gb&d Issue 50

INSPIRING SOLUTIONS: GREEN ROOFS, PERMEABLE PAVERS, MODULAR PLANTERS, AND MORE

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OUR 50TH ISSUE!

SOUTHERN UTAH MUSEUM OF ART, P. 16

INNOVATIVE CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES

A NEW VISION FROM TORONTO TO BOGOTÁ, MAKING SUSTAINABLE DREAMS A REALITY

UP FRONT

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In This Issue May+June 2018 Volume 9, Issue 50

110

96

At the Vanguard

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams lead the way in sustainable luxury furniture production.

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104

110

132

Gerber shares its favorite beautiful and energy-efficient plumbing fixtures.

Metrie’s beautiful interior finishings and architectural elements create high-design spaces.

The capital of Colombia is quickly becoming a beacon of sustainability for much of Latin America.

Illya Azaroff shares how to rebuild and better prepare our communities for natural disasters.

Bathroom Designer’s Guide

Design Like a Pro

Reinventing Bogotá

Person of Interest

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Table of Contents May+June 2018 Volume 9, Issue 50

Up Front 12 In Conversation Susan Inglis, executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council 14 Editors’ Picks Curated by gb&d staff 15 Event Previews Mark your calendars for NeoCon, AIA, and BOMA. 16 Defined Design The Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) minimizes its carbon footprint with green features.

18 Bathrooms of the Future Scranton Products’ partitions create elegant, sustainable spaces with privacy in mind.

22 Meeting Fire and Sound Codes with Gypsum USG’s gypsum concrete underlayment is the perfect solution for multifamily housing projects.

26 Consider Turf for Your Next Project ProGreen’s beautiful and durable synthetic grass is the next generation of turf.

30 Benefits of Working with Stainless Steel Drains Stainless steel drains make retrofits easier, perform well in harsh environments, and more.

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Typology

Inner Workings

34 Efficient Appliances Beko US makes our everyday appliances more sustainable with forwardthinking technology.

56 An Expert’s Guide to Green Roofs Sika Sarnafil experts offer advice to anyone looking to go the green roof route.

36 The Functional Aesthetics of Precast Concrete Fabcon’s precast concrete panels elevate projects with rich color and texture.

60 Building Better Planters DeepStream Designs raises the bar for rooftop projects with durable modular planters.

70 Making Sound Beautiful, Workable, and Fun Acoustical panel systems

by Forrest Sound Products create sophisticated, functional spaces.

40 Why to Build with NUDURA’s ICFs Insulated concrete forms save time and money—and they generate less waste.

64 How to Create an Outdoor Oasis Techo-Bloc’s permeable pavers turn unusable spaces into beautiful outdoor retreats.

44 The Power of Passive Fire Protection HOLDRITE’s firestop solutions offer benefits like improved air quality and water savings.

74 A Weld Above the Rest Bradford Products’ stainless steel pools make this mixed-use project in Miami greener and more beautiful.

78 Open Learning School Design New Millennium’s acoustical steel decks boost efficiency and allow for clever school design.

82 Up for the Challenge SITURA Inc.’s waterproof expansion joints help a hospital withstand harsh weather conditions.

86 Getting the Look Entrematic’s HVLS fans save energy without breaking the bank at this California Boys & Girls Club.

48 Going Beyond Green Advanced solar solutions from Sol are reliable and durable—trumping traditional on-grid lighting.

90 Shine On Hufcor’s glass panels provide the perfect balance of aesthetics and acoustics at Stantec’s new office.

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Approach

Spaces | Bogotá

Punch List

120 How to Choose the Right Traffic Coating System NEOGARD outlines where and when to use different types of coating systems.

110 Reinventing Bogotá This South American city is changing its image.

130 WSLA Insights Turning net zero buildings into positive performance teaching tools

124 Prep Before Painting is Key APV Engineered Coatings shares how to avoid common coating mistakes for long-lasting results.

114 Building for the

Future

The Colombian capital is preparing for a boom in population.

118 The New Path to

Monserrate

A first look at Colombia’s most famous architect’s posthumous work.

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131 Building for Occupants Sustainable design moves toward health and wellbeing with evolving green building standards.

134 Lessons Learned George Bandy, Jr. of Mohawk shares some insight from his career in sustainability.

136 In the Lab Timothy Cook from the University at Buffalo modified a tiny chemical cluster that could become a big deal for energy storage.

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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN

Editor’s Note Chris Howe It’s hard to believe, but we’ve done it—we’ve arrived at our 50th issue of gb&d.

Over the last decade, our diverse team has continued to evolve and grow as we work to bring you the latest and greatest sustainable solutions and inspiring stories, from lessons learned to projects we can all be inspired by. In our May/ June issue, we celebrate in part by traveling to a place you may not expect—Bogotá, Colombia—to learn how far they’ve come in the last 10 years as well.

This April, we sent our managing editor to explore Bogotá (page 110) and bring back stories of sustainability and a rapidly changing image—and rapidly growing population. How do you prepare for 2.7 million more homes in an already crowded city? Officials and architects alike say it starts with rethinking buildings, especially schools and libraries, looking both at how these spaces can double as community centers and how they can minimize their carbon footprint from the outset.

But this issue of the magazine also asks us to think about the products we bring into our own homes and businesses, whether it’s energyefficient appliances like those of Beko US (page 34), bathroom furnishings from Gerber (page 100), or even upholstered chairs from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (page 96).

Writer Colleen DeHart sat down with the Sustainable Furnishings Council’s executive director, Susan Inglis, to talk about the organization’s mission to educate more manufacturers, suppliers, and designers on how to reduce their environmental impact when producing furnishings. More and more consumers say they want industry transparency, according to a recent SFC survey. “People are

concerned about the damage to their health.

Indoor air quality is a huge concern, and global warming,” Inglis said in the interview. “”People are worried about asthma and what is making families sick.” Research by council’s like this one are increasingly important to the industry, and manufacturers are taking note.

Sincerely,

Chris Howe, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

ON THE COVER INSPIRING SOLUTIONS: GREEN ROOFS, PERMEABLE PAVERS, MODULAR PLANTERS, AND MORE

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The Southern Utah Museum of Art combines sustainability with modern design.

Photo by Tim Hursley

A NEW VISION FROM TORONTO TO BOGOTÁ, MAKING SUSTAINABLE DREAMS A REALITY

INNOVATIVE CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES

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Publisher’s Note Laura Heidenreich

gb&d Green Building & Design gbdmagazine.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Christopher Howe ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Laura Heidenreich

MANAGING EDITOR

Laura Rote

It’s clearer than ever in the May/June issue of gb&d—we’re ready to go outside.

Our staff has recently been fortunate enough to work with many companies and organizations who can help us enjoy being outside even more, whether we’re at home or at work.

In this issue’s Typology section, for example, we bring you some of the most inspiring new green solutions on the market, all of them centered around the outdoors, from Sika Sarnafil’s green roof solutions (page 54) in major cities to permeable pavers that transform exterior spaces. Just look at our story on TechoBloc (page 64). The landscape product supplier turned one Ontario couple’s residence into an elegant, sustainable retreat, as they worked with, not against, the property’s tight lot and challenging ravine. On this project, Techo-Bloc extended the porch, built a wall, and widened the steps leading off the back

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porch to the pool deck. A permeable paving system controls the water while maintaining that commitment to the environment. The results are remarkable.

While our office is always thinking green, this issue asked us to think green in a different way—with turf.

Our eyes were opened to the aesthetic and eco-friendly elements of ProGreen Synthetic Grass (page 26), as we discovered the many benefits of having a maintenance-free lawn. Besides freeing up your schedule, it’s also incredibly resilient, conserves water, is free of harsh pesticides and chemicals, and saves you money in the long run. We’ve found a surprising number of high-end hotels, recreational facilities, and others are increasingly turning to turf, from the ground to the roof.

Speaking of roofs, we were also inspired in this issue by DeepStream Designs (page 60), whose modular planter solutions have transformed highrises and made putting the finishing touches on a beautiful space easier as they save you time, money, and the headache of frequent replacement down the road.

It’s clever solutions like these and others in the May/June magazine that make us dream of transforming our own spaces. If this issue taught us anything, it’s that the possibilities are endless.

Sincerely,

ART DIRECTOR

Kristina Walton Zapata ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Julia Stone

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Julie Veternick

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Brianna Wynsma

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Briagenn Adams Ciara Gomez DESIGN INTERN

Sam Weber

EDITORIAL INTERN

Brooke Nagler

CONTRIBUTORS

Lisa Bate, Larry Bernstein, Rachel Coon, Stephanie Crets, Colleen DeHart, Scott Frank, Kate Griffith, Zack Harold, Russ Klettke, Shay Maunz, Margaret Poe, Nichole Reber, Luke Siuty, Mike Thomas, Sarah Treleaven, Vuk Vujovic EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Anthony Brower, Gensler; Jason F. McLennan, International Living Future Institute MAIL

Green Building & Design 1765 N. Elston Ave., Suite 202B Chicago, IL 60642 Printed in the USA. © 2018 by Green Advocacy Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher.

The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations.

The Green Building & Design logo is a registered trademark of Green Advocacy Partners, LLC. Green Building & Design (gb&d magazine is printed in the United States using only soy-based inks. Please recycle this magazine.

The magazine is also available in digital formats at gbdmagazine.com/current-issue.

Laura Heidenreich, Associate Publisher

Green Building & Design is a certified B Corp.

B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk.

B Corps are certified by the nonprofit BLab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN

Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List

gb&d

12 In Conversation Sustainable Furnishings Council’s Susan Inglis calls for transparency.

14 Editors’ Picks Curated by gb&d staff

15 Event Previews Mark your calendar for the season’s best events.

16 Defined Design The Southern Utah Museum of Art uses green techniques in a contemporary design.

18 Sustainable Solutions Explore inspiring products and applications from Scranton Products, USG, Fabcon, and more.

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UP FRONT

In Conversation Susan Inglis The executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council explores the growing need for industry transparency.

By Colleen DeHart

A piece of furniture brings so much more to a space than its looks, and it is this truth that drives Susan Inglis in her work with the Sustainable Furnishings Council. “Even though the residential furnishings industry is relatively small, it is extremely impactful,” says Inglis, who serves as the executive director and resident expert of the council.

Inglis helped found the council in 2006 when Peruvian furniture manufacturer Jerry Cooklin “greened up” his operations, as Inglis describes, and realized he should expand the conversation beyond his own showroom. Cooklin called on Inglis—founder and owner of From The Mountain, a company that imports hand-spun cashmere yarn from Afghanistan, providing safe income for more than 100 women there—and other industry experts for a meeting. A month later, the SFC was born. Inglis now manages all programming and outreach and teaches most of the classes offered by the SFC. Operating under the motto “healthy environments inside and out,” the council educates manufacturers, suppliers, and designers about reducing their environmental impact and producing furnishings that are safe and healthy for consumers. The council also encourages consumers to ask the right questions and look out for harmful chemicals when making furnishing purchases. Their “What’s It Made Of?” initiative is putting pressure on the industry to know exactly where and how their products are produced. “It is about being cognizant of our decisions,” Inglis says. “And not polluting our environment anymore than is absolutely necessary.”

Inglis recently took the time to share her enthusiasm for sustainable design and industry transparency with us at gb&d.

gb&d: Tell us about the council. How are you changing the world of furnishings?

Inglis: To put it romantically, our mission is to sustain a healthy future inside and out.

More than anything, we are an educational organization. We provide consumers with a handy tool on our website where they can look for specific products and who is producing them in an environmentally conscious way. Consumers are directed to SFC members, each of whom has made its own corporate commitment to sustainability and transparency. We provide information on what questions to ask and things to look out for when shopping for furniture.

As far as for the companies themselves, we provide nine education programs to help companies reduce their footprint in various ways. We have five categories of resources on our website for businesses to use, including waste reduction and recycling, energy use reduction, health and environmental safety, material choices, and awareness and truth in advertising. We need to be aware of the decisions we are making in residential furniture, and there is no better way to do that than to join the movement and be involved in what the SFC is doing. gb&d: Why should people be concerned about how the furnishings in their homes are made?

Inglis: There are a lot of chemicals hidden in residential furniture and present in our homes that are making us sick and polluting the rest of the world. Because it is a smallish industry made up of a lot of small businesses, it is a fragmented and global industry. Frequently the materials that go into making a sofa come from one continent and might be processed on another, manufactured on another, and probably sold on yet another. The furnishings industry has a large footprint just in the transportation and the fossil fuels of moving things from one place to another.

Another reason to be concerned is that we put a finish and glue on everything. In our industry the adhesives and finishings are the source of many volatile organic compounds that pollute our environment. If it gives you a headache when you walk into the store, you should be concerned. It is affecting you and This conversation continues on p. 15

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF GENSLER

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Editors’ Picks Curated by gb&d staff

PRODUCT SHIRASU KABE PLASTER WALL FINISH Wall paint doesn’t have to be bland and flat; Shirasu Kabe Plaster Wall Finish offers stunning wall textures and colors that serve a purpose.

With a range of designs from bark to swirls, the wall finish also controls room dryness by adding or subtracting humidity according to room conditions and purifies the air due to its organic ceramic magma makeup.

The finish can be applied over any painted surface containing latex primer. habituscollection.com

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BOOK ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY: BROOKS + SCARPA This book provides insight into the history and design philosophy of the Los Angeles–based architecture group Brooks + Scarpa. The author is the award-winning arts editorial writer Tibby Rothman, who highlights the many successful and stunning projects from Brooks + Scarpa and shares their innovative sustainable design methods. The book’s sleek design reflects the dynamic and innovative style of the architecture it exhibits. brookesscarpa. com

COMPANY COPELAND FURNITURE In the small town of Bradford, Vermont, Copeland Furniture makes beautiful wooden furniture for every room of the house. The company offers both individual pieces and furniture sets, with cohesive styles, like their Dynamic Waves Bedroom Collection or their sleek Catalina Home Office Set. With a mission to constantly improve the sustainability of their designs, Copeland makes modern statement pieces without sacrificing environmental integrity. copelandfurniture.com

PODCAST TERRESTRIAL PODCAST This narrative NPR podcast focuses on how environmental changes like drought or air pressure may influence people, as each episode provides an outlook on the physical and psychological effects of ecological shifts. The Terrestrial podcast tells the stories of people like the environmentalist who questions whether, ethically, she should travel on airplanes to episodes that take a deeper dive into policy shifts. npr.org

DESIGNER GREG KLASSEN Designer Greg Klassen finds creative ways to bring outdoor landscapes to indoor furniture.

He creates tables and artwork using natural wood, evoking forest scenes and blue glass resembling water. His Claro Walnut River Coffee Table combines the sleek lines of cut wood with the winding glass “river” that runs through it. His masterful carpentry and design brings scenes of hikes and lake swims into your living room. gregklassen.com

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF GREG KLASSEN

Greg Klassen’s walnut river coffee table combines sleek lines in the wood with a winding glass “river.”

UP FRONT

Event Preview

IN CONVERSATION with Susan Inglis

Summer 2018

Continued from p. 13

your health. Our choices are very impactful on how much pollution we have in our indoor environment and atmosphere.

By Brooke Nagler

gb&d: How has the council evolved over the years?

NeoCon

DETAILS

Celebrating its 50th year, the NeoCon annual summer When June 11–13 Where Chicago conference brings together innovative designers and a range Web neocon.com of manufacturers for a host of programmed seminars, awards presentations, and design installations. This year, the conference offers a panel about women in design and keynote addresses by the founder of Ross Barney Architects, the founder of Gensler design firm, and the editor-in-chief of Wired. Showcasing the latest industry trends and exciting new products, the three-day conference will show off everything from the latest in office design to inspiring public spaces.

AIA

DETAILS

With the 2018 theme “Blueprint for Better” focused When June 21–23 Where New York, NY on sustainable design, this year’s AIA Conference on ArWeb conferenceonchitecture 2018 showcases cutting-edge green technoloarchitecture.com gies that positively impact the public life around them.

The event contains more than 350 sessions, offering everything from discussions about accessibility design to tours of iconic architectural spaces throughout New York. It also features an architecture expo in New York’s Javits Center, showcasing more than 800 materials and products. The conference is a hub for leading architects and designers from around the world, providing an avant-garde atmosphere within a city replete with stunning inspiration.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEOCON

BOMA

DETAILS

The BOMA International Conference and Expo atWhen June 23–26 Where San Antonio tracts a huge audience of people across the real estate Web bomaconvention.org industry each year, over half of whom manage more than 1 million square feet of space, bringing tremendous publicity from large figures in the industry. The conference also features a keynote speech by the Bush twins, Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager. Furthermore, BOMA houses the multipart BOMA expo, with a main floor of exhibitions and two special interest sections: the Green Pavilion focused on environmentally responsible products, and the Technology Pavilion centered around business and data management. gb&d

Inglis: We have grown, and that is good news. When we started we had 40 members and now we have almost 400. Each member has made improvements in their operations and up and down the supply chain. We don’t claim to take credit for all of it. Over the last 11 years there have been a lot of changes in the world and a growing awareness, especially recently. Consumer research has shown us how consumer concern over our environmental impact is growing, including with purchases of furniture and other products, which is great. There is also a continued need for the most basic information about reducing the environmental footprint.

When we started we had just one sort of membership, but we soon developed a recognition program for companies that are implementing a lot of best practices for sustainability. We have created strict requirements that companies have to meet in order to earn that recognition, and we have developed an accredited certified sustainability educational program called GREENleaders.

We also recently completed our second annual #GetYourGreenOn interior design competition, which featured products from SFC-member manufacturers and suppliers, and acknowledges interior design professionals who set high environmental standards and tirelessly ask their partners and suppliers, “What’s it made of?” gb&d: You recently completed your eighth consumer survey. Any surprises?

Inglis: The levels of concern were surprising.

People are concerned about the damage to their health. Indoor air quality is a huge concern, and global warming. People are worried about asthma and what is making families sick. For years when we have been doing this research, we have known that lack of awareness is why people don’t buy more eco-friendly furniture. Ninety % of people surveyed in this most recent study said they want to buy eco-friendly. It was very surprising. It made me think we need to help our members tell their stories even better so consumers know what choices they have.

This conversation continues on p. 17

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UP FRONT

Defined Design

Trigeneration system An integrated process that creates heat, electricity, and cooling.

This system helps reduce carbon emissions.

Southern Utah Museum of Art

By Julia Stone Photos by Tim Hursley

Cantilever A cantilever is a projecting beam or girder anchored at one end.

Cantilever construction is often used for overhangs to create a covered exterior space that is not blocked by external supports.

Heating and cooling loads The heating load is how much heat energy would need to be added to a space to maintain a comfortable environment, while the cooling load is the amount of heat energy that would need to be removed.

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IN CONVERSATION with Susan Inglis Continued from p. 15

VOCs Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are organic compounds that easily turn into vapors or gases. These compounds often contain carbon and are very hazardous, posing major health risks, according to the EPA.

Dual flush toilets Dual flush toilets give the user a choice of flushes to manage solid and liquid waste differently, helping to conserve water and energy.

The Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) minimizes its carbon footprint with a number of green features—from using recycled materials with little to no VOCs to energy-efficient plumbing fixtures.

Designed by Brooks + Scarpa, the building immediately stands out with its canyon-like roof. The 120-foot cantilever roof covers the entire museum as well as a sheltered event space. The roof’s shape is not just for aesthetics, though; it also shades the west-facing glass facade, reducing direct solar gain, which helps protect the art from sun damage. The museum’s lightcolored exterior walls also reduce heat gain, while its windows maximize daylighting.

In addition, the unique roof allows for stormwater collection. The sloped sides redirect water into concealed wells, which then regenerate the collected water into the aquifer. The museum also conserves water through dual flush toilets and hot water circulators.

But museums also have the challenge of illuminating artwork while conserving it. SUMA uses 100% highefficiency LED lighting. Movable displays contain their own lighting systems, so lighting is only used when and where necessary.

To offset the high energy costs of running a museum, SUMA uses a trigeneration system with radiant heating and cooling, as well as programmable thermostats that adjust ventilation rates based on occupancy. This smart mechanical system provides cooling and heating only when and where needed, saving on energy and utility costs. As a result, SUMA reduces its heating and cooling loads by 45%. gb&d gb&d

gb&d: Explain the “What’s It Made Of?” initiative. How is it leading to change?

Inglis: We have a lot of companies working with wood, upholstery, foam, etc. becoming more aware and asking what alternatives are available. It’s frequently something they haven’t thought about. It encourages transparency in the supply chain. Some companies have already been working hard to know exactly what goes into their products, but for others this is a new idea. We have a lot of companies coming to us with questions about common harmful chemicals and people are seeking alternatives. gb&d: How is the council making products greener? Who are the leaders in producing sustainble products?

Inglis: Our work is resulting in greener products because producers, manufacturers, and companies are learning more about what consumers are looking for. They are learning what questions they need to ask and what answers they should look for. They are also learning they can build their businesses by getting better answers to their questions.

They are learning people are willing to pay more if they know more.

We have great leaders in the industry.

We have many companies recognized as exemplary that have excelled at making positive changes. At the top of the list are Room & Board, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and Saatva, but they aren’t the only ones. We also suggest consumers look at the sort of questions to ask and answers to look for on our website and consider those wherever they are shopping. It could be the store closest to you is also deserving of recognition but hasn’t sought it. gb&d: What do we need to do to make real progress in the industry?

Inglis: Making real progress in reducing the furniture industry’s environmental footprint will involve a conscientious effort on the part of all specifiers to reduce unsustainable inputs, including wood from unsustainable sources, as well as harmful chemical inputs in the production and finishing of furnishing products. It is up to the specifiers to ask, but real progress will also involve greater transparency in our supply chains. In the past not enough questions have been asked about the consequences of our choices in materials and processes. We need to learn a new habit, asking, “What’s it made of?” and insisting on satisfactory answers.

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UP FRONT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION

Bathrooms of the Future Scranton Products’ Aria partitions create high-design, sustainable spaces that are private and comfortable, too.

By Julia Stone

Public restroom politics aren’t being flushed away anytime soon, and the time has come to rethink commercial bathroom design. Fortunately, Scranton Products is ahead of the game. Their customizable Aria Partitions provide the ultimate privacy without sacrificing aesthetics.

Founded as a family-owned sheet manufacturing business in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the company used to manufacture flat sheets for a variety of uses— from cutting boards to playground equipment. In the late 1980s, they began making door partitions and lockers, and in 2006, rebranded as Scranton Products.

Designed for Privacy

“We focus on giving the total privacy experience without having to build actual rooms,” says Maria

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Knapp, marketing manager for Scranton Products.

One easy way the company does this is with the new Aria partitions, which come standard in 86-inch and 112-inch height compartments to provide the ultimate privacy experience.

A standard restroom stall usually has about 14 inches of space below the door, allowing for that awkward moment when someone peeks underneath the door to see whether a stall is occupied. Scranton Products eliminates all those gaps and sightlines with innovative design and an indicator latch that clearly identifies whether a door is occupied.

