Oct 19, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Greenbuild wrapped up on Oct. 7th in Toronto. This was CaraGreen’s fifth year attending the conference and despite the lack of growth in the overall building industry, there is a growing green building economy and there was plenty of excitement and inspiration to be had.
The theme of the conference and expo was “NEXT” and based on what I saw (admitting a bias towards interior non-structural materials), materials seem to be the next frontier for the USGBC. The Materials and Resource section of LEED is getting a complete overhaul for the next release in 2012. With the changes proposed, we can expect real innovation from manufacturers as they work toward material optimization from a health, environment, and social perspective.
The MR section of LEED is evolving toward transparency, the avoidance of chemicals of concern, responsible sourcing of raw materials, and end of life considerations. Overall, LEED 2012 is adopting a preference for multi-attribute assessment of materials vs. single attribute assessments. This is a leap forward for our industry expanding the definition of what is ‘green’. As most of us know, just because a product doesn’t off-gas or just because it has recycled content, doesn’t mean that it is sustainable, healthy, or manufactured under safe and fair conditions.
The call for transparency is coming from owners, specifiers, and occupants who want to know exactly where the product is coming from, what’s in it, what’s its impact during use, and what will its impact be at the end of its useful life. Credits have been drafted to address many of these questions and it looks like we can expect Life Cycle Assessments to take a major role in the future of materials.
One area of transparency that can be difficult to make sense of is the ‘chemicals of concern’. Various groups from the EPA to Healthy Building Network and large firms like Perkins+Will and Google have lists of chemicals they want to eliminate to improve indoor air quality and human health. The problem is, lists can vary from one organization to the other, manufacturers don’t consistently know their chemical make-ups down to the parts per million (often due to the depth of their supply chain), and reporting formats vary so comparing products is very difficult.
A promising solution, The Health Product Declaration (HPD) Forum, a group of building designers, specifiers, owners and users, have developed the HPD Open Standard. This form is a voluntary, open standard for the communication of product content and associated health information for building products. Establishing protocols for reporting this information in a consistent manner will help building professionals quickly and easily find the information they need. It will help manufacturers by standardizing the information they need to provide to answer the increasing number of inquiries on these issues. It will also facilitate the integration of building product data into certification programs, product databases and design software.
The open process and database has the potential to encourage widespread industry participation and adoption. Check out the form here and let us know if your firm is moving in the same direction.
Click here to read the whole entry >>
Oct 11, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Torzo Tiikeri was just used in a new dining facility at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. The project was a combined effort by food service provider, Chartwell’s Higher Education Dining Services, designer, Vision Builders, project manager, designSMART and custom millworker, American Foodservice. The project was designed as a LEED core and shell project, but they wanted to go beyond that and make the interiors green. The overall look is a marriage of modernity and sustainability. TorZo Tiikeri was selected because to the eye it is apparent that it’s composed of natural materials. “It really helped us achieve the green look we were going for” said Dustin Webb of Vision Builders. Tiikeri was used in both the Fresh Market and My Pantry stations for cabinetry. For samples or more information on TorZo Tiikeri, contact us.
Click here to read the whole entry >>
Sep 01, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Meld ecoX was recently used in the Farmers Insurance call center in Grand Rapids, MI for countertops in a breakout café space and restrooms. The architect, Rees Masilionis Turley Architecture, based in Kansas City, MO, used Meld ecoX in another Farmers Insurance location in Oklahoma City, which was a LEED project, and liked the look and characteristics of the product so much they decided t o use it in the Grand Rapids location as well. The Meld color is Natural with Tri-Blend glass, which is a mix of green, brown, and clear post-consumer recycled glass which comprises 70% of the product. The countertops were fabricated and installed by Stoneway Marble, Granite, & Tile. Cabinets were custom designed with walnut veneer and the backsplash is a glass tile from Flor Gres called Light Glass, which picks up the glass in the Meld ecoX. For more information on Meld concrete surfaces, contact us.
Click here to read the whole entry >>
Jul 28, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
The May 2011 issue of House Beautiful magazine features a spa-inspired bathroom that uses White Diamond Bio-Glass countertops. Bio-Glass is 100% recycled and recyclable glass. In regards to the Bio-Glass, the homeowner said, "It just glows. It adds a glamorous note." Other bathroom finishes include teak, marble tile, and a round porcelain tub. R. Scott Bromley of Bromley Caldari was the architect on the project. For more information on Bio-Glass, contact us.
Click here to read the whole entry >>
Jul 28, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Dacusville Elementary school in Easley, SC features Durat solid surface as an interior finish. Initial project photos are of a round media center desk, which demonstrates the thermoforming capabilities of Durat. The school was designed by architecture firm LS3P Associates LTD in Columbia, SC, who selected whimsical light blue and brilliant red Durat for the job. The general contractor is Bowen & Watson out of Georgia. And, the millworker is B &H Millwork in High Point, NC. The school has Energy Star certification and will open this fall. Stay tuned for additional photos of Durat in this school, as well as nearby Chastain Elementary. For more information on Durat, or to request samples, contact us.
Click here to read the whole entry >>
Page 2 of 12 pages < 1 2 3 4 > Last »