Durarail Rounds Out its Selection of Railing Solutions by Adding a Cable Railing System for Your One-Stop Decking Shop Surrey, BC- July 30, 2014 - Durarail gives you a one-stop decking shop. When combined with Duradek's proven waterproofing solutions, your decking project has just one contractor and just one invoice...but no limit to your options. Durarail's selection now includes the unique, contemporary Cable Railing System that combines minimum view obstruction with maximum style. Stainless Steel fasteners cleverly hidden within the posts and 3 different sizes of stainless steel cables are as durable as the powder-coated aluminum posts and top rails. A great low-maintenance railing solution. The advantage of Durarail™ is its simplicity. Everything snaps on or fits together with minimum on-site work and few exposed fasteners. Visit the new Excell Railing Systems website at http://redirect.aecdaily.com/s18122/excellrailing.com.

Redesigned with a purpose. The new and improved 1 and 2 inch NBR and NBF model interior seismic expansion joint cover systems have been redesigned with a convenient, time-saving bevel edge. The new design allows the construction crew to easily install the expansion joint cover without digging out left over concrete in the block out channel. The floor-floor and floor-wall interior seismic expansion joint cover systems continues to offer an aesthetically pleasing “no bump” system, are compliant with ADA guidelines and stays operational during seismic movement. For more information or to download guide specifications, BIM and other valuable content please visit www.nystrom.com/expansion-joint-systems.

To manage solar heat gain through windows, window film offers an ideal solution for architects, building project managers, and business and homeowners who seek to make buildings and homes visually appealing, environmentally friendly and cost efficient. Eastman Chemical Company’s IQue Window Films, manufactured by the Solutia Inc. subsidiary is capable of rejecting up to 60 percent of the solar energy while allowing natural daylight to be transmitted through glass windows. Benefit of IQue window film include: • Retain the transparency of natural glass while offering superior energy saving capabilities. •The crystal-clear film also blocks up to 96 percent of infrared light without compromising visibility while still allowing as much as 58% of daylight to pass through, thus resulting in a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.44. • Achieves the lowest ever visible light reflectivity of 7 percent, retaining the transparency of natural glass. Additional background on the technology: An award-winning technology, voted one of the Top 100 Inventions of the Millennium by Popular Science Magazine, IQue Generation II film has the ability to reject up to 60 percent of solar energy. 

The materials used in the sputtering process include a range of precious metals like Indium (In), Titanium (Ti), Silver (Ag), etc. These precious metals are deposited onto a transparent thin film, resulting in a high performance solar control film that achieves a solar heat gain coefficient (SGHC) of 0.44 while allowing as much as 58 percent of daylight through the glass windows.

Timber frame houses built from insulated panels constructed off site and craned into place will form the backbone of the UK's first zero carbon eco town, North West Bicester. Lead developer A2Dominion, and main housing contractor Willmott Dixon selected the Sigma II system from Stewart Milne Timber Systems for the pioneering development. The company will provide highly-sustainable timber frame houses as part of the UK's only eco town still to adhere to the previous Labour government's original Eco Town Policy Planning Statement designed to achieve high standards of environmental sustainability. The initial phase of the scheme will provide 393 homes, which meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5. Each home will have a true zero carbon rating, with heat and hot water being generated on-site by a highly efficient, gas-fired combined heat and power plant. The development will also feature the UKs largest domestic solar panel array, with 17,500m² mounted across the rooftops of all homes to generate electricity. This includes freestanding photovoltaic (PV) panels, overlaid PV panels and inset PV tiles. The homes at NW Bicester are designed to be 'future proofed' against climate change and rising temperatures. Some homes also have future-adaptable roofs, which can be transformed with ease into increased working or living space to improve the life cycle of the buildings and reduce travel requirements. Aiding the energy efficiency is the type of wall being used to construct the homes, the 195 C-Stud. The system delivers a U-value of 0.15W/m²K through the external walls, and 0.13W/m²K through the roof. The external walls will also have a PSi value of 0.04W/m²K, which is achieved through the unique C-Stud, ensuring minimal member cross section between the external and internal sections of the panel. The project's airtightness will be 3m³/hm² @ 50pa, which will be tested after the erection of the timber frame and before the handover of each plot. Airtightness in the external walls is achieved within the panel itself, rather than at a site fit level, allowing a higher quality of finish. The party walls and roof will be site insulated and made airtight with membranes. This, along with pre-assembled roof modules and insulated floor cassette edges, means a pair of semi-detached homes can be weathertight, airtight, secure and fully insulated within 72 hours, providing a safe and efficient means to complete the homes on site.

