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.”
It is day two at Greenbuild, and we are excited to be here with our new strategic partner, Erie Architectural Products (AP). They are working with us so that we can offer a one-stop shop for custom, sustainable products. Erie AP will provide full service project management, including shop drawings, application engineering, fabrication and field support using YKK AP products.
The new alliance makes it easier for customers to obtain and implement energy-efficient architectural products for commercial buildings!
YKK AP is at Greenbuild this week and what an exciting show with fabulous attendance. We are excited to be a part of the momentum of the industry. We made a couple announcements today at the show and shot a video to show some of what we are doing, please take a look.
For us “greenies,” the month of October feels like one long Christmas Eve. All of the anticipation and suspense has been building and will finally culminate into one event – Greenbuild. As the name implies, this show marries the world of building products with all that is green and merges them into one exhilarating show. This year it will be in Phoenix, and kicking off the three-day conference are two top-notch green stars – Al Gore and Sheryl Crow. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.
But the real stars of this show are the companies that are trying to make the world a more environmentally friendly place, one product at a time. Lots of news, demonstrations and new products will be announced during the show; even YKK AP America will have a few new products to show the world.
Companies and organizations are gearing up for the show in unique ways. Our personal favorite is the “Desert Doghouse” competition. In Arizona, high schools students are being challenged to design the most sustainable doghouse. The winning doghouse will be featured at Greenbuild.
With all this creativity leading up to the event, we can’t wait to see what this year’s Greenbuild will reveal that will transform our world for the better.
As you are aware, this year, the U.S. government enacted the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. An economic stimulus package, the Act makes federal funds available for purchase, construction and repair of residential housing, and for the construction, maintenance, repair and modernization of government and public housing facilities. The Act states that recipients of grants from the Act must use goods or products that are manufactured in the United States for their projects.
As part of this act, the Buy American provision was also updated, requiring the U.S. government prefer U.S.-made products in its purchases. For contracts above $2,500, the Act requires that the end product is manufactured domestically and that U.S. components constitute the majority of end product cost.
If you are designing or constructing a project with funding that falls under either of these acts, be assured all YKK AP products fully comply with the “buy American” provisions of both acts. All YKK AP commercial and residential products are manufactured at two plants in the United States: Dublin, Georgia, and Macon, Georgia. Our manufacturing plants in Georgia and our distribution centers throughout the United States employ hundreds of proud associates committed to quality, excellence and a spirit of community.
As a global leader in architectural products, YKK AP has a proven track record of reinvesting profits in the domestic U.S. economy to grow its business, to hire and develop employees, and to serve its customers. With over 1 million square feet of vertically integrated manufacturing in the United States, we proudly offer the highest quality and most innovative fenestration systems made in America.
Here at YKK AP America, we know a thing or two about aluminum. At first glance, aluminum is thought of as a necessity, humdrum, structural element to a building. While it can be a necessity and does provide much needed structural support, humdrum it is not! We believe aluminum can actually contribute to a building’s aesthetic appeal.
Glistening in the sunlight, aluminum can capture your eye from a mile away. A one-stop shop to keep that metal looking fresh and as glorious as the day it was installed is to select an anodized metal, specifically one that meets the American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s (AAMA) standard, AAMA 612. AAMA 612 is the newest anodizing finish standard in the architectural industry and covers technological advancements in anodized finishing. But why?
Anodized finishes are easier to handle than other finish options due to surface characteristics. Scratches and abrasions which are typically associated with the fabrication and installation of window systems are minimized due to the hardness of the finish. Anodized architectural aluminum combined with an organic seal yields a final finish that reveals the intrinsic luster of aluminum while also providing protection against corrosion, erosion, and other elements.
Anodized aluminum made in agreement with AAMA 612 provides the long-term protection desired by architects, designers, and building owners while still allowing the beauty of the aluminum to shine through. This finish resists corrosion to chemicals found at construction sites and protects against salt spray from coastal environments, allowing the aluminum to retain its luster, color and sheen.
Throughout the years, our goal has been to provide our customers with an unparalleled experience – by making the best architectural products on the market with an unrivaled customer experience. And, in the same vein, we decided to launch this blog. We hope to encourage a dialogue between YKK AP America and you – the reader, consumer, customer, blogger, or information seeker. This will be a forum for us to discuss and explore the latest news and trends from YKK AP – and within the industry as a whole.
This year, the YKK Group celebrates its 50th anniversary of manufacturing high quality aluminum architectural products for the building industry. To mark 50 years in the business, we at YKK AP America are launching enerGfacade – a new product suite that includes some of our highest quality and energy-efficient products. Luminance, ThermaShade and YOW350T are just three of the products included in the new line, with plans to announce several new products before the year is out.
We invite you to continue to check out our blog for new information and continue to share your thoughts, comments and ideas.
