. This makes DanmarkC ideal for businesses also within the IT, medtech, manufacturing and food refinement industries, which may benefit from the strong synergies created in the exchange of expertise with institutions of higher education.

Skaarup og Jespersen A/S
Strandvejen 56
2900 Hellerup
Denmark
Phone: + 45 39 15 00 60
Fax: + 45 39 15 00 61
Email: jb@sj-arkitekter.dk
http://www.sj-arkitekter.dk

Skaarup & Jespersen is a leading Danish firm of architects and planning consultants offering a wide range of architectural services and physical and functional planning expertise. The firm, which was founded in 1954, has accumulated 30 years of international experience and undertaken projects in more than thirty countries in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, North and South America, and Europe.

Skaarup & Jespersen is partly owned by 4 individual Danish partners, all professional full time active in the firm, and the Swedish architect company SWECO FFNS Arkitekter AB –one of Swedens leading architect firms with approximately 320 staff members.

The head office is located in Hellerup in Copenhagen. The firm has a branch office in Holstebro in Jutland, Denmark. Skaarup & Jespersen offers architectural activities comprising a full range of services covering conceptual and detailed design, interior design, preparation of tender documents, construction management and site supervision.

Stema Engineering A/S
Hejreskovvej 8
DK-3490 Kvistgaard Denmark
Phone: + 45 4912 7911
Fax: + 45 4912 7911
E-Mail: sales@stemapedax.com
WEB: http://www.stemapedax.com

The STEMA/PEDAX product programme consists of cutting and bending machines for reinforcing steel bar material up to Ø 60 mm and reinforcing steel coil material up to Ø 20 mm. Implementing the latest technology, STEMA/PEDAX is the world leader in the design and manufacturing of complete lines and factories for integrated processing of reinforcing material from bars and coil. Dating back to 1926, STEMA/ PEDAX (then Peddinghaus) has a long history of manufacturing high quality equipment for cutting and bending reinforcing steel. STEMA/PEDAX is your partner for the smallest rebar cutters and benders up to the largest and most efficient integrated production lines and complete factories available on the world market.

The headquarters of the company is located north of Copen-hagen, Denmark, and the major production plant is in Bitburg, Germany.

To support our customers worldwide, STEMA/PEDAX has its own sales and service offices in Denmark, Germany, Po-land, USA and Australia. In addition, a network of authorised STEMA/PEDAX dealers, who offers service and sales support in 50 countries worldwide.  

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