July 2014--The winners have been announced of the third edition of the"Landscape, Architecture and Stone Design" Degree Thesis Award conceived and organized by Verona fiere in collaboration with the Order of Architects of the Province of Verona. Coordinated by architects Vincenzo Pavan and Laura DeStefano and promoted within the cultural program of the 49th Marmomacc (24-­-27 September 2014), the Award aims to encourage interest and awareness among future professionals-­-architects, engineers and designers-­- of stone materials by stimulating knowledge, research and applications in culturally and technically advanced architecture, landscape and design projects. The competition attracted entries from 63 groups of recent graduates attending Faculties o fArchitecture, Engineering, Design or equivalent Professional training Institutes offering three or five year degree courses, was divided into two sections covering the main areas involving stone. a) Landscape and architecture. This includes the subject area of research, design and construction of public and private buildings, urban spaces, reconstruction of the landscape and the architectural environmental recovery of quarries, recovery and restoration of historic legacies. b) Design. This includes objects in everyday use, interior and exterior furnishings, product innovations achieved by processing stone materials. The winners were selected by jury of prominent professionals and institutional figures: Luisa Bocchietto-­-Biella, Icsid Board/International Council of Societies of Industrial Design Klaus Theo Brenner-­-Berlin ,Potsdam School of Architecture (FHP) Victor López Cotelo-­-TU Munich Vincenzo Pavan-­-Representative of Marmomacc, Verona Nicola Brunelli-­-Vice President Verona Order of Architects Landscape and Architecture category: 1st PRIZE -­-Brunella Popolizio, Rome TreUniversity, Faculty of Architecture, academic year 2012-­-2013 Title of Thesis: MATERA: THE CAVE PARK Recovery of the ancient route of the Appian Way and promotion of the agricultural vocation of the area. Design for an olive press and market in the area of a former stone quarry. Motivation of the Jury: The quality of this project immediately stands out thanks to its attentive insertion into the landscape, the integration of functional and architectural aspects and the structural order organizing construction, light and dimensions with such great success; and, lastly, for the materials where stone is in the forefront, by linking the vertical cut in the quarry with the horizontal plane of the constructions. The proposal for developing a business linked with local traditions for the benefit of the area is praise worthy. 2nd PRIZE -­-Simone Barbi, University of Florence, Faculty of Architecture, academic year 2012-­-2013 Title of Thesis: STONE SILENCES Proposed project for the Monastery of Sant'Antimo Motivation of the Jury: This design project stands out thanks to its respectful harmony with the context strongly characterized by the Abbey of Sant'Antimo. The simple shapes, the particular use of natural light and the identification of evocative views help emphasize the contemplative monastic settings. Stone, often in alternation with concrete and wood, helps high light the close relationship between design and history.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, Minn., is using electronically tintable SageGlass®, a product of Saint-Gobain, to optimize natural light and create a stunning visual impact as part of a major expansion project. Architects at BWBR designed a two-story atrium with SageGlass to serve as a new sunlit lobby and gathering space at the hospital. But the all-glass enclosure with south, west and east-facing walls presented a serious sun control and energy usage problem in terms of glare and solar heat gain. BWBR ran numerous heat gain and cost analysis calculations using various glazing, sun shades, blinds, louvers and other controls. They found that they would not only be expensive, but would negate the benefits of glass, such as passive solar heating, natural lighting and preserving the outdoor views. “To have this beautiful all-glass enclosure and have the shades pulled down half the year would negate the aesthetics, warmth and comfort of this marquee facility,” Rehkamp said. Cleanliness and maintenance was another reason for choosing SageGlass, said Brian Knapp, vice president of operations at Fairview Ridges Hospital. “We need to maintain a clean environment in the hospital. It quickly became apparent that cleaning expansive 30-foot-high walls of mechanical shades would simply be impractical, not to mention expensive to maintain,” he said. “After running the cost analyses, we determined that electrochromic glass would be a cost-effective solution.” SageGlass is advanced dynamic glass that maximizes daylight and outdoor views in buildings while controlling glare and heat gain. It will create a more comfortable indoor environment for hospital staff and visitors, particularly those working at the reception desk who would otherwise be subject to the sun’s glare. SageGlass changes tint automatically throughout the day based on light sensors and the sun’s movement. The three-sided SageGlass curtain wall is divided into six zones – four on the south wall and one on each of the east and west walls. The system also includes a manual tinting control to provide flexibility to the owner.

