January 2013 Product Solutions

Design challenge

Belmont University replicates historic architecture within tight construction budget

Dryvit. Belmont University, a private, liberal-arts university in Nashville, Tenn., wanted to replicate important traditional southern architecture when cladding the Gordon E. Inman Center for Health Services.

The 55,000-square-foot, four-story building houses state-of-the-art classroom and research laboratory facilities, but presented a significant design challenge. Merging the needs of a modern education facility with the desire to make the building resemble other traditional buildings on campus, the university turned to Dryvit Outsulation as its choice for one of the highest-profile buildings on the sprawling urban campus with a distinctly traditional southern architectural character.

The project architect, Earl Swensson and Associates, specified Dryvit Outsulation because it was the best way to create the building in the university’s image, and because it enabled the project to preserve some of the architectural nuance that often is lost in modern university construction. The strain on construction budgets and the need to devote resources to other pressing educational needs often create bland and boxy buildings because of the rising cost of construction.

The Outsulation system was applied on the Inman Center; 55,000 square feet of Sandpebble and Sandpebble Fine finishes in two colors were applied to mirror the largely stucco-clad buildings arrayed around the campus.

Select the January issue RSN number 156 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Green Measures

Restroom urinal upgrades promote sustainability

Falcon Waterfree. Established in 1860, Bard College is a private liberal-arts institution next to the Hudson River in upstate New York. Bard Office of Sustainability’s mission is to enhance the college’s sustainability in its operations, academics and outreach. Bard’s goal is to be carbon-neutral by 2035.

In a recent renovation of restroom facilities on campus, the main focus was to reduce water usage. An analysis showed that most significant waste of water was from flush urinals. Forty-seven water-fed urinals that flushed one and a half gallons an average of 25 times per day amounted to more than 538,000 gallons of fresh water going down the drain each school year. Broken flush valves and flooded restrooms also wasted thousands of gallons of water.

Deciding to replace the water-guzzling urinals was easy. However, choosing the right replacements had many implications. The main concerns were reducing water usage, reducing maintenance cost and improving hygiene. The best option to address these concerns was to install Falcon Waterfree urinals.

Because waterfree urinals use no water to flush, Bard College realizes 100 percent water savings and nearly identical sewer savings compared with its previous flush urinals. In addition, there are significant reductions in energy and carbon emissions used to supply the water, transport and treat the sewage.

“Along with upgrades to our water treatment plant, the waterfree urinals will help us save a significant amount of fresh water,” says Laurie Husted, sustainability manager at Bard College.

Because waterfree urinals are free from flush valves, there are no costs to repair stuck or broken valves that can lead to restroom flooding. Maintenance also is quick and easy for workers with proper training. 

Select the January issue RSN number 157 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Nesting table

MITY-LITE. Reveal Flip is a new mobile flip-top table design that flips and nests for easy storage. Ideal for training, boardroom, classroom, conference and other flexible learning environments, the tables offer many commercial-grade, scratch-resistant laminate finishes. It has sleek, single-column steel legs and locking casters. The linen-less table’s durable, yet lightweight construction supports 1,000 pounds and is backed by a 15-year limited warranty.