The Aria partitions incorporate overlapping edges and floor-mounted side panels as well as a transom panel—a solid section across the top of the door for added privacy. Aria also includes continuous gbdmagazine.com

UP FRONT

Scranton Products recycles old partitions into new products.

edge-mounted hinges that not only block sightlines, but hide the hinge so it looks nicer, too. Scranton Products has already installed several high-privacy partitions in co-ed dorms with unisex restrooms.

Customized Options

Recyclable Materials

Scranton Products prioritizes sustainability and high design in every product. “Our products are 100% sustainable. We’re all about zero landfill waste here,” Donlon says. Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, a farm-to-table restaurant, took their sustainable design from the kitchen into the bathroom with the help of Scranton Products’ Aria Partitions. “Our sustainable design flows right into our restroom areas. Our partitions we just put in are made from recycled plastic, which is neat because after we’re finished they can be recycled again,” says Randy Park, the restaurant’s manager.

Scranton Products also uses a mix of post-industrial and post-consumer materials in their partitions.

Plus, all Scranton Products brands are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which means they meet strict certification requirements and important safety guidelines

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SCRANTON PRODUCTS

Aria partitions offer countless design combinations so you can not only get the privacy you want—you can get the look, too. Scranton Products has 17 door designs, so you’re bound to find a style you like with a more residential vibe. Make the design your own by choosing the style, texture, and color, and add custom engraving inside or out.

“Aria is our flagship when it comes to design,” says Rob Donlon, vice president of sales and marketing for Scranton Products. “There are more than 50,000 different design combinations. With remodels, it’s not that the product is damaged or not performing well, often people just want a different color or they’re changing the theme.”

Scranton Products is currently developing a new 3D visualizer tool for all of their products. With it, you’ll be able to select color, panels, and hardware to create a detailed 3D rendering. “With Aria, there are a lot of options, features, and opportunities to be creative, which is different than other partition offerings,” Donlon says.

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UP FRONT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION

WHY THIS MATTERS Public restroom design is not a new concern—it’s even been a topic on Seinfeld. In one episode, George tells his bride-to-be, “I will never understand the bathrooms in this country. Why is it that the doors on the stalls do not come all the way down to the floor?”

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Like Scranton Products, George realized traditional public restroom design just wasn’t cutting it.

With increased conversations and laws arising related to transgender restrooms, public faciltiies have been in the news even more. “I think what you

need to provide is a space that can be used by someone regardless of their gender or orientation,” says Rob Donlon, vice president of sales and marketing for Scranton Products. “It doesn’t matter how you identify—you have total privacy. We want the spaces we provide to be

comfortable and clean.

The last thing you want is for someone to be uncomfortable, nervous, or embarrassed.”

Donlon says the company’s Aria Partitions are both reacting to the evolving social landscape and responding to the fundamental human

desire to have more privacy. “I’d say privacy is a more valuable commodity today than it was 10 years ago,” he continues. “Now you have security cameras and social media. The need for privacy in a private moment is accented even more than it was before.”

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UP FRONT

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SCRANTON PRODUCTS

Scranton Products grinds up recycled HDPE and puts it back into their manufacturing process.

for use in schools and health care facilities. In fact, all of the company’s products have a low chemical emissions rating thanks to their solid color throughout and no need for painting or repainting.

The company is also committed to using high-density polyethylene, or HDPE. “We’re the only manufacturer that exclusively offers one material source because we believe it’s the most reliable material option for these applications,” Knapp says. HDPE will not rust or delaminate over time like stainless steel or plastic laminate. It also has solid pigmented composition all the way through, so you don’t have to repaint the surface like you would metal, Knapp says. The high-quality material resists dents and scratches, and Aria Partitions come with a 25-year limited warranty.

Aria Partitions are naturally microbial resistant—nothing adheres to the surface, and they can easily be wiped clean. HDPE is also impermeable to gb&d

moisture, so it doesn’t support the growth of mold, mildew, or bacteria. “If someone with the flu touches the handle, the microbes and bacteria will die overnight,” Donlon says. “HDPE has zero absorption so microbes cannot feed off of anything.”

Easy Installation

Donlon also points out that HDPE material is easy to customize in the field, especially for remodels where you have to consider piping and plumbing.

“You can modify it with any woodworking tool. Metal doesn’t lend itself to being modified in the field with the equipment that installers would have on-hand,” he says.

The installation process is simple because Scranton Products’ partitions are lightweight. “They’re easy to maneuver and install,” Donlon says. “And we focused on the little details—all screwheads are the same so it’s as easy as possible for the installer.” gb&d may–june 2018

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The makeup of gypsum concrete makes it an ideal fire barrier—increasing the time it takes for the temperature to rise on the floors above.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF USG

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UP FRONT

Meeting Fire and Sound Codes with Gypsum USG offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution for your next building.

By Colleen DeHart The number one complaint of people living in multi-family housing is noise—they can hear their neighbors’ footsteps or music blasting overhead. “The better sound containment you can achieve, the better the user experience, ultimately yielding to better tenant retention for an owner,” says Chicago-based architect Adam Thoma of HKM Architects + Planners.

Imagine a building that not only meets fire and sound codes but exceeds them. Now, imagine a cost-effective solution that creates a quiet, safe living experience for tenants. It’s all possible with gypsum concrete underlayment.

When Thoma is working on designs for a floor assembly to be used in multi-family housing projects, gypsum concrete underlayment from USG is his first stop. The USG product recently received UL Environment’s GREENGUARD Gold certification for low chemical emissions.

WHAT IS IT? Gypsum concrete is created by mixing sand and gypsum composed of hydrated calcium sulfate. It occurs mainly in sedimentary deposits and is both mined and synthetically produced from cleaning the combustion gases of coal-burning power plants.

USG invented and was the first company to manufacture gypsum concrete, and for many years they were a toll manufacturer for other companies. gb&d

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A small crew can pour up to 30,000 square feet of gypsum concrete at three-quarters of an inch thick in one day, so it’s less labor intensive.

RENOVATION SOLUTIONS USG’s gypsum products can also be used in renovations.

“These buildings were designed only to meet fire code, and the gypsum concrete applied 15 to 40 years ago was very low in compressive strength and just wouldn’t hold up over time,” MacDonald says. “At the lower compressive strengths, you can take your fingernail and gouge right through it. Contractors working on renovations are going into buildings, pulling up the old floor covering, and seeing the crumbling gypsum concrete. They are needing to scoop it up with a shovel, it’s that bad.”

To avoid the potential nightmare of repairing the entire underlayment when floor coverings are updated, USG created a product that can be applied directly over the old concrete. “We came up with an innovative way to repair the lower strength gypsum concrete. We have a very high strength gypsum concrete that can resurface old, weak gypsum. It makes the new floor substantially stronger, so next time you renovate, you won’t have to replace it,” MacDonald says. “High strength gypsum concrete will last longer while maintaining its required fire rating and reduce the amount of waste created on a renovation project.”

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They put their own brand of higher strength gypsum concrete—Levelrock®—on the market in 1999.

When USG introduced Levelrock Brand Floor Underlayment at a minimum of 2,500 psi compressive strength, the typical gypsum concrete underlayment being poured was 1,500 psi compressive strength.

Gypsum concrete comes in powder form and is mixed onsite with locally sourced sand and water—a more sustainable method of application. It’s applied to the building floor with a hose and self-levels, leaving a smooth finish. “In one day, a crew of five or six can pour 25,000 to 30,000 square feet of gypsum concrete at three-quarters of an inch thick, making it less labor-intensive than applying traditional concrete,” says Alex MacDonald, manager of strategic accounts for USG.

GETTING MORE FOR LESS Meeting the building code for fire-rated floor/ceiling assemblies is a requirement for architects, builders, and owners. Before gypsum concrete, building owners had to apply a minimum of one-and-a-half-inch of lightweight concrete to meet requirements. Lightweight concrete is not very crack-resistant because it shrinks when it cures. With gypsum concrete, as little as three-fourths of an inch is required to get a fire rating for a floor/ceiling assembly. “When USG introduced the first gypsum concrete, we were able to reduce the cost and offer a more crack-resistant floor at 50% of the underlayment thickness,” MacDonald says. Unlike other thin types of concrete, gypsum gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE: COURTESY OF USG; HKM ARCHITECTS + PLANNERS, INC.

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concrete does not shrink when it cures, and it’s significantly more crack-resistant. This allows it to be poured thinner.

In a non-combustible building, gypsum concrete can be poured over a corrugated steel deck at only one-inch thick. That floor/ceiling assembly has a twohour fire rating and, at only 13 pounds per square foot, allows you to build higher with load-bearing cold-formed steel. It’s a faster and lighter way to build a mid-rise residential project.

The chemical makeup of gypsum concrete makes it an ideal fire barrier—increasing the time it takes for the temperature to rise on the floors above.

“Chemically speaking, gypsum is very unique,” says Brett Fleury, product marketing manager for performance flooring at USG. “Two molecules of water are chemically bound to the gypsum. When the gypsum is heated to a high temperature, the chemically bound water absorbs the rising heat, thus serving as a heat sink during a fire test.”

QUIETER LIVING When gypsum concrete came to fruition in the 1970s, there was no sound code for multi-family buildings. Most buildings used carpet and a carpet pad, items that were relatively inexpensive, and they addressed both airborne and structure-borne sound transmissions. As higher-end hard surface flooring options increased in popularity, so did the need to address structure-borne sound with sound attenuation systems that work in concert with gypsum concrete. gb&d

Today’s minimum requirements for sound transmission between dwelling units and other public areas in a building are called out in Section 1207 of the International Building Code. In a typical floor/ ceiling assembly, the code minimum for sound transmission class (STC) is easy to achieve. “The best way to dampen airborne sound, or STC, is mass, and the best mass is a high-density, crack-resistant cementitious material without control joints,” MacDonald says. “With hard surface floor coverings like vinyl plank, ceramic tile, or engineered hardwood on the other hand, the IIC (Impact Isolation Class, which measures a floor assembly’s ability to absorb impact sound) will always fall below the code required 50 IIC when there is no sound mat. Placing a sound mat under the gypsum concrete decouples the gypsum concrete mass from the framing, ultimately making the difference between meeting or not meeting the IIC requirement of Section 1207.”

Unlike other types of sound barriers, a sound mat and gypsum system can be applied under any type of flooring. “Right out of the box, USG’s Levelrock underlayment is going to meet code and allow you to use any floor covering you like,” Thoma says.

While there are flooring products on the market with sound backing, they can be costly. “Gypsum underlayments installed over sound attenuation mats are very cost effective. That is the reason we use them,” he says. “It is our go-to system and makes our lives easier.” gb&d

Keeping sound contained is a must for residences, and USG helps you keep things quiet.

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ProGreen offers turf that looks great on the golf course, at hotels, by the pool, and more.

Consider Turf for Your Next Project ProGreen Synthetic Grass is beautiful and made to last.

By Sarah Treleaven

In case you didn’t already know, turf can be used in a variety of spaces outside of the typical sports stadiums. In fact, turf offers a full range of beneficial—and sustainable—applications. For more than 30 years, ProGreen Synthetic Grass has been creating beautiful and increasingly resilient turf for a range of commercial purposes.

A growing number of businesses are discovering the benefits of turf—including dog parks keen on maximizing cleanliness, recreational facilities looking for a safe and easy-to-maintain product, and high-end car dealerships looking for an appealing way to showcase luxury products.

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PROGREEN

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HERE ARE 10 REASONS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER INSTALLING TURF FOR YOUR NEXT COMMERCIAL PROJECT:

It looks great.

With ProGreen’s remarkable aesthetic developments comes a broadening range of applications. “Turf can be used in really exciting, beautiful ways, and you’ll find it in places you’d never expect,” says Chris Cote, ProGreen’s general manager.

For example, chic hotels and bars are using turf on their rooftops as an eye-catching alternative to blank open spaces.

It’s super resilient.

While natural grass is extremely vulnerable to wear and tear— from inclement weather and sun discoloration or pet waste to simple foot traffic—turf is an extremely resilient product.

This year, ProGreen is launching a dual-fiber product for commercial consumers, incorporating the technology used to create extreme durability for athletic fields—perfect for busy commercial areas. “It’s a very consistent, reliable surface that holds up to traffic and use,” says Justin Reddy, president of ProGreen. Turf eliminates concerns about having mud dragged into your facility and trip hazards when the ground is frozen.

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It conserves water.

Drought and water conservation are growing concerns all over the world, particularly in arid climates like that of Texas, California, and Arizona. In the last decade, there’s been a big push towards xeriscaping, or landscaping that requires zero water. Fortunately with turf, you get a product that resembles natural grass in landscaping but that doesn’t require any water.

It’s low maintenance, so it saves time.

In addition to conserving water, turf also requires much less care than natural grass. Once the turf is installed, there’s no need for edging, mowing, or any other maintenance like you’d have with natural grass. Plus, using turf means you’ll never have to worry about pulling weeds, fertilizing the lawn, or treating against any number of diseases that can discolor or otherwise ruin grass. This is especially important considering it’s often the first thing customers will see as they approach your business.

It helps earn LEED credits.

Turf’s low maintenance—in particular, that it requires zero water and no machine maintenance—makes it the perfect choice for sustainable building projects, too. But, more specifically, it can also help you earn credits toward LEED certification, the highest standard in green building and a symbol of sustainability, safety, and marketability. Outdoor water efficiency alone—a key feature of turf—can earn up to 4 LEED credits.

It’s free of pesticides and harsh chemicals.

Unlike natural grass, ProGreen’s American-made turf doesn’t require any chemical maintenance, which means there’s no potential for groundwater contamination. Parents and pet owners alike can also rest assured that their loved ones can frolic under the sun, learn how to crawl, or play fetch without exposure to toxic materials.

Installation is easy and results are immediate.

When you seed grass or plant sod, it can take months to get the desired effect—and even then, grass is vulnerable to setbacks. Turf installation can take just days, and the process resembles that of building a patio. First, professional installers dig out three to four inches of organic material, then they install a geotextile layer and a stone base to ensure even drainage. Finally, they add the top layer of turf, fastening the corners to ensure a clean, even, and natural appearance.

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This year, ProGreen is launching a commercial dual-fiber product that’s extremely durable.

You’re guaranteed American-made goods.

ProGreen makes all of its fibers in Alabama, and they only buy blue chip domestic resins that are free of heavy metals—an important point of difference between ProGreen and many international competitors. “When you get turf from overseas, you don’t know what you’re getting—it could have fillers or it could have contaminants,” Reddy says. “We guarantee quality and we make sure what you’re getting is pure.”

It saves you money in the long run.

When it comes to turf, remarkable advances have been made in the last 30 years. “Many people are familiar with turf from the indoor-outdoor carpet, the fake-looking stuff,” Cote says. “But this is new generation stuff.” The turf of today—and the future—incorporates monofilament fibers with texturized thatch and multicolor green and brown to replicate natural grass, which isn’t uniform in color.

When planning your next project, look to turf to solve your landscaping issues, from maintenance and sustainability concerns to long-term resiliency. It looks great and it’s increasingly natural, too—lending outdoor spaces a no-fuss and highly polished appearance. In a busy world, one where time always seems limited, choosing turf means you’ll have one less thing that needs constant tending. gb&d

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PROGREEN

“If you’re paying someone to mow, water, and maintain your grass every week, that’s a big investment,” Cote says. “By installing turf, you’re creating an area that no longer requires expensive maintenance.” That in turn saves money by eliminating the need for water, repairs, landscaping, specialty equipment, and related personnel.

Plus, because turf is so resilient, you can expect a much longer lifespan than natural grass.

It’s the next generation of turf.

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B ENEFITS OF WORKING WITH STAINLESS STEEL DR AINS

Stainless steel drains are aesthetically pleasing, functional, and surprisingly green.

BY RUSS KLETTKE

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FLOORS ARE DIRTY PLACES.

Trench drain installation during the construction phase at the Hop Tree Brewery in Hudson, Ohio.

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Even in some of the most hygiene-critical environments— think food and pharmaceutical manufacturing—the pathogens that live and breed down there need to be washed away before they can harm products and people a few feet above. John Henry knows a few things about that, having spent many years dealing with food processing plants, while manufacturing industrial baking machinery in a family-owned business. And it’s why today he and Shelia Heller run Greenville, Texas– based StainlessDrains.com.

They knew that by improving upon the commonly used cast iron, PVC, and porcelain drains and strainers bacteria, viruses, microbes, and fungi are less likely to propagate. These things matter in the immediate time frame because they prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses (i.e., sicknesses caused by Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli), to name a few. The CDC estimates 47.8 million people get sick each year— and 3,000 people die—from contaminated food. But over the long life of stainless steel drains, the health of the earth is protected as well.

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REDUCE FLYING BACTERIA

Stainless steel drains reduce the possibility of flying bacteria because the material doesn’t corrode the way cast iron and porcelain drains do.

Whether in a bakery, chicken processing plant, or dormitory shower, floor drains can be an imperfect means to wash away pathogens—particularly if blocked and backed up.

That’s because foot or forklift traffic, or sewer gas, can send microbes airborne and land where human infection is possible. Nearly 28% of floors and drains tested positive for Listeria in a 2004 audit of food processing facilities in one state by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Stainless steel drains, drain covers, drain inserts, liner drains, trench drains, and epoxy ledges (for epoxy floors) reduce the possibility of flying bacteria because the material doesn’t corrode the way cast iron and porcelain drains do. With easy-to-clean surfaces, free of microbiological hiding places, those foreign agents lose their launching pads and exit the building.

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BETTER OUTFLOW & EFFECTIVE DRAINAGE

No.2

Two product enhancements add to the effectiveness of StainlessDrains. com systems. First, plugged drains mean waste can accumulate on a floor.

How do drains plug if screens are used? Irresponsible workers sometimes dump solids that were captured by a drain strainer into the drain anyway instead of in dry waste disposal. The company’s EZ-Stop-Lock uses a stainless housing lock with a magnet key to ensure employees with that responsibility do the task correctly.

Another product, the Eco-Guard trap seal, is used in the outlet connections of floor drain bodies (or inside floor drain strainers). The devices’ flexible silicone sealing ribs permit an outflow as needed but also prevent liquid backflow, sewage odors, and insects from entering the facilities.

Greater Resistance NO.3

Stainless trench installation in a winery.

Composed of iron alloys, there are more than 100 grades of stainless steel. StainlessDrains. com largely sells grades 304 and 316; the higher number indicates greater resistance to the most corrosive liquids (acids, chemicals, salt, vinegar, hydrochloric acids).

“For facilities in environments exposed to acidity or high levels of salt (near the ocean), we would recommend 316 stainless grade, as it offers more anti-corrosion protection,” Henry says.

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PHOTO, PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY OF HOP TREE BREWING LTD.; THIS PAGE: STAINLESSDRAINS.COM

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Less waste o N 4 in the

trunk lines and wastewater stream

Managers of municipal wastewater treatment facilities across the globe decry the degree to which solid waste is clogging their equipment.

Items such as flushable wipes, hair, plastic bags, and plastic fragments bound up in fat are the most visible. But before items reach that far, trunk lines from a manufacturing or processing facility can become clogged just as easily. “A plugged trunk line can be very costly,” Heller says. “We have heard horror stories that can cost companies in the thousands.”

StainlessDrains.com grates and strainers stop those larger objects from ever leaving the facility. What’s held back can then be disposed of with all other solid waste, outside of the wastewater stream, or sometimes repurposed for agricultural uses.

NO.5 CUSTOMIZED DESIGN & SIMPLE RETROFITS StainlessDrains.com floor sinks and trench drains products are smart investments in newly built facilities because they have a long life (50+ years). But in old buildings or new, all stainless drain systems are custom designed for each project. In existing plants, it’s possible to reline a drain system with a stainless steel drain insert for a fast, affordable fix of an old porcelain, PVC, or cast iron drain.

PHOTOS, THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE: LAUREN NEYRA; AMY HENRY; COURTESY OF GREENSCAPE PUMP SERVICES, INC.

NO.7

STAINLESS STEEL IS RECYCLED AND RECYCLABLE

The resilience properties of stainless steel are what make it so popular. It’s resistant to high and low temperatures, it’s strong and durable (corrosion resistant), easy to clean, and long-lasting. But it’s also highly recyclable (90% of end-of-life stainless steel is recycled) and very often contains a high degree of recycled material itself (about 60%).

StainlessDrains.com sends its own manufacturing waste to recycling vendors, who readily reprocess the valuable material (the waste is minimal, however; credit lean manufacturing and laser technology). Every ton of recycled stainless steel saves 1,100 kilograms of iron ore, 630 kilograms of coal, and 55 kilograms of limestone. gb&d

No6 TEAMWORK John Henry and Shelia Heller, CEO and vice president of StainlessDrains.com, run their business out of Greenville, Texas.

STAINLESS STEEL LOOKS GREAT— AND YOU’LL RECOGNIZE IT

It’s possible you’ve seen or even walked on a StainlessDrains.com product many times. Costco warehouse clubs, among many other retail chains, use them in food preparation areas and bathrooms. But don’t be surprised to see the company’s stainless drains in airports, hotels, restaurants, stadiums, hospitals, on landscaped plazas, and around public pools. The aesthetics of stainless steel provide a modern, clean look that complements marquee properties. gb&d COLLABORATION StainlessDrains. com worked with Greenscape Pump Services, Inc. on a fountain in Houston.

StainlessDrains.com provided the stainless steel on the project.

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Efficient Appliances Beko US is changing the impact of our everyday appliances

By Laura Rote

Let’s face it—most of us dread doing chores. And while we may never quite look forward to doing the laundry, at least we can take solace knowing the process we use isn’t doing more damage than good.

And not just damage to your clothes, either. When you use a product like Beko US’s ventless heat pump dryer, you’re using less energy—a lot less—and that’s all part of the company’s commitment to energy efficiency. “Environmental protection and adopting

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sustainable processes in our business is key at Beko US,” says Salih Zeki Bugay, director of product management.

“Changing the habits of customers is not an easy task, but providing them with the tools and machines they need to give them the results with less cost and great efficiency helps the habits form.”

Bugay says Beko US was the first manufacturer to bring heat pump technology in compact clothes dryers to the States in 2015 under the company’s Blomberg brand. The combination of European style and design with the latest technology was an easy sell, and not many ventless heat pump dryers currently exist in the marketplace outside of the line offered by Beko—the top European freestanding appliance brand. Beko’s dryer runs without a heating element—internal air and compressed refrigerant circulate within the product instead.

Add to that that the company’s heat pump dryers offer the only non-shrink wool dry operation, and you’re looking at a special operation. gbdmagazine.com

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Beko US eliminates the need for a hightemperature drying process.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BEKO US

THE BENEFITS “Eliminating the need for a high-temperature drying process, thus resulting in a non-fabric damaging operational temperature, is one of the key benefits of the heat pump technology,” Bugay says. “Thanks to the lower temperature operation, fibers are not agitated and lint formation from the drying process is reduced considerably.”

Plus, the chance of your clothing shrinking is almost nil.

Because the unit is ventless and circulates internal air with perfect sealing, you also save up to 70% of the energy needed to dry clothes as compared to vented dryers.

“Last but not least, having no vent eliminates the need for vent cleaning and other hazardous conditions, as well as helping developers and builders reduce the cost of building multi-unit apartment complexes,” Bugay says.

