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How Dave Brown Hacked His Way into the Green Room

This is great interview about Dan Brown of the Holiday Matinee Fame, accidentally became a music mogul.

Accidental music mogul Dave Brown helped launch the careers of Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes and The Album Leaf, among others. These days his record label turned consulting company, Holiday Matinee, beefs up the resumes of dot-coms and other merchants of cool. I got a chance to talk to Brown about the details of his journey from music enthusiast to a record label founder. Illustration by Matt Stallings. 

Read the rest of the Interview @ Lifehacker 

 

BLUE PLANET by 3XN

Continuing Danish Architecture Week - yes I gave it a theme name - I wanted to share the newest project by 3XN: The BLUE PLANET, located in Copenhagen, at the island of Amager.

“We wanted to stage a totality of the experience one has visiting an aquarium. The starting point was this magnificent experience of actually watching fish in their element. We wanted to create that adventurous feeling, and we took inspiration in the natural phenomenon of the whirlpool or maelstrom drawing you into the deep. A sculpture at the coast it unites the natural elements of water, air and earth.”

You can check it out on their website, 3XN.dk.

 
 

Diller Scofidio + Renfro

 
Now I know this isn't danish architecture, but I felt the need to share the news of Diller Scofidio + Renfro's new website. If you like DSR as much as I do, you'll be excited to know the website, not only badass, but also constains a bunch of new projects by the firm from NYCity. So PLEASE do me, and yourself, a favor and check out their new website.

 

 

Walter Towers by BIG

I feel as I have to make up for the, apparently, not-so-new news of Coop Himmelb(l)au's korean project while at the same time I want to take the chance to showcase another project of one of my favorite firms...BIG. These are the Walter Towers, in Prague, Czech Republic.

BIG states, "What will appear as four different towers is actually one continuous building that is sliced up and pulled apart to maximize the amount of surface and facade area to create attractive apartments.”

Seeing that I'm a sucker for Danish firms like JDS, 3XN, and BIG I have decided that, for the next week or so, I'll be introducing projects from each of these firms...hope you enjoy!


 

 

"Solar As Cheap as Coal"

A new company Sunrgi claims to have developed a method of making solar panels that can produce energy at around the same cost as coal. The method they use is to simply magnify the sun before it hits the conductor using the same principles children around the world have used to fry ants. This could be revolutionary but I sadly remain skeptical untill i see it implemented since I am still waiting on Nanosolar to live up to their claims
 

Gemma Arterton dies from Oil in Quantum of Solace

Remember Goldfinger?
 

New Korean Coop Himmelb(l)au

 

Austrian firm, coop himmelb(l)au, has released images for their newest and first project in Korea, a
cinema center that features an 85 metre cantilevered roof over a public outdoor cinema holding
around 4,000 seats. Some of the program included within the building vary from studios, offices and
convention space for the pusan film festival.

To check out more images go to Designboom.com

 

 
 

Poop = Power = Money

 
The headline pretty much says it all but as everybody is searching for ways to create alternative energy and save money it turns out that farmers are ahead of the curve on both.  Dairy farmers have started installing anaerobic biodigestion machines which convert manuer into natural gas which then power a generator.  Adding to the efficiency of the process is the ability to capture the heat from the biodigestor's to use for the milk.  The farmer interviewed about this says he is saving around 60,000 dollars a year by doing this.
 
 

Academy of Science of California/Renzo Piano

After many years, Renzo Piano has finally finished construction to the Academy of Science of California. The building, which faces the already known De Young Museum (Herzog & de Meuron), connects two existing structures and contains pretty much everything you can think of...aquarium, green preserve areas, a planetarium, art galleries, as well as a zoo. All contained within 2.5 acres of green roof.

 

One of the building's innovative details are the solar panels situated throughout the edges of the roof, which allows the building to consume 30-35% less energy than allowed by law. The building is pushing to attain a LEED platinum certification.

Some other sustainable strategies are:

-90% of interior spaces obtain natural light and views to the exterior
-The undulant roof allows for cross ventilation through the main, large spaces which in part filters fresh air to the exhibit areas
-Automated panels open/close to allow cooler air to penetrate the spaces according to the interior temperature
-Light sensors activate according to the amount of natural light

Further information and more images on Inhabitat.com

   

 

 

Bacardi Gets Pork in Bailout

  1. "Sec. 308. Increase in limit on cover over of rum excise tax to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Extends until December 31, 2009 arebate against excise taxes charged on rum imported from Puerto Ricoand the Virgin Islands. A $13.50 per proof gallon excise tax is appliedto distilled spirits imported to the U.S. Under this provision a $13.25rebate is returned to PR and the VI, and is retroactive back to January1, 2008.  Permanent law sets the rebate at $10.50 per proof gallon.  The most recent extension of the $13.50 rebateexpired January 1, 2008. Cost is $192 million. "
DISGUSTING: At least we will be able to afford to drink our way into forgetting our ecomic collapse and the onset of bipartisan corporate welfare.