Veronafiere, host and organizer of Marmomacc, has selected Craig P. Williams, a Principal of David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc. of Washington, DC, as the winner of the continuing education contest hosted by AEC Daily. He will receive a free trip to Verona, Italy to attend "Designing with Natural Stone", Marmomacc's week-long continuing education program for architects. Mr. Williams has been practicing architecture for thirty-five years. He joined the firm directly from the University of Maryland, School of Architecture, and has spent his entire career there with his partners, associates, and collaborators. As the firm’s work grew in size and complexity, so did Mr. Williams’s projects. In the beginning, there were many townhouse renovations and adaptive reuse of historic structures, followed by both commercial and residential developer work. Ultimately, he has served as project manager on many of the firm’s most complex projects, including sports venues, large master plans, mixed use projects and performing arts venues, including the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, one of the Building Stone Institute’s 2014 Trucker Design Award winners for the use of natural stone. “For most of my career I have been fortunate to have clients that desired well-crafted and timeless design, and who understood the benefits of materials that would stand the test of time, such as natural stone.” In his designs for and specifications of natural stone, he has been fortunate to visit showrooms, warehouses, fabrication plants, and quarries through the US, as well as others in Europe, but attending Marmomacc and the Stone Academy, will take it to a much higher level. “This unprecedented opportunity to see so much stone material and visit so many facilities is a real treat. I am most appreciative of Marmomacc/Veronafiere and AEC Daily for this outstanding opportunity to further my in-depth knowledge and understanding of stone and its uses. I will treasure this for the remainder of my career.” “Designing with Natural Stone” offers a unique combination of classroom lectures, guided architectural tours, and field trips to local quarries, as well as to natural stone processing facilities. This comprehensive approach enables architects to better understand stone’s full life-cycle -- including how marble is quarried, cut, processed, finished, selected for specific jobs and installed, all using the latest technologies and products. Veronafiere is a trade fair host and organizer based in Verona, Italy.

The Design and Technology exhibition organized by Veronafiere aims to highlight the technological excellence, processing capacity of the Italian natural stone industry. As the heir to ancient marble working tradition, Italy still ranks as a major home to extraordinary potential capable of merging design, technology and processing skills. New computer-controlled engineering systems and digital design today define a new frontier for this ancient material, thereby opening up new ways for designing and working natural stone. Knowledge and awareness of the material and production processes, informed use and efforts to reduce waste and energy consumption are some of the essential aspects of future stone design projects seen in terms of creative process promoting stone through a modern image. The event will tackle several specific technical and processing aspects (5-axis bridge saws with tool, diamond disc, lathe, robot, water jet, etc.) through a preview display of 8 macro and 6 micro experimental works specifically developed by designer and curator Raffaello Galiotto for leading Italian companies in the sector. These works will be developed thanks to cooperation between companies involving various specializations: machinery builders, marble processing and raw material supply; this will consequently embrace the entire production chain in the stone industry. Processed items typifying the endless creative variations that stone can offer and the sophisticated capabilities of today's machines will be displayed over a route highlighting the execution process and the complexity of each work in Hall 1.

