Apr 25, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Builder magazine just released their Readers’ Choice 50 Favorite Products of 2010 and Meld concrete surfaces is number 8 on the list. The list is based on reader service requests and includes a mix of sustainable and conventional products in categories ranging from appliances to solar products. Meld is honored to be on this list among world-class brands like GE and Kohler. Over the last decade, Meld has refined the craft of making con crete surfaces. Meld blends concrete with recycled materials to create artful, sustainable concrete surfaces. Their products have up to 75% recycled content and can help projects achieve LEED accreditation. Meld concrete is available in pre-cast slabs or they can work with architects and designers on custom projects.
To see Builder’s complete list of reader’s choice products, click here. For more information on Meld or to request samples, contact us.
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Apr 25, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in the historic Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC commissioned 21 custom Durat tabletops for their space. The Dilworth restaurant was the original Brixx location, which opened in 1998, and the tables were part of a remodel of the space. They selected Durat color 260, a soft cream, which serves as a backdrop for warm, bright colors used as accents throughout the space. Leslie Povall from Tobin Starr + Partners, the architect on the project, told CaraGreen that the tables looked fantastic and “Durat is truly a special material and it created the interesting and tactile nature we wanted the table to evoke.”
CaraGreen is getting ready to deliver Durat tabletops for two additional Brixx locations in Gastonia, NC and Woodbridge, VA. And, another store is getting started in Clear Springs, TN. As Brixx expands in the SE over the next few years, CaraGreen will continue to work with them and provide custom Durat tops for their restaurants.
Durat is easy to maintain and extremely durable, making it ideal for commercial applications. Durat is available in more than 70 vibrant colors and custom colors can be tinted to order. Durat has the capability to create custom works, either by creating custom molds or fabricating their sheet goods, to efficiently meet the exact needs of projects. And, the material contains 30% recycled content, is 100% recyclable, and can contribute to LEED credits.
For more information on Durat or to explore a custom Durat project, contact us.
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Apr 25, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Pratt Institute recently opened a new six-story, 120,000 square foot, green academic and administrative facility named Myrtle Hall to house the college's Department of Digital Arts. Meld ecoX concrete was a prominent part of the project, as the main staircase and over 1800 square feet of custom concrete floor tiles were used in the facility. Designed by the New York City architecture firm WASA/Studio A, the building is targeted for LEED Gold certification. Major sustainable features include exterior sun shades, a green roof, and solar photo-voltaic panels that generate on-site electricity. It will be the first higher education building project in Brooklyn to receive any LEED certification and the first academic building to receive a LEED-gold certification in Brooklyn.
Meld ecoX was selected for the project for its sustainability profile and Meld’s custom capabilities. EcoX contains up to 75% recycled content, predominantly from recycled glass, which is suspended in a cementious binder. Meld works with architects and designers on custom products to make their ideas a reality. Meld can blend custom colors and aggregates, as well as create custom molds, to make everything from countertops with built-in sinks to sculptures to flooring.
Myrtle Hall will serve as a physical manifestation of Pratt's commitment to sustainable design education. The new building will afford Pratt's Digital Arts program the space and facilities necessary for its faculty and students to continue their cutting-edge design and research including state-of-the-art wired studio/classrooms, a digital resource center, animation labs, a recording studio, graduate studio spaces, and a prominent all-glass gallery in the atrium. Myrtle Hall also contributes to Pratt's ranking as one of the country's most environmentally responsible colleges according to The Princeton Review, which published its Guide to 286 Green Colleges and noted that Pratt's "reputation as a prestigious art school makes it an obvious choice for students interested in green design."
For more information on Meld ecoX or to explore custom Meld projects, contact us.
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Mar 23, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
Artist Sharon Knettell paints beautiful dancers with the skill of a master. After seeing her exquisite images, the fact that she just remodeled her kitchen with pink Durat countertops, from CaraGreen, makes perfect sense. Her kitchen is another medium for her to impart her artistic vision. Sharon did all the design work, research, and floor plan for the space. She told us that she caught a lot of grief for the color from people in the business. She heard, “it’s so bubblegum” and “Barbie, think of the resale value”. But now, everyone who sees it loves it.
Sharon said, “When I first was planning the kitchen I knew I wanted something modern and striking, but the design had to respect the architecture of the house, a 1905 New England carriage house in Woonsocket, RI. Ultra-modern Sleek Italian design would not cut it. I love black and white and the sharp contrast, gives, I think, a more contemporary edge to the traditional Shaker cabinets. The kitchen is galley shaped, and the bottom black cabinets visually recede making the space appear bigger. The counter therefore had to be an element that bridged the gap between the strong contrasts. I did not want all the usual suspects - neutrals, plain white or something as overused and boring as granite. Seeing Durat 150 pink was a eureka moment. Perfect! I love pink. It was not a coral pink or grey beige pink, but a lovely cool raspberry pink. I am a painter so perfect color is important to me. I also researched the quality of the material and found that it was highly regarded.” Sharon uses the kitchen heavily and says the counters are great for rolling out dough. The material resists stains and cleans easily. And, “it always looks fresh and bright – a joy in the morning”. The fact that Durat is sustainable and contains 30% recycled content and is 100% recyclable is a bonus.
Contractor - Ocean State Property Services
Back splash and wall glass mosaics - Bisazza
Black and white cabinetry - Crown Point Cabinetry
Range hood - Kobe Range Hoods
Sink - Elkay Avado Undermount Sink | EFRU3219
Stove - GE Appliances
Stacked washer and dryer - LG
Faucet and dish liquid dispenser - Hansgrohe
Refrigerator - Jenn-Aire
Dishwasher - Whirlpool
White German porcelain cockatoo , 'Earle' - Ebay
For more information on Durat, which comes in over 60 color choices, contact us
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Mar 23, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore
The Visual Studies Initiative at Duke University converted their logo into benches made of Durat. The logo, which was designed by Chair, Hans Van Miegroet, is a colored barcode design. After a steering committee member saw Durat’s Raita bench in a magazine, the striking resemblance to The Visual Studies Initiative logo got them thinking the benches would be a great addition to their space. The idea gained momentum and CaraGreen worked with Durat and Duke to facilitate the custom order. Rachael Brady, co-director of the initiative, put the logo into Photosho p, pixelated it, counted the relative width of the stripes, and made it into a spreadsheet that was given to Durat for manufacturing. With Durat’s extensive color selection, the logo colors were easy to match. To efficiently ship the benches, both in regards to cost and carbon emissions, eight Durat bench tops were ordered without the bases. Duke opted to have the bases made by a local metalsmith, Leo Gaev, who was able to replicate Durat’s design.
The benches are installed at their two facilities, one of which is an old warehouse, and the modern aesthetic complements its urban industrial feel. The benches are also functional for the space, which is bustling with students. The durable material is easily cleaned. Rachael Brady told CaraGreen that the benches “helped the branding of the department and had been extremely well received.”
For samples of Durat or more information on custom Durat furniture, contact us.
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