Environmental Design & Construction articles from January 2005

Environmental Design & Construction archives from January 2005

Welcome to 2005!
January 1, 2005... Have you stuck to your New Year's resolution so far? Well, at ED+C, we're just getting started! This year, we resolve to bring you more "green" in 2005. Since 1997, ED+C has been serving this industry and we continue to grow as the green...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... DEAR MICHELLE, I read your article, "Becoming A Green Expert" in the July/August 2004 edition of ED+C. You have a lot of very good information contained in the article and you make some excellent points. If you're open to suggestions, I...

Incorporate issues of social issues and environmental sustainability into design professions.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... One year after Architects / Designers / Planners for Social Responsibility's (ADPSR) 20th anniversary, I want to share some thoughts about ADPSR's past, present, and future, and what it might mean for the professionals in the green building...

Sustainable Leadership Awards announced at CoreNet Global Summit.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2005... San Antonio, Texas -- A Seattle building materials supplier, a New York neighborhood and a Kansas City design firm are winners of this year's Sustainable Leadership Awards, presented by CoreNet Global at their Global Summit meeting in San...

LEED 2.2 comment period open.(NEWSLINE)(U.S. Green Building Council seeks comment on drafting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Desing system)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is now soliciting comments on the first draft of the LEED for New Construction Rating System (LEED-NC) version 2.2. The first public comment period will be open through February 1,...

Schools join EPA to improve indoor air quality for millions of children; schools win EPA awards.(NEWSLINE)(Environmental Protection Agency)
January 1, 2005... Washington, D.C. -- Working with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for millions of American school children, more than 500 school representatives and health, technical and environmental...

USGBC introduces LEED for commercial interiors.(NEWSLINE)(United States Green Building Council introduces the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has introduced the new LEED Green Building Rating System for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI). Previously in pilot, the rating system has been balloted by the USGBC membership and is now...

Recyclable wall protection products.(NEW + NOTABLE)
January 1, 2005... 1 Muncy, Pa. -- The C/S Group introduced PVC-free Acrovyn 3000 Wall Protection. This new line of wall protection products is completely recyclable and free from dioxin formers, phthalates and brominated or halogenated fire retardants. Acrovyn...

Casework for medical environments.(NEW + NOTABLE)
January 1, 2005... 2 Zeeland, Mich. -- Industrial Woodworking Corp.'s Medviron is a new environmentally conscious casework line specifically designed for medical and senior living environments. Medviron uses no urea-formaldehyde (UF) in the lamination process,...

New ceramic No-Flush urinals.(NEW + NOTABLE)
January 1, 2005... 3 Vista, Calif. -- Waterless Co. LLC introduces its new full ceramic urinal model #2102. The ceramic Sierra model is available in addition to the company's previous High Performance Composite No-Flush urinals. The new model offers a full...

Nylon carpet with recycled content.(NEW + NOTABLE)
January 1, 2005... 4 Dalton, Ga. -- Clayton Miller has announced a new collection of products made with Honeywell Nylon's Zeftron Savant nylon. The Cadence Collection, Clayton Miller's first collection of carpets developed specifically for use in corporate...

Adhesive features post-consumer recycled content.(NEW + NOTABLE)
January 1, 2005... 5 Glasgow, Va. -- Lees Carpets has unveiled an innovative new adhesive, Unibond Wet Set RE, specially formulated to install broadloom carpets' backed with Lees pioneering high performance Unibond backing. Marking an industry first, Wet Set RE...

Ceramic insulation coating.(NEW + NOTABLE)
January 1, 2005... 6 California, Md. -- Security Alliance International (SAIL) offers Delta T Ceramic Insulation, an ENERGY STAR approved insulation coating. Delta T is a one-part water based coating comprised of air filled ceramic and silica beads held in...

Online only at www.edcmag.com.(Kansas State University. architectural engineering and construction science department provides green building course)
January 1, 2005... NEW SERIES! GREEN PRODUCT TECHNICAL BULLETINS THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY HAS RECOGNIZED AND RESPONDED TO THE EMERGENCE OF THE LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN...