Fitness clubs, libraries, civic centers, and church centers all have one thing in common: the need to address multiple special interest groups. Typically this is accomplished via a notifications center or message board. The most standard approach for posting notifications in these areas is on a bulletin board. Bulletin Board Snafus You know what these message boards end up looking like, right? Too many sheets of paper, placed in random arrangement, not much rhyme or reason to the approach – just get the message up there. It doesn’t result in a professional presentation, nor are messages capable of drawing the attention they deserve. And let’s face it, a missed message (and missed turnout) is a bummer! Why do you think that a photo of a bulletin board, say in an office products catalog, is never shown as if it were in use? The photos always represent a new, pristine – aka uncluttered – bulletin board, right? You get the visual, I’m sure. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Now anyone can present messages in a clean, orderly manner – and make sure that the target audience always know exactly where to find them. Bulletin Board Displays Done Right! AS Hanging Display Systems provides a structured bulletin board … the Boardless® Bulletin Board. With rows and columns of pockets, messages can be controlled, clearly defined for each interest group, and readily updated or changed without affecting the other groups’ notifications. Simply allocate a pocket, or row or column of pockets, to a group, and they will quickly learn where to find the information most important to them. The rows-and-columns design structures information in a tidy and professional manner. Yet it’s easy to use. Simply insert flyers or photos, up to 8.5″ x 11″ in size, into clear acrylic pockets via top openings. Changes are fast and require no tools. And with no push-pins or staples, this bulletin board is kid-safe. Your pocket display bulletin board will never look unkept and will actually draw the attention of your intended audience. Each bulletin board kit includes two silver satin Wall Tracks, 8.5″ x 11″ portrait orientation pockets, 10′ stainless cables, all mounting hardware and a cable cutter. Choose from 13 standard kits with 3 – 24 pockets, or call for custom configurations. Options include number of tracks, track colors, piers, pocket size and orientation. With customizable bulletin board displays, why would you ever use typical cork board or magnetic bulletin boards again? Are you tired of your message being missed or not receiving the attention it deserves? Where will the Boardless Bulletin Board deliver your next message? If you have questions or would like to learn more about how our products can be beneficial in your project, please contact our Customer Support at info@ashanging.com, or give us a call at 866 935-6949 (toll free) or at our local number 450 619-7999.

WINNERS JOSEPH RYKWERT, THE SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT, EMERGENCY ARCHITECTS FOUNDATION & ARQUITECTOS SIN FRONTERAS
The UIA prizes honour professionals whose merits, talents or actions have made an international impact in specific sectors of architectural practice. The jury for the 2014 UIA prizes was comprised of the UIA Bureau members and met in Melbourne, Australia, on 5 May 2014. The winners will be presented with their awards on 6 August, in Durban (South Africa) during the next UIA congress. British architect, historian and critic Joseph Rykwert is the recipient of the Jean Tschumi Prize, awarded for education, criticism and the architectural history. An honourable mention was awarded to the Australian couple Haig Beck & Jackie Cooper for their internationally renowned publishing and criticism. The Seoul Metropolitan Government received the Sir Robert Matthew prize for the Yeongdeungpo Dosshouse Town housing renovation pilot project. This award recognizes quality facilities created for communities and their development. The Fondation architectes de l’Urgence and Arquitectos sin Fronteras (Spain) share the Vassilis Sgoutas Prize, which recognises architecture that serves the poorest populations and promotes inventive solutions to the problems of poverty and indigence. Four honourable mentions were awarded to: Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi for a prototype school designed for waterfront cities in Africa; the Norwegian team TYIN Tegnestue Architects, made up of of Yashar Hanstad and Andreas Grøntvedt Gjertsen, who identify themselves as "architects of necessity"; South African architect Carin Smuts, who designs sustainable equipment for marginal communities in the townships; and Australian architect Anna Rubbo, who founded Global Studio in 2005.

