Environmental Design & Construction articles from September 2003

Environmental Design & Construction archives from September 2003

In the dark.(editor's note)(how readers were affected by Blackout 2003 and their recommendations for preventing this type of situation in the future)(Editorial)
September 1, 2003... When our power was restored after "Blackout 2003" last month, I asked readers how they were affected and what recommendations they have for preventing this type of situation in the future. I received dozens of passionate responses, touching...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Dear Ms. Hucal, I commend ED+C for giving cool roofs of all kinds of much needed attention (May 2003). It is impressive that a banner "awards" feature was selected for this issue. I would have been thrilled if one of your award winners...

Atlanta -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute awards its first certification for low chemical emissions in the office furniture category to the Teknion Corp.(Oneliners)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Atlanta -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute awards its first certification for low chemical emissions in the office furniture category to the Teknion Corp.; Owens Corning insulating products foam board has also received GREEN-GUARD...

Chelmsford, Mass. -- The U.S. Green Building Council presented EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman.(Oneliners)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Chelmsford, Mass. -- The U.S. Green Building Council presented EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman with a LEED Gold plaque for the EPA Chelmsford Laboratory.

Madison, Wis. -- Wisconsin's Focus on Energy Renewable Energy program awarded Thermal Energy System Specialists.(Oneliners)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Madison, Wis. -- Wisconsin's Focus on Energy Renewable Energy program awarded Thermal Energy System Specialists a grant to develop a software package to assist architects and engineers in designing zero-net-energy buildings.

Charlottesville, Va. -- Learn more about American architect William McDonough's and German chemist Michael Braungart's Cradle to Cradle Design framework.(Oneliners)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Charlottesville, Va. -- Learn more about American architect William McDonough's and German chemist Michael Braungart's Cradle to Cradle Design framework at their new non-profit GreenBlue online at www.greenblue.org.

Carrier recognizes HVAC environmental leader.(newsline)(heating, ventilating and air conditioning)
September 1, 2003... San Francisco -- As part of its continuing celebration of the [100.sup.th] anniversary of modern air conditioning by its founder, Dr. Willis H. Carrier, Carrier Corp. recognized an energy-efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning...

ASHRAE to publish residential IAQ standard.(newsline)(Indoor Air Quality)(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Kansas City, Mo. -- Guidance to make the air in homes healthier and safer without adding significant costs is provided in a newly approved standard from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)....

UC adopts Green Building Policy.(newsline)(University of California )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Oakland, Calif. -- Establishing one of the first policies of its kind in the nation, the University of California (UC) Board of Regents approved a university-wide policy for the design of "green" buildings and a standard for the use of "clean"...

C&A donates new floorcoverings to schools.(newsline)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Dalton, Ga. -- C&A Floorcoverings, a Tandus company, joined forces this spring with The Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) as part of the association's School Building Week. C&A will donate new classroom...

Halkias on sustainability.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)
September 1, 2003... BASICS Sustainability is a term used to describe humanity's desire to sustain economic growth and environmental health for the long term--presenting a delicate balance. Architects create habitats for people to live and work in--environments...

IIDA Foundation supports Sustainable Design Education.(newsline)(International Interior Design Association )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Chicago--The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Foundation announced the creation of the Sustainable Design Education (SDE) Fund made possible through the generosity of an inaugural donation by IIDA industry member Maharam. The...

ED+C releases water conservation study.(newsline)(Environmental Design + Construction)
September 1, 2003... Troy, Mich.--Water conservation will be more important and requested by clients in the next two years, according to the recently-released Environmental Design + Construction magazine Commercial/Institutional Water Conservation Specifying Trends...

Inside interiors: furniture, floors and finishes.
September 1, 2003... The Sabre Corporate Campus and the Solaire faced two very different design/build challenges through both reached a common goal. Sabre, in Southlake, Texas, is a 470,000-square-foot commerical headquarters designed by HKS Inc. (Dallas). The...