Soy restores the Shedd: environmental ELMS replaces aquarium roof in Chicago.(Environmental Liquid Membrane System installed at GreenScreen[R])(Cover Story)
January 1, 2005... One of the greenest roofing assemblies installed in the last year just happens to be white in color. In October 2004, the roof restoration and replacement project at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago was finally completed utilizing the...

Finding the right floor: today's floorcoverings meet environmental, performance and design requirements in a variety of applications.
January 1, 2005... Every green building needs a floorcovering, but which type is best? It, of course, depends. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are a variety of attractive and high-performance options for environmental flooring surfaces including: carpet;...

Winning C2C Home competition designs will be constructed.(NEWSLINE at home)
January 1, 2005... Roanoke, Va. -- The City of Roanoke, Va., is gearing up for a new housing competition based on a revolutionary idea--the C2C Home design and construction competition will lead to actual construction, turning ideas into reality and turning the...

Construction begins at Serenbe.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Atlanta -- Although construction at Serenbe has been underway since last January, it's unlikely that anyone has taken notice--and that's exactly the way Steve Nygren and the other founders of Serenbe want it. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

EPA grant will advance home energy efficiency.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Washington, D.C. -- As part of a joint federal initiative to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes,' EPA awarded a one million dollar grant to the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Inc. This grant is part of the President's...

Insulated Concrete Forms selected for Villas at MotorSport Ranch.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Fort Worth, Texas -- When owner Jack Farr started developing The Villas at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas, he was looking to create energy-efficient homes that are more fire resistant, and can withstand the rigors of time, the elements of...

Solar systems reduce electric bills in Sacramento first Zero Energy Homes.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Orlando, Fla. -- GE Energy's solar electric power systems are being installed in Premier Homes Zero Energy Homes (ZEH) community, Premier Gardens, located in Sacramento, Calif. Premier Gardens is the first Zero Energy Homes (ZEH) community in...

GreenBlue partners with Desert Moon to Build It Green!(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Alexandria, Va. -- GreenBlue, the non-profit sustainability catalyst organization started by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, has partnered with Desert Moon Productions (DMP) to generate the production funding needed for the PBS'...

Built Green Idea Home wins "Gold Nugget" Design Award.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Issaquah, Wash. -- Port Blakely Communities' demonstration project, the Puget Sound Energy Built Green Idea Home at Issaquah Highlands, has just been awarded a prestigious Gold Nugget Grand Award for Sustainable/Green Residential Project of the...

EPS foam builds new home with style, ECO-efficiency.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Houston, Texas -- A recently completed single-family, custom home in Houston, Texas, designed in conjunction with world-renowned architect Philip Johnson, showcases the design flexibility attributes of Monotech Building Systems. BASF is the...

Survey finds homebuyers ready to pay for green.(NEWSLINE at home)
January 1, 2005... Toronto, Ontario -- Homebuilders and contractors have a huge opportunity to tap a growing and potentially profitable market for green and energy-efficient materials and products, according to a new survey by Icynene Inc. and the NAHB Research...

Not So Big Showhouse: learning the principles of design and sustainable construction at the International Builders show.
January 1, 2005... Sarah Susanka, whose bestselling books ignited the "Not So Big" movement to build better, not just bigger homes, will debut her next showhouse January 13 to 16 in Orlando, Fla., at the International Builders' Show 2005. For Susanka, the...

Shades of green: what's behind the surge in green building programs? Competition. And that's a good thing.
January 1, 2005... The progress that has been made in green building over the past 10 years is nothing less than astounding. To have even suggested in the mid-90s that the National Association of Home Builders would embrace--let alone sponsor--a set of guidelines...

e-House: toward the perfect mechanical system; "Light catchers" installed at e-House: during construction in the mid-hudson valley north of New York City.
January 1, 2005... In the e-House model, the perfect heating and cooling system would be based principally on human comfort factors. It would always feel like a spring day indoors, and the human skin would be the great arbiter of things mechanical. ...

