Modular metal panel offers sloped depth for a variety of applications
Intercept RZR, an addition to Centria’s Intercept modular metal panel system, is a high-performance rainscreen system that creates the option for sloped panel depth of up to four inches. The product is available in both horizontal and vertical applications and can be specified in zinc or aluminum substrates. It is offered in depths of 13/8 to four inches with panel lengths that span up to 138 inches (aluminum), 120 inches (zinc), 48 inches (aluminum), and 32 inches (zinc). Available in a variety of colors and finish options, the Intercept modular metal panel system makes use of a unique fabrication process for variations in size and shape. Custom designs can also be created based on project requirements.
Hydraulic glass-clad doors open a Seattle tavern to the outside
Sam’s Tavern in Seattle opened in early 2017 as part of a newly constructed 12-story office building. The restaurant and bar used two glass-clad hydraulic doors from Schweiss Doors to open the restaurant up to an outside patio with additional seating for 20 patrons. The custom-made doors measure 11 feet, 8¾ inches wide by 9 feet tall and include electric photo eye sensors. The hydraulic pumps that run the Schweiss cylinders are mounted inside the building near the doors. Originally, the pump motors were to be mounted on the ceiling, but there wasn’t enough room. The doors have an industrial aesthetic and also provide a protective canopy to outside diners when opened. The doors can be run independently of each other and stop safely at any level.
Motorized screens add a layer of protection for 40 outdoors diners
Eating outdoors always sounds like a good idea, but bright and hot sunlight, wind, or blown rain can make it less appealing. At Princi Italia, a restaurant in West Plano, Texas, these common peccadilloes associated with eating outside are dealt with via a motorized Era Mat system from Nice Group USA, which powers shades along the perimeter of the restaurant’s patio. Seven motor-driven shades capture the air warmed by outdoor heaters on colder days while still providing views of the outdoors thanks to incorporated windows. On more pleasant days, the screens can be raised out of the way. A remote control opens and closes the windows.
Condensing boiler is built for outdoor installation
The Crest Condensing Boiler line from Lochinvar is expanding with models built for the outdoors. The Outdoor Crest boiler can withstand strong winds, downpours, and UV exposure while remaining highly efficient on both space and energy. The compact units offer space savings for large public and commercial facilities like school systems, universities, and libraries. All outdoor Crest models come standard with the CON•X•US remote connectivity platform that allows commercial facility managers and building owners to monitor and adjust equipment controls from a mobile app. Additionally, the Smart Touch control system is built in each outdoor model and features an eight-inch touchscreen and multi-color interface. As many as eight Crest boilers can be cascaded together. Models range from 750,000 to two million btu/hr.
Acoustic mesh panels control acoustics without compromising design
GKD Metal Fabrics’ Acoustic Mesh Panels are interior aluminum-based panels designed to improve poor workplace and commercial acoustic environments. The panels incorporate a sag-free, one-inch-thick honeycomb support plate, layered with an intermediate blanket of fiber-free acoustic fleece to dampen noise. Lights, downlights, and sprinklers can be easily integrated within the Acoustic Mesh Panels. The panels can also be removed and refitted quickly for maintenance purposes.
LEED Gold texas library incorporates curtain wall, storefront systems
The Seguin (Texas) Public Library recently tore down its old library and replaced it with one three times larger. The LEED Gold building used Tubelite’s curtain wall and storefront frames to bring natural views and light into the library that sits along the banks of Walnut Creek. Bulverde Glass, the project’s glazing contractor, used 16,300 sf of Tubelite’s 400 Series Curtainwall and T1400 I/O storefront, plus four Wide Stile doors and frames. With the help of Tubelite’s curtain wall with high-performance glass, a quiet room extends into the branches of a pecan tree to provide visitors with the feeling of sitting in a transparent tree house. Tubelite was selected for its value, aesthetic flexibility, and reliable structural performance. The library earned LEED Gold certification earlier this year.
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LEED 2009 cites FloorScore Certification as indicator of indoor air quality
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has cited FloorScore® certified flooring products as eligible for credits under the new LEED 2009 Version 3 guidelines. Reflecting the inclusion of FloorScore, the new LEED IEQ Credit 4.3 for Low-Emitting Materials has been expanded from “Carpet Systems” to “Flooring Systems” to include hard surface flooring.
| Aug 11, 2010
BIM adoption rate exceeds 80% among nation’s largest AEC firms
The nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction companies are on the BIM bandwagon in a big way, according to Building Design+Construction’s premier Top 170 BIM Adopters ranking, published as part of the 2009 Giants 300 survey. Of the 320 AEC firms that participated in Giants survey, 83% report having at least one BIM seat license in house, and nearly a quarter (23%) have 100-plus seats.
| Aug 11, 2010
New air-conditioning design standard allows for increased air speed to cool building interiors
Building occupants, who may soon feel cooler from increased air movement, can thank a committee of building science specialists. The committee in charge of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 - Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy—after months of study and discussion--has voted recently to allow increased air speed as an option for cooling building interiors. In lay terms, increased air speed is the equivalent of turning up the fan.
| Aug 11, 2010
PCA partners with MIT on concrete research center
MIT today announced the creation of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, a research center established at MIT in collaboration with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation.
| Aug 11, 2010
Study explains the financial value of green commercial buildings
Green building may be booming, especially in the Northwest, but the claims made for high-performance buildings have been slow to gain traction in the financial community. Appraisers, lenders, investors and brokers have found it difficult to confirm the value of high-performance green features and related savings. A new study of office buildings identifies how high-performance green features and systems can increase the value of commercial buildings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture Billings Index flat in May, according to AIA
After a slight decline in April, the Architecture Billings Index was up a tenth of a point to 42.9 in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Free-span solar energy system installed at REM Eyewear headquarters
The first cable-suspended free-span solar energy system was completed today over the REM Eyewear headquarters parking lot in Sun Valley, Calif. The patented, cable-supported photovoltaic system created by P4P Energy is expected to generate 40,877 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity per year, enough to power five to six single family homes and to prevent 1.5 million pounds of carbon from being released into the atmosphere.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture Billings Index drops to lowest level since June
Another stall in the recovery for the construction industry as the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped to its lowest level since June. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the August ABI rating was 41.7, down slightly from 43.1 in July. This score indicates a decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).
