SEATTLE — The EMP Administrative Office Building for the EMP Museum added another sustainable achievement to its record. The 51,200-square-foot, four-story office building recently gained LEED Platinum certification, was named the first Salmon-Safe-certified office building in Seattle and was also designated a 2013 ENR Best Project Award for office, retail or mixed-use developments.
New urinal flush valves from American Standard offer the Selectronic hands-free function, flexible power options, reduced maintenance and reliable performance, according to the company. Using only 0.25 gallons per flush (gpf), these sensor-operated flush valves for urinals offer 75 percent water savings compared to a standard 1.0 gpf valve and 50 percent when compared to a 0.5 gpf high efficiency urinal (HEU) flush valve.
Zola Windows introduced the new Zola Aluminum Breeze Panel. A lightweight, flexible and corrosion-resistant industry-leading folding wall system, the Zola Aluminum Breeze Panel offers some of the most expansive folding glass panels on the market and unsurpassed thermal performance in its size class, according to the company. Meeting the rigorous energy requirements of net zero and other energy-efficient buildings, the new panels are available in ultra high performance R-11 triple glazing, with a visible transmittance (VT) of 73 percent.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Paving the way for a movement of high-performing, sustainable buildings, the headquarters of energy engineering firm Vepica has achieved the first LEED certification in Venezuela.
CHICAGO — Method, an environmentally friendly cleaning products company headquartered in San Francisco, recently unveiled renderings for the company’s upcoming LEED Platinum manufacturing facility.
SEOUL, South Korea — The JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul has become the first hotel in South Korea to achieve LEED Gold certification. The 170-room luxury hotel, located in the city’s fashion district and adjacent to the subway station, is the second JW Marriott hotel in the city.
NEW YORK — Sefaira, a developer of performance-based design software with offices in New York and London, has announced a building design contest to challenge architects to create innovative sustainable building designs.
Noritz America has expanded its tankless water heater series with three new models for residential applications of various sizes. The new additions, NR501, NR662 and NRC711, offer a new 12-year heat exchanger with three times the durability in resisting scale buildup, scale detention software to minimize leaks and a compact design with an integral readout window.
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — The student union building at New Mexico Highlands University recently received LEED Gold certification from the USGBC.
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — With the utmost devotion to sustainability in both purpose and design, the Smith College’s Bechtel Environmental Classroom has become the fifth building in the world to achieve the meticulous standards of the Living Building Challenge.