Geothermal heat pumps contribute to dream home for a man who dreams big.
January 1, 2005... The "dream" in dream home could be easily equated to 5,500 square feet, two stories, a house on five acres and a two-car garage, but for Jim Bose, a man who has all of those things, a ground source heat pump and radiant panel flooring were just...

Wool and hemp carpet tile.(NEW + NOTABLE at home)
January 1, 2005... 1 Chicago -- InterfaceFLOR has introduced a new carpet tile collection made with face fibers derived from wool and hemp. The new product is called Heartfelt and features a felted face construction in three natural colors that exemplifies the...

Reflective bubble insulation.(NEW + NOTABLE at home)
January 1, 2005... 2 Auburndale, Fla. -- Fi-Foil RBI Shield reflective bubble insulation delivers optimal thermal performance for the life cycle of the building envelope, the company reports. Fi-Foil RBI Shield reflective bubble insulation is intended as a...

Green products book.(NEW + NOTABLE at home)
January 1, 2005... 3 Brattleboro, Vt. -- Building-Green, Inc., the publisher of Environmental Building News, announced the publication of Green Building Products, a product directory for home-builders and home-owners. The new book includes more than 1,400...

Expanded energy star rated lighting line.(NEW + NOTABLE at home)
January 1, 2005... 4 Danvers, Mass. -- OSRAM SYLVANIA announced the expansion of its Soft White Dulux EL family with the addition of a series of ENERGY STAR rated products. The DULUX EL product line offers opportunities for energy cost savings since OSRAM...

Tankless water heater.(NEW + NOTABLE at home)
January 1, 2005... 5 Waitsfield, Vt. -- Controlled Energy Corp. (CEC) introduced the new Bosch Aquastar 250 SX model. According to Kyle Murray, CEC's Vice President of Marketing, "Thanks to its energy efficiency, high performance, and ease of installation, the...

Hunter Douglas Contract.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)(new product)
January 1, 2005... ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION'S 2005 MANUFACTURER EDITORIAL SPOTLIGHTS FEATURES NEWS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND PROFILES FROM SOME OF THE LEADING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS. THE CONTENT IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES WAS WRITTEN AND PROVIDED...

AFM Safe Coat.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... THE AFM SOLUTION Back in the 1970's, no one was thinking about indoor air pollution. And AFM was just another established manufacturer of paints, sealers, solvents and other building products. But Nestor Noe, founder of AFM, became alarmed...

Amtico International.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... Amtico International is more than a flooring company--they are flooring fanatics. The company manufactures high performance products that are considered the benchmark in the flooring industry. Stratica is a unique flooring product that...

Antron; Environmentally preferable products: a standard for green.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)(Antron Carpet Fibers)
January 1, 2005... Congratulations! You've decided to join the thousands of design professionals and specifiers who are incorporating environmental responsibility into their practices. Fortunately, you have an ever-increasing number of "green" products and...

Benjamin Moore & Co.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... A COMMITMENT TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR COMMUNITY The EcoSpec[R] line, a premium paint line from Benjamin Moore, was created with our customers and environment in mind. A low odor, low-VOC 100 percent acrylic paint, EcoSpec[R] paint is...

Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... Discussions of building "sustainability" often go directly to those aspects that impact energy efficiency. While this is one of the most important aspects of sustainable design, there is much more to sustaining the built environment. ...

ECOsurfaces.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... ECOSURFACES DEEMED A SOUND DECISION FOR A NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL Originally built in 1993, Eastlake High School is part of the Lake Washington School District, located 20 miles east of Seattle in Sammamish, Washington. Part of a...

Forbo Flooring: introducing Marmoleum global 2!(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... Forbo has been making natural linoleum floor covering for over a century. We are now introducing the most complete linoleum collection to date: Marmoleum global 2. A striking collection complete in design, color and performance. ...

Holcim (US) Inc.: Holcim Awards two million dollars in prize money for sustainable construction projects.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... The Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction was created to promote sustainable construction worldwide. Entries for the competition are now open and sustainable construction projects can be submitted for the Awards via the Internet until...

Lees Carpets.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)(rug and carpet industry products)
January 1, 2005... SUSTAINABILITY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM Since its inception more than 150 years ago, Lees Carpets has been committed to sustainable product design and business operating procedures. Top to bottom, Lees products open new doors to a cleaner world,...

