Building Design+Construction editors bring you the top building products for the month of September. Collected across a variety of building sectors, these products provide smart tech functionality, offer modern aesthetics, and ensure longevity.
From sunshade fins to safety glass, here are 15 products being used in the industry today.
September 2023 Top 15 Building Products
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Stainless steel flush-mounted sinks
by Mila International
Mila International, a manufacturer of high-end sink systems and accessories for the kitchen and bath, recently announced four of its flush-mount stainless steel sink lines. The four lines— Battló, Güell, Vessel, and Starburst—feature Mila’s patented slotted drain design, offering a fresh take from traditional porcelain sinks. Each sink includes Mila’s patented slotted drain design utilizing a channel that spans the length of the sink, providing smooth-flowing water and a minimalistic look. With four unique lines and three installation options, Mila believes its sinks will be the “installation of preference” for upscale consumers and urban residential developers.
Deako smart light switches
by Deako
Founded in 2015, Deako offers builders and multifamily developers a customizable, plug-and-play smart lighting system. The backplate is installed via two screws, and interchangeable switches are snapped in place with a Deako faceplate. Customizable switches—simple dimmers, smart switches, motion sensors, timers, and smart plugs—offer tenants the smart control they desire in new apartments. The Deako ecosystem works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and other smart assistants.
GKD Metal mesh products
by GKD Metal Fabrics
Stainless steel mesh from GKD contributed to sustainability criteria and provided a decorative aspect to the modernization of Paris, France's Poste du Louvre. French architect and city planner Dominique Perrault used the material to create 100 ceiling-height sliding panels made of black-coated Escale 7×1 stainless steel mesh that serve as efficient solar protection. GKD metal mesh is also used as fall guard protection and visual screening, and metal mesh panels form a protective skin around outdoor seating areas. The mesh also acts as decorative cladding housing technology systems, allowing the roof—or the "fifth façade"—to be utilized in its fullest capacity, and earning the building five environmental certifications. The roof space includes sustainable features such as photovoltaic modules and a green roof covered with specially selected plants.
Schweiss Doors bifold hangar doors
by Schweiss Doors
When building a corporate aircraft hangar at a regional airport, the building team sought doors that checked size and function needs, and Schweiss Doors bifold hangar doors fit the bill. Each of the three custom-made doors are equipped with an automatic strap latch systems and engineered to withstand 115-mph wind speed. Measuring 80 ft wide by 28 ft tall, the largest bifold hangar door has an external truss, while the other two doors span 60 ft wide by 24 ft tall and feature internal trusses.
radiant Easy Kit light switches
by Legrand
Created to simplify adding multi-location light controls without causing too much disruption or expense, three radiant Easy Kits leverage Legrand’s Netatmo technology, allowing a wired device like a switch, dimmer or outlet to communicate with a wireless, battery-operated device such as a switch or dimmer. Available in a Switched Outlet Kit, 3-way Dimmer Kit, and 3-way Switch Kit, each kit includes a pre-paired wired and wireless device built on the Netatmo platform, so no programming is necessary. Installation of the kit involves replacing the existing switch, dimmer, or outlet with the wired device, and then simply mounting the wireless switch or dimmer to the desired wall or surface using the included double-sided adhesive.
SAF vertical and horizontal sunshade fins
by SAF
Designed for installation primarily over windows or glazed openings on exterior walls, the SAF vertical and horizontal sunshade fins for commercial buildings can mitigate solar heat gain by intercepting sunlight before it is permitted to enter. In addition to overall energy savings, the sunshade fins can also provide glare control. Created from aluminum or steel, SAF custom fabricates the sunshade fins to allow for custom extruded fin shapes, sizes up to 20 ft long and to achieve any desired performance function. A variety of in-stock sunshade fin extrusions can be shipped quickly for rush orders.
Comfort Intelligent HVAC system
by KOVA
Leveraging behavioral, environmental and unit-specific occupancy inputs, the KOVA Comfort Intelligent HVAC system learns, personalizes and optimizes comfort and energy usage for multifamily, student housing, hospitality and residential properties. The compact HVAC system pairs advanced machine learning with an AI-driven processor to enhance its system performance and predict the least amount of power needed to optimize climate controls and achieve energy savings. Designed for installation between standard vertical stud walls, the system’s slim form factor, wall-integrated sleeve and quick-connect mechanism enable simplified installation. Standard thermostat controls and Bluetooth mesh connectivity are available between units.
