Imagine the process of evaluating an almost unlimited number of fabrics, textures, colors, floor coverings, window treatments, bed furnishings, soft goods, accessories, wall coverings, art and more. Now imagine the challenge of synthesizing these nearly limitless options into a cohesive interior space plan for some of the most sophisticated clients in the Hospitality market. Then keep all this interactively organized throughout a dynamic pitch session during which your plan is presented, reviewed, revised and ultimately agreed upon. This is the high stakes game of FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment) Hospitality Planning. It is the “behind the scenes” process that most all hotels, spas, and many restaurant designs go through before you walk in that very first time. Now imagine the process is your responsibility. Imagine that process is your business. Meet Innvision Design, a leading provider of interior design and hotel FF&E procurement services to some of the world’s most recognizable hotel brands. You might ask why are we writing about Innvision here. Well, it turns out they are not only creative in design for their clients but also are very creative problem solvers in managing their dynamic processes. They recently installed AS Hanging Display System’s Casso® Display Rail to aid that process.

Cloud and mobile solutions among the more than 100 improvements and updates Columbia, Md. (November 21, 2014) – Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc., a provider of intuitive, powerful and practical 2D/3D and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solutions, announces that the Spanish-language release of its Vectorworks 2015 software version will be available on November 24. This release is part of a worldwide rollout that included other European-language releases earlier this month and continues into 2015 with additional localizations in Japanese and Chinese. The Vectorworks line of award-winning software products includes: Designer, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals and Renderworks®. The Vectorworks 2015 software contains more than 100 updates and new features in the areas of architecture, BIM, urban planning and entertainment design. In previous versions, the power of 64-bit was only available in the platform’s photorealistic rendering engine, Renderworks, but has now been integrated throughout the entire Vectorworks 2015 product line, providing designers with the ability to handle larger projects, as well as better performance and stability. In addition, designers will observe a revolutionary graphical experience from advances made to the Vectorworks Graphics Module (VGM), which was introduced last year. A Spanish-language webinar highlighting the new features of Vectorworks 2015 will take place on November 24 at 10:00am ET. Please visit www.vectorworks.net/espanol for Spanish-language resources and www.vectorworks.net/international to find a local distributor. Additional information about Vectorworks 2015 is available at www.vectorworks2015.net.

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new technology center at Central Oregon Community College is using SageGlass® dynamic glass, a product of Saint-Gobain, to conserve energy, improve student performance and provide an eye-catching architectural showpiece for visitors to the area. In addition to economics, SageGlass’ ability to reduce heat gain from the sun was an important environmental benefit, helping the Center achieve the first Earth Advantage “Commercial Platinum” certified building rating in Central Oregon. Earth Advantage is a LEED-alternative building rating system that recognizes sustainable building practices based on energy, health, land, minerals and water standards. Maximizing daylight and preserving the connection to the outdoors was another reason for using SageGlass. Numerous peer-reviewed studies show that students perform better, feel better and have better attitudes in classrooms with ample sunlight and outdoor views. SageGlass is electronically tintable dynamic glass that darkens or clears automatically in response to the sun’s movements throughout the day while preserving the outdoor views of the Cascade Mountain Range.

Hampshire, IL – Low permeability, high strength, durability, and impressive puncture resistance make PERMINATOR underslab vapor retarder/barrier from W.R. MEADOWS, INC. a superior choice for protection against damaging water vapor. PERMINATOR 15 mil vapor barrier, long known for being the toughest product in the market, now has a perm rating 16 times lower than that required under the ASTM E1745 standard and has one of the lowest perm ratings in the industry and has nearly twice the puncture resistance of other vapor barriers. New proprietary technology enables PERMINATOR to significantly exceed the requirements of ASTM E 1745 (0.1 perms), as well as the recommendation of ACI 302.2R which states that a vapor barrier with a perm rating of 0.01 perms or less should be installed in areas where the ASTM E 1745 is not sufficient to protect the floor. New PERMINATOR 15 product technology provides the lowest vapor permeance as well as puncture resistance that is 45% tougher than required by the ASTM E 1745, thus providing the entire building team with a vapor barrier that exceeds its function in every way.

