1. MINIMAL HARDWARE CREATES A SLIDING SHOWER DOOR WITH A MODERN AESTHETIC
The Cambridge Bypass Sliding Shower Door System from C.R. Laurence features a double-bypass configuration that allows for entry from the left or right side. Minimal hardware creates a modern aesthetic. Stainless steel rollers (inset) yield smooth door operation. The stainless steel design can be installed on full standing showers or onto bathtubs. Maximum door width: 37 inches; maximum door weight: 84 pounds.
2. ALL-IN-ONE WASHER-DRYER saves SPACE in smaller units
The Whirlpool Smart All-In-One Care Washer and Dryer allows a single laundry load to be completely washed and dried in the same machine. The ventless unit can fit under kitchen counters or in closets, laundry rooms, and bathrooms. Comes with Amazon Alexa and Apple Watch compatibility. The Whirlpool mobile app can provide alert notifications to the tenant’s smartphone.
3. LOW-MAINTENANCE ROOFTOP DECK BEAUTIFIES WASHINGTON’S APOLLO APARTMENTS
Built on the site of the Apollo Theater in the District of Columbia, the Apollo Apartments complex has over 350 rentals, a Whole Foods, and a landscaped rooftop terrace. The project’s landscape designer, Landscape Architecture Bureau, specified Kebony modified wood for the terrace pergola for its low-maintenance properties and the natural silver patina it develops over time. Kebony wood was also used for the decking and benches throughout the project.
4. METAL ROOF AIDS SENIOR LIVING FACILITY’S THERMAL AND WIND RESISTANCE
The one-story roof of the three-story Ridge Senior Living facility in Salt Lake City dominates the view from most resident’s windows. The project team—AJC Architects, Sahara Construction, and Capitol Roofing—decided to use the MBCI SuperLok 16-inch metal panel roofing system on the first-story roof for its clean aesthetic design and thermal and wind resistance. The mechanically field-seamed, vertical leg standing seam roof system provides exceptional resistance to wind uplift and the option to add insulation to the existing roof.
5. NEW BATHROOM DESIGN SERIES PROVIDES A FRESH TAKE ON THE CLASSIC RECTANGULAR SHAPE
The new DuraSquare collection from Duravit features ceramics and a fresh take on furniture. The collection’s washbasin has walls that are only 3/16-inch thick thanks to its DuraCeram construction. Complementing the washbasins is the DuraSquare vanity. The console frame is height-adjustable and available in silver (chrome) or matte black. The furniture frame includes a glass shelf (available in six colors) and a towel rack. Bathtubs round out the collection and mimic the shape of the washbasins.
6. BUILT-IN MODULES CONCEAL COMPLETE KITCHENS
The YesterTec Stealth Kitchen System hides complete kitchens in built-in modules to create a minimalist look or maximize the efficiency of a small space. The modules look like built-in cabinetry and come in a variety of finish options. The stealth kitchens are suited for apartments, game rooms, and entertainment areas. The modules can be configured into an L-shape or galley kitchen, as a straight line, or with a peninsula. Units are 29 inches deep.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Pioneer Courthouse: Shaking up the court
In the days when three-quarters of America was a wild, lawless no-man's land, Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Ore., stood out as a symbol of justice and national unity. The oldest surviving federal structure in the Pacific Northwest and the second-oldest courthouse west of the Mississippi, Pioneer Courthouse was designed in 1875 by Alfred Mullett, the Supervising Architect of the Treasury.
| Aug 11, 2010
Gold Award: Eisenhower Theater, Washington, D.C.
The Eisenhower Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., opened in 1971. By the turn of the century, after three-plus decades of heavy use, the 1,142-seat box-within-a-box playhouse on the Potomac was starting to show its age. Poor lighting and tired, worn finishes created a gloomy atmosphere.
| Aug 11, 2010
Giants 300 University Report
University construction spending is 13% higher than a year ago—mostly for residence halls and infrastructure on public campuses—and is expected to slip less than 5% over the next two years. However, the value of starts dropped about 10% in recent months and will not return to the 2007–08 peak for about two years.
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Business Management
22. Commercial Properties Repositioned for University USE Tocci Building Companies is finding success in repositioning commercial properties for university use, and it expects the trend to continue. The firm's Capital Cove project in Providence, R.I., for instance, was originally designed by Elkus Manfredi (with design continued by HDS Architects) to be a mixed-use complex with private, market-...
| Aug 11, 2010
Seven tips for specifying and designing with insulated metal wall panels
Insulated metal panels, or IMPs, have been a popular exterior wall cladding choice for more than 30 years. These sandwich panels are composed of liquid insulating foam, such as polyurethane, injected between two aluminum or steel metal face panels to form a solid, monolithic unit. The result is a lightweight, highly insulated (R-14 to R-30, depending on the thickness of the panel) exterior clad...
| Aug 11, 2010
Nurturing the Community
The best seat in the house at the new Seahawks Stadium in Seattle isn't on the 50-yard line. It's in the southeast corner, at the very top of the upper bowl. "From there you have a corner-to-corner view of the field and an inspiring grasp of the surrounding city," says Kelly Kerns, project leader with architect/engineer Ellerbe Becket, Kansas City, Mo.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA Course: Historic Masonry — Restoration and Renovation
Historic restoration and preservation efforts are accelerating throughout the U.S., thanks in part to available tax credits, awards programs, and green building trends. While these projects entail many different building components and systems, façade restoration—as the public face of these older structures—is a key focus. Earn 1.0 AIA learning unit by taking this free course from Building Design+Construction.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA Course: Enclosure strategies for better buildings
Sustainability and energy efficiency depend not only on the overall design but also on the building's enclosure system. Whether it's via better air-infiltration control, thermal insulation, and moisture control, or more advanced strategies such as active façades with automated shading and venting or novel enclosure types such as double walls, Building Teams are delivering more efficient, better performing, and healthier building enclosures.
| Aug 11, 2010
Glass Wall Systems Open Up Closed Spaces
Sectioning off large open spaces without making everything feel closed off was the challenge faced by two very different projects—one an upscale food market in Napa Valley, the other a corporate office in Southern California. Movable glass wall systems proved to be the solution in both projects.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA course: MEP Technologies For Eco-Effective Buildings
Sustainable building trends are gaining steam, even in the current economic downturn. More than five billion square feet of commercial space has either been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program or is registered with LEED. It is projected that the green building market's dollar value could more than double by 2013, to as muc...