TOP OF THE CLASS More than 90% of Beko’s major appliances are Energy Star certified. Bugay says Beko’s washers and heat pump dryers have both been categorized as the best energy performers in the U.S. And they’re made mostly from recyclable material.

Beko also recently won first prize in the appliance competition of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017. The team’s home in the competition, RISE—or Residential, Inviting, Stackable, Efficient— showcased innovative and energy-efficient Beko appliances, including a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, and compact washer/dryer.

Six of the seven homes sponsored showcased the companies’ innovative heat pump dryer technology, which made the EPA’s 2017 Energy Star Most Efficient list for using 50% less energy than conventional dryers. The ventless heat pump technology uses a closed-loop heat exchange system to dry at lower temperatures, saving money on energy bills and providing superior protection for clothes. gb&d

MORE GREAT PRODUCTS The efficiency doesn’t stop in the laundry room. Beko also offers a beautiful French door-style refrigerator/ freezer with conditions that keep food fresh up to 30 days with EverFresh+ technology. That’s three times longer than the average refrigerator.

Beko has also developed NeoFrost dual cooling technology to ensure food stays fresher longer. Unlike conventional single cooling systems, NeoFrost uses two cooling systems to maintain optimal humidity in the fridge while keeping the freezer dry and frost-free.

It cools up to twice as fast and keeps airflow separate between the refrigerator and freezer.

“Our kitchen solutions deliver forward-thinking technology and maximum efficiency in beautifully modern packages to make life better,” Bugay says. “Our entire line of refrigerators is Energy Star compliant … and that’s good not only for the environment, but also for your electric bill.”

THE FUTURE As demand for products like these grows in the States—a large portion of Beko’s sales since 2015 include heat pump dryers—Bugay expects the company will become one of the most preferred appliance brands in the country.

At the end of the day, the commitment to developing the most efficient products with healthy living in mind has always been part of what Beko does. Parent company Arcelik A.S., whose mission is to develop highly energyefficient appliances with exceptional value and quality, started in Turkey in 1955. Initially focused on metal cabinets, then farm equipment, and finally appliances, the company has been bringing exciting innovations to life since it started heavily focusing on its own R&D in the early ’90s. Today, Beko has a growing presence in 140 countries. It’s the fastest growing major appliance brand in Europe and the top-selling brand in the UK. gb&d may–june 2018

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The Functional Aesthetics of Precast Concrete Think concrete is ho-hum gray?

Think again. Fabcon’s products offer warmth, texture, and a sense of place combined with being loadbearing, low maintenance, and energy-efficient.

By Emily Torem

Fabcon’s precast concrete panels are known in the industry for being quick to install, resilient to weather conditions, and a sustainable choice for any budget. Fabcon’s VersaCore+ Green panels increase R-values by 30%, reducing energy costs for building owners.

But there’s more to great design than engineering—color, texture, and visual appeal are needed to differentiate in a saturated skyline. Luckily, Fabcon’s precast concrete panels are far from staid, achieving rich pigment and highly textured contrast effects to elevate any architectural project. Indeed, Fabcon describes its approach as having “functional aesthetics,” proving appearance doesn’t have to be sacrificed for performance.

Fabcon projects all over the U.S. make good on that promise, featuring some of the company’s most exciting finishes, techniques, and aggregates, all supported by the stellar performance and efficiency precast concrete panels are renowned for.

CREATING COLOR “We can create practically endless colors through the combination of materials we use,” says Rich Mantel,

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Fabcon’s materials engineer, of their extensive array of custom-mixed aggregates and pigments, which can range in hue from warm reds, yellows, whites, and off-whites to buffs/neutrals and many shades of gray. “We can combine four different ‘primary’ colors of pigments (light red, dark red, yellow, and black) in any ratio to create many different matrix colors,” Mantel says. “Aggregates (stone and sand) can be found from around the country to meet the customer’s desired look.”

Cody C. Lang, also a materials engineer at Fabcon, compares the process of adjusting the four components of the panels (cement, aggregate, tinted pigments, and matrix) to blending red, blue, and green light in a TV to produce a multi-hued projection.

“Each of those components has its own color properties,” he says. “By changing and adjusting them, we can create a wide selection of possibilities.”

AMAZING AGGREGATES One way Fabcon goes above and beyond the standard look of concrete is by folding regional sediment into its aggregates, lending projects across the U.S. a distinctive result with a touch of local character and gbdmagazine.com

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THE PROJECTS COLOR Cinemark Theaters, West Dundee, Illinois, 2016 Fabcon’s easy approach to helping customers “land and expand” has been integral to Cinemark Theaters’ growth. The ability to produce the tallest load-bearing concrete wall panels in the U.S. combined with high sound attenuation ratings ensures both the form and function of theater buildings are achieved. Using a warm paint palette of reds and neutrals and a sweeping command of space, Cinemark creates a cinematic experience by making good use of Fabcon’s steel form finish in some of its more than 300 U.S. locations.

Shutterfly, Shakopee, Minnesota, 2014 When revolutionary photo company Shutterfly needed a customer care and design production facility consistent with its creative and highly personalized style, they turned to Fabcon. An eye-popping tomato-red paint to complement the brand’s logo was applied after Fabcon installed the 80,489 square feet of wall panels just a few miles from their manufacturing facility.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FABCON

BrewDog, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 2016 When this Scottish brewing company descended upon the U.S., they made the deliberate choice to use Fabcon’s steel form finish in its natural state (a rich, deep gray) to get the industrial look associated with their brand. It proved to be the ideal backdrop for colorful murals both inside and on the exterior walls of Brew Dog’s first U.S. production and distribution facility, restaurant, and taproom.

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color. “Say you were to grab some quartz from the ground in Minnesota versus quartz from Pennsylvania,” Lang says. “Each type of quartz would have its own history, with characteristics that are unique to the original location. Think of rose quartz, blue quartz, smoky quartz, milky quartz, et cetera.”

The number of different stones available in the rich diversity of the country’s geography makes for a generous range of client options. “We can utilize a

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combination of two colors of cement, gray, or white in the concrete mix, and over 50 different limestones, quartzes, and granites for stones and sands to create different colors and looks,” Mantel says.

Using local aggregates has another advantage for the customer—it greatly reduces costs. “The shipping cost from the quarry to our plant is the bulk of the cost for aggregate,” Mantel says. “The more that local aggregates are used, the lower the cost is for our customers.” gb&d gbdmagazine.com

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TEXTURE Wisconsin Vision Associates, Burlington, Wisconsin, 2014 Precast concrete made a lot of sense for Wisconsin Vision, a lens and contact lens distributor, when they built their new 63,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and warehouse. A portion of the project was buried in the ground, according to Eric Halbur at Abacus Architects, who designed the project, so precast’s durability and low maintenance was key. “You’re not going to have to update or maintain it,” he says. “It really does reflect Fabcon’s commitment to building something solid.”

The project’s harmony with Fabcon’s precast panels went beyond weather resistance (crucial for the Midwest’s fierce winters). The client wanted a smooth paneled look in a very specific gray that Halbur says a lot of manufacturers were reluctant to commit to, fearing inconsistency in coloring or texture would be ultra-apparent on a non-textured surface. Fabcon worked to provide the client with a sample of a tinted pigment and aggregate blend to achieve the charcoal steel form finish, which they enthusiastically signed off on. The result is a perfectly smooth surface in a custom shade of gray that complements the warm wood and natural stone elements of the warehouse.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FABCON

South Washington Park, Piscataway, New Jersey, 2013 To achieve the striated texture on South Washington Park buildings 1 and 2, Fabcon supplied a custom finish by utilizing a horizontal wood plank formliner, which created a textured wood grain appearance with plenty of depth. Formliners are similar to a popsicle mold, wherein concrete is poured into a mold or form to get it to display very specific textures. It’s possible to get the look of masonry, for example, while still enjoying the low maintenance and durability of precast concrete. To contrast the warmer looking material, a steel form finish made of a cool white contrasted nicely. Of the buildings’ total 532,793 square feet, Fabcon provided 209,625 square feet of precast wall panels.

Quality Bicycle Products, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 2014 Quality Bicycle Products’ east region facility was designed around their philosophy that partnering with other companies is about much more than buying and selling stuff. It’s about sharing a common vision and values.

Considering the company’s passion to make the world a better place, it was important to them to build an energy-efficient, sustainable building. It was also important to the owners that the building’s aesthetic fit the environment and modest community around them. The random rake, exposed Aggregate finish they chose reflects a natural landscape, echoed in their surroundings, and plays nicely with the field-applied cultured stone.

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▼ AS SEEN IN You’ll also find Fabcon’s Precast Concrete Panels at: VALUE CITY FURNITURE

CONAGRA

GOYA FOODS

FRITO LAY

BAYER-MONSANTO CROP SCIENCE

PEPSICO WALMART

LA FITNESS FEDEX PANASONIC UPS

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Why to Build with NUDURA’s ICFs How you can save time on your next project and help the environment without sacrificing design

By Nichole L. Reber

Morning Star Academy may be a textbook example of why to build with insulated concrete forms, or ICFs. The private school in Texas received the 2014 ICF Builder Award in the light commercial category, and it exemplifies how ICFs save time, money, labor, and energy.

The NUDURA wall system accomplishes six building steps with one product: It’s a modular form system, air barrier, wall structure, vapor barrier, insulation, and interior/exterior finish anchorage.

ICFs hold the monolithically poured concrete, which then stay in place, creating the continuous insulation required in many of today’s building codes.

The Morning Star project showed how these and other qualities helped the school, the project team, and the environment in general. Kevin Peterson, owner of Kevin Peterson LLC and the project’s general contractor, was an ICF advocate from the start. He witnessed a night and day difference on the twophase project between a competitor’s and NUDURA’s ICFs, having used the competitor on the first phase.

When he turned to NUDURA for the second phase, the problem was quickly solved.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF NUDURA

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NUDURA’s work helped the Morning Star Academy project in Texas save time, money, labor, and energy.

HERE’S A FEW REASONS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ICFs

1 THEY’RE TALLER AND FASTER. “Using NUDURA cut our installation time greatly,” says Paul Woodard, project manager and design architect at Halff Associates. “Depending on what phase of the program we were in, we reduced installation time by a third to two-thirds off other forms and competing products because it’s a bigger form.”

That’s a money-saving benefit, especially in parts of the country that face weather delays for weeks or even a month at a time.

ARCHITECTS LIKE THEM.

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Woodard dispelled the misconception that ICFs thwart the work of architects.

“Building with repetitive spaces is a good time to use ICFs. For Morning Star Academy, we had a general finger-like modularity to the building, which is one reason I think ICFs were successful here,” he says.

He also found them useful for supporting heavy loads. For example, NUDURA’s ICFs support the 30-foot-high walls in Morning Star Academy’s gym.

Builders and designers can use the inherent core wall structure as the makings of a modular system, Woodard says. On the floor of this school project, the team used hollow core structural concrete structural plank, and the ICFs were complementary to that. The roof system was a cementitious wood fiber deck made by another manufacturer, and the roof and wall systems worked well together.

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THEY’RE GREEN. The green movement of the early 2000s revealed ICFs’ true ecofriendly potential, but they’re also a money-saving tool, as they generate a lot less waste than comparative building methods. “My disposal fee was nothing compared to the cost of dumpsters used to haul off materials from other projects,” Peterson says.

These ICFs also enhance other efficient building features. Morning Star’s walls have an R value of 22, over and above the wall insulation Woodard says he’d ordinarily have used. That allowed the client to reduce the size of the heating and air equipment needed. Factor into that the fact that the walls’ inherent thermal envelope creates additional energy savings, and you get payback after about a year.

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The walls also provide a sound substrate for anchoring nailers and wood plates, and these are often needed for making the connection between walls and roof structures and as a rigid base for fastening trim, he says.

ICFs facilitate electrical conduit, or raceway, installation. A channel may be made in the foam by cutting out a slot in the face of the ICF or by using a tool that will rout or melt the channel. The conduit may then be placed within the channel.

Years ago, ICFs gained the reputation of being costly. That may have been true more than a decade ago, but remember the money-saving factors above. Also, consider that today’s builders are using more materials and adding more steps to meet stricter building codes—unless they start with ICFs. But the benefits don’t stop there.

“Home and building owners who have built using NUDURA feel secure about their investment as they know it’s built strong,” says Natalie Rodgers, director of marketing for NUDURA. “The strength behind NUDURA is the reinforced concrete core, and concrete is just plain durable. Reinforced concrete ICFs can withstand some of the worst weather Mother Nature can throw at you, including high winds from hurricanes and tornadoes.”

She says builders also love working with NUDURA because they can get twice as much storage space—ICFs fold completely flat. “This allows them to fit twice as many forms in their trucks, saving time, money, and the hassle of repeat transport trips compared to other ICFs currently on the market.”

Peterson says the forms’ fire-resistant qualities also contribute to lesser building insurance in some cases. “We love them,” he says, having used them in nearly 20 projects.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NUDURA

Building with ICFs is good for supporting heavy loads, and the inherent core wall structure can be used as the makings of a modular system.

THEY MAKE OTHER JOBS EASIER.

THEY’RE AFFORDABLE.

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The Power of Passive Fire Protection HOLDRITE’s HydroFlame firestop solutions keep water, smoke, and flames from spreading—and they’re easier to install and more cost effective than other methods.

By Margaret Poe

When you think of fire protection, devices like smoke detectors and sprinklers come to mind. These products are, of course, essential to alerting inhabitants and combating the flames when a fire breaks out, but they’re only part of the solution. Another critical component is passive fire protection. Unlike smoke detectors, which alert people to a blaze, or sprinklers (active fire protection), which put out the flames, fire stopping (passive fire protection) solutions work behind the scenes.

“It doesn’t put the fire out, but it stops fire, smoke, and poisonous gases from moving to other areas of the building,” says Chip O’Neil, vice president of business development at Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC).

Last year, RWC acquired HOLDRITE, which has been developing solutions for commercial and residential construction since 1982. HOLDRITE is an industry leader in creating passive firestops for plumbing and mechanical contractors.

HOW FIRESTOPPING WORKS So how do these solutions fit into the construction of a building? O’Neil explains it like this: A building is often divided into multiple fire-rated compartments created by fire-rated assemblies like walls and floors. These rated assemblies are designed to prevent a fire from spreading from one area of a building to

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF RELIANCE WORLDWIDE CORP.

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HydroFlame’s telescoping sleeves are secured to the form decking before the concrete is poured.

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“ W E ’ R E I N T H E P R O C E S S O F TR ANSFORMING FIRESTOP SOLUTIONS BY CONVERTING MAKESHIFT METHODS INTO AN E N G I N E E R E D U L D E V I C E .”

TIM MCCONNELL HOLDRITE

another for a set amount of time depending on their “F” rating. However, during construction, those assemblies will be impacted by all the various trades involved in the process: pipes and electrical conduits will penetrate them, and so on. It’s up to those trades to return that assembly to its original fire rating, essentially by filling in the gaps, or “annular spaces.”

For years, those gaps were filled using ad hoc formulations of mineral wool and caulking, O’Neil says. These were accomplished on the job site by subcontractors with varying degrees of expertise in passive fire protection. Today, those makeshift solutions are no longer the only answer. HOLDRITE’s HydroFlame Pro series is a streamlined solution that transforms firestopping. HydroFlame’s

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telescoping sleeves are secured to the form decking before concrete is poured. Because it’s a telescoping design, the same sleeve can be adjusted to accommodate a variety of depths of concrete without any kind of field modification, O’Neil says.

Within the sleeve is a pliable membrane that can stretch to meet various sizes. This means once the plumbing or cabling is inserted through the sleeve, the pliable membrane will create a waterproof seal. The sleeves also contain a cap and locator whisker to streamline the process of installing pipes or utilities after the concrete has dried. Because the whiskers stick up out of the concrete floor, it’s easier for contractors to find them when it’s time to run the pipe or

cable. Then the safety cap and whisker can be easily removed.

TRANSFORMING FIRESTOP SOLUTIONS WITH ENGINEERED DEVICES Why have building professionals turned to these kind of engineered solutions in recent years?

“Codes and standards have become significantly more important in building construction,” says Tim McConnell, senior vice president of business innovation at RWC. Engineered firestops are easier to inspect and ensure consistent installation and inspection across an entire project.

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HOLDRITE’s HydroFlame Pro series makes firestopping a much simpler—and more cost-effective—process.

4 Green Benefits of HydroFlame Pro

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HVAC efficiency Because the sleeves create airtight floor penetrations, there’s very little heat or cooling lost through pipe cable and conduit penetrations.

Water savings Using a core drilling machine to create pathways for utility lines in a building can use a large amount of water. An engineered sleeving system eliminates the need for that drilling.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RELIANCE WORLDWIDE CORP.

3 do what they claim to do. Once tested and proven to be able to achieve the fire rating for the prescribed amount of time, they receive a UL or similar listing,” O’Neil says.

McConnell notes that third-party-certified products have been key to meeting increasingly stringent code requirements.

“As systems have been developed, the inspector and contractor community often prefer a proven system to a makeshift method,” he says.

For developers and contractors, cost is always a major part of any decision.

That’s another area where an all-in-one solution has an advantage—though it may not be immediately apparent, O’Neil says as an example. A typical sleeve will cost just $3, compared to the $9 or $10 it might cost to buy a HOLDRITE solution in gb&d

a comparable size, he says. However, that $3 hollow sleeve doesn’t account for all the time it will take to apply the caulking and other materials to secure that sleeve.

“When all of the labor and material is added up, the installation can actually result in $30 or more per penetration, even though the basic hollow sleeve started at just $3,” O’Neil says. Because a HydroFlame Pro sleeve is so simple to install, labor only adds a few additional dollars—making for a total installed cost less than half that of a manual one.

“One of our goals is to create added value for the contractor and developer,” McConnell says. “You’re getting a better solution without necessarily adding additional costs to the building because of the installed cost savings.” gb&d

Reduced construction waste A field-applied firestop system requires multiple components, each of which requires packaging material. In addition, the demolition of temporary sleeves creates extra waste on site. A streamlined solution, which doesn’t generate any scrap materials, eliminates these materials from going into a landfill.

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Improved air quality Manual firestopping often requires harsh chemicals, and the process of cutting mineral wool can release contaminants into the air. HydroFlame Pro products, on the other hand, are made out of low-VOC materials. Eliminating the need to core drill or demo a sleeve out of a concrete floor prevents silica dust from being released into the air.

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v

Going

Today’s solar lighting technology challenges the traditional lighting status quo by offering light with no compromise.

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Beyond

PHOTO: COURTESY OF SOL

Green W

hen the city of Aurora, Colorado, revisited its master plan for Sand Creek Park before re-opening in late 2017, it was clear people didn’t want to do anything to distract from the natural beauty of the park. The city developed a plan for the park, alongside a new light rail station, that not only included native plant life and a revitalized playground made from natural materials—it also included environmentally friendly solar-powered lighting.

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But why solar? The city discovered a standard lighting solution for the park and adjoining parking lot would be challenging; the closest grid connection was on the other side of the light rail tracks, making it inaccessible, and trenching power lines to the next closest grid connection would be prohibitively expensive, according to Nicole Horst, principal at Wenk Associates, the landscape architecture and planning firm that designed the park. So they turned to Sol, a subsidiary of Carmanah Technologies, for a may–june 2018

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Solar lights from Sol have been transformative in Chandler, Arizona.

technologically advanced solar solution that met their needs at a comparable price, without sacrificing light performance, component durability, or system reliability compared to traditional on-grid lighting.

A BETTER COMMERCIAL LIGHT In the U.S., some have been slow to adopt solar-powered outdoor lighting because AC grid access in the past was generally affordable, or the cost difference between solar- and AC-powered lighting systems was too big to justify—not to mention poorly designed older technology often made it unreliable. Too many compromises had to be made to rationalize using it.

Today, many cities are making a conscious choice to use solar for other reasons than being green. One reason is financial—with traditional lighting costs on the rise, more people are looking to solar. “The cost of on-grid electricity generated from coal and nuclear sources

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BUILD & PRICE— AND COMPARE Sol’s website includes a handy Build & Price tool, where you can input the location and dimensions of a project, get a price quote, and then compare the number to the cost of the incumbent electrical solution. It’s a great way to examine the options and start collaborating, whether you’re working on a local street or connector roadway, a bike path or sidewalk, a parking lot or national park, or even industrial facilities. solarlighting.com/build

continues to increase on average,” says Damien Hortsing, a technical sales specialist for Sol. For instance, the Institute for Energy Research reports that in Colorado, the average electricity price increased 67% from 2000 to 2014. “That’s making solar viable for a greater share of projects than before,” Hortsing says. “It’s gaining momentum across the board—for both streets and parks.”

A SMARTER SOLAR PACKAGE Cities and developers that do make the shift are looking for a reliable product to compete with the light performance, component durability, and system reliability of traditional products. Technology like Sol’s new EverGen M Series is key.

A combination of better solar panels; high efficacy, lab-tested LED luminaires; a 10-year battery; and a unique energy management system (the brain of the light) ensure the EverGen can provide light every night of the year at the required light gbdmagazine.com

UP FRONT

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SOL

levels—with no compromise on performance. “As solar technology matures, you get better quality systems at lower prices,” Hortsing says.

Meanwhile, these physical pieces of the system are built to custom specification—nothing comes straight off the shelf. “For it to last a long time, we use high-quality components,” Hortsing says.

“Everything is designed to work together.”

Sol prides itself on building a product that is optimized to work in a given location over the long term. They use compact panels that collect enough solar energy on even the darkest days to provide light through the night. “How we size— or configure—our systems [is] a critical part of a successful solar project,” Hortsing says. “We can determine how much sun each site receives by looking at 20 years of data, which we use to select the exact configuration of components that will work best for that location. As manufacturers, this gives us confidence that the product will perform as designed for years to come.”

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A CLOSER LOOK AT EVERGEN The first installation of EverGen lights was in November 2017, when the city of San Jose, California, installed four in a local park. The city aims to comply with the Paris Agreement, and this installation was an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, officials in Aurora used the EverGen to solve the problem of challenging grid access. “[Aurora has] been really happy with it,”

“ YO U G E T B E T T E R Q U A L I T Y S Y S T E M S AT L O W E R P R I C E S .”

DAMIEN HORTSING SOL

Horst says. She says the biggest misconceptions about solar lighting concern longevity, reliability, and battery life. But this reliable innovation builds on 20-plus years of innovation from the company, further expanding on an already durable product.

Just look, for example, at a project in Wray, Colorado. More than 10 years ago, 71 of Sol’s lights were installed there along the Republican River Trail. That project has required little maintenance—needing only recent battery changes— and survived hailstorms, snow, and other fierce weather unscathed. “Our electric department has been very pleased,” says James DePue, Wray’s city manager. “The maintenance has been very minimal over the last 10 years. We also would have had a larger ongoing cost with electrical energy [on the grid], absolutely.”

Building on this earlier technology to create something better is the main reason today’s EverGen is often on par with grid-connected lighting.

“That’s helped us open the door for a greater range of projects than ever before,” says Hortsing.

