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Take survey, enter iPod Touch drawing
We need to know what brands our readers prefer in various product categories and are willing to give away an iPod touch to get your answers. Please take a few moments to complete our Brand Preference Survey, provide us with your contact information and, on June 30, we'll randomly choose one survey participant to win an 8 GB iPod Touch. Click on the link below to answer the survey, and thanks for your time.
Energy Efficiency Forum reveals the future of sustainable construction/renovation
The recent 20th anniversary Energy Efficiency Forum, held June 15 and 16 in Washington, sponsored by the U.S. Energy Association, Washington, and Johnson Controls Inc., Milwaukee, gave a fascinating glimpse into the state of energy efficiency efforts by government and the private sector. The conference featured two speakers who are directly involved in energy efficiency in new and existing commercial buildings.
Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, who among other career stops was CEO of Turner Construction Co., New York City, has brought a green sensibility to his role as mayor. By 2011, all public and privately owned commercial buildings in Dallas must be LEED certified. This will require substantial retrofits to these buildings and Leppert has the experience and the mandate to make this transformation happen. He gave some fascinating examples of the unexpected opposition to various green programs in Dallas and how he is working to solve them.
Anthony Malkin is president of a family-owned company that owns, among other real estate, the Empire State Building. This iconic structure is being given a green makeover and Malkin related the series of events that led to a partnership involving his company, the Clinton Climate Initiative, New York City, the Rocky Mountain Institute, Boulder and Snowmass, CO, and Johnson Controls, to transform the pre-war building with energy-efficient retrofits that will save more than 38% in energy costs. Malkin sees this project as nothing less than a template for either private or municipal building retrofits. State-of-the-art energy modeling, cost curves that precisely pinpoint payback periods, and forging ahead without federal funding make this a project that the commercial-building industry will be closely watching.
"Green" a school, make a difference
One of the seminars offered at a recent event sponsored by Grainger (Lake Forest, IL), involved discussion of work done to inject “green” into the facilities operated by the Scottsdale (AZ) Unified School District. The overall effort involved the usual lighting changes, white roofs, better HVAC, and recycling. While telling the story, the presenter offered some rather startling general statistics about the savings that can be realized when schools implement “green” policies. According to the presenter, when compared with conventional education facilities, green schools:
- use 50% less energy
- use 32% less water
- produce 74% less solid waste
Note that the terms conventional schools and green schools involve use of some rather broad brushes, but, by any definition, those are some significant numbers.
USGBC and USGBC president recognized
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington, and its president, CEO, and founding chairman, Rick Fedrizzi, were recently recognized with the National Building Museum’s (Washington) 2009 Honor Award. The award acknowledges leadership in environmental issues and the significant accomplishments made improving sustainability within the built environment.
“It’s an honor to be recognized amongst many visionary leaders in the sustainability movement, and by an organization that has exhibited continued leadership within the built environment,” said Rick Fedrizzi. “The green building movement offers an opportunity to respond to the most-important challenges of our times, and we remain single-mindedly committed to delivering on our vision of green buildings for everyone within a generation.”
The Honor Award was established by the National Building Museum in 1986 to salute those who have significantly improved the built environment.
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Summit to focus on energy savings
Energy Summit 2009 will be held June 25 at Grand Valley State Univ., Grand Rapids, MI. Speakers will include Doug Kemp, director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Washington; Christopher Russell, author of "Industrial Energy Harvest;" and Marty Kushler, program director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Washington. Conference tracks include Industrial Manufacturing, Facilities, Management, Renewable/Alternative Energy, and Financial Incentives. Additional details and registration information are available at www.energysummitonline.com. Energy and sustainability are driving forces in today's commercial-building construction, whether it's new construction or renovation. This event can help you make informed energy decisions.
DuPont opens two Corian design studios
DuPont (E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Wilmington, DE) and key value-chain partners have opened two studios to showcase the latest innovations and applications for the company's Corian and Zodiaq surfaces. A first in the U.S., the ultramodern design studios are located in Philadelphia’s Marketplace Design Center and in the visual arts-centric Flatiron district of New York City.
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| The DuPont Corian design studio in New York City showcases new designs and applications for Corian surfaces such as this bench, lighting, and bedroom suite. |
Created to inspire and support architects and designers, each studio showcases the versatility and functionality of Corian in three-dimensional applications using the latest design technologies. Both studios will feature designer exhibits.
"The studios will highlight Corian as a multi-dimensional design material that has reinvented itself for over 40 years to provide sustainable, inventive, and modern designs that are bringing homes and offices into the 21st century," said Thomas F. Schuler, vice president and general manager, DuPont Building Innovations. "They give us a direct link to our customers so we can continue to provide innovative products that are relevant and readily available. These studios give us the opportunity to showcase that offering."
DuPont partnered with C.H. Briggs Co., Reading, PA, one of the largest distributors of DuPont Surfaces, to unveil the downtown space in Philadelphia, the third city to be home to a Corian Design Studio, following Milan and New York City.
DuPont, surface solutions provider Evans & Paul Unlimited Corp., Plainview, NY, and marketing distributor Dolan & Traynor Inc., Wayne, NJ, recently unveiled the New York City studio as an interactive workshop.
The Philadelphia studio is open to the public. Architects and designers can schedule one-on-one appointments through www.designstudio.corian.com/phila. Architects and designers can make one-on-one appointments at the New York-based DuPont Corian Design Studio through www.designstudio.corian.com.
DuPont Corian is a material that can be thermoformed into custom shapes and contours, sandblasted, routed, carved, laser-etched, and backlit, making it ideal for a wide range of residential and commercial applications. It is a nonporous, high-performing, and easy-to-maintain solid surface that can be fabricated into virtually seamless surfaces.
With proper cleaning, Corian does not promote the growth of mold, mildew, or bacteria. It meets all of the 18 preferred characteristics outlined in the 2006 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Health Care Facilities as the ideal healthcare surface to help facilitate improved infection control. Nontoxic and nonallergenic to humans, DuPont Corian also has received NSF/ANSI 51 Certification for food contact and Class Ι (A) fire rating.
In commercial environments, DuPont Zodiaq quartz surface can be used in a variety of applications including conference tables, work stations, and service countertops; restroom vanities and partitions; hot and cold buffets; and backsplashes, wainscoting, and wall cladding. Zodiaq is nonporous and when properly cleaned does not promote the growth of mold, mildew, or bacteria.
Dryvit participates in U.S. Senate green summit
Dryvit Systems Inc., West Warwick, RI, was selected by the U. S. Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee to represent the state of Rhode Island at the Green Jobs Leadership Summit, held June 17, 2009 in the Russell Senate Office Building, Washington. Hosted by the Senate Democratic Caucus, the summit focused on creating clean-energy jobs and supporting the new green economy. A keynote address was delivered by Vice President Joe Biden.
Dryvit was nominated by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) because of the company’s leadership in advancing building-envelope construction methods that reduce energy use and greenhouse gases.
According to Tony Stall, vice president of marketing and sustainability at Dryvit, "As the leading U.S. manufacturer of exterior insulation and finish systems, Dryvit is pleased to participate in the Senate Democratic Caucus Green Jobs Leadership Summit, and provide information to our legislators that will assist them in making smart decisions that can quickly and cost effectively reduce our nation's reliance on non-renewable energy sources and reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Most importantly, thousands of people can be put to work using building-envelope-related green technologies that are proven and readily available today, and this work can begin on existing buildings as soon as funding is in place."
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