The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) will host a webinar entitled “ICC 500-2020: Updates to the Tornado and Hurricane Storm Shelter Standard” on Tues., Feb. 2 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern. This webinar will provide an overview of the changes made to the newest edition of ICC 500 storm shelter requirements.
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“Specifying the right materials can be challenging but it is crucial for several reasons. Building materials have a great impact on both capital and operational costs, as well as overall energy and thermal performance. Early-stage analysis tools greatly support the specification process by allowing architects to test and compare material variables for different building elements with incredible speed. By providing insights into the impact of material properties such as glass U-values, roof R-values, insulation and construction type, early-stage analysis tools empower designers to specify the right materials,” states Sumele Aruofor, RIBA Associate, Strategic Manager of Architecture & Sustainability at Trimble, SketchUp, in her article “Considering building performance during conceptual design.”
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Merriman Anderson/Architects (MAA) is proud to announce that the firm has partnered with CitySquare Housing to design the “Lomax Container Housing Project”, an apartment complex of shipping container homes in Southeast Dallas. The goal of the project is to tackle the issue of affordable housing limitations in the city.
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Local architects Leers Weinzapfel Associates (LWA) carefully considered the site, solar orientation and placement of an interior courtyard to maximize daylighting and reduce demand for artificial lighting in the John W. Olver Design Building. These tactics helped drop electrical load for the structure by 54% compared to an average university building. As part of the first and largest cross-laminated timber academic building in the U.S., Solarban® 60 and Solarban® 70 glasses by Vitro Architectural Glass raise the sustainable design bar for the LEED® Gold-certified facility, which encompasses 87,500 square feet of classroom, office and community space.
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Wheeler Kearns Architects-designed Intrinsic School’s new downtown campus, located in the heart of Chicago, spans across five floors in one of the city’s oldest high-rise buildings. Converting a former office building into a school involved a complex process. The interior buildout was designed and constructed in three-phases, carefully coordinated around existing tenants and school opening deadlines. Significant fire-rating, egress, and building issues have been corrected and brought up to school codes, and historic features—such as the existing clay tile ceilings—are revealed and celebrated.
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MBH Architects announces the completion of 300 Grant Ave., a ground-up, 70,000-square-foot retail and office mixed-use development located in the heart of San Francisco’s downtown shopping district. “Union Square is in many ways a representation of San Francisco itself, with its large and small, tall and short, colorful and quaint buildings, all standing shoulder to shoulder in incredible harmony,” says John McNulty, Founding Principal and Architect, MBH Architects. “Engaging with this sense of rhythm was one of our design goals; we were intent on bringing to life a building that is complementary to the neighborhood and adds to the enjoyment of walking and being in the area.”
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The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is now accepting submissions for its 2021 Professional and Student Awards Program. “The ASLA Professional & Student Awards recognize the most innovative and impactful work in the profession,” said Tom Mroz, FASLA, 2021 president of ASLA. “Our professional winners are leaders in the industry. Our student winners represent the best and brightest hope for the future. Each year, we get entries from all around the world. I can’t wait to see the creative projects this year’s Call for Entries brings.”
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The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has updated a mulled assemblies document. AAMA 450-20, Performance Rating Method for Mulled Combination Assemblies, Composite Units, and Other Mulled Fenestration Systems, was last updated in 2010. This FGIA performance rating method describes procedures and requirements for determining the air leakage, water resistance and structural performance of mulled fenestration systems.
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Construction is underway on a new 100% affordable-housing community developed by St. Anton Communities in Santa Clara, California. The transit-oriented development is situated on 1.22 acres and located within the City’s Tasman East Specific Plan area. The sustainable, six-story residential community, designed by KTGY Architecture + Planning, prioritizes public transit and provides an efficient and connected living environment for the area’s lower-income workforce.
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The International Window Film Association is debuting the window film industry’s first online professional accreditation testing for four key areas of comprehension and knowledge, while providing the convenience to be tested in a secure and proctored environment wherever there is an Internet connection.
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