Architecturally integrated photovoltaics: a marketplace update.(solar pv)
September 1, 2003... As we learned in Kevin Hagen's article (June 2003), "The Boom in Commercial Solar Systems" is increasing demand, lowering costs and sparkling the imagination of architects and engineers. This article will look at this growing demand from the...

Raising the standard: recycling used ceiling tiles and specifying new tiles composed of recycled content improves overhead while reducing landfill waste underfoot.
September 1, 2003... As with most building products, when specifying ceiling panels it is necessary to consider all aspects of the product to achieve improved environmental performance. For example, consider the following: * Product composition (such as...

Sunday school construction: Southern California builders serve the ministry by erecting multi-storied dorms made of ICFs at a private school.(insulating concrete forms)
September 1, 2003... Part of Azusa Pacific University's history has been to continuously develop its programs, curriculum and expand campus area. Its latest progression comes from the production of a multi-storied building that will serve as dormitories....

Tile reduces heat load: porcelain tile offers efficient advantages in ventilated facades.
September 1, 2003... The use of porcelain tile as a building cladding material offers numerous advantages over other materials such as stone and cement, particularly in regard to energy efficiency, wear and stain resistance, and decreased maintenance requirements....

Formaldehyde--free at last: who will lead, follow, or get out of the way for the manufacturing process of formaldehyde-free insulation?
September 1, 2003... If it ain't broke, don't fix it goes the old saying. Not so if it happens to be insulation industry giant Johns Manville. Why then has JM converted its entire line of residential and commercial building insulation from the industry standard...

American Polysteel.(Product & Literature Showcase)
September 1, 2003... PolySteel's new PS-4000 flat wall series of insulating concrete forms can save homeowners 50% to 80% in heating and cooling costs, and save builders up to 50% in installation time when compared with other ICF systems. PolySteel insulating...

Fi-Foil Company, Inc.(Product & Literature Showcase)
September 1, 2003... In frame wall and roof assemblies, radiant barriers and reflective insulation cannot be substituted for traditional insulation, but should be added as a cost effective enhancement. These products block heat movement between a radiating surface...

Quad-Lock.(Product & Literature Showcase)
September 1, 2003... Quad-Lock provides the highest TRUE (static) R-value ICF in the industry--R-40. In the last ten years Quad-Lock has developed the most versatile and comprehensive ICF on the market, including: R-22, R-32 and R-40 Insulating Concrete Forms, five...

Mixing paint with the environment: performance shouldn't have to suffer.
September 1, 2003... There are two issues of major consideration for industrial architects and materials specifiers--cost and performance--and there is a delicate balance between the two. If the situation involves an existing building with occupants such as a...

The role of daylighting in green building design: daylighting is a term with many layers of meaning. From an architectural standpoint, daylighting is simply the admittance of skylight and sunlight into a building's interior. When we think of daylighting in a green building, however, we expect a configuration more complex in function and installation.
September 1, 2003... Now that incorporating usable daylight into a building can add up to two points in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, interest in increasing daylight penetration and harvesting its savings has surged. Even...

Making green roofs simple.
September 1, 2003... Green roofs have been prominent for many years in Europe, and are rapidly gaining popularity in North America. The term "green roof" is used to describe a roof that is substantially covered by vegetation. This covering provides many...

A guide to cost-effective green design for public building owners.
September 1, 2003... The public sector is making a name for itself in the green building arena. Currently, all types of buildings in the United States account for 65 percent of our annual electricity consumption, use 42 percent of our potable water, and produce 30...

Forests for the ages: here's how North America's leading sustainable forestry program balances environmental responsibility with sound, sustainable business practices.
September 1, 2003... A decade ago, no matter where you were in the supply chain for forest products, any question about the environment was a red flag signaling higher costs and depleted supply. In short, a threat to your business. Not so anymore. During the...

