Environmental Design & Construction articles from January 2008

Environmental Design & Construction archives from January 2008

Outfitting downtown providence.
January 1, 2008... An architectural mesh system from Cambridge Architectural provides the GTECH Center's three-story parking garage in Providence, R.I., with a distinctive exterior cladding material that also provides sun shading. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Finding the sustainability "sweet spot".
January 1, 2008... Sustainability, quite the buzzword in business today, is defined as a development that seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. But the concept is not a 21st Century...

Unique construction features add value to community.
January 1, 2008... Mixed-use communities have been springing up all over the country--and for good reason. One such project is Dos Lagos in Corona, Calif.; a 534-acre mixed use community that incorporates residential properties, offices, a retail center, and a...

Greener hotel rooms, workplaces and more.
January 1, 2008... "Made in Asia" isn't generally thought of in terms of green manufacturing, but Decca Furniture USA is breaking the mold. Its parent company will be the first contract furniture manufacturer in Asia to institute standards to ensure that its...

All mixed up.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
January 1, 2008... Thoughtfully blending residential and commercial properties equates to success for many communities and their overall sense of sustainability. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] All types of green mixed-use properties are going up around the...

AIA report: cities with green building programs have increased more than 400 percent since 2003.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2008... Washington, D.C. -- Since 2003, the number of cities with green building programs has risen from 22 to 92; an increase of 418 percent. In an effort to examine the eco-friendly initiatives of U.S. cities, the American Institute of Architects...

New credentialing organization launched for green building professionals.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2008... Washington, D.C. -- The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), has been established with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to administer credentialing programs related to green building practices and standards. GBCI...

USGBC launches education provider program.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2008... Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the launch of the Education Provider Program (EPP). The program will result in an extensive "course catalog" of top-tier green building educational programs, peer-reviewed...

Johnson controls publishes teams competition letter to 2008 presidential candidates.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2008... Milwaukee -- Johnson Controls, Inc. announced that four students of Carnegie Mellon are the first-place winners in its open letter writing competition called Tomorrow's Energy Ambassadors, Managers and Scholars (TEAMS). The contest challenged...

AIA cote top ten green projects.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2008... Washington, D.C. -- The AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) is accepting online submissions for the 2008 COTE Top Ten Green Projects awards program. The deadline to submit projects is January 31, 2008. Visit www.aiatopten.org for more...

2007 Tekne award recipient in green category.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2008... Savage, Minn. -- Precast concrete manufacturer, Fabcon, was named the recipient of the Green Award at the 2007 Tekne Awards. Presented by the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), in partnership with LifeScience Alley and Minnesota...

Signature centre earns LEED platinum.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Golden, Colo. -- Aardex LLC announced that its Signature Centre at Denver West received LEED Platinum certification. The Signature Centre, a five-story structure, features underfloor air throughout the building with individual temperature and...

Winners of "Designing A Sustainable and Secure World" Awards announced.(NEWSLINE)(Awards list)
January 1, 2008... Santa Monica, Calif. -- Global Green USA honored innovators for their contributions at the 8th Annual "Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards" at New York's Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park on Dec. 3, 2007. Created in 1994, these awards...

TCP, Inc. a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Council.(NEWSLINE)(Conference news)
January 1, 2008... Aurora, Ohio -- TCP, Inc. announced that it is a charter member of the newly formed U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Council. The council was announced during the two-day Mayors Climate Protection Summit in Seattle on Nov. 1-2,...

Mixed-use building making strides against global warming.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2008... Seattle -- Alley24, a new mixed-use building in Seattle, has reportedly reduced the office building's [CO.sub.2] emissions within a few percentage points of the 50 percent target (results are based on current energy use information from the...

NorthWest Crossing buildings win National Award.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Bend, Ore. -- NorthWest Crossing, a mixed-use community on Bend's west side, announced that the two newest buildings in its neighborhood center have won the Grand Award for Green Building in the 2008 Awards of Excellence administered by the...

New + Notable.
January 1, 2008... LIGHTWEIGHT RECYCLED GLASS AGGREGATE OR FILLER 1 Barrie, Ont. -- Poraver is a lightweight aggregate or filler made from colored recycled glass. Only those extremely fine glass fractions that are no longer suitable for the glass industry to...

Movin' on up: challenges and opportunities of vertical, infill, mixed-use development.
January 1, 2008... The reduced transportation and infrastructure needs of infill development make it environmentally preferable from the outset. Add a mix of uses to an infill development, and the impacts are further diminished. Take the final step of integrating...

Raw interiors: sustainable design practices honor and re-invigorate an underutilized area of San Antonio.(CASE STUDY)
January 1, 2008... Located in an underutilized part of downtown San Antonio as part of The SoFlo Office Studios, the new one-story OCO Architects Office Studio is linked to the offices of Alamo Architects by landscaped courtyards. When the design phase for the...

