Environmental Design & Construction articles from June 2006

Environmental Design & Construction archives from June 2006

TV guide: tune into green.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
June 1, 2006... For years, television channels like Home and Garden Television (HGTV) have been highlighting great architecture and design. Occasionally, these programs might have included some unique "green" homes or buildings that incorporated...

Kudos for new paper.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Kudos to ED+C on the 100 percent recycled paper content and for the eco-analysis! Here at Chaparral WoodArt, I make sure we go to considerable lengths on recycling, reuse, and other environmental thrift. In the office, we recycle...

We've come a long way, baby!(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... We just got our copy of the April 2006 Environmental Design + Construction, and wanted to let you know that it looks and feels great! Recycled paper sure has come a long way. Gwen Mcnamara Assistant Manager, Marketing Communications...

Bound magazine not recyclable in Boulder.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I just flipped open your April 2006 issue and read the editor's note. I think it's great that the magazine is printed on (100 percent) recycled paper now, and wish more of the printed media in the world would follow this precedent. However, the...

Questioning paper choices.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I read with interest your editorial regarding your efforts to publish Environmental Design + Construction on 100 percent recycled paper. You suggest that your readers choose paper that contains recycled content and/or paper from certified...

Neocon supports green initiatives with 'Green Walk,' environmental Seminar Tracks.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Chicago -- Neocon World's Trade Fair, The Merchandise Mart, Chicago takes place June 12-14, 2006 and the show highlights numerous environmental initiatives, including: * Green Walk, an informal tour of those showrooms/exhibits that have a...

Warner Bros. Studios launches new environmental initiatives website.(NEWSLINE)
June 1, 2006... Burbank, Calif. -- Warner Bros. Studios has launched a new website spotlighting the studio's creative approach to environmental initiatives and encouraging others to follow suit by playing a leading role in the environmental affairs of their...

GE Energy to study impact of wind power on California grid.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Atlanta -- GE Energy has signed a contract with the University of California to study the impact that higher levels of intermittent renewable power generation, such as wind energy, will have on the state's power grid. Goals for the project...

USG Corporation joins Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Chicago -- Building materials manufacturer USG Corporation (www.usg.com) has joined the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments, a group of international companies that since 2003 has been working to educate the marketplace and top...

Report profiles environmental stewardship.(NEWSLINE)
June 1, 2006... Washington, D.C. -- Released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 2006 Sector Strategies Performance Report highlights environmental performance trends. The participating sectors represent more than 780,000 facilities in...

Grand Bay NERR to begin Construction of green building.(National Estuarine Research Reserve)(Mississippi Department of Marine Resources' to begin headquarter construction)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Biloxi, Miss. -- Construction of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR)/Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve's (NERR) green headquarters will begin summer 2006. The new building is targeted for Leadership in Energy and...

Usps van converted to hybrid-electric technology.(Azure Dynamics Inc. converts a mail delivery van into a hybrid van for United States Postal Service)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Boston -- Demonstrating to the public and other businesses the growing viability and positive environmental and energy-savings benefits of alternate-fuel technologies, at a ceremony at the Boston General Mail facility, the U.S. Postal Service...

Solarsave roofing membrane system wins PCBC 2006 "Cool Product" award.(Open Energy Corp. wins award at Pacific Coast Builders Conference)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Solana Beach, Calif. -- Open Energy Corporation (recently Barnabus Energy), a renewable energy company focused on the development of solar energy technologies that deliver low-risk, cost-competitive electricity and fresh water, has received a...

Cabot Nanogel aerogel awarded Cradle-to-Cradle Design certification.(NEWSLINE)
June 1, 2006... Boston -- Cabot Corporation, a global specialty chemicals and materials company headquartered in Boston, announced that their Cabot Nanogel aerogel material has been certified as Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) Technical Nutrient from McDonough...

VPA wins "Gold" for sustainable office.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Vancouver, B.C. -- The Vancouver Port Authority's (VPA) office at Canada Place has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors Gold certification (LEED-CI). The 55,000 square-foot (5,110m2) offices were...