Daylighting research: energy-efficient glazing systems at the Queen's Cancer Research Institute.
September 1, 2003... Since the early days of architecture's modern movement, architects have used glass to express ideas of openness and transparency. In 1949, Phillip Johnson's Glass House described the emerging modernist theme of the glass box. Within the...

A smart school.(Radnor Elementary School, Radnor Township, Pennsylvania)
September 1, 2003... As leaders around the country continue to develop guidelines for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings, a group of leaders in Radnor Township, Pa., was charting a course to the same destination. With administrators, teachers,...

Designing efficient HVAC: providing fresh air to biomedical laboratories at Vanderbilt University.(Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning)
September 1, 2003... Research conducted at Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine (Nashville, Tenn.) has long been recognized for its contributions to the advancement of medical and biological science. The school's history includes two Nobel Laureates and a...

New automation system makes zoning installation simple.(Building Controls)
September 1, 2003... Morris Township, N.J--Honeywell Automation & Control Solutions (ACS) has introduced EnviraZone, an advanced residential zoning system that uses a 1-2-3 wire configuration to dramatically simplify installation. An "automatic discovery" feature...

Web utilizes open standards for comprehensive global monitoring.(Building Controls)
September 1, 2003... Columbus, Ohio--Liebert Corp., announced the availability, of SiteScan Web, a full-featured, open standards Web-based global monitoring and alarm management system for computer support systems in business-critical facilities. SiteScan Web...

Knowledge-based integration maximizes performance.(Building Controls)
September 1, 2003... Milwaukee--Johnson Controls Inc., offers a new approach to building controls called knowledge-based integration (KBI), designed to maximize building performance, lower total enterprise costs and enhance occupant environments for improved...

Electronic shades increase efficiency.(Building Controls)
September 1, 2003... Coopersburg, Pa.--Lutron's new Sivoia Quiet Electronic Drive (QED) roller shades, roman shades and draperies not only enhance comfort, aesthetics and productivity at the touch of a button, but the product saves energy by increasing thermal...

High-resolution data loggers feature direct USB interface.(Building Controls)
September 1, 2003... Bourne, Mass.--Onset Computer Corp., introduced the HOBO U12 Family, four new high-resolution, high-accuracy data loggers for measuring temperature, relative humidity (RH), light intensity and other indoor environmental conditions. The new U12...

Small wall-mount sensors interface with other systems.(Building Controls)
September 1, 2003... Stamford, Conn.--Omega Engineering, Inc.'s new miniature environmental wall mount sensors come in six models that will interface directly with most process meters, controllers, recorders, data loggers and data acquisition systems. Thermocouple,...

Daylighting controls for offer energy savings.(Building Controls)
September 1, 2003... Santa Clara, Calif.-- Chisholm Middle School in Chisholm, Minn., has installed The Watt Stopper's LightSaver dimming controls and occupancy sensors for automatic lighting shut-off. Classroom controls feature LightSaver LCD-103 Dimming...

In-room air purifier improved.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Chicago--improvements to Blueair's Model 501 in-room air purifier has resulted in an over 20 percent increase in its Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), the company says. The new ratings give the Swedish-made and designed, Blueair Model 501 a CADR...

Central vacuum system filtration enhances allergy relief.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Webster City, Iowa--Beam Industries announces its Serenity Plus Central Vacuum System, a completely redesigned central vacuum system that enhances Beam's clinically proven ability to relieve allergy symptoms. With its new Air Watts Series...

Advanced filtration fans consume low energy.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Secaucus, N.J. -- Panasonic's WhisperWarm series of advanced filtration fans combine quiet operation with low energy consumption and long motor life for indoor air ventilation needs. The WhisperWarm model FV-11VHL1 combines ventilation, heal,...

"Big" ceiling fans offer cooling alternative.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Lexington, Ky.--Big Ass High-Volume/Low-Speed Ceiling Fans are an ideal alternative to high-speed fans and air conditioning in large buildings. These 8- to 24-foot fans cool warehouses, industrial plants and distribution centers. A 24-foot fan...