“Whether you’re trying to light a path or a street or a parking lot, your solar light should work every night, just like a traditional light does. We’ve made that happen.” gb&d may–june 2018

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FRONT GREEN BUILDING UP & DESIGN

Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Punch List

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54 An Expert Guide to Green Roofs

Sika Sarnafil brings green space back to metropolitan areas.

60 Building Better Planters

DeepStream Designs is changing the way high-end spaces tackle rooftop design.

64 How to Make an Outdoor Oasis

Techo-Bloc takes on tough spaces with beautiful, sustainable solutions.

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INSPIRING GREEN SOLUTIONS

BY COLLEEN DEHART

The desire to be part of nature is integral to being human.

“It is coded in our DNA,” says Gregory Miller, president of the American Society of Landscape Architects. As we continue to

become a more urbanized world, the need to turn to sustainable, truly green, and inspiring outdoor solutions is paramount. Using green roof technology and natural stone to filter stormwater are just a couple of the ways we can take care of our environment, bring nature back to the city, and positively impact our health. “Outdoor spaces that create meaningful connections between people, and between people and nature—with respect to natural systems—are critical to healthy communities,” Miller says. Inviting outdoor spaces not only offer sustainable solutions to common problems like air quality, pollution, and the urban heat island effect, they also create positive spaces for social interaction. “These spaces become our common ground, allowing us to come together as a community and reinforce critical social bonds,” Miller says. In this series, we explore some of these innovative solutions.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF SIKA SARNAFIL

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AN EXPERT’S GUIDE TO GREEN ROOFS BRINGING GREEN SPACE BACK TO THE CITY

BY COLLEEN DEHART

From a sustainability perspective, installing a green roof seems like a no-brainer. Vegetative roof coverings offer a host of benefits. They cut down on pollution, reduce heating and cooling costs, improve acoustics, extend a roof’s life, and offer an aesthetically pleasing way to bring nature back to urban living.

“There are not many applications you can do on a building that have as many benefits as a green roof,” says Bill Bellico, director of marketing and inside sales for commercial roofing and waterproofing company Sika Sarnafil’s U.S. based operations.

The green roofing trend—which dates back thousands of years, to even the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, for instance— took off in Europe with sod coverings. The trend later developed into more comprehensive systems—the ones we use today—in the 1960s in Germany. The systems started to emerge in the U.S. about 20 years ago, Bellico says, with one of the earliest and most visible applications being Chicago City Hall in 2000.

Vegetative roof coverings have become popular in all types of environments, from office buildings to health care facilities, where they are being used as an oasis for patients and their families. “Everybody seems to be fascinated by green roofs, whether they’re involved in the construction and design industry or not,” Bellico says. “They instantly appeal to human nature. The benefits are getting more widely understood and appreciated.”

Sika Sarnafil has been at the forefront of the green roofing business—installing their first green roof in 1969 in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland, which is still growing strong today. But it hasn’t been all fun and games; the company—and its host of experts—has learned many lessons along the way. Two of those experts recently sat down with gb&d to share some of what they have learned and offer advice to anyone looking to go the green route.

Field Support Services Manager Jon Jensen and Education, Waterproofing, and Healthcare Facilities Specialist John Robinson, who is also a certified green roof professional, together have more than 50 years of experience in the industry.

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gb&d: How have you seen green roofs evolve?

Jensen: The basics have generally remained the same, but the creativity that goes into the designs has evolved. Other features have been added—patterns, colors, landforms that create interesting and unique aesthetics. The use of green roofs has definitely grown, no pun intended, but the waterproofing has stayed the same.

Sika Sarnafil has worked on many large projects, from Chicago’s Chinatown library to city hall.

Robinson: Green roofs have been utilized for centuries in many civilizations. We have been designing and constructing plaza decks and rooftop spaces that incorporate green areas for decades.

The European model of more lightweight, shallow soil, easier to maintain extensive systems have been gaining popularity in the U.S. in the past decade due to cost and design advantages. gb&d: What misconceptions do people have about green roofs?

Robinson: There are many fallacies surrounding green roofs. Some of the more common misconceptions include thinking all types of green roofs are too expensive to construct, they are difficult to maintain, they all leak, they are difficult to repair, and they do not offer the intended environmental benefits. As we install more green roofs, we look at proven systems, the design application, and performance and get more data that validates the benefits. We are installing systems that are easy to maintain, that don’t leak, and are easy to repair if needed.

Jensen: A properly designed, quality roof system underneath a properly maintained vegetative cover means years of worry-free service. Installing a green roof over a traditional low-slope roof can alleviate the issues of storm water runoff and the urban heat island effect, while increasing overall aesthetics. Also, by installing a vegetative cover over your roof, you are increasing the life of the roof by minimizing UV exposure.

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gb&d: What challenges do green roofs pose?

gb&d: What is the most common mistake people make?

Jensen: The big thing is making sure the design and details are correct.

All entities involved need to be up-to-speed on green roofs. It is not an exposed roof that you can look at any time. You want to do it right the first time to avoid costly repairs later.

Jensen: From my perspective, tradespeople—landscapers, HVAC technicians, et cetera—can accidentally, and oftentimes unknowingly, damage the waterproofing membrane.

Everybody involved with roof maintenance needs to be made aware of the watertight membrane below the green roof and certain precautions need to be taken to keep it that way. For example, we had a landscaper put spikes in to hold irrigation in place and it went right through the membrane. It caused leaking into the building and was difficult to figure out what was going on.

Robinson: The biggest challenge I see is dealing with upfront cost and thinking about the roof in terms of total cost across its life cycle. While the initial cost of a vegetative roof can sometimes be two to three times the cost per square foot of a traditional roof system, there is a wide range of application options that can work for different budgets.

In addition, people typically focus on upfront cost instead of considering the total life cycle of the roof. A traditional exposed roof might only last 15 to 20 years, whereas a protected, covered, vegetative system could last in excess of 50 years. It is important that you have policy and code officials that are educated on green roof systems and any storm water credits or other grants that may be available to someone constructing a green roof.

Robinson: Not receiving an accurate quote for the specific green roof needed, poor design, construction and maintenance, and use of substandard materials are the big ones. When the roof is not properly designed or maintained—the plants get too much water, or not enough, vegetation is covered in weeds, draining is impeded—that leads to premature failure of the system. All of these things are critical to the success of the system.

Sika Sarnafil beautified this outdoor space at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

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gb&d: What is the biggest lesson you have learned?

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SIKA SARNAFIL

Jensen: Quality assurance needs to be maintained through inspections and testing. Monitoring the work of other trades is paramount. Locating a leak in a green roof can prove to be a difficult and costly endeavor. It is time-consuming, expensive, and a large disruption to the system.

It’s also vital to have a chain-ofcustody plan in place; once the roof is tested and deemed watertight, all potential workers on the roof must be educated and mindful of the waterproofing membrane. It is also important to take weight into consideration and know how much the structure can handle.

Robinson: Green roof construction is still not common, and it requires both a contractor and waterproofing manufacturer with documented experience in these systems.

Also, the project should require a single source warranty that includes the waterproofing and

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green overburden under a single responsible party. Coordination of trades is crucial. All parties must know their responsibilities. gb&d: The commercial roofing industry has relied on Sika Sarnafil’s thermoplastic singleply membranes for more than 50 years. How are these used in green roofs?

Jensen: The membrane is the primary waterproofing for the roof.

When using a thermoplastic singleply membrane, the seams can be hot-air welded creating a water tight monolithic sheet. And the seams are good for the life of the system, unlike other systems that use glues to bond their seams. The sheet also acts as a natural root barrier eliminating the need to add another layer of protection.

Robinson: The advantages include a long life cycle, root and rot resistance, chemical resistance, sustainability, and design flexibility. gb&d

▼ AS SEEN IN Sika Sarnafil's expertise can be found at: CHICAGO CITY HALL CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY’S CHINATOWN BRANCH ST. LOUIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TARGET CENTER THE PULITZER FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

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BUILDING BETTER PLANTERS DEEPSTREAM DESIGNS MAKES ROOFTOP INSTALLATIONS EASIER WITH THEIR MODULAR PLANTER SYSTEM.

BY JULIA STONE

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When Tom and Sheila Boyce couldn’t find durable, freestanding planters for their condominium project in Miami, Florida, Tom took matters into his own hands— he designed his own.

“We were sitting at a sidewalk cafe, and Tom saw there were rotting wooden planters all around us, wasting valuable hardwood from tropical rainforests,” Sheila says. “Taking his experience in yacht design, he started sketching on a napkin because he had an idea, a design that would last longer. He wanted to do away with problems of traditional carpenter-built woodon-wood construction.” And with that, DeepStream Designs was born. The small company grew organically—from the basement of their condo project to a 17,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

DeepStream is making rooftop installations simpler and more cost-effective with their two customizable, modular planter systems, Mariner and Audubon, which are part of an integrated system that also includes regbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE: COURTESY OF MCCAMY DEVELOPMENT; A&R KALIMIAN; HALVORSON DESIGN

TYPOLOGY

cycling and trash bins, wall systems, and hotel and restaurant fixtures.

As professional yacht captains, Tom and Sheila have decades of experience with durable materials that can withstand marine environments. Tom says, “I use the principles of sustainable design to ensure our products have the lowest cost of ownership over time.”

DeepStream uses recycled materials, like recycled plastic lumber, wherever possible. In fact, products made with recycled plastic lumber made up 62% of DeepStream’s sales in 2017. “Sustainability as a business is important, and our customers want it,” Sheila says.

“We value the natural world and understand how everything is connected.” For every product they produce, DeepStream plants trees through the nonprofit Trees for the Future in their customers’ honor. To date, DeepStream has planted 370,000 trees through the program.

“One of the reasons I designed the planter system like I did is that they last,” Tom says. Expected to last for decades, the planters are also easy to repair and refurbish, so you won’t have to redo your project every few years. All it takes is sanding off a little of the planks’ exterior and cleaning the aluminum to make the planters look like new.

“If builders don’t do something that’s going to last, then their customers will be starting over in three to five years,” Sheila says. And rather than throwing away damaged planters, DeepStream offers a low-cost core replacement parts program that allows customers to replace damaged pieces.

Wood-on-wood planters gradually tear themselves apart as time goes on. Wooden planks expand, contract, and warp at different rates when they get wet because each part is cut from a different section of the tree, or from different types of trees. DeepStream uses marine-anodized aluminum legs and stainless steel fasteners to clamp the wood so it can expand and contract at different rates without damaging the structure. And the planter’s legs are protected from the wet ground by using HDPE plastic feet.

DeepStream’s products are manufactured using yacht-building techniques—copper treatment of closed gb&d

holes in the wood helps prevent wood rot. Also, by installing the soil-filled plastic liners on an independent aluminum frame, DeepStream prevents rotting caused by contact between the soil and the wood. Unlike fiberglass or ceramic planters, the planter-within-a-planter design keeps plants from overheating because the liner is never exposed to direct sunlight. The void between the liner and outer wall prevents the roots from steaming and hides drip irrigation and drain lines.

DeepStream Designs provides flexibility when it comes to design and installation. They build planters based on the initial dimensions, but the planters can easily be resized if needed. “Things change through-

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DeepStream’s planter-withina-planter design keeps plants from overheating.

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out a project,” Sheila says. “That’s why our design and planters are easily adjusted. Concrete and fiberglass are not as flexible. For us, it’s a quick fix.” And Sheila and Tom can send replacement parts in a day or two.

“Because DeepStream is a small company, they’re super responsive. Sheila works well with us, the clients, and the contractors to provide accurate estimates, and her shop drawings are always clear,” says Rob Adams, principal at Halvorson Design Partnership. Adams and his team have worked with DeepStream on several projects so far, including 53 State Street in Boston. “Their modular quality really stands out and there is no upcharge for the customization,” Adams says. “A masonry wall can be problematic. But with DeepStream, you can easily wheel a grill into the modular structure.”

The planters can be assembled by anyone, meaning

lower labor costs—DeepStream even provides the tools, and the plastic liners can be planted ahead of time by a nursery. The planters can be added to the rooftop later on in the project, which also allows for more flexibility than built-in concrete planters.

“Generally, everything that goes to the roof after the building is built has to come through elevators and lobbies. So it’s a big disruption if something on the roof goes wrong,” Tom says. “Just imagine having to redo a rooftop project in Manhattan. That’d involve a crane, and a crane would require a city permit, closing streets, and so on.”

It’s simple to bring DeepStream’s planter systems up to the roof because you can break them down. They’re easy to fit inside elevators and stairwells. Tom and Sheila regularly get calls from condo associations who want gbdmagazine.com

TYPOLOGY

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE: COURTESY OF HALVORSON DESIGN; TOM BOYCE; COURTESY OF MATRIX HOTEL

DeepStream Designs uses recycled materials wherever possible.

▼ AS SEEN IN You’ll also find DeepStream's work at: to do things differently, having grown tired of having to refinish and reseal massive concrete planters on their rooftops every five years. “It’s those built-in concrete designs that builders are moving away from,” Tom says.

“Now building owners are coming to us and asking, ‘How do we replace legacy planters?’ It’s more cost-effective if they can avoid repetitive structural repairs.”

If a carpenter constructs rooftop planters, they have to bring machinery and wood up to the roof, which creates a huge mess. Because DeepStream’s products are delivered already complete, there is no waste at the site. “With thousands of installations and our background as developers and general contractors, we focus on making projects simple and efficient for the GC and landscape installer, and the best value for money for the building owners,” Tom says. gb&d gb&d

DISNEY RESORTS FENWAY PARK NFL HEADQUARTERS MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL TURF CLUB

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HOW TO MAKE AN OUTDOOR OASIS TECHO-BLOC USES PERMEABLE PAVERS TO TRANSFORM OUTDOOR SPACES.

BY COLLEEN DEHART

A challenging space does not have to be a death sentence. Turning a once unusable backyard into a relaxing, beautiful outdoor retreat can be accomplished with a little creativity. Just look at the Tricinci’s home in King City, Ontario, just north of Toronto.

Larry and Angelica Tricinci live in an upscale neighborhood, with upscale homes, but their backyard was anything but. They had a concrete slab porch off of the back of their house, followed by an open, sloping yard—squished between neighbors—that ended in a ravine. It was time for a change, so the couple turned to Techo-Bloc, Inc. Landscape product supplier Techo-Bloc met the challenge, turning their backyard into a functional, outdoor entertainment oasis. “There was always one cool idea after another,” Larry says. “At some point we just said, just show us and I am sure we will gb&d

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Techo-Bloc's Borealis pavers gave the fire pit a wood-like feel, and a cedar screen added a level of privacy.

like it … There was some really neat stuff they put together. The whole thing came together beautifully.”

Avid entertainers, the couple wanted a pool and areas to accommodate guests of all ages. “They wanted a space that was easy to navigate while still creating distinct areas that were interesting to explore and hang out in with different groups of people,” says Alex Cadieux, director of B2B marketing for Techo-Bloc. “They wanted people to always have something to do and not be bored being in one space all day.”

Techo-Bloc designers used their Raffinato collection to extend the porch, building a wall and widening the steps leading off the back porch to the pool deck—the steps were originally compact and short, making travel to the yard uninviting. “We wanted to make one big uniform space, taking into

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consideration the age of the visitors, such as grandparents, and make it as soft and transient as possible,” Cadieux says.

The pool deck was designed with texture and comfort in mind. They went with their large Blu Grande slabs to limit seams. A pool house and cabana was constructed to the side of the property with an outdoor kitchen—complete with a built-in grill and bar area.

The designers on this project decided to embrace the yard’s severe grade, rather than waste resources trying to flatten it.

This allowed them to install a fire pit area beyond the pool without having to dig deep into the ground. “The pool naturally gave us about four feet offset from the existing grade,” Cadieux says. “Rather than building up and adding stone to get to the same elevation as the pool deck, we used the ex-

isting grade point and built a wall to create an intimate space.”

They used Raffinato wall block to build the wall beyond the pool and added aesthetically pleasing touches like natural gas burners. The wall is also designed to be a bench seating area around the sunken fire pit, which sits at the lowest grade point of the hardscape construction. The fire pit was constructed out of Techo-Bloc’s Borealis pavers to give it a wood-like feel. “It adds a level of intimacy to the backyard,” Cadieux says. A cedar privacy screen was installed around the fire pit and corners of the pool area to frame in the area and offer an even cleaner, more modern look.

Stormwater drainage was a huge concern when designing the space. “The property was naturally pitched down to a conservation area that could not be touched, and it gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF TECHO-BLOC, INC.

TYPOLOGY

had to stay like that forever,” Cadieux says.

The proximity of the surrounding homes made it impossible to drain water into the side yard, and of course they wanted to avoid bringing water toward the home— leaving the only place to funnel water at the very back of the yard. “That is a long way to go,” he says.

Ultimately, the design team decided to go with a permeable paving system. Layers of open-graded stone were installed under the slabs in the pool deck and in the joints to serve as a natural filtration system. A pipe was installed under the deck—between the pool and the pool house— to send any water not absorbed into the ground down to a dry well at the back of the yard. The back porch and downspouts from the pool house were designed so all water would flow to the pool deck. “All water is absorbed through gb&d

the surface and sent away to another area where it won’t cause any problems,” Cadieux says. “There are no surface drains.

Every joint between every slab is a place for water to infiltrate. We managed the grade change and the drainage challenge and gave them a uniform and smooth surface.”

The permeable pavers and slabs are also environmentally friendly, Cadieux says.

“All the debris in the water are captured by the material itself; it is being naturally filtered. It is cleaner and soaked back into the ground gradually,” he says. “It is not flooding the street or neighbors’ backyard. It is controlled. There are tons of benefits.” The homeowners will also save on maintenance costs, as the stone will not be affected by temperature changes that can often lead to structural movement. gb&d may–june 2018

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GREEN BUILDINGTYPOLOGY & DESIGN

Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List

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70 Making Sound Beautiful, Workable, and Fun

Forrest Sound Products’ projects range from Amazon to Google.

74 A Weld Above the Rest

Developers in Miami and Las Vegas know to turn to Bradford Products for high-end stainless steel pools.

78 Open Learning School Design

Acoustical steel decks from New Millennium Building Systems raise buildings’ efficiency and sustainability.

82 Up for the Challenge

SITURA Inc. designs airtight seals with flexible joint solutions.

86 Getting the Look

Entrematic’s HVLS fans keep industrial-inspired projects cool with vibrant color and style.

90 Shine On

When Stantec moved into a new space in Austin, they turned to Hufcor for beauty and sound control.

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MAKING SOUND BEAUTIFUL, WORKABLE, AND FUN Forrest Sound Products takes the most difficult acoustical challenges and turns them into art.

By Kate Griffith

The project-based modularity of Seattle’s— and North America’s—vigorous tech scene doesn’t really lend itself to sound management, as projects and teams come and go frequently.

That’s why everyone from Google to Amazon to Microsoft calls on the Redmond-based Forrest Sound Products for help in keeping their spaces flowing while managing the boisterous sound of collaboration. This acoustical contractor is known for delivering turnkey, cost-efficient, and sustainable noise control services.

THE CHALLENGE

When Google was looking to expand its offices with open design in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Forrest Sound had already been a go-to vendor for half a decade. “They wanted that open office feeling where they put groups in an area to feed off liveliness and to collaborate, but they needed to be able to control sound

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Forrest Sound Products’ F Sorb ceiling panels are designed to fit a space’s needs.

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Forrest Sound Products thrives on projects where they can incorporate diverse materials.

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from carrying over to neighboring groups,” says Doug Bixel, Forrest Sound’s director of operations. “They developed a baseline standard of acoustic control but found the sound flowed too much.”

THE SOLUTION

Bixel and his team entered the six-building Google Kirkland project with a concrete plan containing multiple wall and ceiling elements to help control sound while maintaining the overall openness of the space.

Varying ceiling and wall products create different moods across the modular spaces, which are open to reconfiguration as teams and company projects change. Forrest Sound Products used everything from more conventional acoustical tile and grid ceiling systems to more custom stretch fabric panels and separation walls at Google.

The products Forrest Sound features in Google’s spaces aren’t your average dropped tile ceiling, though. Custom wood and metal panel systems add a sophisticated finish, while sound diffusers and acoustic banners or clouds help to define space.

“Acoustical controls are the primary focus behind everything we do, but aesthetics come in next. We help to design and make beautiful spaces while achieving the acoustical needs,” Bixel says. The company thrives on projects where the team can flex those skills and play

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LEARN THE LINGO

There are two elements to sound control that businesses like Forrest Sound consider. The first is noise reduction coefficient, which looks at controlling sound within a space by absorbing or softening it.

Second is sound transmission class, or STC. STC measures the blockage of sound between spaces. “In our space, we’re having a lively conversation at 70 decibels, and in the next space over, they need the quiet.

If we don’t cut that sound down by 20 decibels, they’ll feel the effect of what we’re doing,” says Doug Bixel, Forrest Sound’s director of operations. “STC is about the guy next door.”

PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY OF FORREST SOUND PRODUCTS

with material diversity. One of Bixel’s favorite challenges is taking a purely artistic or visual design decision and turning it into something acoustically functional.

One of the more stand-out offerings in the Google project includes a product called F-Sorb—ceiling panels designed by Forrest Sound Products together with the manufacturer/distributor Nut Shell, are custommade to fit a space’s acoustic needs.

“We can, in essence, tune the product for any acoustical absorption needs we have,” Bixel says.

Moreover, the product is made from recycled plastics and offers both thermal insulation and sound absorption. It is now a standard feature in buildings used by nearly every major tech company in North America.

For Tableau, one of the latest West Coast tech standouts, F-Sorb helped Forrest Sound Products develop a plan based around situational acoustics. It’s a term Bixel uses to describe the placement of acoustical controls where they make the most impact. “With the proper placement of sound absorbing panels, the desired effect can be achieved with less product,” he says.

In Tableau’s case, less meant about a 30% reduction in control materials. By working closely with the interior designers and architects, Bixel and his team were able to establish a baseline system of acoustic control using processes like furniture layout and then supplement the rest of the space’s needs with their own product solutions. “We like difficult,” Bixel says. “Anything that provides challenge is fun.”

THE ETHOS

“We’re willing to get into the weeds about acoustical issues and figure it out,” Bixel says.

That key focus on problem-solving service, mixed with an eye for design and aesthetics, keeps companies like Google coming back.

Forrest Sound is on-call for another expansion of the Kirkland campus, planned in the next year or two.

Forrest Sound’s reach extends far beyond its architecturally focused tech projects, though.

It expands into industrial work, too. As perhaps a testament to the company’s desire to get its hands into the mire of sound control, Forrest Sound Products is working on numerous hydroelectric dams for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation throughout the Northwest and beyond. With Weyerhaeuser, Bixel and the team are working on lumber mills. Forrest Sound’s work has been featured in airports, factories, hospitals, and even shipyards up and down the West Coast and as far north as Alaska. “We will do anything and everything acoustical,” Bixel says. gb&d

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Bradford Products makes high-end pools easy at all heights.

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A WELD ABOVE THE REST Bradford Products places pools where others fear to splash, all while putting cost, quality, and sustainability first.