Lehigh Cement Company: White Cement Division.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... Lehigh Cement Company has served the construction industry in North America for more than 100 years as a producer of high quality portland, blended and specialty cements and construction materials, widely used for numerous architectural,...

Lonseal.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)(building materials industry)
January 1, 2005... Lonseal has been a proud manufacturer and distributor of resilient sheet vinyl flooring for over three decades. By offering customers versatile and unique design choices and various color selections, Lonseal strives to better the overall...

NUDURA Corporation: NUDURA--an integrated philosophy.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... NUDURA Corporation is the partnership of one of the worlds leading Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) manufacturers and several of the industries leading sales and marketing entrepreneurs. Committed to providing innovative products and unprecedented...

Polyglass: Polyglass adds value!(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... POLYGLASS ADESO TECHNOLOGY With the most technologically advanced manufacturing in the industry, Polyglass was the first manufacturer to introduce self-adhered membranes featuring ADESO[R] Technology to the building industry. In 2004,...

Prairie Technologies: developing sustainable and renewable building technologies.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... Prairie Technologies is a consulting and technology firm specializing in the design and implementation of sustainable building technologies, renewable energy technologies, and related building commissioning techniques and approaches. Prairie...

Rheem Manufacturing Company: the new Rheem Pronto!... Convenient, energy efficient, and space saving.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)(introducing gas water heater)
January 1, 2005... Rheem Water Heaters is excited to introduce a new tankless gas water heater that delivers a continuous supply of 100[degrees]F to 140[degrees]F water at a flow rate as high as 7.4 gallons per minute (gpm). Part of the Pronto! Line of on-demand,...

Rust-Oleum Corporation: Sierra Performance Coatings saves time at major motion picture studio.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)
January 1, 2005... SITUATION ANALYSIS A major motion picture studio, headquartered in Hollywood, California, was searching for a high performance coating that would hold up for their heavy industrial needs for features and everyday maintenance work. The...

Sherwin-Williams: Sherwin-Williams and Green Building initiatives.(2005 MANUFACTURER editorial spotlights)(Company Profile)
January 1, 2005... Sherwin-Williams is dedicated to developing environmentally preferable solutions for its business processes and its products. The Company continues to search for more sustainable raw materials, as well as continues to be as diligent as possible...

Pursuing LEED: recommendations make the certification process smoother and help project teams achieve the desired LEED rating.(STUDIO)(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
January 1, 2005... While the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System is fast becoming the recognized standard for sustainable buildings, the LEED certification process itself remains a mystery to many. ...

Maximize performance and minimize operating costs by commissioning new and existing school buildings.(STUDIO)
January 1, 2005... School districts, like other public institutions throughout the country, are under tremendous pressure to cut costs and trim budgets. With every dollar being scrutinized by administrators, board members and citizens, school leaders have an...

Planning a green campus: new St. Louis Community College campus planning process offers lessons in sustainability.
January 1, 2005... When St. Louis Community College began planning a new campus in West St. Louis County, the Trustees committed themselves to sustainability, a concept consistent with the college's philosophy that education should be "... a rewarding experience...

Rethinking the way we 'treat' water: scientific and regulatory scrutiny has left traditional centralized water treatment open for a new change.(STUDIO)
January 1, 2005... Water is constantly in the news. Unfortunately, lately the news about water seems to be all negative--contaminants, shortages, legal battles over water rights, etc. It sounds as if we are facing a huge problem, and more of the same for the near...

Greed to Green.(Book Review)
January 1, 2005... Greed to Green, referenced as "the transformation of an industry and a life," by David Gottfried, is a must-read for all green building professionals. When I received a copy of Greed to Green at the 2003 Greenbuild conference in...

Green design solutions.
January 1, 2005... Announcing an Innovative Conference that Delivers the Latest Advancements in Green Building Design for Hospitals and Schools. Who Should Attend: * Architects * Design Build Professionals * Building Owners *...

