Industrial facilities consume a significant portion of the energy used in commercial construction, with lighting accounting for a major share of that load. For manufacturing plant managers and building specifiers, the integration of daylighting systems offers a proven path to reducing operational costs while improving the work environment. By channeling natural light into factory floors […]
Commercial property owners and facility managers are increasingly turning to LED lighting retrofits as one of the most effective strategies for reducing operating expenses while improving light quality. The business case for switching from traditional metal halide and fluorescent fixtures to light-emitting diode (LED) technology has never been stronger, with many projects achieving payback periods
The Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse: A Case Study in Architectural Metal Integration When the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse opened in Long Beach, California, it represented more than a new civic building. It became the first social infrastructure project in the United States procured under performance-based infrastructure (PBI) contracting, using a public-private partnership (P3) model that
When an electric utility builds its own headquarters, energy efficiency moves from a design consideration to a core mission. Washington Electric Cooperative, serving nearly 10,500 customers across six counties in southeastern Ohio, faced exactly this challenge. The cooperative had operated for years from three separate facilities in Marietta, Ohio, dealing with persistent roof leaks, inefficient
When architects and specifiers evaluate interior finishes for educational facilities, durability, indoor air quality, and life-cycle cost rank among the top criteria. One building product that has gained significant traction in school construction is the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) locker. Educational institutions from K-12 charter schools to university recreation centers are turning to HDPE lockers as
Modern educational facilities demand more than just square footage and classroom layouts. They must provide acoustic comfort, energy efficiency, structural durability, and healthy indoor environments. For builders and specifiers looking to meet these requirements, insulating concrete forms offer a proven solution that addresses all of these priorities in a single wall system. The Farmington Area
What Fire-Rated Glass Floor Systems Are and How They Work Fire-rated glass floor systems are specialized building assemblies that combine transparent or translucent glazing with verified fire resistance ratings. These systems allow natural light to pass between floors while maintaining the fire separation required by modern building codes. Unlike conventional opaque fire barriers such as
Noise control is a critical but often overlooked dimension of building design and construction. Whether the project is a residential home, a mixed-use development, or an industrial facility, uncontrolled sound transmission can compromise occupant comfort, worker safety, and regulatory compliance. For a deeper look at sound-absorbing products and installation techniques, refer to our acoustic treatments
School security has become a top priority for educational facility planners, architects, and construction specifiers. Among the most effective upgrades available today are wireless electronic lock systems that combine access control, monitoring, and emergency lockdown capabilities into a single integrated hardware solution. These systems allow schools to retrofit existing buildings with modern security without the
When the Domain Mall in Austin, Texas, underwent a major renovation, project teams turned to an unexpected architectural solution: a tensioned polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fabric membrane roof. The result was a striking mandolin-shaped canopy spanning approximately 1,393 square meters (15,000 square feet), with the fiberglass membrane fabric covering about 529 square meters (5,700 square feet) of