Retrofit kit for PTAC systems provides energy savings, mold and IAQ control.(NEW + NOTABLE)
June 1, 2006... 1 Burbank, Calif. -- Steril-Aire, Inc.'s (www.steril-aire.com) new Packaged Terminal Air Conditioning (PTAC) UVC Kit is the latest in a series of Steril-Aire retrofit kits designed to improve the performance of unitized A/C systems and deliver...

Greenguard-certified moveable walls drive improvements in IAQ.(NEW + NOTABLE)
June 1, 2006... 2 Calgary, Alberta (CAN) -- Haworth's (www.haworth.com) Life-SPACE wall partitions provide a fully-modular sustainable alternative to traditional drywall construction, are more than 98 percent reusable, and can be part of an overall strategy...

New booklet covers key terms in sustainable architecture.(NEW + NOTABLE)
June 1, 2006... 3 Milwaukee -- The newly revised Glossary of Green from InPro Corporation (www.inprocorp.com) contains 100 of the most commonly used terms, phrases and definitions used in sustainable design and construction, such as "graywater," "off-gas,"...

Commercial flooring line utilizes recycled rubber materials.(NEW + NOTABLE)
June 1, 2006... 4 Lancaster, Pa. -- ECOsurfaces Commercial Flooring's (www.ecosurfaces.com) ECOsand is made from high-quality recycled rubber, and was created through an advanced manufacturing process utilizing finer rubber chips, according to the company,...

Building products meet VOC regulations.(NEW + NOTABLE)
June 1, 2006... 5 Avon, Ohio -- As part of the Henkel Group's North American Consumer Adhesives Business (www.henkel.us), the OSI Green Series from OSI Sealants, Inc. (www.osiproseries.com) brand of caulks, sealants and adhesives provides exterior sealants,...

Technological advance enables Jet Black /dark colors to meet 'cool roof' standards.(NEW + NOTABLE)
June 1, 2006... 6 Southfield, Mich. -- BASF's Industrial Coatings (www.ULTRA-Cool.basf.com/www.basf.com/industrialcoatings) has announced Superl SP II ULTRA-Cool Jet Black, the first high-reflectivity siliconized polyester coil coating that meets both the...

Cork Floating Floor features glueless tongue and groove system.(NEW + NOTABLE)
June 1, 2006... 7 Parkesburg, Pa. -- Vallarex Cork Floating Floor from Expanko (www.expanko.com) offers the natural resilience, durability and easy to maintain functionality of cork with the versatility of a glueless installation, the company reports, and uses...

2006 Excellence in Design Awards: commercial, office, industrial, multi-use or corporate facility category.
June 1, 2006... 111 SOUTH WACKER Environmental Design + Construction magazine's Fourth Annual Excellence in Design Awards recognize commercial spaces and offices, institutional facilities, government buildings, multi-use residential buildings and...

EMI's worldwide headquarters has music in its DNA: modern, creative design features are music to the ears of the building's occupants.(EMI Group PLC)
June 1, 2006... When EMI Group, the world's largest independent music company, commissioned a new worldwide headquarters, they wanted the building to reflect and foster the creativity that is the lifeblood of the organization and wanted music to be central to...

Sustainable flooring.(flooring green )
June 1, 2006... Welcome to the fourth annual Sustainable Flooring special section from Environmental Design + Construction. In our recent "Sustainable Flooring Study," March 2006, ED+C discovered that a variety of green flooring products are already being...

StarNet/CARE Reclamation Program recognizes Pfizer, Inc. at New York World Headquarters.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... Ridgefield, Conn. -- StarNet Commercial Flooring Cooperative (www.starnetflooring.com), the largest member-owned cooperative of independent, commercial floor covering contractors in North America, recognized the carpet reclamation efforts of...

CARE Recycler and Person of the Year named.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)(Champion Polymer Recycling)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Pine Mountain, Ga. -- Champion Polymer Recycling, a division of Infiltrator Systems, Inc., was honored as Recycler of the Year by the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) at the organization's fourth Annual conference at the Southern Pine...

Commercial and environmental success for Universal Textile Technologies' BioCel backing.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Dalton, Ga. -- Introduced at the 2004 NeoCon World's Trade Fair, BioCel, the environmentally-sensitive polyurethane backing for carpets and artificial turf, continues to win accolades from the sustainable design community and market acceptance...

