International Builders Show - IBS Orlando, Florida Jan 10-12, 2017 Booth number - Canadian Pavilion AHR Expo Las Vegas, Nevada Jan 30- Feb 1, 2017 Booth number - N11029

Palomar Vanity Top with Integral Sink and Trough 48 recognized as “outstanding examples of Green Design” Native Trails recently received 2016 GREEN GOOD Design Awards for two of its bathroom sinks, Palomar Vanity Top with Integral Sink (http://redirect.aecdaily.com/s18122/www.nativetrails.net/copper-trough-bathroom-sink-48.html) and Trough 48. This is the fourth year Native Trails has been selected as a winner in this prestigious annual competition. Palomar Vanity Top with Integral Sink is handcrafted of NativeStone®, the company’s innovative blend of cement and natural jute fiber. Trough 48 is a hand-hammered 48-inch copper sink, ideal for larger bathrooms. The sink is artisan crafted and forged of high-quality recycled copper, bringing modern functionality to this classic material. “At Native Trails, we are passionate about merging innovation in design with sustainable materials. We are honored to be as such recognized for Palomar and Trough 48 sinks, through these prestigious awards,” said CEO Naomi Neilson Howard. “We strive to practice sustainability in every aspect of our business model, from our working relationships with our artisans to our philosophy of choosing reusable, sustainable materials that will last for generations.” GREEN GOOD Design is sponsored by The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. It identifies the world’s most important examples of sustainable design and develops public awareness about which global companies are doing the best job towards ecological and sustainable design for our world environments. This year, members of The European Centre’s International Advisory Committee served as the jury and selected over 100 products, programs, people, environmental planning and architecture as outstanding examples of Green Design from 22 nations.

Program recognizes innovative young architecture firms for their remarkable work Columbia, MD (July 19, 2016)—As sponsors of the seventh annual Foundation Award, global design and BIM software developer Vectorworks, Inc. and its Swiss distributor ComputerWorks AG are proud to announce that Zürich-based JOM Architects is the first-place winner. The award recognizes exceptional architecture firms established for fewer than four years. Winners received licenses of Vectorworks Designer software, as well as a monetary reward for a combined value of CHF 24,000. “We are proud that over the last few years the Foundation Award has been a stepping stone for many talented architects, since it is the only award in Switzerland to promote young entrepreneurs in the building industry,” said Andreas Kling, CEO of ComputerWorks Switzerland. The Foundation Award's jury judged applications holistically, evaluating the projects submitted alongside each firm’s self-description. Entries were also judged based on each firm’s ability to articulate their design philosophy and why it matters through their work. The winning offices received their prizes during a ceremony held at the S AM Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel, another sponsor of the award. Rubina Siddiqui, Assoc., AIA, product marketing manager – architecture at Vectorworks, presented the awards. Siddiqui is an expert in BIM applications and co-host of the Art in Architecture webinar series. “Being a part of the Foundation Award reinforces Vectorworks' support of young architects who are exploring new ways to design and model,” said Siddiqui. “Our participation is indicative of how valued designers are making an impact, and we are pleased to provide them with Vectorworks Designer software licenses so they can continue to transform the world.” Vectorworks Designer software is the ultimate solution for the design professional who needs it all. From integrated graphical scripting to subdivision modeling tools, Vectorworks software easily enables designers to draft, model and present in a single, intuitive interface. To earn their recognition, related prizes and a video profile from art-tv.ch, JOM's Michael Metzger, Philippe Jorisch and Stefan Oeschger submitted two designs: the conversion of the “Villa Seeblick” in St.Gallen and a multi-family house in Wetzikon. Each designer brought their different backgrounds and focuses to these works to demonstrate the productive potential of heterogeneous mindsets. Other firms recognized at the Foundation Award 2016 included Lilitt Bollinger of lilitt bollinger studio, who was awarded second place based on her submitted work of an apartment on Lake Brienz and a residential house in Obstalden. The jury noted her “strong personal relation to each task, place and construction.” Third place was presented to Jaeger Koechlin Architects. Patrick Jaeger and Ariel Koechlin submitted several projects, including a kindergarten in Wildenstein scheduled to be built in 2017. Their sense of space, materials and their convincing presentation of projects was admired by the Foundation Award jury. Along with Vectorworks and ComputerWorks AG, this award was also supported by media publications such as the architecture magazine Hochparterre, the online cultural channel art-tv.ch and the online portal for architects swiss- architects.com, as well as the hardware manufacturer Hewlett Packard. The application for the next Foundation Award is available now with a deadline of April 30, 2017.

