The official colors of Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, might be black and athletic gold, but when it comes to campus building roofs, the school prefers to see “white and green.” White, for the color of the Sika Sarnafil EnergySmart Roof® membrane, and “green” for the roof’s energy savings and environmental benefits.
“Tyler Junior College is one of the largest junior colleges in the nation, and our new college president, Dr. L. Michael Metke, wanted to make the campus ‘greener’ and shrink our ecological footprint,” explained Kevin Jones, assistant director of Facilities and Construction at Tyler Junior College. “So when we looked to replace some of the failing roofs at the college, we wanted to find a roofing system that was sustainable and good for the environment.”
Jones did some research on the Internet and found one product that would meet this criterion was the Sika Sarnafil roofing system. Unlike the dark-colored modified bitumen, ballasted EPDM, and BUR roofs previously installed on the college buildings, the EnergySmart Roof reflects 83% of the sun’s rays, thereby keeping the building cooler and reducing air conditioning costs. With an emissivity rating of 90%, the small amount of heat that is not reflected is quickly released back to the atmosphere.
“Our administration also liked the fact that the Sika Sarnafil roofing membranes can be recycled at the end of their useful lives,” Jones said. In fact, Sika Sarnafil recently became the first roofing manufacturer to receive UL recycled content certification.
Although Jones was impressed with the environmental benefits of the Sika Sarnafil membrane, he wanted to be sure that the roofing system would also perform well.
“I read that the Sika Sarnafil membrane was used on the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, so I contacted a Sika Sarnafil representative to learn more,” Jones said. “Not only did he give me a tour of the Cowboys stadium but he also showed me a 30-year-old Sika Sarnafil roof at a Southwest Foods warehouse and manufacturing facility here in Tyler — and that roof looked like it was only 10 years old. That’s when we decided to go with the Sika Sarnafil system.”
The Vaughn Library received the first Sika Sarnafil roof at the junior college in 2010, and the Wagstaff Gym was next. The school has been very pleased with their experience with Sika Sarnafil. Subsequently, Sarnafil® roofs were chosen for the campus Information Technology Building, the Genecov Science Building, and for the college’s Hudnall Planetarium.
“We wanted a roofing system that wouldn’t need any attention for a long time, and to date we have never had a single call or issue with any of the Sika Sarnafil roofs,” Jones said. “In fact, our goal is to install Sika Sarnafil roofing systems on all of our flat roofs.”
He added, “Sometimes following a green initiative is not economically feasible, but that’s not the case with the Sika Sarnafil roofs. They have a durable, long-lasting, energy efficient product backed up by a worldwide company.” BD+C
Related Stories
Museums | May 13, 2015
The museum of tomorrow: 8 things to know about cultural institutions in today’s society
Entertainment-based experiences, personal journeys, and community engagement are among the key themes that cultural institutions must embrace to stay relevant, write Gensler's Diana Lee and Richard Jacob.
Industrial Facilities | May 11, 2015
SOM-designed Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute opens in Chicago
The new space will be a place for academia, industries, and civic bodies to collaborate.
Sponsored | Roofing | May 11, 2015
How architects can tap into the expertise of their metal roof manufacturer, part 2
Here are three things metal roof manufacturers can do to help the architect
BIM and Information Technology | May 10, 2015
How beacons will change architecture
Indoor positioning is right around the corner. Here is why it matters.
Architects | May 10, 2015
Harness the connection between managing risk and increasing profitability, Part 2
In Part 1, we covered taking control of the submittals schedule and managing RFIs. Let’s move on to properly allocating substitutions and limiting change orders.
Architects | May 10, 2015
Harness the connection between managing risk and increasing profitability, Part 1
AE firms need to protect themselves against vague contractual and procedural situations during all phases of the project in order to minimize their liability and exposure to risk, writes AEC industry consultant Steve Whitehorn.
Building Team | May 8, 2015
Construction industry adds 45,000 jobs in April
The construction industry saw an increase in jobs during the month of April after losing approximately 9,000 positions in March.
Building Team | May 8, 2015
Surety bond forms specifically for design-build projects now available
The documents are the first of their kind to be coauthored by designers and builders.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Architects | May 5, 2015
How to build 'smart' teams
In today's complex world, there are no simple answers—solutions to our most pressing problems aren't offered in 140 characters. Instead, it takes teams of people to rise to a challenge, resolve issues, and execute on strategy, writes Paladino's Julie Honeywell.