Forbo: creating better environments.(spotlight)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... Certified Suntainable Product Summsry[C] for Forbo Linoleun & Bulletin Board--SMART[C] Platinum Certified [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FORBO SUSTAINABILITY MISSION STATEMENT Our core value for decades has been a commitment to protecting...

Hohmann & Barnard: masonry and sustainable design/LEED.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... The U.S. Green Building Council defines "sustainable design" as the practices of design and construction that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants in six broad categories: 1....

Lutron: lighting control case study: New York Times headquarters, New York.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Efficiency and Quality with Zero Compromises Lighting is a vital component of any construction project. It reveals volume, area, ideas of scale, and it allows a building's occupants to interact with their environment. As such, it affects...

Nucor: Vulcraft contributes to LEED certification for office warehouse building.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Boldt Construction didn't set out to make an environmental statement, at first. The Appleton, Wis.-based construction services firm was moving some operations from leased space and chose centrally located Oklahoma City for its Southern...

American Polysteel: building a better world for over 30 years.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Energy Efficiency * ENERGY STAR * Green Building Sustainable * Cradle to Cradle However you define environmentally responsible building performance, American PolySteel has been delivering the most elegant solution available for superior...

Archwood chemicals: green and greener: a selection guide to treated wood products.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... If you're selling, specifying, or using wood, you're making a green choice. If that wood is treated, it's greener still. And, if your treated wood is a product listed below, you are connected with elite green choices in wood building products....

Constellation energy: delivering innovative energy solutions.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Today's volatile and unpredictable global energy marketplace, coupled with growing demand to curb greenhouse gas emissions, have converged to make energy a dominant issue in boardrooms nationwide. The path forward requires consideration of...

Dinoflex: innovative solutions for future generations.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Today's children are spending more and more time inside commercial and educational facilities. Too often these buildings are old and contain environments with poor indoor air quality and noise. Today, with careful planning and forethought,...

Duro-Last roofing, Inc.: defining rooftop sustainability.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... In the commercial roofing industry, reflectivity has been the dominant discussion point for several years, and the Duro-Last Cool Zone[R] roofing system has set the standard for single-ply roof reflectivity and the resulting energy savings. Now...

Fabcon: saving time, money, energy and the planet one panel at a time.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... As lawmakers continue to pass legislation requiring more environmentally-friendly buildings, and owners become more interested in the benefits and cost savings that energy efficient buildings deliver, the era of "green" construction will...

Flexco: rubber flooring.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... When it comes to performance and selection, FLEXCO rubber flooring is leading the way. Naturally resistant to mold and mildew, FLEXCO rubber floors are designed for durability, versatility and slip resistance, plus they're very quiet and...

Fritztile: environmentally friendly flooring solutions.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... When Fritz Industries, Inc. began manufacturing Fritztile in 1961, words and phrases like "sustainability," "water efficiency" and "LEED Green Build Rating System" were not in vogue in the scheme of building design and construction. But...

GAF-Elk: VersaShield Moisture Suppression System continues to turn heads.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... "How could something so simple work so well?" says Susan Bailey, sales director for VersaShield Underlayment. "This is a question we hear all of the time from architects, building owners and installers when they first see our product in...

Headwaters Resources: on the frontier of greener building materials.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... When Lewis and Clark began their historic voyage of discovery, surveying the natural resources of North America was high on the list of priorities. In North Dakota--where they camped during the winter of 1804-05-they found abundant lignite coal...

Holcim: Holcim and sustainable development.(spotlight)(Company overview)
January 1, 2008... As an integral part of the Holcim Group, a global leader in the cement and construction materials industry, Holcim (US) Inc. is fully committed to sustainable development. For us, protecting the environment is personal. We want our families,...

Hunter Panels: Energy Smart Polyiso insulation--the cornerstone of green buildings.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... We call our product the "cornerstone of green buildings" because we believe that the energy saving properties and environmentally sustainable elements of thermal building and roofing insulation have been somewhat overlooked during the years of...

InterfaceFLOR: Yin-Yang Collection.(spotlight)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... A lacquer-smooth meld of traditional Asian and Indian iconography and modern, minimalist Zen interiors, the Yin-Yang Collection is the perfect combination of sophisticated beauty and sensory comfort for an upscale environment. Just like the...

Kawneer: case study; The Medical Center of the rockies.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Bringing a "Green" Hospital to Life in Colorado As the subject of "green building" continues to take center stage, the case for more green hospitals gains strength. On average, healthcare facilities consume nearly twice the annual energy of...

Knight-Celotex: hear the SoundStop difference.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... SOUNDSTOP TACKABLE WALL PANELS Knight-Celotex introduces SoundStop Tackable Wall Panels to its successful SoundStop family of high-performing, affordable products. The panels help eliminate distractions with superior sound deadening (STC...