Mirage announces sustainable development initiatives.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Quebec -- Boa-Franc, Mirage's (www.miragefloors.com) parent company, is dedicated to the sustainable development of the world's lumber and material resources: Mirage holds Chain-of-Custody (COC) certification, and has been granted rights to the...

Bentley Prince Street receives Climate Action Champion award from CCAR.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)(California Climate Action Registry)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Los Angeles -- Bentley Prince Street (www.bentleyprinces-treet.com), a manufacturer of commercial carpet for corporate, healthcare, hospitality, institutional, residential and retail interiors, was recently honored as a Climate Action Champion...

MilliCare reports 10th year of consecutive growth.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... LaGrange, Ga. -- MilliCare (www.millicare.com), a provider of commercial textile and carpet care, continues its upward growth trend, recently reporting its tenth consecutive year-over-year growth. The company, which includes more than 80...

Shaw Industries wins 2005 WRAP Award.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)(Waste Reduction Awards Program)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Dalton, Ga. -- Shaw Industries, Inc.'s California Division was recently honored by the Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP); presented on behalf of the California Integrated Waste Management Board for the company's efforts to reduce waste at...

Moisture vapor barrier coatings earn the Green Label +Plus environmental seal.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... Middleton, Mass. -- The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI / Dalton, Ga.) has awarded its coveted Green Label +PLUS environmental seal of approval to Bostik Flooring Group (www.bostik-us.com) for its Durabond D-250TM and D-261 moisture vapor barrier...

C & A'S carpet recycling program surpasses 100,000,000 pound milestone.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... Dalton, Ga. -- C & A Floorcoverings (C & A / www.cafloorcov-erings.com), a Tandus company, has recycled more than 100,000,000 pounds of reclaimed vinyl and vinyl-backed carpet, since it introduced the Infinity Initiative 10 years ago. C &...

First Environment verifies recycled content of Mannington Mills flooring product.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... Boonton, N.J. -- First Environment, Inc.(www.firstenvi-ronment.com), a global strategic environmental management and engineering consulting firm has completed an environmental verification of a new line of flooring for Mannington Mills, a...

One Earth, One Chance program elevates industry environmental benchmarks.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... Irvine, Calif. -- In an aggressive effort to improve its manufacturing processes' impact on the environment and minimize its demand for non-renewable resources, West Coast-based commercial carpet mill PacifiCrest's (www.pacifi-crest.com) One...

Commercial carpet launched with 100 percent recycled yarn content.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)(Kings RoadRC and New StratfordRC )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Los Angeles -- New from Bentley Prince Street, Kings RoadRC and its counterpart New StratfordRC are classic cut pile made with recycled content fiber. Both Kings RoadRC and New StratfordRC are made with post-industrial type 6,6 reclaimed nylon...

Thin large-format porcelain panels and tiles added to Eco-friendly porcelain line.(NEWS: THE LATEST IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... Miami -- Manufactured with raw materials and production processes that comply with conservation methods, Coverings Etc. (www.coveringsetc.com) launched Eco-Gres Ultra, large format panels and tiles made of recycled porcelain, which is...

Design, Sustainable Flooring Performance, Product Innovation winners announced.(HOK, Weld County School District, Lees Carpets Div. and Karastan Contract wins awards)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Los Angeles -- The 22nd Antron Design Award grand prize was presented to the San Francisco office of HOK for its innovative use of carpet in designing an executive briefing center for Cisco Systems in San Jose, Calif. The Antron...

Getting to the bottom of a green building: a glimpse at some of the flooring products specified in LEED buildings.(sustainable flooring)(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
June 1, 2006... The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system certifies buildings, not products. However, quality environmental flooring products may contribute to LEED certification as well as a healthier and more efficient building....

How Flooring can apply to LEED.(United States Green Building Council's leadership in energy and environmental design )
June 1, 2006... The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system in an effort to provide a national standard for what constitutes a "green building." Architects,...

Terrazzo plank floors NikeWomen.(Nike Inc.)
June 1, 2006... A typical day at athletic products manufacturer Nike includes recycling, buying recycled materials and assessing products against Nike's sustainability index. As a result of such green corporate behaviors, the company recently introduced the...