July 2014 - Spotlight on the specific character of production for the contract sector: the major supplies sector will be among the protagonists of the exhibition dedicated to interior design and furnishing solutions scheduled at Veronafiere 24-27 September 2014 in conjunction with Marmomacc. The aim is to highlight the features and potential of a globally expanding market. While the US contract sector is the most important in the world and contractors (as well as American architecture firms) are increasingly involved in international projects, a common denominator in these projects is the use of quality décor - and it is in this context that Italy can become a leader be grasping the chance to export its products into the four corners of the world. Over the past three years, in fact, 58% of American contract companies have worked on projects in the Middle East, 47% in Central America and Latin America and 82% in Asia. Excellence of materials and products is essential not only from an aesthetic point of view but also as regards the overall result of projects. For this reason, Abitare il Tempo has decided to focus on the contract sector by setting up a business exhibition area dedicated to this segment as well as organising shows, meetings and occasions for debate.

The ultimate engineering and contracting reference manual concerning waterstops — iPad Edition is FREE Concrete is everywhere: Buildings, fountains, parking decks, locks and dams, roads and bridges, and myriad other constructions. Because of its long lifespan, high workability, and near-worldwide availability, concrete is the preferred building material for large structures, especially those subject to hydraulic pressure. Not all concrete structures require protection from the ingress of water or other fluids, but those that do require a properly installed waterstop in and along their concrete joints. The concrete joint is the most likely point of leakage and waterstops are uniquely designed to prevent this. This book’s sole purpose is to educate the reader on all facets of waterstop. Please download your free copy today

The theme of 2014 World Architecture Day, October 6, will be “Healthy Cities, Happy Cities.” The UIA invites its members to organise special activities linked to the event, which will celebrate the role architects and architecture play in the vitality of the urban setting and in the well-being of its inhabitants. How can architects design and construct “healthy” spaces, facilities, housing and urban landscapes which foster happiness, health and quality of life for city-dwellers? By what means are architects able to bring life to cities, to infuse them with energy, to insure their viability, to anticipate and heal disorders, to forestall disintegration and to accompany their harmonious development? Responsible architectural design has spotlighted the role of the architect an obligation to design a sustainable environment by means of an ethical professional practice in the areas of energy, implementation and materials. This year’s theme for 2014 World Architecture Day was conceived by the UIA to illustrate the expansion of such practices and their impact on the urban space as well as on the entire city. The theme also is one facet of the UIA’s global commitment to international institutions who defend safeguarding the planet, the quality of the air, the water, the soil and all the elements contributing to the health of human settlements.

ATLANTA — The AIA Convention 2014 in Chicago was noted as the most informative and enjoyable convention to date and Atlas Wall CI was there to confirm. The wall insulation division of Atlas Roofing Corp. introduced a company website redesign, as well as the launch of two new products: Infinish ES and Infinish ES2. Show-goers experienced the new Atlas website on an oversized interactive monitor. Thanks to well-developed logic, a smooth, crisp layout, and simple navigation, AtlasRoofing.com is one complete company site, while at the same time a comprehensive web presence for each of its six divisions. The destination of each visit is determined by a single click on the home page. The new Infinish ES and Infinish ES2 are intended for use as an interior insulating finish on interior walls only, or interior ceilings only, without requiring a code approved thermal barrier (approval per NFPA 286) in certain building types. This interior wall insulation is recommended for use in both commercial and residential applications due to the Class A Fire Rating. Among other Atlas representatives in presence, Alec Minné, Director of Marketing for the Wall CI Board Division, provided technical information, application examples, and product details to show attendees. The booth also displayed life-size wall structures to showcase the entire line of Wall CI products, which also includes EnergyShield®, Rboard®, EnergyShield® PRO, and EnergyShield® PRO 2. The Atlas Wall CI booth drove in traffic with prize giveaways as well. A random drawing of the attendees' business cards was done on Thursday and Friday of the show. Terence Moeller, AIA, LEED AP, Director of Architecture at Wight & Company and Alan Itzkowitz, CSI, SCIP, AIA, ALA, CCS, LEED AP, Owner of ABI Specifications Consulting, both won a set of Bose® Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones.

