September 2011 Product Solutions
Inviting canopy
Renovation focuses on green design
Kalwall. Sustainability runs deep at the recently renovated Canyon View Elementary School in Kennewick, Wash. The 30-year-old school desperately needed new electrical wiring, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems, a real wood-floor gymnasium, and larger classrooms. But green design directed every dime of the $7 million makeover. The builders recycled more than 1.3 tons of concrete, steel and other materials; even the old sprinkler system was refashioned into a bike rack.
The list of goals included better air quality, energy efficiency, improved water management, and daylighting and lighting quality through glare and light controls. The goals exceeded Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol requirements.
Kalwall was chosen to flesh out the school’s striking front entrance canopy.
"The intent for this design was to provide canopies that [are] light and inviting, drawing people into the building while also providing shade," says project architect Cameron Golightly of Design West Architects.
Translucent Kalwall enables controlled daylight to filter through into an area that otherwise would be dark, especially on overcast days. The canopy runs along the school’s bus pickup/dropoff area. Above the main entrance, it fans outward and tilts up as if the school is tipping its hat in a welcoming gesture.
Green cleaning products
ECORE International. ECORE Green Solutions is a new line of eco-friendly floorcare products. Products in the line include E-Cleaner, E-Strip and E-Finish. The line has been developed as a system that cleans, strips and finishes without harming floor surfaces or the environment while still doing the job. E-Cleaner, a highly concentrated low foam floor cleaner, is effective for all routine cleaning jobs. Fast-acting with low odor, E-Strip removes multiple layers of finish in only five minutes, without harsh alkalies and other conventional components. E-Finish surpasses conventional floor-finishing technologies. It gives a tough, black-mark-resistant shine with no powdering.
Engineered bamboo
Amtico International. The striking linear design of Engineered Bamboo is softened with warm tones, creating the perfect combination of style and functionality. The resilient floor features a tick wood grain finish, urethane coating and bevelled edges in 4-inch by 36-inch and 7.25 inch by 48-inch planks with optional feature stripping. The low-VOC flooring is FloorScore-certified and includes a backing of 100 percent recycled material.
Banquet chair
Mity-Lite, Inc. Four new product lines give schools a greater selection of chair styles and price points. The four product lines—Access, Classic, Essential and Prestige—provide more functionality and style selection to satisfy a broad range of customer requirements across several markets: large-event seating, ballroom dining, convention and conference seating, as well as for training, club and meeting venues.
Versatile furniture
KI. New Soltice Collection enhancements feature a new "seven" wood arm design with sweeping angles and modern style that further enhances the flexibility and versatility of interior furnishings with a distinct sophistication and a simple, natural, human touch. Soltice offers a modern, simple, enduring design that balances progressive style with functional needs. All configurations are available with a wide range of arm selections, fabrics and finishes, enabling the product to present itself as traditional, transitional or contemporary within the same portfolio.
Ceiling-mount air conditioner
MovinCool. The new CMW30 water-cooled, ceiling-mount air conditioner is designed for server rooms and other applications with dense heat loads, but where a MovinCool air-cooled model cannot be used because of the lack of available space to direct hot exhaust air into. The unit’s large cooling capacity is rated at 29,400 Btu/h total and 22,000 Btu/h sensible for computer rooms. The compact, self-contained CMW30 is only 20 inches high, enabling it to fit above a drop ceiling. A built-in mounting bracket, flanges and vibration isolators enable easy, low-cost installation using standard, off-the-shelf hardware.
BIM objects for whiteboards
EverWhite. Data-rich Autodesk Revit Building Information Modeling (BIM) objects to aid the modeling process for architects, engineers, spec writers and contractors are now available. EverWhite’s BIM objects are available for download on its website and ARCAT. The BIM objects have been developed for various product lines including whiteboards, bulletin boards, printed whiteboards and dry erase/bulletin combination boards. Because product data is embedded within each object, BIM objects save architects and engineers a significant amount of time on data entry and product research. Objects also include a link to EverWhite’s CSI 3-Part specs for convenient access. The graphics and content are uniform and modifiable for ease of use.