By Kate Griffith

When the intensity of Miami becomes too much—the colors, the flavors, the heat, the sun—everyone knows to retreat to the water. But what the locals know that visitors don’t is that you don’t always have to look to Miami’s boardwalks and beaches to find respite.

Sometimes, all you have to do is look up.

High above Miami’s richly cultured, art deco streets towers Brickell City Centre, one of the latest developments in Miami’s mixed-use sustainable design boom. In a city whose growth is constrained by historic architecture and rising sea levels, Brickell’s architectural team knew the only way to build was up.

And the crowning jewel—rather, jewels— of the $1 billion mixed-use project are its 14 sparkling pools of water.

“We often like to experiment with complex geometry,” says Michelle Cintron, a vice president at the international architecture firm Arquitectonica. For Brickell, Arquitectonica was tasked with

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landscape design, including the design of the project’s 14 pools and hot tubs across three main structures. “We sometimes do rectangles and simple forms, but we also like to experiment with angles and curves,” she says. “This is true of Brickell.”

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Design is one thing. Construction and installation are another.

When it came time to find a supplier for Arquitectonica’s contemporary pool designs, with their geometric edges, clean lines, and lush native vegetation all sitting above living and commercial spaces, Bradford Products was the obvious choice. An international leader in the

design and manufacturing of stainless steel pools, spas, and hot tubs, Bradford dived right into Brickell’s challenges.

The main project phase took place at the Brickell East Hotel, with four pools and hot tubs—collectively “vessels.” Two other buildings, the North Tower and the West Tower, feature eight and six vessels, respectively, the largest of which comes in at 1,775 square feet. Most of the 18 water vessels sit four or five levels above ground, often over residential and commercial space.

HOW THEY DID IT

From the start, the design was complex: How to contain thousands of gallons of

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BRADFORD PRODUCTS

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water above inhabited spaces, ensuring no leakage all while maintaining an aesthetic of European-style water features, fully tiled vessel interiors, and level water and deck heights?

The most important of Brickell’s challenges, Cintron says, was the installation of the large pools. “Due to their size, the shipping of the vessel was done in prefabricated sections to facilitate transportation.”

After setting and leveling all of the pieces, Bradford did the welding on-site, precisely coordinating the construction of the vessel supports with the meticulous fit of plumbing pipe to water collector tanks. To say space was tight and time limited would be an understatement.

But Bradford’s background as a fabricator, installer, and, as needed, landscape designer, meant the feat was streamlined, if not simple.

WHO IS BRADFORD PRODUCTS?

The North Carolina–based company cut its teeth in Las Vegas, having passed the test of the City of Light’s relatively short attention span. Since the 1980s, Bradford has been sought for project after project in the world’s most high-end hotels and casinos. As storied as Bradford’s legacy has become, the roots of the three-generation, family-owned business go back to a simple desire to create excellence and innovation. “My father started as a stainless steel welder and created his own fabrication shop with a partner,” Bradford Vice President Mike Brodeur says of his father, Dale Brodeur. “People would come to him with concepts, and he would fig-

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ure out how to make the ideas for them.

It became one of the largest shops in the Northeast, but he was always looking for a product line he could develop himself.”

In California in the 1970s, Dale found that product as he sat with his wife in redwood barrel hot tub. At the time, no one on the East Coast had a clue about hot tubs. But when Dale, known for a love of hospitality and entertaining, built his own, the requests started pouring in.

That ethos lives on. “We pride ourselves on being a unique, custom manufacturer that can tackle anything,” Mike says. “We want to build on that reputation to take on challenging projects and work with folks who have a big vision.”

To that end, Bradford is in the midst of a global expansion. In the few years since Brickell opened, four new Miami projects also feature Bradford stainless steel pools.

Other ongoing projects include a complex design in London, developed by the Ballymore Group, where a single pool connects two towers with an acrylic bridge.

Swimmers will be able to look down—and pedestrians up—nearly 10 stories as they swim between vessels.

In Australia, Bradford has its hands on both the design and build at a new casino.

The project will become the tallest building in Sydney, with fully welded stainless steel pools going in on the third, fourth, and 69th levels. Visually, the project promises impact, with beautiful views over Sydney Harbour. “It’s going be great to introduce a new type of construction into a new country,” Mike says. “There are a lot of eyes on it, and no one else has used it yet.”gb&d

WHY THIS MATTERS

So why the focus on stainless steel? Stainless steel water vessels offer strong structural engineering with a lighter footprint than traditional concrete water vessels, making them ideal solutions for retrofitted or rooftop spaces. Customers also see fewer maintenance requirements with stainless steel, helping to save time and money over the life of a vessel.

Bradford Products, one of the oldest suppliers of stainless steel pools in the United States, manufactures and tests all of its products in its factory. “We go through this laundry list of checking and rechecking that we’ve learned over time to make our product installation seamless,” says Greg Mash, director of creative design at Bradford.

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OPEN LEARNING SCHOOL DESIGN Acoustical steel decks elevate efficiency and sustainability.

BY RUSS KLETTKE

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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New Millennium’s Versa-Dek® line of dovetail steel decking brings a clean lineal plank ceiling aesthetic. In addition to acoustical control, the system opens the way to column-free spaces that are optimal for flexible-use classroom environments.

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Schoolchildren don’t typically study the buildings in which they are educated, but there’s an architectural lesson when it comes to building design for learning environments. New Millennium Building Systems is leading the way, with a full range of steel joists, roof, and floor deck that support the movement to more flexible, adaptable, green, and affordable school design and construction.

“An emerging trend in school design is celebrating the structure and systems that make our buildings function,” says Alex Therien, market development manager for New Millennium. “We are moving away from concealing these networks to create learning environments as demonstrative to the students as any course.”

WHAT INNOVATION LOOKS LIKE

HOW BETTER CLASSROOMS ARE MADE

Cedar Grove Elementary School in San Jose, California, provides an excellent example of what an open learning classroom looks like. The district underwent a renovation and expansion of its existing campus to accommodate more students, with an educational emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).

The classrooms are oversized—1,200 square feet each—allowing collaborative

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learning pods to break from the rows of desks typical of traditional classrooms.

Factory-built, portable, modular classrooms are usually 840 square feet (14-by60 feet), although it’s possible to conjoin them to double and triple widths (all with lower ceilings).

Portable/relocatable modular units are designed for a seven- to 12-year lifespan, according to David Smolker, product marketing director at Project Frog, while Frog’s permanent modular classrooms are expected to last much longer. “The tens of thousands of temporary modular units in use in California are meant to be just that— temporary—while districts look for sufficient funding,” Smolker says. “Frogs are less costly than traditional buildings and provide the air, light,

and sound characteristics we know affect the quality of education.”

NEXT GENERATION BUILDING DESIGN

The future engineers and technologists at Cedar Grove Elementary now glance upward to see what the underside of a roof or upper floor looks like and how design and materials can have beneficial acoustical and daylight features. The school is constructed using two identical buildings, each two stories with 12 classrooms, covering 45,200 square feet. This includes hallways and a glazed interior lobby that doubles as a small assembly space.

Aedis Architects and Swenson & Associates, both in California, configured and augmented the overall design, and gbdmagazine.com

PHOTO AND RENDERING : COURTESY OF NEW MILLENNIUM

San Francisco-based Project Frog has figured out how to address sustainability, acoustics, aesthetics, costs, and flexible teaching methodologies by applying New Millennium’s pre-finished Versa-Dek® to their own game-changing design and build methodologies. With a flat-packed set of building components (a “kit of parts”), a “frog” (named for “flexible response to ongoing growth”) is a building shell that lets its bones remain visible— not only to save money by avoiding lay-in ceiling tiles, but to provide for open, flexible, acoustically controlled, and sustainable learning spaces.

The dimensions of these kit-build structures differ significantly from pre-fabricated classrooms that must fit the restrictions of highway transport.

The Project Frog buildings can be as large as 72-by-150 feet, accommodating much more versatile educational programs. They accommodate passive heating and cooling strategies, are PV-ready, and foster healthier learning with natural lighting and low-to-no VOC materials.

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WHY THIS MATTERS

the structure was built in of steel,” Douraghi says. just 10 weeks—completed in “New Millennium manufactime for the September 2017 tures a host of components The ceiling of a dovetail steel deck school year opening day. Kitthat include steel joists, bar system can integrate to-build is not cookie-cutter, joists, special profile joists, hanging devices for the though. “Architects have a along with steel roof and suspension of lighting lot of flexibility designing floor decking so we can and MEP integration. with our kit-of-parts buildaccommodate geographing platform,” says Dara ical variation.”

Project Frog school buildings, uplifted Douraghi, studio director at Project Frog.

by New Millennium structural solutions, “We see prefab as the way forward, as include dashboards for students to track better technologies and manufacturing solar energy from rooftop cells and capacity move more and more of the water usage as part of the curriculum. construction activity offsite.”

But the first lesson may simply be in the Of course, design depends on engineertransition from modular classrooms to ing and the materials that can withstand frogs: It’s an exciting study of the power wind, snow, sunshine, and rooms full of material innovation and building of children. “Heavier snow loads, say, in design. gb&d Minnesota would require a higher gauge gb&d

The case for sustainable design using structural steel building systems is readily understood— steel is North America’s most recycled material.

There is a consistent recycled supply chain and steel decking has post-consumer recycled content that can exceed 70%. But that’s only half the story. Design teams can maximize efficiency by calling for long-span acoustical steel deck.

By increasing deck span, fewer structural members are required. This leads to fewer materials, less fabrication, less installation time, and less waste. It’s a holistic approach to sustainable design.

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UP FOR THE CHALLENGE The expansion joint experts at SITURA Inc. design airtight seals with flexible joint solutions.

By Larry Bernstein

It has been two-plus years since the 457-bed acute care Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital opened its new location in Oakville, Ontario. Building the 1.6-million-square-foot hospital presented some construction challenges—including the sealing of appropriate expansion joints. While expansion joints were a minor item in the overall construction, getting it right was imperative.

EllisDon, a multinational construction services firm that can take a project from finance to construction to facility maintenance, served in all three capacities for the Oakville hospital.

Because the main elevation of the hospital is facing the main street, the designers didn’t want the expansion joint front and center. “They tucked the expansion joint into the side of the building, where it is less visible and not the center role for aesthetic reasons,” says Denise Flemming, a project manager with EllisDon who served as the quality control manager on the project. The decision resulted in a complex set of expansion joints that bisected the main tower from the rest of the hospital.

The total length of the hospital equals about two football fields, and the expansion joints had to span the entire area. This meant cutting across various critical building envelope elements, including the roof, curtain wall, precast,

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF SITURA INC.

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SITURA INC. provides site support to ensure expansion joints are properly installed and fitted.

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and waterproof terraces. Adamson Associates Architects worked with Parkin Architects Limited to design the Oakville hospital, and due to the complications associated with the expansion joint, Adamson turned to SITURA. EXPERT KNOWLEDGE

SITURA Inc. offers a full line of waterproof expansion joints—from RedLINE® for liquid applied membranes to FlamLINE® for torchable, and selfadhered membranes. Their flexible joint protection solutions help buildings maintain their integrity in harsh weather conditions and create airtight seals against the elements all while maintaining a desirable design aesthetic.

Internationally recognized, SITURA has been a leading manufacturer of waterproof expansion joints for more than 20 years, providing quality assurance and reliability for monolithic, zero profile, maintenance free expansion joints in commercial and industrial roofing and waterproofing.

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Adamson has worked with SITURA on several projects in the past. “We contact them when complex technical issues arise,” says Rob Beraldo, a project manager for Adamson.

The Oakville project wasn’t the last time Flemming and EllisDon worked with SITURA either, having worked on several projects with EllisDon both before and after the hospital. “The [Oakville] project required very difficult expansion joint solutions, and SITURA was the only company who could handle it,” Flemming says.

SITURA has been 100% focused on expansion joints since the company’s establishment in 1996. “All of our joints are custom-made for each project to ensure a perfect fit to the joint configuration onsite,” says Steeven Lapointe, SITURA’s technical director. “All of the turns and transitions the joint takes onsite are prefabricated into the SITURA joint, and all of the fabrication takes place in factory conditions to ensure a consistent quality.” Additionally, the flat profile of the SITURA joint allows water to flow across it—avoiding the ponding gbdmagazine.com

INNER WORKINGS

effect traditional raised expansion joints create, which can be detrimental to the membrane. This is particularly helpful when used on roofs or plaza decks.

The joints are installed into the roofing or waterproofing membrane (the flanges on each side of the joint are completely encapsulated into the membrane). This ensures a 100% air and watertight joint seal, as opposed to traditional methods of sealing joints (metal flashings, or other types of prefabricated joints), which are really just “covers” over the joint. “Our joints are also fabricated and installed in a single piece,” Lapointe says. “This means no patches or sealants to seal the various parts together onsite. This provides a longer service life and prevents the elements, movement, or other factors from degrading the joint.”

The SITURA expansion joint is made of a proprietary elastomer, so it moves naturally in all three dimensions.

“Because of the way the expansion joint is applied, there is no way to delaminate it, and there is no air or water infiltration,” Flemming says. “This is important for long-term durability, and it solved all the problems [related to the complex expansion joints] at the Oakville hospital.”

CUSTOMIZATION IS KEY

Typically, SITURA gets involved in projects while the architects are in the design phase. In the case of the Oakville hospital, SITURA visited the construction site to custom design the expansion joints. Flemming not only appreciated this service, she found it increased gb&d

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SITURA INC.

efficiency. “Because SITURA came to the construction site, they had a complete understanding of what they were dealing with. The custom-built expansion joints made for an easier and quicker installation process.”

But even with customized production, sometimes modifications have to be made, particularly when it’s a project as complicated as the Oakville hospital. Three main joints were needed for the project, but they were made up of many parts that had to go between buildings. Fortunately, SITURA also provides site support to make sure expansion joints are properly installed and fitted. This was especially helpful in Oakville. “One particular joint had to be modified, and Steeven [Lapointe] came down to the site and sorted through the situation. He ended up providing us with a temporary piece and came back later to finish it off,” Beraldo says.

QUALITY GUARANTEED

SITURA guarantees their waterproof expansion joints, which provide an airtight seal and allow for the natural shifting and structural movement of buildings for 20 to 25 years. SITURA’s RedLINE®, FlamLINE® and AquaLINE® expansion joints are designed to last as long as the membrane they’re installed into while offering a high degree of resistance to specific chemicals. Ultimately, nearly 1,000 feet of SITURAå expansion joint went into the construction of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, but SITURA made the complicated and challenging construction easier. gb&d may–june 2018

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GETTING THE LOOK An architect shares her thoughts on integrating Entrematic’s HVLS fans into an important project.

By Laura Rote

When Sarah Marshall of Napa Design Partners set out to design the new 15,000-square-foot American Canyon Boys & Girls Club, she knew she wanted a look that was both vibrant and industrial, while also making sense in the indoor/outdoor space.

Part of that, she says, meant installing nine HVLS (high-volume low-speed) fans. But even she admits, an expense like fans is often the first to be cut from projects. Fortunately, that didn’t happen on this community project.

Instead, the team was able to keep the fans while eliminating the building control system—the fans will run manually. gb&d recently talked with Marshall about the team’s choices and how Entrematic helped them bring their vision to life. gb&d

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Entrematic’s commercial fans come in eight colors and cost less than competitors’ options.

Why consider HVLS fans in the first place?

“We have been using HVLS fans more and more, partly because we have been doing a lot more exposed framework … but also because we’re in the northern California area, so the majority of our year is pretty nice, weather-wise,” Marshall says. “We design a lot of our buildings with indoor/ outdoor spaces, so we’re not designing mechanical systems in the same way anymore. We don’t have fully enclosed conditioned spaces. That allows us to use the fans to limit the amount of ductwork we’re exposing on our ceilings as well as for air movement when we’ve got big, open doors.”

Why use Entrematic and not a competitor?

Marshall and the team considered a competitor, but the process was long and the options were limited.

Marshall ultimately turned to Entrematic for its simple, clean look and array of colors. She says it helped that the company offered more affordable options and was easy to work with, too.

Is color really that important?

Marshall says color played a very important role in this project, and she’s excited to see the fans up and running when the club opens in May. “I think they will be a fun element in the room,” she says.

Napa Design Partners designed the rooms to be color-coded—the art room is orange and the early childhood space is yellow, for example. “We had the opportunity at no extra cost to color coordinate these fans to the rooms.”

There’s often the impression that changing colors is costly, but that’s not the case with Entrematic, says Adam Kopperud, the company’s western U.S. territory manager. Entrematic offers eight colors for commercial fans for significantly less cost than competitors, so architects can achieve the look they want. “The comments we’ve gotten from architects shows they really like the look of the industrial-style fan—the way it kind of pops,” Kopperud says.

How else do these fans fit in aesthetically?

The Boys & Girls Club has high ceilings, exposed ductwork, and concrete floor—it’s a clean, simple, industrial space, so the HVLS fans fit in perfectly, Marshall says.

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WHY THIS MATTERS

How will the occupants benefit?

Marshall says having HVLS fans also encourages young people to consider how a space operates.

“Especially for a Boys & Girls Club, to have a building that tells a little bit about how buildings work— having exposed ductwork and fans that circulate air and lights that are all on daylight sensors—to me those are things that are all lessons … All these kids are going to see all of that and they’re going to understand those things are important to buildings.”

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ENTREMATIC

How do the fans save energy?

For starters, these fans eliminate the need to turn on the air conditioning many days, Marshall says.

And, of course, California and the West Coast tend to be ahead of the trends, especially environmentally.

“We’re seeking out new technology that helps us meet the CALgreen (California Green Building Standards Code) requirements, so I think it’s both great and obviously a challenge for all of our designers. But I think whenever we can have something like a change to a mechanical system that suddenly makes the mechanical system run more efficiently or not use as much energy, that’s a win for everybody.” gb&d gb&d

DID YOU KNOW? The fans can also run in reverse, so in winter, when all that warm air is at the ceiling, you can create a more even temperature from ceiling to floor.

You can build fully LEED- or BREEAMcertified buildings with Entrematic’s HVLS fan products.

Many Entrematic products come with an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration).

You can identify the product you want from Entrematic’s library of BIM objects, download a graphic, and insert it into your design. CAD drawings and product specifications are also available for 2D design. may–june 2018

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SHINE ON

Hufcor’s new InVista glass panels combine sleek, minimalist design with superior acoustics.

By Zack Harold

Open floor plans are the perfect way to bring natural light into an office space. They’re also a great way to encourage employees to collaborate. However, open designs can also be challenging when workers need a private space to hold a meeting or a group discussion without disrupting everyone else.

This was the challenge the design and consulting firm Stantec faced in early 2017, as the company prepared to move into new office space in Austin, Texas. Amy Martinez, a senior interior designer at Stantec who helped design the new office, says the company wanted to preserve the open space and high ceilings but also needed to create a conference room area that opened into the break room. This would allow the space to accommodate larger crowds, providing more flexibility when not in use, so they researched solutions to help balance openness with functionality.

Wisconsin-based Hufcor Inc. knows a thing or two about making space adaptable. The 118-year-old company is the world leader in moveable walls. For years, Hufcor made its name manufacturing and installing the giant modular panels often found in large hotel conference centers. But the company has since developed many kinds of moveable partitions, designed to accommodate everything from elementary schools to office spaces to SWAT team training facilities.

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Stantec wanted to use one of Hufcor’s heavy-duty modular glass panel systems to fill the 28-foot-long threshold. But Hufcor advised against it. “That was overkill,” says Mike Kontranowski, Hufcor’s vice president of marketing.

As it turns out, Hufcor had a brand new panel system in the works—the InVista Low Profile Acoustical Glass Wall—that would combine ease of use and a minimalist aesthetic with top-notch sound blocking capabilities. It had never been installed in a customer’s space before, but where better to make its world debut than an office for a design firm?

STRIKING A BALANCE

Hufcor is an innovative company. In addition to designing, installing, and servicing its own products, the company also services competitors’ products. “It gives us great insight,” says Rick Woods, a marketing product manager.

Through this unique form of market research, Hufcor realized a common problem with existing modular glass panels.

They were either sleekly designed but let too much noise through or blocked sound well but had big, bulky frames.

Hufcor challenged its engineers to build a product that prioritized both acoustics and aesthetics. With InVista, Hufcor wanted to remove as much of the frame as possible while retaining structural integrity and acoustic performance. The key, Kontranowski says, was not the glass itself but the hardware surrounding the glass.

Engineers developed a new pin-and-lock system to secure the panels and included seals at the top and edges of each panel to make sure noise levels were adequately controlled. At the same time, engineers made InVista’s frame much slimmer than those of comparable products, without sacrificing sturdiness or acoustic performance. “It’s slimmer and has a very clean look to it,” Kontranowski says.

COMING TO LIFE

Putting the InVista panels in Stantec’s offices came with an unexpected challenge.

The space had 15-foot ceilings and lots gbdmagazine.com

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Hufcor’s InVista Low Profile Acoustical Glass Wall combines aesthetics with high-quality sound blocking.

BEFORE & AFTER Improved acoustic performance wasn’t the only breakthrough Hufcor engineers made in designing InVista. While previous products left hardware exposed even after all the panels were locked in place, the company designed a new pin-and-lock system to hold the panels together.

Once locked down, only the hardware on the outermost panel can be seen.

There are other streamlining touches, too. Hufcor removed the need for a floor track— InVista walls are set in a single ceiling track that is flush-mounted with an office’s drop ceiling. And engineers relocated the panels’ edge pin, previously located near the floor, to waist height for easy unlocking and repositioning.

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HUFCOR

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Hufcor’s InVista product has also been effective in school settings.

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“WE’RE MORE OF A DESIGN-BUILD FIRM THAN A PRODUC T M A N U FAC T U R E R .” ã

M I K E KO N T R A N OW S K I H U FCO R

of windows providing natural light and views of downtown Austin. But the oddly shaped, high-ceiling space lacked the structural steel or concrete typically used to mount the support tracks.

But challenges are nothing new to Hufcor. Most installations require changes to make them work—that’s why more than 90% of the company’s installations are custom-designed. “We’re more of a design-build firm than a product manufacturer,” Kontranowski says.

To address the lack of structural support at Stantec, Hufcor installers bolted up a freestanding structural support system inside the space. Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time Hufcor has faced this challenge. Years ago, Hufcor created yet another product for this very situation—called Unispan. This created a track for the panels but avoided the need to install steam beams and diminish the space’s open feel.

Stantec moved into its new space near the end of 2017, and Martinez says employees love it. “We were able to open that whole wall up and create one large, open space. It creates a great environment for employees to take their laptops and go in the break room and work,” she says.

The open space has also encouraged conversation between younger staff and more tenured staff, who are now learning from one another and trading ideas. And, if someone in the office needs to hold a closed-door meeting, all they have to do is slide the panels together, lock them, and listen as the chatter fades discreetly into the background. “It’s been really cool to see our space come to life,” Martinez says. “It was exactly what we needed.” gb&d gb&d

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HUFCOR

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Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List

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96 At the Vanguard

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams continue to transform the luxury home furnishings industry with sustainable products.

100 Bathroom Designer’s Guide

Gerber shares its favorite modern plumbing fixtures that are high-design and efficient.