Seamless waterproofing.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Spokane Valley, Wash. -- United Coatings manufactures a complete line of acrylic, silicone and polyurethane coatings for new or retrofit roof construction, providing highly reflective, seamless waterproofing protection. The result is a cooler...

Waterproofing/air barrier.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Atlanta -- Sto Guard from Sto Corp. is a breathable, fluid-applied waterproofing/air barrier, providing superior protection against air and moisture intrusion in a variety of applications, including underneath brick, wood, vinyl, cement siding...

Tile roofing underlayment.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Fernley, Nev. -- Polyglass, manufacturer of modified bitumen roofing products, introduces a new high-temperature-resistant tile roofing underlayment and waterproofing product, Polystick TU Plus. Polystick TU Plus is manufactured using the...

Green roofing system.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Chicago -- Mule-Hide offers single-ply roofing for the GreenGrid green roof system. GreenGrid modules arrive at the worksite planted and ready for installation. Interlocking modules are composed of recycled plastics. Only Mule-Hide and...

Water and moisture protection.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Houston -- Valeron Strength Films recently announced the completion of one of its first major housewrap project using its revolutionary WeatherTrek product since launching the brand in 2004. Developed with Valeron's patented EVD Technology,...

ENERGY STAR coating.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Rockford, Minn. -- ERSystems (Elastomeric Roofing Systems, Inc) reports that the company's Erathane ULTRA water-born polyurethane coating is now certified by the ENERGY STAR program. ULTRA is a high solids, waterborne, aliphatic polyurethane...

Fire-resistant barrier.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... West Dundee, Ill. -- Barrier Dynamics, L.L.C.'s StahrCoat SS fire resistant coatings are available for creating a fire-resistant barrier on a variety of substrates such as steel, aluminum, wood, plywood, OSB fiberboard and gypsum wallboard. The...

Green roof coatings.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Rockford, Minn. -- Prairie Technologies introduces three waterborne roof coatings. Each of the coatings is designed to restore specific roofing substrates including: single ply membranes, metal, asphalt, and spray polyurethane foam. The...

Cellulose sheathing.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Chicago -- FIBEROCK Brand AQUATOUGH Sheathing, a core-reinforced gypsum/cellulose sheathing from U.S. Gypsum Co., delivers increased strength, superior moisture resistance and a flatter, smoother surface than many conventional products, the...

Recyclable ICFs.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Barrie, Ontario -- Nudura's Insulated Concrete Form is unique from alternative existing ICF technology, the company says. Not only is the Expanded Polystyrene Form 100 percent recyclable, leaving no waste in production, but additionally both...

Masonry drainage system.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Gary, Ind. -- The Mortar Net Drainage System is a mortar dropping collection product, made from recycled polyester, providing the solution for clogged weep holes in masonry cavity construction. Mortar Net ensures masonry walls breathe, drain...

15-inch form.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Omaha, Neb. -- Reward Wall Systems, Inc.'s new 15-inch iForm flat wall insulating concrete form (ICF) produces a 10-inch steel-reinforced monolithic concrete wall. The 15-inch iForm retains the same design features of Reward's other iForm...

Recycled ground face masonry.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Emigsville, Pa. -- Trenwyth Industries, an Oldcastle company, announces Verastone premium recycled ground face masonry units that contain up to 40 percent post-industrial recycled content. Verastone units are integrally colored, pre-finished...

Curved SRS roof.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Moon Township, Pa. -- Centria's SRS Standing Seam Roof offers clean lines and long panel lengths that enhance weather resistance. This system also offers enhanced appearance and versatility, simplified installation and improved life-cycle...

Reflective steel sheet.(PRODUCT FOCUS)
January 1, 2005... Kalama Wash. -- Steelscape, Inc.'s Zincalume steel is a metallic-coated sheet steel for a variety of applications. Zincalume steel offers many performance advantages including corrosion resistance, yield advantage, formability and high...

Steel recycling.(PRODUCT FOCUS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Pittsburgh, Pa. -- The Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) is an industry association that promotes and sustains the recycling of all steel products. The SRI educates the solid waste industry, government, business and ultimately the consumer about...