Environmental Design & Construction articles from March 2008

Environmental Design & Construction archives from March 2008

Environmental magnet.
March 1, 2008... The renovation and expansion of an existing elementary school in New Haven, Conn., was designed to complement the existing school building. Existing brick, reclaimed during demolition, and the use of architectural details reminiscent of the...

Green landscaping improves project outcome.
March 1, 2008... In addition to being the "right thing to do," energy-efficient landscaping can contribute significantly to an organization's recognition as a leader in conservation and health, as the Houston Independent School District (HISD) has just learned....

The green building answer for Anchorage schools.
March 1, 2008... The Anchorage school district consistently turns to a building technology that addresses their challenges, and gives them benefits that reduce the long-term cost and enhance the performance over time. PROVIDED BY DRYVIT SYSTEMS, INC.

Five reasons why schools go green.
March 1, 2008... As centers of learning, schools offer a prime opportunity to teach by example. Sustainable design and construction practices help achieve all these objectives. The decisions driving sustainable facilities may vary, but the following points...

Geothermal water source heat pumps help reduce energy costs.
March 1, 2008... Whitmore Lake High School anticipates saving about $8O,OOO per year with its new geoexchange system. In the first year alone, that's more than double the added cost to construct the geoexchange system versus a conventional HVAC system. ...

Monolithic domes.
March 1, 2008... Back in 2001, the winter heating bill for Grand Meadow School in Minnesota averaged about $28,000 a month. The following year, officials built a new type of green school that purportedly would save as much as 50 percent on heating and cooling...

Windrush school saves energy and money by using bay breezes and sunshine.
March 1, 2008... Taking advantage of the school's bayside location, Ratcliff designed an innovative classroom addition for Windrush School that will be 96 percent more energy efficient than a comparable school building, according to the Environmental Protection...

Sustainable urban water management.
March 1, 2008... Water management is perhaps the most commonly recurring theme in urban design projects. While water issues have been addressed for centuries, adding an ecological layer to water solutions can limit flooding, sewer overflows, erosion,...

Wastewater reclamation in rural areas.
March 1, 2008... Membrane bioreactors (MBR) with submerged membrane modules have set the standard for the next generation of biological wastewater treatment plants as they offer two main advantages: A significantly improved effluent quality and a substantially...

Understanding the value of water conservation.
March 1, 2008... Flushing a toilet more than once used to be the norm in some of the dorm halls at Minnesota's Concordia College in Moorhead. Taking a vast step toward minimizing plumbing repairs and conserving water, the college removed the old inefficient...

Schools in the news.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
March 1, 2008... In this issue of ED+C, we focus on several notable K-12 projects and the initiatives the schools have incorporated. Plus, there are a host of Web Exclusive articles on green schools available this month at www.EDCmag.com. [ILLUSTRATION...

Chartwell School campus awarded LEED Platinum.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Seaside, Calif. -- Chartwell School announced that it has become the first complete educational campus to be awarded LEED Platinum, the highest sustainability rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. According to National Research Council,...

USGBC Commits additional $1 million to Fund Green Building Research, launches green schools website.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has doubled its funding commitment for green building research grants to be awarded in 2008 to a grand total of $2 million. Of the additional $1 million in grants, $500,000 has been...

Publication provides energy efficiency guidance for K-12 schools.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Atlanta -- A new publication written specifically for K-12 school buildings will aid design teams in constructing energy-smart schools using off-the-shelf technology that can cut energy use 30 percent or more annually. The Advanced Energy...

Coalition of National Design Associations proposes new National Academy.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Washington, D.C. -- A growing coalition of national organizations focused on the built environment has agreed to create a new National Academy of Environmental Design (NAED) to coordinate research, generate new knowledge, distribute vital...

New Jersey recognizes GBI'S Green Globes system.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Portland, Ore. -- New Jersey became the twelfth state in the United States to formally recognize the Green Building Initiative's (GBI) Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system in legislation. In order to ensure that certain state...

California, Alabama and Illinois School Districts reduce energy costs.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Dallas -- The Lucerne Valley Unified School District (USD) in Lucerne Valley, Calif., is completing $374,772 in facility enhancements designed to improve operations, comfort and efficiency in three district buildings totaling more than 70,000...

American Water receives award from U.S. Conference of Mayors.(NEWSLINE)(Conference news)
March 1, 2008... Washington, D.C. -- American Water, the largest investor-owned U.S. water and waste-water utility company, has received the 2008 Excellence in Public-Private Partnership Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. This award honors the...

New ISO Standards to improve quality of water services to consumers.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Geneva, Switzerland -- A suite of new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards offers the international community practical tools to address the global challenge of effectively managing limited water resources in order to...

All Bentley Prince Street products now climate neutral.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... City of Industry, Calif. -- Bentley Prince Street announced that its Cool Carpet program now comes standard on all of its broadloom and carpet tile products. Through the expanded program, every company product will now be third-party certified...

Fenestration systems Manufacturer earns Cradle to Cradle certification.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Austell, Ga. -- Manufacturers of architectural aluminum entrances, storefronts, curtain walls, and windows for office buildings, universities, schools, institutional, and condominium structures, YKK AP America Inc., has earned Cradle to Cradle...