Knight-Flooring: quartz flooring.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Knight Industries Premium Flooring remains dedicated to quality, durability and maintaining the environment. As the only United States manufacturer of quartz flooring, we take pride in producing natural resilient tile that offers long life, low...

FGS/PermaShine: polished concrete floorng system adds beauty, energy efficiency and safety to leed projects.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... The FGS/PermaShine Polished Concrete Floor System makes it easy to go "green" and enhance your project's LEED potential. The FGS/PermaShine finish eliminates the need for carpeting, vinyl or other conventional floor coverings, and the...

Nora: nora rubber flooring alleviates cleaning pains.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Philadelphia's Methodist Hospital recently decided to increase its patient offerings by expanding its operating suite to include four new operating rooms and space for a six-bed pre-operation area, a 16-bed Post-Anesthesia Care Unit...

Northeast Sustainable Energy Assocation: join us at building energy 2008 this March in Boston.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... In a world where the paramount design problem has evolved toward climate change and global warming, the practice of architecture and construction has transformed dramatically. This context has elevated the need for owners, architects and...

Panel Source: LEED compliant forest products at your fingertips.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Since its creation in 1997, Panel Source International has focused exclusively on the manufacturing and distribution of forest products with key environmental features suitable for use in the LEED rating system, and is, today, the largest...

Stevens Roofing Systems: a complete line of Roofing System solutions.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... No one knows more about hot-air weldable, single-ply roofing membranes than Stevens Roofing Systems. We are unique in the industry for our breadth of product, depth of technical expertise, and history of innovation. Stevens has been the first...

Sustainable Forestry Initiative: building green with SFI-certified wood products.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... Life cycle research shows wood is an excellent environmental choice for any construction or renovation project--as long as it is from a well-managed forest. But how can you be sure you are specifying products that have been logged legally from...

Tile of Spain: the newest thing in green building is an ancient material.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... From solar-powered hot water heaters to "hardwood" floors made from fast-renewing sources, contractors and facility managers are driving the green building movement. While many modern solutions to decades-old environmental concerns rely on...

USGBC: USGBC wrap-up 2007.(spotlight)
January 1, 2008... This year has been marked by many significant milestones for the green building movement. Heightened awareness of climate change and global warming has invigorated the movement, and more and more people are learning about the impact the built...

Wallcoverings.(PRODUCT PROFILE)
January 1, 2008... The wallcoverings industry is monitored by various government agencies, including OSHA and Congress, to ensure that the product's manufacture, installment and use are safe for the environment. According to the Wallcoverings Association, to...

This is a call.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
January 1, 2008... Congratulations green building community, you've really done it this time. The word is out: green is the way to go. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] And now homeowners want to go green. Recent studies have indicated that awareness was the...

Going green at the beach: a beachfront home employs geothermal heat, solar power and a sustainable landscape after getting a makeover.(SUSTAINABLE HOME)
January 1, 2008... Anna and Dave Porter were like so many others inspired by the green movement, making efforts but falling short of their ideal personal values to help end global warming and its deleterious effects. For years, Dave, a senior executive with...

Integrating energy efficiency: aspects to consider with new builds and remodeling projects.(SUSTAINABLE HOME)
January 1, 2008... Consumer demand for homes that incorporate renewable energy and energy efficiency has surged in the last four years, driven by rapidly rising electric rates and the increased availability of federal, state and local rebates and incentives....

Truly inviting high-performance architecture: a comfortable Boulder, Colo., home does more with less.(SUSTAINABLE HOME)
January 1, 2008... Rob Pyatt's transformation and expansion of a modest 1940s home is living proof that modern high-performance buildings using sustainable materials can be warm, inviting and engaging. Beginning with a small house, a constrained budget and...

Precision-engineered reclaimed/renewable wood floor made in America.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... Micanopy, Fla. -- Goodwin Heart Pine Company, specialists in reclaimed and renewal wood floors, now offers precision-engineered wood flooring manufactured at its solid wood plant in Florida. The engineered floor features a 3/16-inch wear layer,...

New line of re-engineered and compressed wood products.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... Boulder, Colo. -- Sustainable Flooring, Inc.'s Strandwoven wood is available in thee main options: Aspen, MSB, and Timber. All products are made with either post-industrial dustrial content, or rapidly renewable raw materials, and use low-VOC...

Paneling, wainscoting added to green product line.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... San Diego -- Cali Bamboo has added paneling and wainscoting to its line of environmentally friendly bamboo products. Also new from Cali Bamboo are marbled flooring and plywood and all-natural bamboo candles. Cali Bamboo paneling is constructed...