104 Design Like a Pro

Metrie shares insight around how to transform any space with beautiful interior finishing solutions.

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Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams have spent the last three decades transforming the luxury home furnishings industry. Here’s what they’ve learned along the way.

Vanguard AT THE

By M A R G A R E T P O E

B

OB WILLIAMS AND MITCHELL GOLD LEFT SMOGGY NEW YORK CITY FOR THE FRESH AIR AND OPEN SPACES OF NORTH CAROLINA SOME THREE DECADES AGO. But soon after launching their luxury home furnishings company, they came to realize all wasn’t well with their suppliers. In particular, their foam manufacturers were releasing CFCs into the air, ultimately damaging the ozone layer. Driving over to the area of town populated by those factories, the suspect practices were revealed.

“Not only are they hurting the ozone, but you can actually smell and feel it.

I mean, it was in the air. It encouraged us even more that we needed to do something,” Williams says.

That revelation led them on a journey that continues today, as the company sources environmentally responsible materials for their

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Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams have long been committed to bringing better products to the market.

products, which expanded from upholstered chairs in the early days to include sofas, tables, window treatments, lighting, and more today. Today their collections are sold in more than 30 stores, as well as through a contract division serving the hospitality and commercial services industries and a recent partnership with the workspace furniture manufacturer Steelcase.

Carving OUT A

SUSTAINABLE FOOTPRINT After learning about the ozonedestroying practices of the foam industry in 1989, the pair discovered a manufacturer whose foam didn’t emit CFCs. Williams, the company’s president of design, worked with that supplier to get the comfort level right on the foam and to guarantee its longevity. But with that issue resolved, it led them to think: What else are we doing that’s not good for the environment?

Their quest quickly led them to their timber, and today the company’s wood frames are sourced from domestic suppliers that comply with U.S. Forest Service requirements for harvest and reforestation. By recycling packaging material and upcycling leather and fabric scraps, they reduced their annual landfill waste by more than 200 pounds. And by using natural fibers like cotton, mohair, and linen and developing eco-friendly finishes, they reduced their VOC emissions by more than 38%. gb&d

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS

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WHAT DO CUSTOMERS WANT ?

The Sustainable Furnishings Council’s Green Home Furnishings Consumer Study offers insights into how U.S. homeowners think about what they bring into their houses. Here are some key findings from the 2017 survey:

81%

Throughout all these efforts, the duo has debunked the myth that it costs more to do the right thing, says Gold, chairman of the company. “We’re making being environmentally responsible work for us, not against us,” he says.

Responding TO CONSUMER DEMAND

While Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams led the charge in sustainable furniture production, increasingly customers are insisting upon it. In fact, according to a study the company sponsored with the Sustainable Furnishings Council, more than 80% of consumers have purchased environmentally safe home products within the previous year—and they’re willing to pay more for these eco-friendly items.

“People are really conscious about what they’re putting in their homes,” Williams says. He’s seen an increased awareness about the materials used, the finishes applied, and the chemicals involved in furniture production. Homes today have much tighter building envelopes than in the past, he notes, which can help conserve energy but also trap in any contaminants. If a piece of furniture is off-gassing, it’s much more difficult for those fumes to dissipate today.

Designing FOR LONGEVITY

For Gold and Williams, long-lasting, high-quality products are essential both to their customers’ satisfaction but also to their footprint. “One of the things we want is to not only design products but also create and build products that people want to have in their home and enjoy for a long time—that it doesn’t become garbage after a while,” Williams says.

Their desire to keep furniture out of the landfill is at the heart of their design philosophy. They don’t design from one season to the next, Williams says, and they actively avoid faddish designs or those driven by trends. Their goal is to create classic products, made with the best materials, that can last a lifetime.

Creating A POSITIVE CULTURE

From the beginning, Williams and Gold knew they wanted to create an environment where they were excited to go into work each day. Gold

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SHARE OF CONSUMERS CONCERNED ABOUT HAZARDOUS INDOOR AIR QUALITY

8

MINIMUM NUMBER OF YEARS CONSUMERS EXPECT THEIR FURNITURE TO LAST

5-10% PREMIUM CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

85%

The company continues to work with the Sustainable Furnishings Council to give customers better products they deserve.

SHARE OF RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE BOUGHT ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE PRODUCTS LIKE PAPER PRODUCTS OR CLEANING SUPPLIES gbdmagazine.com

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS

experienced firsthand how damaging a negative company culture can be. At his previous job, it was a grind to go into work, he says—all the way down to the crappy coffee. Luckily, he and Williams were in sync about what kind of workplace they wanted to create.

At their Taylorsville, North Carolina, factory, where they manufacture their upholstery and assemble furniture, they offer an on-site restaurant, childcare facility, and health center. And no detail is too small. The lighting, for example, is calibrated to help employees see exactly what they’re doing as they assemble furniture, allowing them to take pride in their work. And during break times, those same lights are turned off, allowing for a quick nap if employees choose—all while saving energy. “In order to have a successful business, we have to have successful people building the business,” Gold says.

Looking TO THE FUTURE

What’s in store for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams? They’re continuing their advocacy with the Sustainable Furnishings Council, where they’ve been a leader for years. And they’re excited about their partnership with Steelcase, which launched in September 2017. gb&d

While they’ve outfitted hotels, food service, health care, and work spaces in the past through their contract division, the new partnership offers them a huge opportunity to join the workplace revolution, Gold says. As companies seek to add collaborative areas into their offices, residentiallooking furniture like sectionals are increasingly in demand. These pieces can help create a softer, more inviting feel, Gold says.

As they like to say, when a home is furnished well, walking in the door is like getting a big hug. So it is with an office, Gold says. “When an office has been furnished successfully, just walking in the door is like getting an appropriate hug.” gb&d may–june 2018

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BATHROOM DESIGNER’S GUIDE 5 modern plumbing fixtures that are high-design and efficient

BY S T E P H A N I E C R E T S S I N C E 1 9 3 2 , Gerber has been working in tandem with plumbing professionals to develop reliable, high-performing bathroom and kitchen products. “The benefits of working so closely to service the professional directly carries over to the designer, homeowner, and others,” says Kevin McJoynt, vice president of marketing. “If your plumber uses it in their house and recommends it to their customers, you know it’s good—that’s the relationship we’ve built in the field.”

Danze by Gerber is a 20-year-old brand that came into the market when their parent company saw a need for high-design faucet products at affordable prices. “We’ve become known for our design and as a breath of fresh air in a very crowded faucet category,” McJoynt says. “People who have [found] Danze by Gerber appreciate the fact that they’ve ‘discovered’ it and that not everyone has it.” The brand has since expanded to include elegant showerheads and more.

Customers won’t find either brand at big-box retailers; Gerber and Danze are both sold through plumbing wholesale channels as well as select places like plumbing and decorative showrooms. The Danze brand recently transformed itself to associate more directly to Gerber, borrowing on the performance and reputation aspects while marrying it with the high design Danze has become known for. “Design has become such an integral part of everyday life for people,” McJoynt says.

It’s true. Whether in a commercial or residential setting, people want to have nice things. And why have the most beautiful products in your home but stop at the bathroom? You can have the feel of luxury there, too.

These are some of the top new products that can elevate the style—and functionality—of your bathroom. gb&d

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DANZE

BY GERBER

MIDTOWN SINGLE HANDLE FAUCET

â

S T A T E M E N T P I E C E S in the bathroom (or kitchen) are in demand for professionals and homeowners alike who seek unique designs and finishes. Products in the Mid-town collection are made with solid brass construction, ceramic disc valves, and other durable, reliable components. The single handle bath faucet in the Satin Black finish is among the collection’s most popular.

“Our black finish is a more subdued matte look as opposed to glossy, which makes for a beautiful contrast in rooms featuring white tile, white cabinets, popular gray cabinets, gray painted walls, and many other design strategies,” says Katie Hayes, Danze’s senior product manager. “Clean, simple lines and color are often ways to achieve high aesthetics.”

GERBER

AVALANCHE

CONCEALED TRAPWAY ONE-PIECE TOILET This toilet combines a one-piece configuration and a concealed trapway, making it an attractive yet hard-working toilet—it’s seamless and hides the unsightly drain and pipe contours. The large, two-inch, fully glazed trapway ensures clog-free waste removal. It also comes with a color-matched, metal side-tank lever with a solid durable brass arm to complement any décor. For professionals, installation is easy, and for homeowners, cleaning is easy. Like most Gerber toilets, it is WaterSense approved, so it flushes at a very efficient rate, saving thousands of gallons of water every year—20% less than traditional models.

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DANZE BY GERBER

MULTI-FUNCTION SHOWER

¢

Danze by Gerber offers many shower components so homeowners, designers, and builders can customize their shower experience.

From standard showerheads to overhead rain showers and body sprays to handheld showers, you can mix and match to meet your needs and preferences.

“Maybe 15 or more years ago, people weren’t as dialed into having a beautiful bathroom, which is a purely functional room in the house or in a commercial setting,” says Lovin Saini, Gerber’s senior product manager. “Things are changing now. Phones have to look good, appliances have color and style, and so on. Design surrounds us now. Whether it’s in a commercial building or a residential setting, people want to be proud to have guests enjoy their space— bathrooms included.” gbdmagazine.com

FEATURES

GERBER

WICKER PARK SINKS Gerber recently expanded its sink offerings with new rectangular and square sink options. “With the rising popularity of contemporary design and interesting shapes, angles, and lines within bathroom décor, the new rectangular and square sinks from Gerber meet a growing need in the marketplace,” Saini says. “The sinks have been designed to marry aesthetics and high functionality—making them a great choice for home renovations, hotel applications, commercial uses, and much more.”

Gerber also likes to suggest undermount sinks to create a seamless countertop line, yet the company also appreciates sinks with profiles— like those that sit one to two inches on top of the counter. Get one in white if you’d like as part of the contemporary Wicker Park collection.

A DANZE

BY GERBER KITCHEN, TOO

PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY OF GERBER

The Mid-town single-handle pullout kitchen faucet features the proprietary Snapback retraction system with Grip Lock weight to ensure the spray head is pulled tight to the spout and keeps it snug. The faucet has two functions—spray and aerated stream—and meets federal and state regulations for low lead content.

The Sirius soap and lotion dispenser has a contemporary design that adds a beautiful accessory for bathroom or kitchen environments.

GERBER

AVALANCHE

ELITE TOILET gb&d

T H E AVA L A N C H E E L I T E T O I L E T has a contemporary design with a semi-concealed trapway. It’s sleeker than most two-piece toilets and is less blocky and bulky than some fully skirted options. “The trapway is built separately from the body by expert craftsmen who focus intently on the shape, diameter, angles, and texture,” says Saini.

“The simple concealed trapway makes the toilet easier and quicker to install than many competitive skirted toilets—much like a standard two-piece toilet.” No special hardware or bolt alignment is required for install, and there’s no interference with water supply/angle stop. It’s low maintenance, easy to clean, and stylish. It can instantly modernize any bathroom within most budgets. gb&d

The Foodie Caliente pre-rinse faucet catches your attention—its red color complements any modern or traditional design—and makes cooking and cleanup easier. The Foodie has a 360-degree swivel and spring action wand so you get the water where you need it. â Read more at gbdmagazine.com.

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DESIGN LIKE A

METRIE’S INTERIOR FINISHING SOLUTIONS TAKE SPACES FROM FINE TO UNFORGETTABLE.

BY LAURA ROTE

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ELEVATING A ROOM DOESN’T HAVE TO

mean breaking the bank or spending months searching for new furniture or art and knocking down walls. You can make a space feel grand or cozy—or really anything you want—in as little as a weekend with clever use of trim or crown moulding.

“We want people to think about trim as part of their decor,” says Denise Tripamer, director of marketing communications at Metrie, a family-owned business since 1926 that offers beautiful interior products and architectural elements. “When you see a great looking space, many people don’t often realize it’s the trim that makes the difference. It can really create a mood and set a tone for the space.”

Metrie, a building materials company based in Vancouver, has always been in the trim business, but even as they’ve expanded across North America, one thing has never changed—their commitment to stellar design. “Our product lines have changed and materials have changed over the years, but we’ve always stayed current with what’s going on in the market and are focused on helping people create beautiful interior spaces,” Tripamer says.

She has firsthand knowledge of how Metrie can transform a space—she incorporated elements of their Finishing Collections in her nursery. “The trim in my home was really small in size and very basic,” she says. “I had no idea at the time my home was built—I was a typical consumer. But working at Metrie and seeing professionally designed spaces all day long, I thought, ‘Wow. I can really

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Clean lines and geometric shapes help to create interest within a space.

do something here with my daughter’s room.” She redid the room’s baseboards and casing and added a wainscot of rectangular boxes below the chair rail. “Her room is now the nicest in the house. I love being in her room. It’s just a really comforting space.”

Whether you add wainscoting or layer trim, the possibilities are endless, according to Diana Elliott, Metrie’s product design and development manager. These are just a few ways you can design like a pro and make the most of any room in your home or business.

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT.

Customization is key, and Elliott says she’s seeing a lot more of it these days, including blending traditional and modern elements. “We’re providing tools for people to create their own unique spaces, to be artists,” she says.

PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY OF METRIE

FEATURES

Get more ideas on Metrie’s blog at metrie.com/ thefinishedspace

Metrie simplifies the process, too, with offerings like their Finishing Collections—with the math built in.

“We’ve done the work of figuring out the proportions in selecting your mouldings.” One of their newest lines, Option {M}, links their products to popular decor styles, so when a customer references a certain look—say modern farmhouse—Metrie can point you toward an assortment of products that includes, for instance, shiplap. “We’ve curated these options so they know that’s going to fit with the look they’re trying to achieve,” Elliott says.

MIX SHAPES AND STYLES.

Moulding is not just for traditional spaces. It doesn’t matter whether you’re after the Craftsman style or something modern, Tripamer says Metrie can help. “Have fun with it and express your style,” she says. “If you have a really high ceiling, layer a couple of different profiles to create a unique crown moulding detail that will make an expansive space feel ultra-luxe. What determines whether the look is more contemporary or traditional is the amount of curves and details in the trim profile and how it’s used— not whether trim is used or not.”

Elliott says you can also use moulding with really clean lines to help create interest within a space. “That’s where we see more geometric patterns and a lot of grid-based patterns being applied to walls.”

CONSIDER THE NEED FOR ART.

Some wall treatments act as artwork itself. “It adds movement within the room,” Elliott says. “You can use it to transition into another space or draw attention to one wall, or maybe it’s part of a fireplace mantel where you’ve done a treatment above instead of placing a painting there.”

Tripamer says it doesn’t have to be difficult application.

She likens it to putting simple rectangles and squares on your walls. “It adds warmth and texture to the space even before other furnishings are added in,” she says.

DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLOR. Let beautiful wall treatments stand in place of elaborate art.

Incorporating moulding doesn’t mean it has to be all white. Use black trim on dark walls or try a monochromatic color palette. Elliott calls it “minimal luxury.” “It draws subtle attention without overwhelming the space.”

Tripamer agrees. “I’d encourage people to try new things, especially now that painted trim is so prevalent in the market,” she says. “It’s a great time to experiment with color and see how it changes the look of a room just by painting the trim.”

RETHINK THE FURNITURE.

Elliott is also seeing wall treatments used to help anchor beds instead of more traditional, often bulky, headboards.

“A lot of times it goes back to people wanting to customize and personalize. You can’t find exactly what you’re looking for when you’re shopping so people are spending more time creating their own thing. It’s that pride of ownership and craftsmanship.”

LOOK UP.

Some of the most inspiring projects Elliott has seen incorporate different ceiling treatments, where the ceiling is used as essentially a fifth wall. “Ceilings are a perfect example of using profiles like baseboards, casing, or panel moulds to create elaborate designs—not using the product in its traditional sense,” she says. “Ceiling treatments provide so much texture and depth, it really completes that space. It could be anything from simple design around lighting fixtures to elaborate coffered ceilings.”

YOU DON’T HAVE TO REDO EVERYTHING.

Quick weekend projects incorporating details like shiplap or rustic boards to create feature walls are increasingly popular—and for good reason. “That’s a very easy project for a beginner,” Elliott says. “It’s a simple installation, requires minimal tools, and will have a big impact in your room.” gb&d gb&d

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GREEN BUILDINGFEATURES & DESIGN

Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Approach Spaces Punch List

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110 Reinventing Bogotá

This South American city is changing its image.

114 Building for the Future

The Colombian capital is preparing for a boom in population.

118 The New Path to Monserrate

A first look at Colombia’s most famous architect’s posthumous work.

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SPACES BOGOTÁ

Reinventing

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OTÁ

By L aura Rot e

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SPACES BOGOTÁ

The Colombian capital is in the midst of a transformation, with a clear mission to become a greener, more sustainable city as it prepares for an influx of both residents and tourists.

Chances are, if you know anything about Colombia, it’s not great. It’s what you’ve learned from binge-watching Narcos on Netflix, maybe, or what you remember from the headlines of the ’80s and ’90s. And while the city of Bogotá (population 8 million) was considered to be one of the most violent cities in the world in the ’90s, the Bogotá of today is a vastly different, healthier and happier place.

Today’s Bogotá is both beautiful and complex. It’s also very, very busy. Motorcycles weave in and out of rush hour traffic—private cars, taxis, and now hybrid buses alike—and bicycles rush down side streets while plenty of others take to the sidewalks to get home. These days when you hit the road in the city below the Andes Mountains, you’ll see all modes of transportation, all kinds of people, and, increasingly, all types of architecture, as the city commits to green building.

“We want the city to be as compact as possible, but also to be adaptive to climate change and as low as it can be in terms of consumption,” says Cristina Gamboa, director and CEO of the Colombia Green Building Council (Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible, CCCS).

Since 2009, the CCCS has been part of the World Green Building Council. The group currently represents the BEA, or Building Efficiency Accelerator program—a World Resources Institute initiative that recruits cities to be climate change activists in response to the Paris Agreement. As such, Bogotá is increasingly looking at establishing and fine-tuning public policy that flags buildings as a priority for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Preparing for Continued Growth Currently, 78% of Colombia’s population lives in cities, and 18 million Colombians are expected to move to cities by 2050, Gamboa says. Bogotá is expected to need 2.7 mil-

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lion more houses by 2050, and the population is projected to exceed 10 million people by 2030, according to a UN report. “How do you prepare for that?” Gamboa says.

“It’s really big.”

Colombia is a middle income country, with a middle class that’s growing. The potential is great— both for tourism and green development. “We are an investment grade economy so investors—multinationals particularly—are also demanding these types of spaces.

They know the equation and they demand green office space and industry,” Gamboa says.

She says the city is tightening its code so new buildings—including required affordable housing—are more efficient, too. The new code will provide a performance pathway for all new buildings to improve, setting targets for water and energy savings, after establishing a baseline using ASHRAE and the International Plumbing Code. It’s also looking at overall social sustainability—is the city accessible to all?—and economic competitiveness. “How do you get the best city in terms of the urban space for it to still attract foreign direct investment and for it to grow and be competitive?”

Leading by Example Bogotá is one of 30 BEA cities in the world and is in the midst of drafting a new master plan for the next 12 years to improve quality of life in the city. “Bogotá is really committed to having a legacy of being resilient,” Gamboa says.

“With this project, the city is really going to be a leader in the Colombian context. It’s going to be the first energy code of Colombia.”

The plan asks that new buildings reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 32%. “We’re going to impact 2.7 million new homes, and those new homes will see their utilities reduced by 25%,” Gamboa says. She says Bogotá will lead the way to make green building accessible—and not necessarily using only certifications. She says while certifications are important and inspire people to do better, designations like LEED have also been improved by alternative compliance pathways that allow documentation for natural ventilation, considering how Bogotá, for example, doesn’t experience seasons. “It’s important gbdmagazine.com

SPACES

that LEED could have a protocol that you can document engineered natural ventilated projects and achieve LEED.” In 2016, the Colombia Green Building Council delivered just that, proposing a new pathway for naturally ventilated projects in Latin America, allowing for verification of achieved environmental indoor air quality.

BUILDING STRATEGIES ARE CHANGING IN BOGOTÁ, WHERE LEED AND OTHER CERTIFICATIONS AND INCENTIVES ARE HAVING AN IMPACT.

Green Building is Good Business Building owners in Bogotá increasingly understand the benefit of healthy buildings and want to implement better materials and practices in their projects, too. “All of these developers, all of these leaders, started seeing in this market a way to deliver value,” Gamboa says.

A study a few years ago showed that builders choosing to build green initially built that way because they believed it was the right thing to do. “Now it’s also clearly understood it’s the best business possible.”

Colombia began building to LEED standards in 2008 and, as of March 2018, had more than 350 LEED projects.

“Colombia represents approximately 10% of LEED in the Latin American market.”

Gamboa says there’s a “green premium” for office space, hospitals, and schools alike now. “Last year we drafted some basic guidelines for sustainability in public schools in Colombia because the Ministry of Education is now convinced these types of spaces are what kids need to thrive and learn. Now the movement that started with private sector leadership has the added value of having the public sector understanding the benefits in promoting it.”

That, she says, is leadership. “And also the other agencies are coming through and delivering with financial sector incentives. That, for a developing country, is quite significant.”

Buildings like the Elementos—four LEED Platinum towers on Avenue 26—are an example of what can be done with recycled content, solar panels, a green roof, low-emitting materials, and countless other sustainable building features. Certified in 2017, this project allowed for 67% savings in water and 48% in energy overall, and it’s 100% naturally ventilated.

On the same street you’ll find the T7/T8 Business Tower, LEED Gold certified in 2017. Sustainable building strategies and a careful selection of lights, faucets, and other equipment resulted in a savings of 15% energy and 38% water, compared to traditional offices. The tower was built with 28% recycled materials—44% of which come from the region.

The Future In the past, the city has struggled with administrations that didn’t do much to progress the mission of sustainability, Gamboa says, but Mayor Enrique Peñalosa began to change that in his first term, with efforts like the now well used TransMilenio bus rapid transit system. The mayor’s office is currently working to also promote mixed use development that includes affordable housing. And there’s an emphasis on working with—not against—nature, so development doesn’t hurt local wetlands and instead gives people access to nature.

“We’re doing world-class buildings in Colombia,” Gamboa says. “We can do something that is really meaningful.” gb&d

gb&d

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PROCOLOMBIA; CONSEJO COLOMBIANO DE CONSTRUCCIÓN SOSTENIBLE. PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY OF PROCOLOMBIA

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•••••• • •part • • • •of • • that, • • • • •Bonil••••• • • • •A• big • •••••••••••••••••• • •la • •says, • • comes down to the •••••••••••••••••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••• • •spaces • • • • where people learn.

•••••••••••••••••• crossed the line •“We • • • •have • •••••••••••••••••• • •from • • • • doing a good build•••••••••••••••••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••• • •ing • • •to • doing an exception•••••••••••••••••• • •al • •building •• • • • • •or • • creating • • • • • • • • an ••• •••••• • • • • • • atmosphere •••••••••••• exceptional •••••• •••••••••••••••••• • •for • • •learning.”