ASHRAE 2008: Reaching New Heights.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... New York -- Major announcements at ASHRAE's 2008 Winter Meeting included free electronic distribution of the Advanced Energy Design Guide series, publication of the 2007 energy conservation standard from ASHRAE and IESNA, and signing of...

REI's eastern region distribution center certified LEED-Silver.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Seattle -- Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), the national outdoor gear and clothing retail cooperative, announced that its new 525,000 square-foot building in Bedford, Pa., has received the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Silver...

BNP media website launched to complement Bath & Kitchen Pro.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Troy, Mich. -- The new www.BathandKitchenPro.com website complements Bath & Kitchen Pro; the new publication that reaches an audience of 50,000+ bath-and-kitchen installers, distributors with showrooms and designers in plumbing, tile and...

Springfield, Ore., to build two LEED Silver-equivalent schools simultaneously to control costs.(NEWSLINE)
March 1, 2008... Springfield, Ore. -- The Springfield School District will begin simultaneous construction next spring on two elementary schools adjacent to the aging schools they will replace. Using a "kit of parts" approach--elements that can be easily...

New + Notable.
March 1, 2008... GREENGUARD-CERTIFIED K-12 CHAIRS 1 Torrance, Calif. -- Virco's new Metaphor series of chairs for K-12 schools feature a full-perimeter tubular steel frame and a specially formulated polypropylene shell. A 12-chair high vertical stack...

A teaching tool for the ages: Cambridge School of Weston builds new science and art building to unite its students through sustainable design.
March 1, 2008... Between 2004 and 2007, the Cambridge School of Weston (CSW) in Weston, Mass., embarked on a journey to build a new science and art building that would not only unite its students, but also serve as a beacon to the benefits of sustainable...

Collaboration gets a sustainable grade: a California school district and green architects partner with city, Community College and Museum for the new green hector Godinez High School.
March 1, 2008... The City of Santa Ana in Orange County, Calif., had a problem: A congested urban environment, too few community recreation facilities, and too little open space. The Santa Ana Unified School District (USD) also had a problem. It had too many...

Every drop counts! The EPA'S WaterSense program offers consumers an easy way to save water, and money, without affecting their day-to-day lives.(STUDIO)
March 1, 2008... While water shortages have typically been a problem in the western portion of the United States, they've steadily become a problem across the country. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), water managers in at least 36...

Acoustic design for green buildings: more green building design objectives need to include provisions for good acoustic performance.(STUDIO)
March 1, 2008... The trend toward green buildings continues to grow as evidenced by the ever-increasing number of buildings that apply for LEED certification. To attain certification, the buildings must demonstrate they are environmentally responsible,...

Educational wellspring: the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas uses lessons from the past to promote modern sustainability.
March 1, 2008... THIS ARTICLE IS A PART OF ED+C'S NEW INTEGRATED MEDIA (IM) PROGRAM, A MULTIMEDIA EFFORT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ED+C READERS A GREATER LEARNING EXPERIENCE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING A VIDEO TOUR, VISIT WWW.EDCMAG.COM. ...

Products contribute to green schools: lighting system help prestigious school to capture environmental awards.(CASE STUDIES)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., upgraded its Middle School building, the administration decided that, in order to live up to the school's Quaker ideal of environmental stewardship, the building would...

Restroom products keep performance high, water usage low: emerging standards for high-efficiency toilets and urinals may ease the minds of specifiers, who need to substantiate the effectiveness of low-consumption plumbing products.(PRODUCT PROFILE)
March 1, 2008... As plumbing products continue to become more water efficient, including 1.0 gallon-per-flush (gpf) water closets and urinals utilizing only 1 pint of water to flush, specifiers are showing greater interest in low-consumption fixtures--as long...

Learning to work with Insulated Concrete Forms: a Kentucky school district turns to Insulated Concrete Forms for energy-efficient Elementary School.(PRODUCT PROFILE)
March 1, 2008... Meeting the educational needs of today's student is a prime objective for school boards across the United States. Record-breaking enrollment and increasing staffing to meet the rise require improved educational facilities. School districts in...

Zinc/tin features solar reflective coating.(COOL ROOFING)
March 1, 2008... Follansbee, W.V. -- Follansbee's KlassicKolors is a pre-painted Terne II zinc/tin coated roofing sheet offered in an extensive palette of designer colors. Its base sheet is coated with Follansbee's patented ZT (zinc/tin) alloy and then painted...

White membrane approved by Energy Star.(COOL ROOFING)
March 1, 2008... Carlisle, Pa. -- Carlisle SynTec, a manufacturer of single-ply roofing membrane, received ENERGY STAR approval for its Sure-Flex PVC white membrane. In order to qualify for the ENERGY STAR rating, Sure-Flex PVC had to achieve 65 percent...

Cool metal coating.(COOL ROOFING)
March 1, 2008... Southfield, Mich. -- VARICool, from BASF Corporation, is a polychromatic paint coating for metal roofs and other applications. VARI-Cool is a fluoropolymer (PVDF), factory-applied, pearlescent coating system created on the foundation of Kynar...