Group committed to manufacturing sustainable products.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... Forest, Va. -- Gammapar and PermaGrain, companies of the Nydree Group, produce environmentally responsible commercial hardwood flooring. In addition to offering certified products through its Forestry Stewardship Council membership, its...

Vintage-style distressed bamboo floor.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... Hyattsville, Md. -- Ambient Bamboo introduced a vintage-style distressed floor that is beautiful, stronger than oak and earth-friendly. This distressed bamboo floor is perfect for high-traffic environments, active families and restaurants, the...

Nostalgic Heart Pine.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... Linthicum, Md. -- Barrelhouse Heart Pine from JG Architectural Supply is an environmentally friendly antique hardwood flooring product produced using the recycled rafters from a whiskey barrelhouse, the company reports. Every order of...

Plyboosquared flooring.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... San Francisco -- Made from select bamboo strips, PlybooSquared from Smith & Fong Plyboo has a unique mosaic surface of PlybooSquared rings, the company reports. It's available in an amber or tortoise shell style and in countertop plywood...

Bamboo flooring constructed with urea-formaldehydefree adhesive.(RENEWABLE (CORK, WOOD) AND BIO-BASED FLOORING)
January 1, 2008... San Rafael, Calif. -- EcoTimber Solid Bamboo is now manufactured with a urea-formaldehydefree adhesive. EcoTimber Solid Bamboo is manufactured in six-foot lengths, from bamboo stalks matured after growing five to seven years, the company...

Study shows concrete reduces heat island effect.(CONCRETE)
January 1, 2008... Skokie, Ill. -- Research, commissioned by PCA and conducted by the construction research organization CTLGroup, evaluated the reflective properties of concrete. The study shows the solar reflectance of concrete and its positive impact on...

Environmentally friendly CMU.(CONCRETE)
January 1, 2008... Atlanta -- Oldcastle Architectural Inc. introduced its newest environmentally friendly product, Quik-Brik with V-Brik Technology. This single-wythe structural concrete masonry unit was designed to control water leakage and help prevent mold...

Cradle to Cradle water-based admixture.(CONCRETE)
January 1, 2008... Carlstadt, N.J. -- HyCrete Technologies' water-based admixture is added to regular concrete and acts as waterproofing and corrosion protection--sealing the capillaries and making it completely waterproof, the company reports. Because the...

Environmentally friendly architectural products binder.(CONCRETE)
January 1, 2008... Charlotte, N.C. -- ProSpec, Bonsal American, Inc.'s brand of commercial construction products, has released an electronic version of its architectural products binder. The CD contains product catalogs, technical data sheets and Material Safety...

Pre-extended, packaged rapid repair concrete.(CONCRETE)
January 1, 2008... Baltimore -- Designed for horizontal applications for structural repair of roads and bridges, CeraTech's D.O.T.Line has 20 minutes of working time and will reach compressive strengths of more than 2,500 psi within two hours from the addition of...

UL/ULC fire resistance ratings for load bearing CMUS.(CONCRETE)
January 1, 2008... Surrey, British Columbia -- Quad-Lock Building Systems Ltd., manufacturer of insulated concrete forms (ICFs), received fire-resistance ratings, and a three-hour fire rating was granted by UL/ULC for a nominal 6-inch (5.76-inch / 147-mm) wall....

Split-system heat pump offers efficiency.(EFFICIENT HVAC)
January 1, 2008... Norman, Okla. -- Featuring complete system control and environmentally friendly R-410A refrigerant, the York Affinity YZH Series 18 SEER split-system heat pump from Johnson Controls is designed for superior performance as well as simple...

Interactive Online Calculator.(EFFICIENT HVAC)
January 1, 2008... Roswell, Ga. -- Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products offers an Interactive Online Calculator at its website. The calculator allows users to compare the energy consumption of two different filters by utilizing pressure drop, thus helping to...

Rooftop platform offers improved efficiency, flexibility.(EFFICIENT HVAC)
January 1, 2008... Piscataway, N.J. -- Designed to maximize indoor air quality for three- to five-story commercial buildings, the Trane IntelliPak II is an addition to the company's line of packaged rooftop air-handling units. The IntelliPak II 90- to 150-ton...

Energy-cutting Heat and Mass Exchanger.(EFFICIENT HVAC)
January 1, 2008... Troy, Mich. -- The Delphi Heat and Mass Exchanger (HMX) is a water-fueled air conditioning component that yields cooling, energy recovery, and ventilation systems with significantly improved efficiency and performance. A heating, ventilation,...

Water-conserving system.(EFFICIENT HVAC)
January 1, 2008... Scherts, Texas -- By significantly increasing the number of times the city or well water passes through an HVAC system, VRTX reduces the water discharge into the storm sewer by 40 to 60 percent, according to the company. Because the system is...