Sustainable standards: a new carpet standard pushes the industry forward.(SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... One can only imagine how the concept of a standard got started. At the risk of sounding cynical, the concept may have originated when an enterprising merchant found he could short his weights a bit and no one noticed. However, greed being what...

CARE conference 2006: Carpet America Recovery Effort[SM].(Conference notes)
June 1, 2006... The fourth annual Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) 2006 conference was once again held at the beautiful, LEED-certified Callaway Gardens conference center in Pine Mountain, Ga.; providing a wonderful, rustic setting for an environmental...

It is easy being green: best practices and resources for investigating environmental product claims.
June 1, 2006... Sustainability is not merely a hot topic--it's an important topic whose time has come. The commercial interiors industry is making strides to ensure that its initiatives have less of an environmental footprint. In order to accomplish this,...

Recovering + remanufacturing; Environmentally conscious A & D firm creates a green haven for its new office space: from lighting to carpet fibers, every element contributes to LEED-Silver consideration.(SUSTAINABLE FLOORING)
June 1, 2006... San Francisco architecture and interior design firm BAR Architects (BAR), has taken space in a 1924 dairy warehouse and turned it green. By renovating more than 18,000 square feet and incorporating renewable products and recyclable practices,...

It's time for a curriculum change: polished concrete scores straight A's in two schools.
June 1, 2006... We'd prefer that our education dollars be utilized for textbooks and teachers, but they're not. We'd prefer to utilize products and services that are environmentally friendly, but we haven't. We'd prefer that a disproportionate percent of our...

Cool Carpet: a cool idea for the planet.(CH2M Hill Inc.)
June 1, 2006... High-performance building projects require more than just a solid infrastructure to achieve sought-after environmental certifications. As more companies extend their corporate social responsibility commitment to include purchasing decisions,...

Renovating a children's hospital with rubber: pediatric center floors are easy to maintain.
June 1, 2006... Cleaning the floors at St. Petersburg, Fla.'s All Children's Hospital used to be a scheduling nightmare. According to Anna Stratigos, administrative director of support services, maintenance of the hospital's vinyl composite tile floors had to...

Ceramic tile as sustainable flooring: all-natural material and a long lifecycle make ceramic tile a perfect flooring product.(CEVISAMA )
June 1, 2006... As the rest of the world descended upon the Motor City this past February for Superbowl XL, I boarded a transatlantic flight to Valencia, Spain for the 24th annual CEVISAMA (www.cevisama.feriavalencia.com) ceramic tile expo; traveling as a...

The cost of LEED for commercial interiors.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
June 1, 2006... 'Going green' soon may not be an option for architects and interior designers who view the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) as a...

Interiors that complement the environment.(STUDIO)
June 1, 2006... As an innovator in the creation and implementation of visual merchandise interior showcases for Manhattan's luxury high-rise developers for the past quarter century, I've often wondered why I was never asked to create a holistic and sustainable...

Multi-facility building control system.(PRODUCT FOCUS: BUILDING CONTROLS AND AUTOMATION SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... Baltimore -- Trane's (www.trane.com) Tracer Enterprise Solutions (ES) is a web-based software application that connects multiple building management components into a single enterprise system and provides building owners and managers with...

Programmable models establish unitary HVAC control.(PRODUCT FOCUS: BUILDING CONTROLS AND AUTOMATION SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... New Paris, Ind. -- KMC Controls' (www.kmccontrols.com) enhanced NetSensor models, KMD-1163 and KMD-1183, are modeled after the company's line of programmable thermostats. The new models combine programmable buttons and a versatile display with...

Web-based lighting control.(PRODUCT FOCUS: BUILDING CONTROLS AND AUTOMATION SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... Santa Clara, Calif. -- Suited for applications where remote user access or access from multiple locations is desired, the Automation Appliance from Watt Stopper/Legrand (www.wattstopper.com) is a web-based user interface for the Lighting...

Occupancy sensors website.(PRODUCT FOCUS: BUILDING CONTROLS AND AUTOMATION SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... Coopersburg, Pa. -- Lutron Electronics Company, Inc. has launched a new website, www.lutron.com/occsensors, supporting its full line of occupancy sensors, and providing users with a Selection Tool, as well as access to the company's free Design...