Roof Solutions for the energy-conscious.(COOL ROOFING)
March 1, 2008... Fernley, Nev. -- Polyglass USA, a manufacturer of modified bitumen roofing products, now offers its Kool Roof Solutions Package, which includes its Polykool, Polybianko and Polyfresko self-adhesive roofing membranes. These high-performance...

Reflective stir-in pigment reduces energy costs.(COOL ROOFING)
March 1, 2008... Cincinnati -- The Shepherd Color Company introduced Dynamix Black 30C940, a "stir-in" inorganic color pigment. Black 30C940 is also part of the Arctic range for coatings and can be used widely in color matches to maximize Total Solar...

Titanium, zinc, copper alloy developed specifically for the building industry.(COOL ROOFING)
March 1, 2008... Cambridge, Mass. -- RHEINZINK America, Inc. facilitated the introduction of zinc as an important architectural material in North America and continues to provide technical support to architects and contractors. Environmentally friendly and 100...

Wallcovering uses only water-based inks.(WALLCOVERINGS)
March 1, 2008... New York -- Using only water-based inks and coatings, Carnegie's Surface IQ, a wall covering technology, eliminates the use of vinyl, chlorine, plasticizers, heavy metals, formaldehyde and dioxin. Built on thermoplastic olefin technology (TPO),...

Recycled Wallcovering wins gold at IIDEX/Neocon.(WALLCOVERINGS)
March 1, 2008... Louisville, Ky. -- Second-Look Recycled Wallcovering took home the Gold from IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, for Most Sustainable Product in the Innovations Awards Competition. Ontario-based distributors Levey Industries and Crown Wallpaper were each...

Reusable Wall Finish System controls mold.(WALLCOVERINGS)
March 1, 2008... Deerfield Beach, Fla. -- The Texturglas Architectural Wall Finish System from Roos International is a collection of textured designer wall finishes with features including mold and mildew control and covering up problem surfaces. The company...

Recyclable glass wool ceiling panels.(CEILINGS)
March 1, 2008... Valley Forge, Pa. -- With Ecophon Focus D designer panels by CertainTeed are manufactured from high-density glass wool that is covered by a micro-porous Akutex T surface, offer superior sound absorption and humidity resistance, the company...

VOC-free acoustical panels.(CEILINGS)
March 1, 2008... Upper Saddle River, N.J. -- Techstyle panels from Hunter Douglas Contract offer a cellular construction that provides exceptional acoustical performance and extreme flatness in a variety of sizes, the company reports. Panels that come standard...

Ceiling panel is 100 percent recyclable.(CEILINGS)
March 1, 2008... Chicago -- Chicago Metallic Corporation unveiled Monarch GE, a "glass enhanced" gypsum ceiling panel system that is 100 percent recyclable, the company reports. Manufactured using 70 percent post-consumer recycled glass beads and a unique...

Acoustical clouds available in 10 new shapes.(CEILINGS)
March 1, 2008... Lancaster, Pa. -- The Armstrong Ceilings family of SoundScapes now includes 10 new standard shapes, ranging from squares and rectangles to circles, trapezoids, hexagons and softly rounded contours. The shapes have a recycled content of 70 - 75...

Countertops certified for low-emissions.(SURFACES (COUNTERTOPS))
March 1, 2008... Pomona, Calif. -- For countertops in hospital, food service and commercial applications, Meganite Solid Surface is the ideal product, the company reports. GREENGUARD certification ensures that Meganite meets low-emission guidelines for Indoor...

Natural quartz surfaces earns second GREENGUARD certification.(SURFACES (COUNTERTOPS))
March 1, 2008... Minneapolis -- Cambria announced that its product is GREENGUARD For Children & Schools certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI). The certification is given to companies and products that do not emit harmful levels of chemicals...

High-impact recyclable and recycled surfacing material.(SURFACES (COUNTERTOPS))
March 1, 2008... Englewood, N.J. -- Tefor, by Abet Laminati, is a 100 percent recycled (and recyclable), non-porous, high-impact decorative surface made from phenolic dust and non-virgin polypropelene, the company reports. It is chemically inert and can be...

Low-emitting surface materials for education environments.(SURFACES (COUNTERTOPS))
March 1, 2008... Wilmington, Del. -- GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality-certified and GREENGUARD For Children & Schools-certified as a low-emitting interior building material in educational (daycare and K-12) environments, DuPont's Corian is a practical surface...

Armstrong flooring.
March 1, 2008... Armstrong.... Between us, Building on a Heritage of Sustainability. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Armstrong has long been committed to sustainable design and continues to raise the standards for our industry. From our LEED-EB Platinum...

A barn for a schoolhouse: with the highest level of LEED certification, an independent Gladstone school takes green design to New Jersey's highest level.
March 1, 2008... When founders Mark and Gretchen Biedron set out to start The Willow School, they approached the endeavor with a simple objective: preserve academic excellence, combine it with the joy of learning, and root it in a program with strong virtues....