System filters and circulates indoor air.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Syracuse, N.Y.--Carrier's exclusive ComfortHeat system consists of a premium Cartier variable speed gas furnace paired with a Carrier non-ozone-depleting Puron air conditioner, a Carrier Thermidistat control, a Carrier humidifier and an air...

Whole house HEPA system available.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Hartford, Wisc.--Broan-NuTone's GuardianPlus Whole House HEPA Air Systems is available in four different models, and each unit cleanses indoor air, eliminating a variety of allergen materials. The systems are compact and are available for less...

"Nose" monitors air quality.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Lakeville, Minn.--Pure-Choice's Nose Monitor is an indoor air quality monitoring technology, ideal for complete building automation control and compatible with most standard control systems, the company says. The Nose is compact (about the size...

Light commercial energy recovery ventilator introduced.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Sarasota, Fla.--Fantech introduces a new light commercial energy, recovery ventilator. The ERV-WI 500 (500 cfm) has been developed as an effective balanced ventilator that reduces energy costs in hot humid regions, the company says. Air drawn...

Air cleaner/purifier available in a single cabinet.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Novi, Mich.--GeneralAire's AC-3 air cleaner/air purifier is an air cleaner and air purifier is a single cabinet. It is effective against virtually all common household vapors including organic and inorganic compounds, chlorinated hydrocarbons,...

Uncased purification system fits existing systems.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Richardson, Texas--The new uncased PureAir from Lennox fits existing Healthy Climate PMAC and Aprilaire cases, while saving money and improving performance. The revolutionary PureAir air purification system from Lennox Industries is now...

Natural technologies filter indoor environment.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Guelph, Ontario--Air Quality Solutions' Naturaire System represents a hybridization of two technologies used as means of remediating contaminated soils, water and air in outdoor industrial settings. These technologies are biofiltration, the use...

Water heater supplies whole house, saves energy.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Houston, Texas--Microtherm Inc.'s water heater promises an endless supply of hot water, saves energy and frees up storage space. The new water heater, called the Seisco, doesn't have a water tank. It uses electronically controlled electrical...

New media-based absorber removes airborne contaminants.(Indoor Air Quality)
September 1, 2003... Riverdale, N.J.--Camfil Farr has introduced a new media-based absorber for the control of airborne gaseous contaminants. Called the CitySorb CH, it is ideal far HVAC applications in geographic areas where ozone may be a concern, and/or wherever...

Hot water available at the touch of a button.(Water Heating Systems)
September 1, 2003... Costa Mesa, Calif.--The Metlund Hot Water On D'mand System from Advanced Conservation Technologies circulates the ambient temperature water in the hot water pipes (that is normally lost down the drain) back to the water heater at the push of a...

Point-of-use water heater eliminates waiting for hot water.(Water Heating Systems)
September 1, 2003... Waitsfield, Vt.--Controlled Energy Corp's (CEC) Ariston is a point-of-use water heater to conserve water in commercial and residential applications, Installing the Ariston tinder the sink puts hot water where its needed--at the point-of-use, so...

Low NOx burner for boilers and water heaters.(Water Heating Systems)
September 1, 2003... Northvale, N.J.--Aerco International Inc., introduces a new low NOx (Nitrogen oxide) burner for use with its KC1000 high-efficiency, gas-fired boilers and water heaters. With the new low NOx burner, the KC1000 models produce >30 ppm of NOx...

Daylighting through translucent sandwich panels.(new and notable)
September 1, 2003... Invented in 1955, the Kalwall translucent sandwich panel has evolved into a state-of-the-art daylighting technology from Kalwall Corp. in Manchester, N.H. Kalwall offers eight building systems: translucent wall panel systems, curtain-wall...

A new paradigm for building design.(green edge)
September 1, 2003... As buildings became more complex over the last century, the divide between architects and engineers widened so far that sometimes it's a wonder buildings work at all. Familiar horror stories include falling glass and sick building syndrome....