New version contains more than 100 updates and new features including cloud and mobile solutions Columbia, Md. (November 6, 2014) – Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc., a provider of intuitive, powerful and practical 2D/3D and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solutions, announces the availability of localized versions of Vectorworks 2015 in German, French, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese and Norwegian. The Vectorworks line of award-winning software products includes: Designer, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals and Renderworks®. The Vectorworks 2015 software contains more than 100 updates and new features in the areas of architecture, BIM, urban planning and entertainment design. In previous versions, the power of 64-bit was only available in the platform’s photorealistic rendering engine, Renderworks, but has now been integrated throughout the entire Vectorworks 2015 product line, providing designers with the ability to handle larger projects, as well as better performance and stability. In addition, designers will observe a revolutionary graphical experience from advances made to the Vectorworks Graphics Module (VGM), which was introduced last year.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Legrand, a global leader in power, light and data solutions, has released its latest high performance building research in a whitepaper entitled, “The New Dynamic of High Performance Buildings: Advanced Electrical Design Principles in Practice.” The whitepaper identifies electrical systems as a critical component of the design and operation of HPBs, and explores the five guiding principles of electrical design in buildings striving for optimal performance. According to Legrand, the following guiding principles should be considered in design processes to ensure planned electrical systems fully contribute to building performance: • Employment of lifecycle planning: Successful system design requires deep understanding of client needs, the intended mission of the building and its spaces, and an understanding of the building’s use for its entire lifespan. • Focusing on building occupants: Understanding how occupants use the spaces in a building can help design teams make more informed decisions earlier in the process, saving resources throughout the construction and operation phases of the building lifecycle. • Enabling of device connectivity: HPBs must connect a wide variety of devices across the built environment to capture data reporting on the building performance. • Embracing IT and open systems: In HPBs, electrical and IT infrastructures are rapidly converging, and the use of open-source protocols ensures that electrical systems can effectively integrate with other building systems, rather than continue to operate independently. • Harvesting of system data: When electrical and IT infrastructures are in place, various analytical tools can monitor a range of performance indicators, informing managers about many facets of the building’s operations.

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M today announced the first product in a series of solutions for marking and locating the path of underground plastic pipes. The 3M Electronic Marking System (EMS) Caution Tape 7600 Series and the 3M Dynatel EMS Marker/Tape Locator Model 7420 is ideal for gas, water and telecom utility owners as well as contractors and excavators. The new plastic pipe location system from 3M helps utility customers identify underground plastic pipes without using tracer wire or installing access points. The 3M EMS Caution Tape 7600 Series does not need an external power source. If part of the caution tape is cut or removed, the locator is still able to identify and locate the tape. In addition, the tape is corrosive resistant and has a long design life. The caution tape will be available in three different frequencies (gas, waste water, and telecommunications), providing positive identification of the desired target utility.

TUALATIN, OR… Cascade Architectural introduces Fabricoil™ architectural coiled wire fabric systems – interlocked strands of coiled wire formed into flexible fabric and engineered attachments for interior and exterior architectural applications. For more information about Fabricoil systems, visit: www.fabricoil.com. “Fabricoil systems look and perform like woven metal mesh, but have a far lower installed cost,” says Ronald Schoenheit, Founder and CEO of Cascade Coil Drapery, Inc. “As a result, their affordability allows architects and designers to flex their creativity, create signature buildings and turn projects with even very modest budgets into something special.” Fabricoil coiled wire fabric is manufactured in a wide variety of metals, gauges, scales, finishes and colors. Metals include but are not limited to aluminum, steel, stainless steel, brass, copper and titanium. Fabricoil engineered attachment systems are primarily manufactured from steel. Cascade Architectural provides a wide array of Fabricoil system finish options: • low-VOC metallic lacquer finishes to meet specific application and design requirements; • designer metallic powder finishes; • durable acrylic lacquer coatings available in a wide range of custom colors that can be matched to color chips; and • anodized finishes for aluminum products. Fabricoil systems are 100 percent recyclable, part of the Living Building Challenge Declare labeling program and have been scientifically proven to save energy when used for shading applications - both interior as window drapery or exterior as shades. Fabricoil systems reduce direct sun penetration even in zero percent fullness mode. Testing confirms that, when used as an interior window treatment, Fabricoil systems reduce energy consumption by up to 5.7 percent while preserving views and introducing daylight. Tests also demonstrate that the product delivers reduced energy consumption by as much as 21.3 percent in an exterior application.