At the ICC 2018 code hearings in April, two sets of code changes were approved. These changes give builders greater flexibility in meeting the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) in the areas of unvented attics and buried ducts. It’s worth noting that these measures received near unanimous support of IRC and IECC Committees and no challenges from the assembly. Once final approval is issued, these changes allow the codes to catch up to building practices that have proven successful in the field and under the DOE's Building America program. This article is the first of a two-part series. An upcoming article will focus on buried ducts. To continue reading please click “MORE” below.

CHALLENGE: A hotel guest accidentally broke through a guest room window and fell to her death at a hotel built in the early 1970s. In addition to the personal tragedy that resulted, the accident also led to allegations of improper window glazing and legal claims against the hotel owner and other parties associated with the property. SOLUTION: An LBFG Senior Forensic Engineer provided a forensic review of the window assembly and applicable code requirements to assess potential code violations related to the window installation, glazing, and hotel renovation. RESULTS: LBFG's review concluded that the window configuration and glazing were within the minimum code requirements. In this case, however, the minimum requirements were not sufficient to prevent the tragic accident.

Architects and designers can now easily visualize and share 3D models over the web with clients, colleagues and consultants Columbia, MD (July 13, 2016)—Global design and BIM software developer Vectorworks, Inc. announces their partnership with Modelo, creators of the software plug-in of the same name, which is the fastest real-time, web-based 3D model communication tool in the AEC industry. Modelo allows for architects and designers to upload their 3D Vectorworks files (VWX) directly into the browser-based 3D presentation and collaboration tool. Once files are uploaded to the plug-in, professionals can present and share their 3D files with clients, colleagues and consultants. Viewers can leave feedback and markups, without needing to install Vectorworks software, which are then archived for future reference. The academic community can also take advantage of the free version or trial to achieve the same collaborative and communicative opportunities. “In today’s highly competitive market, the ability to quickly and effectively communicate about a design in 3D with clients and collaborators is of the upmost importance,” said Jeremy Powell, product marketing director at Vectorworks. “Our partnership with Modelo puts powerful, web-based collaboration tools in the hands of designers and architects so they can easily transfer designs right out of Vectorworks software into Modelo for intuitive design review, no matter their location.” Modelo offers designers the capability to: • Visualize 3D models directly through their internet browser. • Share specific, presentation-ready views directly with clients. • Create comments on 3D models for internal team feedback. • Jump into Virtual Reality (VR) with mobile devices and Google Cardboard. • Switch to presentation mode for clean, curated tours of their designs. • Cut real-time sections and measure in 3D space. • Access models via mobile- and tablet-optimized browser interfaces. • Control user permissions across their projects. Depending upon a firm's size, Modelo delivers three tiers of accounts including Free, Studio and Enterprise. Plus, free licenses are available for the academic community. Email sales@modelo.io or visit http://redirect.aecdaily.com/s18122/www.modelo.io/pricing.html for details. The Modelo plug-in is currently only available for Windows users of Vectorworks software and is compatible with Google Chrome and Firefox web browsers. “It’s fitting that we wanted to work closely with the Vectorworks team because of our aligned philosophies with developing tools to support the design process,” said Qi Su, president and co-founder of Modelo. “From the beginning, our mission at Modelo has been to bring efficiency to the collaboration, presentation and project management functions of creative design teams, and we look forward to continuing our mission and helping Vectorworks creatives to do just that.” To learn more about Modelo or to create an account by clicking READ MORE below.

The mission of designing high-performance buildings that promote sustainable objectives has led to new success stories, but has also revealed vulnerabilities for potential mold and moisture failures. The interaction between a building's HVAC system and envelope creates an unusually high-risk area. Any deficiency in either system can cause dramatic, building-wide moisture and mold problems. Through the emergence of high-performance buildings combined with the use of certain new green products, designers and contractors have inadvertently created high-risk buildings when, in fact, the goal should be to develop high-performance buildings with the lowest possible risk of failure

LBFG experts George Dubose, CGC and Donald Snell, PE, CIEC published an article in the Spring/Summer 2016 issue of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals' Subrogator magazine. The article, entitled “Waking the Dead: How to Subrogate a Zombie Defect Building Failure”, takes a look at the new edge in risk management concerns for the building industry. Here's an excerpt: “Buildings with hidden flaws, known as 'zombie defects', are increasingly experiencing acute, massive failures that lead to extensive moisture and mold damage. This, in turn, results in complex insurance claims and confusing subrogation headaches for the industry.”