Tag Archives: National

Understanding the economics of metal roofing

In this author’s many years of experience in the commercial waterproofing industry, ‘cost’ is the most common cited reason by building owners and architects for not considering a standing-seam metal roof. However, a properly installed high-performance metal roof can be said to pay for itself through a unique combination of benefits, including functional and esthetic versatility, speed and ease of installation, recyclability and extended performance, and facilitation of maintenance and repair.

+ Read More

Critical considerations for replacing a flat roof

Re-roofing can be one of the largest capital projects undertaken at a building. When it comes to replacing a flat roof, the options can be overwhelming—each choice comes with its own list of pros and cons. Without careful consideration at the time of design, there could be unexpected or costly consequences down the line. At best, poorly considered choices can pose a nuisance or result in an excessive maintenance burden over the life of the roof. At worst, overloading could lead to failure of the building structure or a tear-off of the roofing.

+ Read More

Achieving Energy-efficient Buildings: Using thermally enhanced channel glass for energy savings

In this age of energy conservation, architects and designers must consider the benefits of natural light admitted through fenestration products versus light from electrical systems. With the balance usually swinging toward natural light, it is all about managing the impact on a building’s thermal performance. The main challenge of fenestration assemblies is allowing natural light into the building and effectively distributing it throughout interior spaces.

+ Read More

Achieving Energy-efficient Buildings: Los Angeles Public Library’s Silver Lake Branch

Channel glass has the ability to deliver thermal performance over an extensive wall area and can transmit large amounts of natural light into building environments. Many projects have intermixed channel widths, surface textures, insulations, and coatings with areas of clear insulated vision glazing in the same wall to produce striking and efficient light-transmitting effects.

+ Read More

LEEDing opportunities for glass and glazing

Sustainability is a guiding principle for architects around the world. Designs are aimed at conserving our natural resources and improving the quality of life for people inside homes, schools, and office buildings. The specification of glass and glazing assemblies is typically based on the availability of high-performance systems with thermal and solar benefits, as well as the material’s ability to allow natural light into a space.

+ Read More

Better Late Than Never: Retrofitting sound-masking to improve acoustics

In the last decade, sustainable, flexible, and collaborative design trends have systematically eliminated many methods of controlling acoustics. The percentage of open-plan space has grown and so have occupant densities. At the same time, partitions have lowered or disappeared altogether, and the use of absorptive finishes has diminished, allowing noises to travel further and last longer.

+ Read More

Specifying overhead and coiling doors

Sectional overhead door systems (sometimes referred to as ‘panel doors’), as well as coiling (i.e. ‘rolling’) and high-speed door systems can be found on most commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Material options for these doors vary so much one regularly sees different thicknesses with steel, and aluminum in four finishes (i.e. mill, clear, coloured-anodized, and powder-coated). High-speed doors will be either fabric or rubber.

+ Read More

Design on track

Increasing applications for interior manual and automated sliding doors that traditionally would be swing doors are being specified and installed. On the other side of the Atlantic, sliding doors have always been popular for interior and exterior installations, but even in Europe there have been recent substantial increases both in sheer numbers and in the scope of use for such doors.

+ Read More