AIA 2011 has been an exciting show to say the least! But it wouldn’t be complete without a great recap of the week’s activities.
Not only have we taken a look at how to build stronger, more well-protected buildings, we have also dug into the importance of energy efficiency and the industry’s ever-evolving standards and codes. Today, we’re excited to take a closer look at our line of window products built to meet the needs of the entire commercial construction market.
Check out the window systems featured today – YOW 350 XT and YOW 225 TUH – as we wrap up AIA in our final video from the show floor!
The show continues, and today we’re taking a look at the significance of smart, energy-efficient architectural design. As energy-codes continue to become more stringent, with the upcoming 2012 IECC code and the current ASHRAE 189 green standard, it is important that architects have the solutions available to meet these codes – now and in the future. Our enerGfacade family of products incorporates advanced thermal break technologies into all systems, providing superior thermal performance and ultimately helping to meet these needs. Not to mention, just last week we launched the myThermalAssistant tool on the web, allowing architects and designers to calculate the thermal performance of a building’s total system when choosing different glass types from almost any web browser.
Take a look at our video as we check out the enerGfacade systems, and be sure to test out the free myThermalAssistant calculator at http://www.ykkap.com/thermalcalculator/, or via the YKK AP Architectural Product Master® iPad application.
The fun continues here at AIA, and we are so excited to have debuted our video case study on the rebuilding of the Hyatt in New Orleans just this morning! YKK AP’s hurricane-resistant and blast mitigation products, ProTek®, were an integral part of this project and provide the building with clean architectural design as well as the protection it needs being in a coastal region. Take a closer look for yourself!
As AIA 2011 kicks into full gear, we are here showcasing enhancements to our ProTek family – the industry’s most comprehensive line of facade products for hurricane and blast mitigation needs. We’ve made some upgrades to our most popular hurricane resistant entrance door, Model 35H, while our YHC 300 OG curtain wall system continues to expand its offerings to provide designers with the most options in hurricane and blast mitigation. Check out the upgrades first-hand in the video below!
Greenbuild has been an exciting show to say the least! But it wouldn’t be complete without a quick look at the tremendous relationships YKK AP has recently built within the industry to help us better serve our customers and grow together. We’re proud to work with such innovative companies, like Erie Architectural Products, Project Frog and Serious Materials, to continue to bring smarter, more environmentally-conscious solutions to our customers. No matter how you look at it, it is all about the relationships – and we’re proud of the ones we’ve built with these unique program partners as well as all of our customers throughout the United States.
The show continues, and we’re eager to talk about all of the exciting announcements that are taking place here in Chicago! We took a digital step forward this week by bringing the commercial building industry to the iPad with our new app – Architectural Product Master®. It’s a great resource for the industry, whether you’re in the field or at a desk. The first question with any iPad app is “what does it do?”
The answer is a whole bunch! With the innovative and unique myThermal Assistant feature, professionals can now quickly calculate the thermal performance of YKK AP glazing systems using a variety of glazing infills for job specific performance. This process takes seconds and is a great utility for any design professional when specifying products. Watch the video for more value-rich functions.
In addition, we’ve also expanded our energy saving line of enerGfacade products with the addition of a new storefront and curtain wall system that provide exceptional thermal performance. We’ve also taken forward leaps in preparing enerGfacade for advanced glazing such as suspended films and triple glazing.
Take a moment to experience first-hand the power of the iPad as well as some of the new additions to the YKK AP family.
Greenbuild 2010 is just getting started in Chicago and we’re excited to be here. But we’re even more excited to announce the winner of our “Building a Better Tomorrow, Today” YouTube video contest. We had so many creative, fun and truly inspiring entries that it made the judges’ decision a tough one! That being said, there was a clear winner in the competition. A big thanks to our judges, and to everyone who took the time and effort to participate in our contest. The winner will be awarded a $1,500 cash prize and we will present a $1,000 donation to USGBC’s Philanthropic Programs. So without further ado, I bring you the winner, the “Urban Gardening” Rap video created by a team of students from Ohio State University…
If you’re in the green building industry, chances are you have a very strong understanding of LEED certification. And you’re probably no stranger to some of the debate that surrounds it. LEED certification is a great standard for the industry. It has shifted the entire building industry’s way of thinking. As Alec Applebaum states in his recent Op Ed piece, the LEED program “has led to a sea [of] change in the industry, introducing environmental awareness into everything from regulatory processes to rents.”
He then goes on to point out that while LEED is extremely beneficial, it’s not the end all, be all to green building. That we, as an industry, should follow up with these LEED buildings to ensure they stay green and that energy performance remains low – for years to come. As he says, “a number of local, state and federal agencies require LEED certification for their new buildings — so why not have them institute follow-up requirements as well?” One industry organization is working on a building rating program to help this situation. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is currently in the pilot phase of its Building Energy Quotient Program, or Building EQ. This building rating program sets out to rate buildings with a performance index after they have been commissioned. It will measure the energy the building is designed to use as well as the energy actually being consumed, and close any gaps between intention and operation.
Many of Alec’s points are well-made, and I think the point is that we have already made a positive impact on the industry and on the environment. What we can continue to do is push the envelope. While building sustainable buildings is a critical first step, ensuring our hard work stays that way and that energy performance is measured in the long, run is also crucial.ASHRAE is one great example of taking this one step further.
Today while skimming the blogosphere, I checked in on one of my favorite green blogs, TreeHugger and stumbled across this gem of an article, “New York’s Health and Design Chiefs Talk Design That Makes Us Healthier (Video).” The accompanying image is of a stick figure walking up the stairs, with the words “Burn Calories, Not Electricity. Take the Stairs!” While the message is somewhat common sense (although, sometimes common sense is not too common), it’s the simplicity of the message that will make me remember it. While taking the stairs as opposed to the escalator or elevator is sadly not the panacea for global warming, the message does a great job of raising awareness of avoidable daily energy consumption.
And, perhaps most interestingly, the blog post also discussed how Mayor Bloomberg’s administration is incorporating “active design” with the goal of designing sidewalks, streets and buildings that will not only help residents stay fit, but also reduce energy consumption. I’m a big advocate of purpose-driven design and choices. Whether it’s designing New York City’s buildings and sidewalks with an environmentally-friendly mindset or deciding to take the stairs over the elevator, we want to make decisions with a goal in mind. And hopefully these decisions will benefit the greener good!
YKK AP has been named winner of USGlass Magazine’s Green Design Award and is recognized for eco-friendly manufacturing processes. According to Megan Headley, editor of USGlass, “after an extensive nomination and voting process, our readers overwhelmingly chose YKK AP America as this year’s winner.”