• •••••••••••••••••• • • • •When •• • • • Bonilla • • • • • • • and • • • • •his ••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••• • •team • • • • built the Anglo-Co•••••••••••••••••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••• •••••• ••••••••••••••••••

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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“This is unique, and it ••••••••• important to •has • • •been • • • • very • •encourage • • • • • • • • people to work ••••••••• •together,” • • • • • • • • he says.

• • •The • • • •Anglo-Colombian •• ••••••••• School is made of repeti••••••••• •tive • • • pieces • • • • • with the class•room • • • • •as • •the • basic module.

••••••••• This also • • • • • • • • • allowed archi•tects • • • • to • • •reduce • the scale •of • •the • • • •whole •• set, forther ••••••••• •reducing • • • • • • • • the project’s •footprint.

•••••••• ••••••••• The architecture be••••••••• facilities •hind • • • • educational •••• •changed • • • • • • • • because educa••••••••• •tion • • • •itself • • • • changed in Co•lombia, • • • • • • according •• to María ••••••••• Elvira Madriñán , widow of ••••••••• archi•famous • • • • • • •Colombian • •tect • • • Rogelio ••••• Salmona and ••••••••• ••••••••• ••••••••• ••••••••• ••••••••• •••••••••

B u i ld i n g FOR th e Fut ure herself a leader in the field.

She says much talk from worldwide leading architects in the last five years emphasized to Colombian architects how schools and universities must be constructed to make the education process better.

“What’s going on with education in the country right now is very interesting and very important,” Bonilla says. “And of course if we educate people better, we will get a lot of resources in many fields in the future.”

Building Community “About 20 years ago, there were a lot of new school projects going on and a lot of competitions for building schools,” Madriñán says. “These competitions

and these schools especially were made in scenarios where you wouldn’t normally find access to education or to cultural spaces.

They became cultural centers in the communities.”

In the last several years, many schools have increasingly transformed into community centers on the weekends where locals can enjoy social events or take an art or other community class. “That has a major impact on the evolution of the community itself,” Madriñán says.

In more recent years, architects and the city alike began to rethink libraries, too. In the early 2000s, a project called BiblioRed got off the ground with services at the Virgilio Barco Library, designed by gbdmagazine.com

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROGELIO SALMONA S.A

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TALLER DE ARQUITECTURA DE BOGOTÁ

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SPACES

From the Virgilio Barco Library (left) to 8111 (right), architecture is changing. The forthcoming 8111 has a “diagonal grid” style for greater efficiency in the transmission of the loads and forces to become the facade of the building.

Rogelio Salmona S.A , and other libraries. In 2010, the fourth largest library, the Julio Mario Santo Domingo Library, was added to the BiblioRed network.

“They made four big libraries in parks in areas that used to be dangerous or for lower income people,” Madriñán says. “[Before] there was one library downtown. Many kids didn’t have the access to go downtown to the library, so these projects started to give the kids the possibility to access to books and culture.”

It was a total change for the city. Madriñán says the great network of libraries managed to have wide coverage, complemented by a network of small libraries in schools and colleges to reach all of the city. “There is nothing more transformative than culture,” she says.

The Virgilio Barco Public Library was built inside a park also designed by Salmona, with pedestrian and bike paths, canals, lakes, and native trees. In addition to being a place of learning and community, the project emphasized the issue of water management. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre site makes great use of rainwater by integrating it into the building. According to UNESCO, the project challenges the concept of contemporary public space as it incorporates meeting places and open access so all can enjoy the space, whether they want to take a walk in nature or go inside and read. gb&d

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A H IS TO RY O F R E SO U RC E FU LN E SS

A r c h i t e c t s a n d b u il d e r s in B o go t á used sustainable building techniques long before sustainability was a buzzword. After all, natural light is prevalent, ventilation is simple (open the windows), and building scale is smaller.

“About 90% of the buildings we do now are environmentally friendly,” Bonilla says. “By nature and common sense we’ve been able to be very conscious about the environment.”

The dense population requires architects to use small plots, meaning smaller buildings and better occupant health. “If you make a big building, the distance between the person and the window is very far. Here you don’t have that. Here windows are close.”

Spaces are well ventilated and, since Bogotá has no seasons, the temperature outside and inside is similar to human comfort. Where Bogotá—and many Latin American countries—need to improve, Bonilla says, is in the area of waste and properly disposed materials.

But apart from issues of waste and pollution, the city has been conscious of the environment partly because it had to be. “A lack of money makes you very resourceful and makes you think deeply about how to get the most out of everything.”

For years, the country had one architect doing phenomenal work, and that was Salmona.

“If you arrived at the airport 20 years ago and asked, ‘Who is the best architect?’ even the security guard knew,” Bonilla says.

Biking

Brick and radial geometry defined Salmona’s work, from Torres del Parque—residential towers with curves, balconies, and a park—to the Virgilio Barco Public Library. His work had an incredible impact on architects like Bonilla. “I grew up with that legacy and learned from that legacy.”

In Salmona’s time there was essentially one way of thinking, but Bonilla’s generation has many architects doing different work. Few Colombians studied abroad before Bonilla’s generation, which also impacted the architecture. Then, of course, came the internet, which cast light on work all over the world, whereas, before the internet, few people knew what was happening in Latin America. “We were always very curious about what was going on around us, but nobody was very curious about Colombia because the political situation was complex and it was difficult to come here,” Bonilla

says. “But now people from the Northern Hemisphere have become curious about what’s going on here.”

The city also benefited from a rise in competition.

While past politicians may have passed contracts off to friends, today’s projects are often done by contest. In the ’90s, architects pushed for competitions and officials agreed. Bonilla and his young colleagues suddenly started getting commissioned work.

“That didn’t happen before,” he says. “You had to be a very mature architect to get a public commission.”

Most of Bogotá’s public buildings are now done by competition. The transparent jury process helps ease any worry about who’s the best person for the job. There are currently more than 100 public competitions in Bogotá, and 30 to 50 private, Bonilla says. “It doesn’t happen anywhere else in Latin America.”

and More

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ogotá is recognized internationally for its transit oriented development strategy—from the TransMilenio buses to its renowned bicycle program, the Ciclovia. Since the 1970s, more than 70 miles of main streets in the city are shut down to vehicle traffic on Sundays from 7am to 2pm so people can bike. About a quarter of the city’s population turn out for it on average every week.

The city also prohibits driving every day—half of the week you simply can’t.

Residents follow a system monitored by the numbers on their license plates, which correspond to the days they’re permitted to drive.

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SUSTAINABLE SPOTS

Embracing Ecotourism 1

J U A N VA L D E Z O R I G E N E S

In Zone G of Bogotá, in an area vibrant with restaurants, bars, and hotels, you’ll also find the three-floor Juan Valdez Origenes, the company’s first experiential store and cafe. Here, tables are stamped with a designation showing they’re made from 100% SUSTAINABLE WOOD and a TOWERING LIVING WALL makes you feel as though you’ve escaped into the forest. juanvaldezcafe.com/es-co/juan-valdez-cafe-origenes

PHOTO: LAURA ROTE

Locals and tourists alike are changing in Bogotá, and that means how people spend their time is evolving, too—from more people on bikes (check out Bogotá Bike Tours) to a growing need for sustainable lodging (try Biohotel Organic Suites). These are just a few of our favorite eco-friendly spots in the city.

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SPACES

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C A N A S TO P I C N I C B I S T R O

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B 3 H OT E L

There’s no mistaking the B3 hotel’s commitment to green—the first thing you see is its NINE-STORY VERTICAL GARDEN with 25,000 plants on the building’s exterior. This affordable lodging option (rooms start at $50) is close to a beautiful park and an easy walk to great dining and drinking. The hotel further proves its commitment to the environment by encouraging guests to borrow one of its bikes.

B3 has also eliminated often unused amenities like mini bars, which waste energy. hotelesb3.com/en

PHOTOS: JACKIE FRYSZ; COURTESY OF B3 HOTEL

In one of the most charming areas of Bogotá, just across the street from the popular VIRREY PARK, you’ll find this oasis of fresh, flavorful, and local ingredients. Don’t miss Canasto’s brunch, with heavenly concoctions served in a GREENHOUSE-STYLE SETTING surrounded by natural light and a vast amount of hanging plants. canasto.co

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TH E N E W PATH TO MON SE RR ATE Recovering Bogota’s Eastern Reserve M O N S E R R AT E I S T H E F O C A L P O I N T O F B O G O TÁ , a place of respite

on top of the mountains. For many, the journey to Monserrate is a spiritual pilgrimage, as they trek up the hill to observe the Stations of the Cross.

You can reach Monserrate on foot (by many stairs), cable car, or funicular, but the foot path is rocky and narrow in places, steep, and crowded. A new path promises to improve the trek, with smooth slopes and a wide path so people can appreciate nature. Construction is expected to begin this year and take one year. “It’s a large project, a public space in a forest reserve, in the most emblematic hill of the city,” says María Elvira Madriñán, widow of famous Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona. The project was modified considerably and more recently shifted its focus to environmental interpretation.

Madriñán says the project dates back to 1996 with the original concept designed by Salmona and Louis Kopec. The new 6-kilometer route will include restrooms and viewpoints to rest and learn

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about the nature. Much of the project passes over old, rarely used pedestrian paths, so environmental impact is low. Native flora will be re-introduced with ecological restoration principles without damaging the hill or existing vegetation. ​Madriñán says the existing path was not safe for the number of visitors who walked it. Expansion was proposed by Salmona and others earlier, but when they went to start construction, they found families living on the hill and relocating them took a long time. “When the process was over, there was no longer the political will nor the money to do it,” she says. “They spent 18 years of failed attempts.”

When officials finally agreed to revive the project, Salmona and Kopec had passed away.

Madriñán and engineer Francisco de Valdenebro, who worked on the first project, created a temporary union to get efforts up and running.

They looked at the initial plan, but the property’s conditions had changed, and it was necessary to develop a new, longer layout to take advantage of the traces of the roads that used to exist on the hill in order to not extend the environmental footprint. The new road to Monserrate will join the national park on the north side. You’ll reach the crest of the hill and continue walking along the top of the two hills until you reach the Monserrate sanctuary and join the existing old road.

This, in turn, lightens the loads on the hill, as the roads can be used alternatively. gb&d gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PROCOLOMBIA. RENDERING: ROGELIO SALMONA S.A.

s s s TREK TO MONSERRATE The popular spot is visited by more than 60,000 people on peak days, and a new path will improve the journey for hikers and the environment alike.

GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN

Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List

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120 Choosing the Right Traffic Coating System

Neogard ensures you choose the right traffic coating system no matter your project.

124 The Proper Building Prep is Key

APV's NeverFade® Façade restoration coatings are high-performance.

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HOW TO

Choosing the Right Traffic Coating System NEOGARD HIGHLIGHTS THE PROS AND CONS OF COATING SYSTEMS TO HELP YOU AVOID COSTLY PAVEMENT PROBLEMS.

By Julia Stone

William Brice Stadium at USC benefitted from pedestrian traffic coatings, sealants, and concrete repairs.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEOGARD

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HOW IT WORKS

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ith so many different traffic coating systems on the market, it’s difficult to know which one to use. “First, you need to determine what you’re trying to do,” says Mosby Lawrence, waterproofing manager at NEOGARD, a Dallas-based manufacturing and research organization. “It’s important that the coating type you choose is meeting your intention and your requirements.” For different goals, like aesthetic improvement, supplying waterproofing, or protecting concrete surfaces, there are different coating types you should use.

“But straight physical properties aren’t enough to see how a coating gb&d

will perform,” Lawrence says. That’s why on top of researching and learning about different systems, Lawrence recommends checking references and service track records from past projects by reaching out to contractors and engineers. He also encourages following the manufacturer’s advice concerning coating thickness.

Sustainability comes into play for NEOGARD, too. When traffic coatings are removed, they’re put in landfills.

Lawrence and his team are working to educate clients on how to maintain their systems and about the high cost of replacement. Before you delve into maintenance, be sure you choose the right system in the first place.

Coating technology protects an owner’s investment by protecting the reinforcing steel and concrete.

Cracks occur when water soaks into the concrete and down into the reinforcing steel. The steel begins to corrode and rust, which causes a crack in the concrete.

“Major corrosion issues can be quite expensive for the repair process and that’s what these coatings are for, to help reduce the amount of repairs needed,” Lawrence says.

But how do traffic coatings work? Waterproofing systems keep the water from permeating the concrete. If you can cut off the flow of water, then you also cut back on corrosion. The membrane is the key part of the system that includes the waterproofing properties. Everything else is added to provide traction and chemical resistance to protect that membrane.

N DOW REAK T B E W REN E DIFFE ON TH S G N I T A CO PA G E NEXT

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POLYURETHANE SYSTEMS

EPOXY BROADCAST SYSTEMS

POLYURETHANE/ EPOXY HYBRID SYSTEMS

> Polyurethanes have been used since the 1970s and have strong waterproofing properties and can bridge cracks. They also offer aesthetic options. “Clients can spend a great deal of money for traffic systems, but they are sustainable and meet strict VOC standards. If a client maintains them, you can simple re-apply the coating over it, so there is no need to replace them,” Lawrence says.

> Epoxy broadcast systems have stood the test of time—they’ve been used for decades. The systems are easy to apply and fairly inexpensive. And there are many options for aesthetics and slip protection. Epoxy broadcast systems provide concrete surface protection and enhanced durability. “If you’re looking for an economical covering, this is an option,” Lawrence says.

> Polyurethane/epoxy hybrid systems are growing in popularity. “Even if you don’t want to use hybrid throughout the whole garage, you can use it in high wear areas such as ramps, exits, entrances, and turning areas,” Lawrence says. “This will increase the durability of the entire system.”

SUSTAINABLE WATERPROOFING AND CRACK BRIDGING PROPERTIES

AFFORDABLE, EASY TO APPLY

NO WATERPROOFING CAPABILITIES, CORROSION AND CRACKING MAY OCCUR

EXPENSIVE, DIFFICULT TO INSTALL, LOW PERMEABILITY

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PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE WATERPROOFING (APARTMENT GARAGES, ETC.)

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NEOGARD

DURABILITY FOR HIGH WEAR AREAS

RAMPS, BRIDGE DECKS, AND PARKING GARAGES

LOW MOVEMENT CAPABILITIES

HIGH-VOLUME, HEAVY TRAFFIC PARKING GARAGES (HOSPITALS, RETAIL CENTERS, ETC.)

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PMMA SYSTEMS > Poly-methyl methacrylates (PMMAs) have a growing presence in the U.S. due to their durability, chemical resistance, and warranty programs. The chemistry itself makes PMMA systems more durable. “The chemistry is used for dental fillings, road markings, and certain types of glass,” Lawrence says.

These also have a fast turnaround time—they are frequently opened to service within hours on the same day of application.

HIGH DURABILITY, QUICK RETURN TO SERVICE

EXPENSIVE, ODOR DURING APPLICATION, PRONE TO CRACKING

IN PROJECTS WHERE TURNAROUND TIME IS CRITICAL

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LATEX/VINYL COPOLYMER SYSTEMS > Latex/Vinyl copolymer systems are an economical, non-flammable option with no odor during application. They are breathable and allow more moisture vapor to transfer out of the concrete. As a result, they’re often applied on concrete surfaces with metal pan deck underneath, which provides no permeability.

From an aesthetic standpoint, the final finish color looks very similar to concrete.

NO ODOR, EASY TO APPLY, HIGH PERMEABILITY

NO WATERPROOFING CAPABILITIES, NATURALLY RIGID AND PRONE TO CRACKING

SEALERS > Sealers are economical, easy to apply, low in odor, and don’t change the appearance of the concrete at all. But they will only protect the surface of the concrete for a limited amount of time before a new coating is needed. “The key to get the best benefits for sealers is frequent applications every five years,” Lawrence says.

AFFORDABLE, EASY TO APPLY

NO WATERPROOFING OR CRACK BRIDGING PROPERTIES, FREQUENT REAPPLICATIONS NEEDED

NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

CONCRETE SURFACES WITH METAL PAN DECK UNDERNEATH

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HOW TO

The Proper Building Prep is Key APV ENGINEERED COATINGS HELPS YOU ENSURE THE JOB IS DONE RIGHT WITH NEVERFADE® FAÇADE RESTORATION COATINGS.

By Mike Thomas

By Mike Thomas

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APV’s NeverFade® Façade Restoration Coatings are high-quality, highperformance products.

But that’s not enough, experts say. A detailed assessment of the surface in question, as well as the environment in which it exists, is crucial to the success of every project.

he process of applying a protective coating to a building’s exterior is more complicated than it might seem—if it’s done right. Simply pressure-washing the facade and then painting it isn’t nearly enough. Experts say pre-coating preparation is the key to achieving high-quality, long-lasting results.

“Every job is unique,” says Erin Brown-Neff, the director of marketing and business development for APV Engineered Coatings. “Depending on where the location is—whether it’s Florida, California, the Midwest, the Caribbean, or Canada—the climate conditions can vary considerably. The surface condition of the building can also vary—all those things can impact how a coating will perform. There’s really no ‘one size fits all’ coating system.”

That’s why APV, working in concert with carefully chosen certified contractors like Stuart Dean Company, is so strict about surface preparation. “According to NACE International, 75% of all premature coating failures are caused by improper surface preparation,” Brown-Neff says.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF APV ENGINEERED COATINGS

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1 Careful preinspection makes a big difference.

Those failures are often caused by improper initial assessments.

Perhaps more crucially, contractors fail to involve the coating manufacturer from the outset. Whether a structure is old or new, in need of repairs for problems like blistering, peeling, or pinholing, or receiving its first coating, APV is always involved.

“Together with our certified contractor, we act as inspectors on the job,” Brown-Neff says.

“We go to the job site, see the unique situation on the project, and use NACE, SSPC, or ASTM Standards to specify how the surface should be prepped.”

Rex Dean, global director of façade restoration at Stuart Dean, says they first determine the type of substrate that needs coating and the existing coating system—if there is one.

They then test the surface for adhesion to see if a new fieldapplied coating system will anchor to the current coating.

When that’s done, surfaces are tested for environmental contaminants like chlorides, sulfates, and nitrates—which are removed if they’re present. Next up: the creation of an “anchor/ surface profile.” That can be achieved by hand abrasion, mechanical tool abrasion, and blast abrasion.

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2

3

4

Make sure the primer complements the coating.

Look for this when the job is done.

Prior to applying APV’s NeverFade®, Dean says it’s also critical to conduct environmental monitoring that measures and records climate conditions like relative humidity, air temperature, surface temperature, dew point temperature, and the difference between surface and dew point temperatures.

Those conditions dictate whether a NeverFade® coating can be applied.

“Coatings applied in poor conditions can risk the performance of the coating installation,” Dean says. “Dry film thickness (DFT) or coating thickness is arguably the single most important measurement made during the application and inspection of protective coatings,” which are “designed to perform their intended function when applied within a tight DFT range as specified by the manufacturer.”

Depending on what coating suits a particular structure, APV offers three complementary primer systems—a universal primer (W1500), a bonding primer intended for coated surfaces such as factory coatings and Kynar® (W1650), and a top-shelf twocomponent epoxy for use in areas—like the Gulf Coast of Florida—that experience high corrosion.

APV’s NeverFade® coatings come in two main topcoat formulations that incorporate Kynar®, the PVDF polymer engineered by Arkema.

NeverFade® Original is for wood, masonry, stucco, fiber cement, and concrete. The other, NeverFade® Metal Restoration, is used on all types of ferrous and nonferrous metals. Both are dispersed in water, which keeps VOCs low and air quality high.

“When you apply the coating system, you may see some initial variance in the finish, such as roller or brush markings,” Brown-Neff says. “But the coating actually levels out over a couple of hours, and you’ll notice those markings will fill out as the product cures. This self leveling effect allows NeverFade® to be brushed and rolled onto surfaces without sacrificing aesthetics.

Ultimately, if you’ve done a thorough pre-job assessment and selected a knowledgeable contractor that works directly with the coating manufacturer, issues should be minimal-to-nonexistent.

“The greatest feature of NeverFade® is its resin system, Kynar Aquatec®. It outlasts high-performance 100% acrylic products and even two-component urethanes,” Brown-Neff says. “When a customer is incorporating NeverFade® into the spec, they’re sourcing a product that is going to increase the life cycle of the facade, so we want to make sure they’re getting what they’ve asked for.”

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Consider environmental factors.

APV Engineered Coatings is involved in assessments every step of the way, whether a building is old or new, in need of extensive repairs, or is receiving its first coating, to ensure the process runs smoothly.

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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN

Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List

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130 WSLA Insights

B+H Architects’ Lisa Bate looks at how to sustain sustainability.

132 Building for Occupants

Vuk Vujovic explores how better building relates to human wellbeing.

134 Lessons Learned

Mohawk’s George Bandy, Jr. shares some of the moments that have had a big impact on his career.

136 In the Lab

Researchers at the University at Buffalo are looking at new ways to store clean energy.

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PUNCH LIST WSLA INSIGHTS

How to Sustain Sustainability Turning net zero buildings into positive performance teaching tools

2016 WSLA WINNER

inhabit the building’s sustainable features. They ultimately dictate our success because they are the ones with the power to sustain sustainability.

A NEW STANDARD

LEARNING TO DRIVE

How can we extend the impact of our buildings beyond themselves? As designers, we can continue to craft sustainable buildings, but without a supporting culture in place to recognize and encourage our innovation, we are limiting our success. It’s like designing an electric vehicle without supplying the grid. Sustainable design involves embedding a cultural infrastructure to educate and inform the users.

The act of designing and building sustainable facilities is only part of the equation. The strategic role designers play in optimizing how these buildings are used and operated is exponential once they are built.

At B+H Architects, we work on projects in some of the most high-impact urban communities around the world.

From Asia to North America, we have learned firsthand that if you involve the people and the community in the project from day one, the users will

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WHEN A BUILDING BECOMES A TEACHING TOOL

No building exists in a vacuum. As sustainable designers, we need to be aware of the human/carbon ecology of its community. From human interaction to community use of the space, how can we create an environment that empowers people to make conscious choices to conserve?

Responsive in its design, the Joyce Centre’s continuous performance feedback allows users to monitor the energy they are consuming in real-time. Energy consumption is no longer abstract, which establishes a culture of awareness. A student can be forgiven in assuming it’s their right to charge their phone and laptop at school. By making data disclosure a central feature of our design, we’re demonstrating the impact that choice has on overall building performance.

The Joyce Centre is not just a lab building. In many ways, it’s also a teaching tool for students, training them to deliver a more sustainable future. Engineering and trade students will engage with the net zero lab and renewable energy lab and will learn how to operate the building. They

The atrium will serve as a central organizer, gathering the large numbers of students from the classrooms into a prominent space that can serve as a circulation and social hub.

will be able to monitor the building’s energy usage via an app, a website, and other data measurement tools.

The building’s experiential learning environment explores the symbiotic relationship between all stakeholders and underscores the importance of a cultural shift in how we interact with our built environment—from unrestricted consumption to personal accountability. gb&d

Lisa Bate is B+H Architects’ regional managing principal of North America.