"Class A" fire-resistant fiberboard.(PRODUCT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL SHEATHING AND FRAMING)
June 1, 2006... Northfield, Ill. -- Knight-Celotex's (www.aknightcompany.com) Flame-Spec Safety Board Wall System line of fiberboard products--each from a bio-based, primarily secondary raw material recovered from within 100 miles the company's...

Insulating house Wrap.(PRODUCT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL SHEATHING AND FRAMING)
June 1, 2006... Orlando -- DuPont Tyvek (www.construction.tyvek.com) Therma Wrap, is an insulating, breathable, low emissivity (low-e) surface radiant product for the homebuilding industry that provides R-2 insulation value when installed with an air space,...

Radiant barrier panel roof sheathing.(PRODUCT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL SHEATHING AND FRAMING)
June 1, 2006... Vancouver, Canada -- Ainsworth's (www.ainsworth.ca) APA-certified Thermastrand OSB blocks up to 97 percent of the sun's radiant heat and are the only radiant barrier product with a 25 year warranty. Thermastrand meets the requirements of...

Floor joist framing system made from recycled steel.(PRODUCT FOCUS: STRUCTURAL SHEATHING AND FRAMING)
June 1, 2006... Pittsburgh -- Made from recycled steel, TradeReady Steel Joist Systems from Dietrich Metal Framing (www.dietrichmetalframing.com) contribute to lighter structures, shorter construction cycles, reduced in-place costs and increased square footage...

Rain screen cladding system incorporates renewable resources.(PRODUCT FOCUS: EXTERIOR CLADDING AND COATINGS)
June 1, 2006... Poway, Calif. -- As a rain screen cladding system, Trespa's (www.trespa.com) Meteon is weather and chemical resistant, protecting the building envelope from the elements, the company reports, and approximately 70 percent of materials used in...

Industry's first beaded siding with Solid Core backing.(PRODUCT FOCUS: EXTERIOR CLADDING AND COATINGS)
June 1, 2006... Columbus, Ohio -- CraneBoard double 6.5" beaded from Crane Performance Siding (www.cranesiding.com) offers a natural brushed finish, and its plank helps to smooth and straighten walls while hiding imperfections, the company reports. With its...

Fiber-reinforced cement stucco wall.(PRODUCT FOCUS: EXTERIOR CLADDING AND COATINGS)
June 1, 2006... Atlanta -- Sto Corp.'s (www.stocorp.com) Powerwall Stucco Systems colorfast exterior wall cladding includes fiber-reinforced cement stucco with technologically-advanced elastomeric finishes. According to the company, the system provides a...

Wall system uses alternative energy to preheat fresh ventilation air.(PRODUCT FOCUS: EXTERIOR CLADDING AND COATINGS)
June 1, 2006... Mesa, Ariz. -- InSpire Wall panels from ATAS International, Inc. (www.atas.com/inspirewall) are precisely-perforated and mounted several inches from the building's outer wall that function as transpired solar collectors, the company reports....

Pushing the zero-energy boundaries: the Solar Harvest house in Boulder, Colo., combines energy efficient design with renewable technologies.
June 1, 2006... Recently rated the most energy efficient home in Colorado by ENERGY STAR auditors by achieving 97 out of 100 points, Solar Harvest stands ahead of the pack of homes seeking Zero-Energy status. It is the first in Boulder, Colo.--and perhaps the...

Calif. developer previews zero-energy homes.(Clarum Homes )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Palo Alto, Calif. -- Developed through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Program, ConSol, and Davis Energy Group, Clarum Homes (www.clarum.com), a California-based Zero-Energy Home developer, hosted a special...

Green showcase home to host free public tours.(Built Green Home at Suncadia)
June 1, 2006... Roslyn, Wash. -- Located in the Suncadia resort community near Roslyn, Wash., the Built Green Home at Suncadia opened for free public tours beginning May 27, 2006. Visitors will be able to see features ranging from geothermal heat and cork...

Competition promotes green, rebuilding New Orleans.(Global Green USA and Brad Pitt partners to launch a design competition)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... New Orleans -- Global Green USA, and actor Brad Pitt announced that they are teaming up to sponsor a design competition to provide an opportunity for architects, urban planners, designers, ecologists and students to put forward a creative yet...