Munich, July 09, 2014 – Nemetschek AG (ISIN 0006452907) announced today that, together with Autodesk, Trimble and HOK, it has joined buildingSMART International’s start-up Strategic Advisory Council (SAC) as a founding member to foster better interoperability between stakeholders in the built environment industries. The aim of the buildingSMART International-initiated Strategic Advisory Council is to gather a group of senior representatives from the world’s leading international businesses operating in or serving the built environment. The intent is to merge the commercial experience of major industry stakeholders with buildingSMART's vision of a universal collaboration format for building models; enabling the efficient and quality exchange of information between the various software solutions. Viktor Varkonyi, Member of the Executive Board of Nemetschek AG, said “The Nemetschek Group welcomes this strategic initiative. Nemetschek and buildingSMART share the goal of ensuring that open standards, such as IFC and BCF, become the undisputable standard for model-based collaboration in the AEC industry. Ultimately, we want to ensure that end-users can build their collaborative workflows based on the highest possible quality neutral data exchange. The guarantee for our success lies in the fact that all the Nemetschek Group Companies as well as Autodesk and Trimble are committed to this very same goal.” In addition to the data format standards, an equally important component of success is to further develop the market engagement for the deployment of such open standards. A closely-related, major role of SAC will be to advise buildingSMART International in its market evangelization activities. Nemetschek welcomes the immediate priority of buildingSMART to extend SAC membership to consultants, contractors, product manufacturers, operators and owners representing all major verticals of the AEC industry. For further information about Nemetschek, please contact: szimmermann@nemetschek.com

Cloud-Based Platform Enables Architects to Securely Review, Store and Share Knowledge with AEC Supply Chain Collaborators Columbia, Md. (July 10, 2014) – Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc., a provider of intuitive, powerful and practical 2D/3D and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solutions, and Asite™, a software developer of cloud-based collaboration tools, have established a partnership that promotes the automation of workflows throughout a building’s lifecycle. Users of Vectorworks® Architect software can now connect commercial information with their building information models, enhance coordination processes and maintain a clear audit trail on updates to their design through Asite’s Adoddle collaboration platform. In addition, they can selectively and securely share their designs and individual BIM worksheets with various project collaborators using their authoring tool of choice through an IFC or COBie output and a cloud-based model for the project. Asite is a global platform with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Hong Kong. “Nemetschek Vectorworks is committed to promoting open BIM workflows, so we’re excited to bring Asite’s capabilities to our users, giving them the best way to coordinate the processes associated with design review, construction management and facilities management,” said Jeremy Powell, director of product marketing at Nemetschek Vectorworks. “Such coordination through Asite’s industry-leading cloud platform takes geography out of the equation for designers who work with various project consultants, facilities managers and building operators. It also reinforces our commitment to improving communication and project coordination among design and BIM collaboration platforms, as well as our support for IFC interoperability.” In addition, Adoddle cBIM™, Asite’s collaborative BIM application, is now accessible to Vectorworks software users, thereby connecting model data with commercial management systems through one centralized and federated system, also known as a Common Data Environment. Such interoperability not only reduces errors and the risk of on-site problems with early design review and tracking, but it also brings visibility and control to shared information models. “If we want to achieve BIM workflows, we need collaborative yet structured input through collaborative BIM,” said Nathan Doughty, chief operating officer at Asite. “We are therefore excited to be partnering with Nemetschek Vectorworks to connect their BIM authoring tool to our collaborative BIM platform through Open BIM.” “Using Asite, we are able to share our Vectorworks models [via IFC] and other data with the rest of the project team,” said Neil Marshall, director at The Design Büro, a medium-sized architectural practice operating in England. “What I particularly like about the Common Data Environment is the trust you can place in it as a single source of information. The whole team benefits from a reduction in wasted communication.” Marshall devotes a lot of time to the rapid adoption of BIM because the UK government’s BIM mandate stipulates that all centrally procured projects must be designed using BIM workflows by 2016. Two projects that also demonstrate an open IFC workflow between Asite and Vectorworks were created during the Build London Live 2012 and Build Qatar Live 2012 Open BIM design competitions. Asite and AEC3 organized these events in conjunction with buildingSMART International. The two projects demonstrated how the use of different BIM-based tools could effectively communicate digital interoperability and support open, collaborative workflows through the application of the IFC file format. The international, Vectorworks-based design team for the events received awards for “Best Use of BIM for Design, Drama and Excitement” and “Best Use of BIM for Technical Assessment.”