Revolution 54 Plus high-performance glass wall system
by PurOptima
The Revolution 54 Plus high-performance glass wall system is available in both single- or double-glazed options within a 2-inch profile. Now available in the U.S., the system provides a streamlined appearance, can be offset or centered to suit the desired aesthetic as well as adapted between single- or double-glazed systems. Reducing the carbon footprint of the glass wall solution, it is manufactured with Hydro CIRCAL, which is made with a minimum of 75% post-consumer recycled content. The glass wall system can achieve up to a 48 Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating with two layers of 12.8 milimeter thick double-glazed Acoustic Laminate glass.
PAC-CLAD Precision Series Box Rib Wall Panel System
by PAC-CLAD Petersen
To balance the desire to add exterior flair with a client’s budget, architects of a five-story apartment structure mixed fiber cement board in two colors with corrugated metal wall panels, which kept costs down while delivering a downtown, semi-industrial look. The selected PAC-CLAD Precision Series Box Rib Wall Panel System in 22-gauge steel utilizes a Weathered Zinc Metallic finish that has a reflective nature which helps animate the building. In addition to its long-term stability, the metal wall system allows for flexibility in its shape and orientation.
Pyroswiss 45 safety glass
by Vetrotech Saint-Gobain
Pyroswiss 45, an expansion of the original Pyroswiss glass, offers a more versatile range of UL-listed fire protective and impact-safety 45-minute applications, including use in 45-minute rated openings windows, doors, sidelites and transoms. The safety glass is also suitable for hollow-metal framing and doors. Because the glass does not use UV-sensitive interlayers, films or embedded wires, the clear glass achieves a 90% visible light transmission in its low-iron option and offers low sound transmission values and UV stability.
StoGuard Conformable Membrane
by Sto Corp.
The StoGuard Conformable Membrane can be used to seal dynamic joints, sheathing joints, substrate transitions, penetrations and rough openings. Meeting AAMA 711 requirements for flashing rough openings and ICC-ES AC212 sheathing joint requirements, Sto's self-adhered membrane can be installed at temperatures as low as 20 F. To make things easier for installers, it features pressure-sensitive adhesives that do not require priming on most substrates, and the facer membrane provides 1,470% elongation to help it conform to complex building shapes.
Top Fill Multi-feed Soap system and retrofit kit
by Bradley
Created to simplify soap refills while saving time and money, the Top Fill Multi-feed Soap System by Bradley is available with all WashBar handwashing models and can supply soap to up to three WashBars via its 1.3-gallon tank. Its single top fill hub allows multiple soap reservoirs to be refilled at once using either foam or liquid universal soap. A smart sense system with LED indicator on the fill port illuminates when the tank begins to run low on soap or battery power, and the smart sensors also provide audible and visual indicators to prevent overfilling. While the multi-feed soap system integrates with a variety of handwashing fixtures or sink systems in new applications, the Top Fill Multi-feed Soap Retrofit Kit is compatible with Verge LVQ with WashBar, OmniDeck with WashBar and WashBar with Undermount Basins.
CF Architectural 3-inch panels
by Metl-Span
Spanning more than 1 million sf on the waterfront, a multi-level logistics center with more than 100 loading docks and tall ceilings that accommodate vertical racking systems that can reach up to 32 ft high needed an attractive, energy-efficient exterior cladding that could install easily within a compressed construction timeline, which brought them to Metl-Span insulated metal panels. The design team selected CF Architectural 3-inch panels in Metallic Fusion for use on two corners of the warehouse and areas surrounding building entrances and offices spaces to achieve a modern look. Because these panels contain a foam core that is encapsulated by two steel facings as well as trimless ends and pre-formed corners, no additional insulation or metal flashings were needed. Additionally, CF Light Mesa panels in Igloo White are utilized for exterior and interior walls. These insulated metal panels install with concealed clips.
Ctrl+e’s building intelligence and energy management platform
by Ctrl+e
Providing real-time visibility and control over any commercial building’s devices and energy consumption, Ctrl+e’s building intelligence and energy management platform assists building owners/management with adapting and optimizing energy usage, reducing expenses, eliminating carbon emissions and unlocking insights into their building’s health and safety. Simple to integrate, the platform uses wireless IoT, cloud-based and AI-driven technology across its ecosystem, which includes the Load Controller, Coordinator, Cloud, and Analytics and Reporting.
Electrochromic glass smart windows
by View, Inc.
The modernization and expansion of an international airport terminal mimics the sleek form of an airplane wing, increases its gate capacity by 25 percent, and includes floor-to-ceiling Smart Windows for expansive views of the runway and increased natural light. A key component of the project, the windows use artificial intelligence to optimize the amount of natural light in the terminal while minimizing the heat and glare, helping reduce energy consumption by lowering cooling loads and contributing to the airport’s sustainability initiatives.