The 2016 Women in Sustainability Leadership Award winner is also an ambassador for sustainable design. Lisa has held positions on environmental boards like the Canada Green Building Council and the United Nations Environmental Protection–Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative. She currently sits on the board of directors for the World Green Building Council.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF B+H ARCHITECTS

Lisa Bate Regional Managing Principal, North America, B+H Architects

An engaging example of the need to educate while we design is the new Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation at Mohawk College’s Fennell Campus in the former steel town of Hamilton, Ontario.

The project, scheduled to be substantially complete in mid-May, will be the largest net zero energy institutional building in the region and is currently on track to be net-positive carbon, adding net zero water and waste as deliverables. A joint venture partnership with B+H Architects and local Hamilton firm, mcCallumSather, it will be the first of 16 projects in Canada to be complete and operational under the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)’s two-year Zero Carbon Building Standard pilot project. The findings from these projects will be the basis of CaGBC’s new Zero Carbon Buildings Framework.

Participating in the pilot program has driven our design team to quantify how the building will be occupied.

There are a host of sustainable innovations throughout its design—from solar panel “wings” on the roof and geothermal heat sourcing to a high-performance, triple-glazed curtain wall. However, it’s focusing on the building operations that has come to define our success. Early in the process, we developed a strict energy budget alongside our cost budget to ensure all design choices would deliver the mandated energy targets.

PUNCH LIST

Building for Occupants The next phase of sustainability shifts to human wellbeing.

PHOTO: CONNOR STEINKAMP, STEINKAMP PHOTOGRAPHY

Vuk Vujovic Principal, Legat Architects

The concept of sustainability evolves with each new market trend and application. In recent years, the corporate world shifted its focus firmly and deliberately to the subject of human health and wellness. Defined as core elements of sustainability and healthy buildings, these trends will revolutionize how we design, operate, and evaluate the built environments in which we live and work.

Major factors in the growth of the U.S. health and wellness market are a growing focus on work-life balance, the promotion of regular sleep, exercise, and healthy eating habits, and concerns about high obesity rates and increasing health care costs. According to the Global Wellness Institute, it was estimated that the worldwide wellness industry grew to $3.72 trillion between 2013 and 2015, making it one of the world’s fastest growing markets. During the same period, the most rapidly developing sectors within the global wellness market were the workplace wellness industry ($43.3 billion) and the global wellness real estate market ($118.6 billion). gb&d

Occupant health and wellness have always been core components of any successfully executed sustainable building design. The initial green building standards like LEED and the Living Building Challenge (LBC) addressed building occupant health and wellness through a variety of prerequisites, prescriptive design measures, and design imperatives. Early on, the LEED rating methodology incentivized the use of natural light, increased ventilation, application of CO2 sensors, and reduction of volatile organic compounds.

In contrast to LEED, the LBC emphasized on-site food production, biophilia, beauty, and the elimination of known carcinogens from construction materials.

Launched in 2014, the WELL Building Standard (WELL) was the first building standard to focus exclusively on the health and wellness of building occupants. Operated by the International WELL Building Institute, WELL aims to combine best practices in building design with evidence-based scientific research. The resulting system consists of seven unique categories, including preconditions and optimization features that resemble the LEED rating system structure. WELL uses the built environment to support health and wellbeing and is intended to work in harmony with LEED and the LBC. However, the relatively high cost of certification and the two-year recertification requirement may prove challenging for some building owners and are potential barriers to wider market adoption.

Fitwel, the latest certification system created in 2015, was a product of collaboration between the U.S. Centers for

Disease Control community, the Willow Café at the increasing comand Prevention College of Lake County was renovated by Legat (CDC) and the plexity of issues Architects, who designed that sustainable General Services with the WELL Building building design Administration.

Standard principles in is required to Their goal was to mind, including abundant tackle can be create a meanatural light and great daunting at surement system views of nature. times. On the that is easy for upside, the latest building owners developments offer an opporand is backed by research and evidence. According to the tunity for growth, reinvention, CDC, the system is supported and development of new susby more than 3,000 cast studtainable design competencies and services. gb&d ies by the organization and was developed by consulting a broad group of experts in design, public health, and building management. The Vuk Vujovic is principal and director certification system includes of sustainability and energy at Legat seven key strategies grouped Architects in Chicago, leading the into 12 sections and has no integration of architectural design, prerequisites. In 2016, the sustainability, energy, climate action Center for Active Design took planning, and resiliency. He is also over as the licensed operator an associate director of the AIA of Fitwel, to lead any future Chicago chapter, a member of the development and use within International Living Building Institute, the private and public sectors. and former chair of AIA Chicago’s For the professional design Committee on the Environment. may–june 2018

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Person of Interest Illya Azaroff

Interview by Scott Frank

In the U.S. alone, costs from natural disasters topped $300 billion in 2017, and that doesn’t include damages from the new reality of extreme weather—thunderstorm and hail damage account for the greatest losses in annual insurance claims. The major threats aren’t confined to coastal areas

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That investment has not come forward in any real way, leaving major gaps in all facets of resilient building measures at a regional and national level.

The Japanese have also published a timeline for implementation of all resilient measures across the affected region. This leads to accountability when you routinely see progress, or lack thereof, in the news journals in that country. And by the way, many of the areas are on target for completion dates. Here in New York we are still struggling to merely rebuild a few thousand homes through government programs, whereas in Japan they rebuild whole communities and have successfully relocated tens of thousands of people into robust communities, with new infrastructure.

gb&d: You visited Japan to evaluate the rebuilding process after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. How do they approach reconstruction versus similar efforts in the U.S.?

Azaroff: There are a great many people working toward building resilience throughout this entire region, and everyone has their heart in the right place. However, I’m concerned that there is very little coordination with the various projects that are moving along to achieve true, comprehensive resilience.

Of greater concern is the steep learning curve for everyone involved—from governing bodies to the AEC industry and especially within the labor force.

Building to be resilient requires an understanding of material assemblies beyond specific trades, learning new assemblies with old materials, in addition to incorporating new project delivery methods. We have experienced the steep learning curve on many of our projects, which is lengthening the building process a great deal.

News messaging is another challenge.

If you ask most New Yorkers, they think

Azaroff: The basic differences can be boiled down to funding and coordination. The Japanese have disaster preparedness embedded in their culture.

It’s no surprise they have a comprehensive mitigation plan that stretches across an entire region. Spending upwards of half a trillion dollars, with more to come, substantiates a concerted effort by the federal authority for a collective response.

Here, we spend a mere fraction compared to their level of investment and do not coordinate across state or political boundaries without entanglements. The expectation is for private investment to make up the difference.

gb&d: We just passed the fiveyear anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. You’ve been involved in those rebuilding initiatives. What are your concerns in establishing a foothold in resilience in the region?

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PHOTO: ANJA HITZENBERGER

+Lab Architect’s Illya Azaroff reports from the trenches on disaster rebuilding progress and roadblocks.

with rampant flooding or the spike in wildfires in the western U.S. Illya Azaroff is the director of design at +Lab Architect and an associate professor at the New York City College of Technology. He recently received a Presidential Citation from AIA New York State for the Disaster Assistance Training program he led that will ultimately result in hundreds of licensed architects and engineers equipped to properly assess building damage in the aftermath of a disaster.

As the founding co-chair of the AIA New York Design for Risk & Reconstruction Committee, he has been lauded for his work prototyping disaster relief shelters and rapid response systems.

He works with government agencies at all levels on issues related to resilience, including having advised on the Federal Disaster Recovery Framework.

He has a front-line vantage point on the struggles to both rebuild following catastrophes, as well as how to better prepare and fortify our homes, buildings, and communities to better withstand natural disasters.

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Read more about Illya Azaroff on the web at gbdmagazine.com

we are better off today than we were before the storm. In general, that is probably correct, but not to any great degree. Most believe the billions of dollars that flowed in here and a few glossy images on the Internet or front page of the newspaper make resilience an established field. Fact is we are not there yet and not even close to where we need to be. gb&d: How have attitudes changed among policy makers and within building departments in terms of prioritizing resilient approaches to development?

Azaroff: I think there’s a bit of a proactive versus reactive thinking that goes on within the governing bodies— especially at building departments and in code enforcement. Most codes are reactive to the last great storms or negative circumstance. Since Sandy we have incorporated several areas of resilience into the code, such as backup generation, water security for buildings over a certain height, and increased wind resistance requirements.

Unfortunately, the proactive work that recognizes the risk and designs and implements those measures does not receive the attention nor funding if they are city, state, or federal backed projects. Essentially, we are rebuilding a little bit better than what was there before rather than accounting for what we truly know now about the effects of climate change, and if we can build well beyond the code in a well-informed, proactive way. gb&d: Is the initial cost premium still an objection to signing off on more stringent resilient design strategies on the client side? And if so, how do you suggest the AEC community respond?

Azaroff: Some clients are still balking at the initial increases to proposed budgets. But if you can take the time and explain how fast the payback can be, gb&d

“I believe there is some urgency in updating the building code.” as well as risk reduction and improved safety from resilient building measures, then you can generally convince the client it is worth the upfront investment.

I like to reference the findings from a recent report by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), projecting that every $1 spent today on mitigation saves as much as $6 in the future—up from a figure of $4 a few years ago. That is really an incredible opportunity cost and helps make “selling resilience” quite a lot easier. gb&d: Is there any urgency to raise the building codes to account for increased natural disasters and the massive financial losses that accompany them?

Azaroff: Anyone engaged in truly factoring resilient measures into the projects are going well beyond current code.

You can also get excellent guidance from NIBS through the FEMA library as well as best practices of the AIA. Code is an absolute minimum of building practice and achieving resilience with the current state of codes dictates that we must build beyond the current minimum standards of the building code.

I believe there is some urgency in updating the building code. An updated robust code, recognizing mitigation measures, is needed and raises all standards for resilience across the country.

The current code is updated every three years by the International Code Council, and the last round incorporated more stringent wind and water measures, along with maintaining good water supply to tall buildings.

There are several resilience rating systems coming out I’m keeping a close eye on that may assist in getting a han-

dle on what mitigation measures mean for the built environment. gb&d: How are insurance companies reacting, and what should home and business owners know?

Azaroff: The insurance companies are taking several paths regarding buildings at risk. There has always been a repeated loss clause that allows for insurance companies to no longer ensure properties that have had multiple instances of catastrophic damage, which calls into question how, or if, rebuilding can take place in coastal regions.

On the other hand, the Insurance Institute for Business Home & Safety has put forward a different type of solution through best practices and how to build a more robust, resilient structure. The program is called FORTIFIED and can be applied to residential as well as commercial structures. They offer a reduction in the end-user’s insurance on the structure if you follow the guidelines during the construction process. This type of incentive for better buildings is a good piece of the puzzle in achieving resilience and encouraging the design of much safer homes and buildings. gb&d: You and others in the industry helped to create the AIA Disaster Assistance Handbook. How can it be useful for architects?

Azaroff: It has information for all levels of government and local municipalities and essential information for AIA chapters and architects on what steps to take after a disaster. It also highlights proactive measures you can take up in your communities through advocacy efforts and design approaches. gb&d may–june 2018

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George Bandy, Jr. LESSONS LEARNED Interviewed by Laura Rote Be humble. “Having humility with dignity with everyone you work with and with people you work for gives you the opportunity to be able to share and really explore a better understanding of people.”

I learned the value of working from 15 years old.

“My first job was at the parks and recreation center, so when you talk about being humbled—picking up litter with a stick with a nail on the end, cleaning up bathrooms, laying a sidewalk from one end of the recreation center to the other—that was probably the hardest job I ever had ... When I first started getting a check, my parents made me pay a bill. Whether it was the cable bill or help out with the light bill, I began to learn the value of understanding my connectivity to what it was I was responsible for doing.”

Nature plus hard work.

“My grandmother was the first environmentalist I met.

She saved everything. When I went to see her you had to feed the chickens, go and work in the yard, clean the outhouse. I learned all of those values of being connected to nature at the same time with the values of hard work.”

Break rules. “I always challenged the norm and asked the question, ‘Well, what if we did it this way?’ Early in school it would always get me in trouble because I would always challenge the norm of what the teacher would be bringing to classrooms.

They’d be like, ‘Is this guy

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“I’m standing for a lot of folks ... It’s like the aura of what people have given to you you can never give back, but it can become more of a seed for someone else. I like to plant those seeds at the same time.”

vice president for sustainability, Mohawk

being a smartass or is he really just asking the question because he wants to know?’”

I’ve been a systems thinker before I knew what that meant. “I had this unique

ability to see cause and effect at the same time and be able to look at it holistically. I don’t think I really understood it until post undergrad, when I took the Natural Steps class—a systems thinking class related to sustainability.”

Go outside. “Nature has a unique calming effect. When you ask someone when they were the most innovative, most creative, or came up with the best idea, no one says behind the desk at a cubicle in an office space. It’s always out on the golf course, at the beach, or walking in the forest. Knowing that, when I get stressed out I usually will take a walk.”

Diversifying the industry.

“I was a sustainability officer in the early ’90s in Texas—I was in an oil state practicing sustainability. And I was the only African-American at Greenbuild at that time in regular attendance. [Rick Fedrizzi] said I was a rebel because at every meeting I would stand up and say, ‘Can we get more diversity?’ So now to be able to see that come full circle and see not just nationality-based diversity or diversity of talent and diversity of thought, but also diversity of people interacting. It’s students, it’s faculty, it’s staff, it’s designers, it’s people in urban communities, and it’s global.”

Social impact. “People are talking about the social sustainability aspect, which was a component people were uncomfortable with at first because it’s a soft skill. Businesses weren’t really adept at pulling that in. The business world has begun to see that these types of things mean something to not just the business but to the consumer and the customer.”

Young people: Your jobs haven’t been created yet.

“The sustainability position I inherited—it was the first one.

There was no training module, no definition, we wrote the job description. One thing I tell young professionals is don’t look for a company that’s already practicing sustainability because all the fruit’s gone. Look for a company struggling with sustainability so you can get in and become a leader in a different way.”

Do what you love. “Get a well-rounded set of skills, become a systems thinker, try to evaluate, and find something you love, and then put your heart’s work into that because if you love it, you’ll get up early and you’ll stay up late in order to be able to do it.”

The spirit of sustainability is in a great place. “We’ve

got a lot to do, but it’s in a great space because people see their connectivity to it. I was saying recently, ‘How do I create the culture that speaks to a scientific specifier and a soccer mom about health and wellness and sustainability and they both get it?’ That to me is what a sense of happiness is, when we can reach that, to share with them what the value is of Mohawk and ‘believing in better,’ then I feel like we’ve gotten to a good place.” gb&d gbdmagazine.com

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MOHAWK

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PUNCH LIST IN THE LAB

Powering the Future

Storing Clean Energy Timothy Cook is working toward grid-scale energy storage.

He envisions a personal redox flow battery you could combine with your solar panel, charging your battery up during the day.

Timothy Cook and his team at the University at Buffalo have modified a metal-oxide cluster that could store power for homes, vehicles, or entire communities. That means this tiny chemical cluster could become a big deal. By Shay Maunz Photo by Douglas Levere

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TIMOTHY COOK

IN THE LAB PUNCH LIST

Associate professor, University at Buffalo Timothy Cook’s research team at the University at Buffalo is working on redox flow batteries. His team partnered with the University of Rochester to modify a metal-oxide cluster, making its electrochemical properties almost twice as effective.

“Until we have a way to store sustainable clean energy, we can’t fix any of the global problems that have to do with energy use.” gb&d: Walk us through how redox flow batteries work.

Timothy Cook: A lot of people are familiar with traditional batteries, like a lithium battery or even just a AA alkaline battery. They’re great for our cell phones, they’re great for our cameras and laptops and flashlights. But if you try to take a AA battery and power not a flashlight or a refrigerator, but a house when the sun goes down, you have to scale that up.

You can think about making a bigger battery like you’re working with graphics on a computer.

You grab the edges and scale it up. Every single part of it has to get bigger, and every single part of it has to behave similarly—it can’t be affected by that scale-up process. And that’s really difficult to do with lithium ion batteries because there are a lot of components that go into it that don’t necessarily work as well on a larger scale. But if you dissolve the materials that hold the charge and create a solution, you have a much easier time making your battery bigger because you

gb&d

One of the major barriers standing in the way of a reliable, large-scale clean energy system is storage.

We can harvest clean energy anytime the sun shines or the wind blows, but how do we store it until we need to use it?

Cook’s cluster could be used to store energy in a type of storage device called a redox flow battery, which could be used to power homes or vehicles.

//

can simply make the tanks bigger that are holding the solution. So the “flow” part of redox flow refers to the fact that you quite literally have a liquid that flows around and stores the charge. gb&d: What’s the ultimate goal of your research into redox flow batteries?

Cook: We pitch it as grid-scale energy storage, but I think the really cool longer-term vision behind all of this work lies in the idea that more energy hits the earth in one hour than human beings use in an entire year. That’s a little bit skewed—I think it’s actually an hour-and-a-half now, but still, there’s so much solar energy available and we use so little of it. That’s partly because we don’t have a good way to store it.

My vision would be personalized energy, where you would have a redox flow battery combined with your solar panel. You would keep charging your battery up during the day and then when the sun goes down you use this to power your house instead. You would be completely removed from the electrical grid, from that dependency. gb&d: Why does this excite you?

Cook: A lot of problems we face as a global community really come down to energy use. It probably oversimplifies things to some extent, but when we think about the fact that there’s an increasing water crisis, it’s not so much that human beings waste water because water doesn’t really escape our atmosphere. It’s an energy problem. We don’t have a good way to remove the salt from the nearly undepletable source of water in the oceans. Or when we talk about meeting global food demand—it’s not really about growing more food, it’s about having enough energy to sustainably grow food.

When you start to trace all of these problems back to the common thread, the problem that really needs to be solved is an energy crisis. If we had clean sources of energy and they were truly inexpensive, we could do so many things as a society to improve quality of life. gb&d: So what’s the next step?

Cook: I think it’s to partner with engineering groups and people who can take these molecules and really start to design practical devices around them and start to assess pathways to commercialization. We think we’ve identified systems that provide the basis for a library of really effective charge-carrying molecules, and we want to get these into prototypes and real devices. We want to see if this is something that could literally be attached to the house or put in someone’s backyard for energy storage. gb&d may–june 2018

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Directory & Index ADVERTISERS A AIA, 15 aia.org 312.670.7770 APV Engineered Coatings, 124 apvcoatings.com 330.773.8911 Avocado, 52 avocadogreenmattress.com B Beko US, 34 bekoappliances.com 888.352.2356

Hufcor, 90 hufcor.com 608.756.1241

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Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, 96 mgbwhome.com 800.789.5401

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NEOGARD, 120 neogard.com 214.353.1600

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P PCBC, 94 pcbc.com

A Abacus Architects, 36 Adams, Rob, 60 Adamson Associates Architects, 82 Aedis Architects, 78 Amazon, 70 American Canyon Boys & Girls Club, 86 American Society of Landscape Architects, 54 Arcelik A.S., 34 Arkema, 124 Arquitectonica, 74 Azaroff, Illya, 132

Getting to Zero Forum, 117 gettingtozeroforum.org

Green Sports Alliance, 68 greensportsalliance.org

H HOLDRITE, 44 holdrite.com 800.321.0316

ProGreen Synthetic Grass, 26 progreen.com 855.464.8873 S Scranton Products, 18 scrantonproducts.com 570.348.0997 Sika Sarnafil, 56 usa.sarnafil.sika.com 815.838.3838 Situra, 82 situra.com 416.622.0253 Sol, 48 solarlighting.com

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G Gamboa, Cristina, 111 Global Wellness Institute, 131 Gold, Michael, 96 Google, 70

# 53 State Street, 60

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E Elliott, Diana, 104 EllisDon, 82

N NeoCon, 15 neocon.com

G Gerber, 100 gerberonline.com 888.648.6466

D Dean, Rex, 124 DePue, James, 48 Donlon, Rob, 18 Douraghi, Dara, 78

T Techo-Bloc, 64 techo-bloc.com 877.832.4625

BOMA, 15 bomachicago.org 312.870.9600

Forrest Sound Products, 70 forrestsound.com 425.881.111

Contractors, 120 Cook, Timothy, 136 Cooklin, Jerry, 12 Cote, Chris, 26

B

B+H Architects, 130 Ballymore Group, 74 Bandy, Jr., George, 134 Bate, Lisa, 130 Bellico, Bill, 56 Beraldo, Rob, 82 Bixel, Doug, 70 Bonilla, Daniel, 113 Boyce, Sheila, 60 Boyce, Tom, 60 Brickell City Centre, 74 Brodeur, Dale, 74 Brodeur, Mike, 74 Brooks + Scarpa, 16 Brown-Neff, Erin, 124 Bugay, Salih, 34

C Cadieux, Alex, 64 Canada Green Building Council, 130 Carmanah Technologies, 48 Center for Active Design, 131 Cintron, Michelle, 74 Colombia Green Building Council, 111 Consolidated Waterproofing

H Halff Associates, 40 Halvorson Design Partnership, 60 Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, 18 Heller, Shelia, 30 Henry, John, 30 HKM Architects + Planners, 22 Horst, Nicole, 48 Horsting, Damien, 48 Halbur, Eric, 36 Hayes, Katie, 100 I Inglis, Susan, 12 Insurance Institute for Business Home & Safety, 132 Institute for Energy Research, 48 International WELL Building Institute, 131 J Jensen, Jon, 56 Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation, 130 K Knapp, Maria, 18 Kontranowski, Mike, 90 Kopperud, Adam, 86 L +LAB Architect, 132 Lang, Cody C., 36 Lapointe, Steeven, 82 Lawrence, Mosby, 120 Legat Architects, 131 M MacDonald, Alex, 22 Madriñán, María Elvira, 113 Mantel, Rich, 36 Marshall, Sarah, 86 Martinez, Amy, 90 Mash, Greg, 74 mcCallumSather, 130 McConnell, Tim, 44

McJoynt, Kevin, 100 Microsoft, 70 Miller, Gregory, 54 Mohawk, 134 Mohawk College, 130 Morning Star Academy, 40 N Napa Design Partners, 86 National Institute of Building Sciences, 132 O Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, 82 O’Neil, Chip, 44 P Park, Randy, 18 Parkin Architects Limited, 82 Peterson, Kevin, 40 Project Frog, 78 R Reddy, Justin, 26 Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC), 44 Robbins, Kenny, 120 Robinson, John, 56 Rodgers, Natalie, 40 Rogelio Salmona Foundation, 113 Room & Board, 17 S Saatva, 17 Saini, Lovin, 100 Salmona, Rogelio, 113 Sand Creek Park, 48 Smolker, Dave, 78 Southern Utah Museum of Art, 16 Stantec, 90 Steelcase, 96 Stuart Dean Company, 124 Sustainable Furnishings Council, 12, 96 Swenson & Associates, 7 T Therien, Alex, 78 Thoma, Adam, 22 Trees for the Future, 60 Tripamer, Denise, 104 U UL Environment, 22 University at Buffalo, 136 V Vujovic, Vuk, 131 W Wenk Associates, 48 Williams, Bob, 96 Woodard, Paul, 40 Woods, Rick, 90 World Resources Institute, 111

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