Metl-Span® is participating in the voluntary program, Health Product Declaration Collaborative, to provide accurate information to design professionals about the content of products. The goal of the HPD Collaborative is to standardize the method in which building product manufacturers report contents, emissions, chemical hazards and the health effects of their products. According to the HPD Collaborative, the program “objectively defines the critical information needed to support accurate supply chain disclosure by manufacturers and suppliers, and informed decisions by building designers, specifiers, owners and users.” “ There is a global move toward complete transparency and openness from the product supply chain,” says Doug Pickens, vice president of marketing at Metl-Span. “Design professionals, architects, specifiers, builders as well as end users need and want to know what chemical exposure is associated with material choices. It’s a necessary step toward providing the best and healthiest building products.” Completed HPDs provide manufacturer and product information, details of product testing and compliance and products ingredients, such as hazardous chemicals. HPDs can easily be updated as products evolve and improve, providing the most up to date information to consumers.

The ABC Green Home 2.0 is smart and sustainable. It demonstrates that a solar-powered, sustainable home can be built using available and recycled materials, such as Emser tile; countertops from Eco by Cosentino; smart technology like WiFi enabled thermostats from Honeywell and remote access door handles and locks from Schlage; energy efficient appliances like Goodman HVAC, hot water heating by AO Smith and hot water on-demand pumps from ACT Inc., at a cost that is competitive with conventional housing. Implementing numerous green building practices, the ABC Green Home 2.0 will continue its high-performance themes brought to life by the original project and maintain the principles of being affordable, buildable and third-party certifiable.

As the trend of smaller living spaces has taken hold, full-size appliances just don't fit in. GE plans to build a line of micro kitchen appliances, offering a full suite of small gizmos suitable for small homes. Whether people are simplifying, downsizing or getting on board with the the less-is-more movement, millions of Americans from Millennials to Boomers are seeking smaller living quarters. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the urban population in the U.S. grew 12 percent from 2000 to 2010, totaling 81 percent of the population. As cities grapple with housing shortages, the trend toward smaller living spaces is already a reality. Shrinking living spaces necessitate products and services that simplify, optimize and economize. GE Appliances’ new micro-kitchen concepts keep consumers living large in a drastically smaller footprint. Why smaller? Many factors are playing a role in the trend toward smaller dwellings. As the cost per square foot of real estate in metro markets increases, some people are choosing smaller dwellings out of necessity. In the U.S., there are 32 million one-person households as of 2012 and that number is expected to grow.2 Also contributing are demographic shifts, such as the aging of the U.S. population; downsizing Baby Boomers; the changing employment picture for Gen Y; younger people delaying home purchases preferring to rent; and trends toward simplification and a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. GE’s unique position in the appliance industry—the first manufacturer to have its own microfactory production facility located in Louisville, Ky., called FirstBuild—will enable the company to quickly prototype, make and sell small batches of the micro kitchens in late 2014. While the FirstBuild co-creation community will be collectively creating the first designs, Lenzi’s industrial designers have also been imagining concepts delivering the power of full-sized appliances in a pint-sized package. One concept, dubbed the monoblock, is an integrated unit with cooking, cleaning and refrigeration in a single standalone enclosure that would become a seamless part of the cabinetry. As designed, the consumer or builder could preconfigure their choices and have the custom-fabricated unit delivered to the home or job site. The second concept is based on a counter-top-high, 24-inch-wide modular platform. This drawer-based system allows the consumer to choose the modules they want to have in their living space. All traditional kitchen appliances, including a microwave oven, conventional oven, convertible refrigerator and freezer, and dishwasher are drawer-based. An induction or radiant glass cooktop, downdraft ventilation system, and kitchen sink with disposal complete the full kitchen experience. The micro-kitchen drawers feature panelized construction providing a nearly unlimited choice of cabinet materials and finishes, so the décor possibilities are endless.

RESTON, Va., July 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brick Industry Association (BIA) has honored the best in brick design across North America. Selected by an independent panel of judges, the 2014 Brick in Architecture Awards spiked this year with more than 150 entries. Established in 1989, the 40 winners in this 25th anniversary year span 22 states and Canada. The 2014 judges include Beth Greenberg, Dattner Architects; Evan Gunn, The Clark Enersen Partners; Charles Hilton, Charles Hilton Architects; Imran Kifayat, The Preston Partnership; Marlan Laurenzi, Franck + Lohsen Architects; Jeffrey Lee, Clark Nexen / Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee; Dominic LoGalbo, Harding Partners; Jon Moore, Moore2Design, LLC; Hamid Noughani, Assemblage Architects; Paul Urbanek, SmithGroupJJR; Tim Wise, American Structurepoint and Al York, McKinney York Architects. All of the winners will be featured in the December issue of Brick in Architecture, which will be an insert in Architect Magazine.

ATLANTA — Atlas Roofing has long offered a free account-based marketing program for roofing contractors, known as Atlas Signature Select®. With the recent re-design and functionality upgrades to its corporate website, the Signature Select® contractor user interface's look and feel got a re-vamping of its own. Now renamed Atlas Pro, the features, benefits, selling tools and rewards that contractors love are still just a click away. A free Atlas Pro account doubles as login credentials for the Atlas ProAPP™ for iPad, a contractor-centric approach to project management, estimating software, unique selling tools, and more for the contractor on the go. Atlas ProAPP™ and the web based Atlas Pro account also allow contractors to register warranties, track storms, and order marketing materials shipped to their doorstep. Additionally, Atlas Pro membership provides the option to have the innovative Shingle Visualizer installed on the contractor's own website. This allows for a more personal approach with their customers, without third party distractions. Contractors registered with Atlas Pro are also eligible for exclusive rewards, including unlimited cash earnings when using the full Atlas system of products on the roof. To sign up for a free account and take advantage of the full offerings from Atlas, or just to see the changes that have been made to the new website

An exhibition of experimentation and creativity organized by Veronafiere to promote and enhance the creative capacity of Italian companies in the natural stone sector, as well as to improve awareness of the use of stone materials among architects and designers. The event includes a theme-based exhibition of installations or micro-architecture projects designed by architects belonging to the prestigious Iberian "school" for leading Italian companies, which in will arrange displays in Hall 1 - entirely dedicated to the cultural events hosted by Marmomacc. The installations, developed thanks to collaboration projects between architects and companies, will be inspired by the theme "homes with patios", i.e. a reflection on Mediterranean and Atlantic stone houses as a typology having roots in local cultures in various areas. The general layout of the project comprises four "batches" of 60 sq.m. flanked by a patio area of about 30 sq.m., arranged around a central garden area. These homes-patios will be designed to reveal new qualities and potential for stone materials and highlight the processing skills of the companies taking part, as well as serving as a hospitality point welcoming visitors and clients. The invited architects and companies taking part are: Manuel Aires Mateus with Grassi Pietre Josep Miàs with Travertino Sant’Andrea Eduardo Souto De Moura with Piba Marmi Benedetta Tagliabue with Decormarmi The exhibition is the heart of the event's cultural focus and seeks to integrate architecture and design experiences through the work of internationally renowned figures capable of interpreting stone in a creative way as well as to encourage experiments taking this material towards new frontiers. The involvement of well-known European designers also meets the intention of combining the extraordinary professional skills and know-how of Italian companies with the most important contemporary trends in European architecture and design, wherein the Iberian area is one of the most advanced representatives.