Continued Good News for the Architecture Community
Architecture firm billings slowed in June but remained positive for the ninth consecutive month. AIA’s ABI score for June was 51.3 compared to 52.8 in May; remaining positive since any score over 50 represents billings growth. As a result, June’s ABI shows that demand for architecture firm services continues to improve across all sectors.
“Architects continue to see increases in demand for their services this summer, with new project work coming in at a healthy pace,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “However, business conditions are beginning to vary across the country. While essentially remaining flat in the Northeast and Midwest, billings jumped in the South while dropping in the West.”
Health Product Declare Labels Available for CETCO Below-Grade Waterproofing Products
CETCO has jumped on board the materials transparency bandwagon. Through the Health Product Declare Label Collaborative, CETCO now has over 10 products listed in the HPD Repository for designers to review and consider.
Health Product Declarations, or HPDs, disclose the materials or ingredients in our products and their associated human health effects. The HPD was created by the not-for-profit Health Product Declaration Collaborative to be the industry standard format for conveying details about product content and associated health information.
HPD’s also help project teams to achieve the new LEED® Building product disclosure and optimization credits and the Living Building Challenge™ Materials Red List Imperative.
GBA and ILFI’s Living Product Hub Event @ Google
Got a chance to check out Google's offices in Bakery Square during the Product Transparency Seminar put on by the International Living Products Hub and the Green Building Alliance. Seems like a lot of building owners and designers are looking much closer at the materials they select for their projects.
Prosoco's CAT-5 air barrier has been used on the only two buildings in Pittsburgh to achieve Living Building Challenge certification: the Frick Environmental Center and the Phipps Conservatory Expansion. The CAT-5 air barrier and accessories are "Red List Compliant" and contain no chemicals deemed harmful by the ILFI.
Prosoco's Answer to Graffiti: Defacer Eraser
Prosoco recently released a new graffiti-removing product that is more powerful than its predecessor.
Defacer Eraser Graffiti Remover replaces the Graffiti Wipe, and is a liquid formula that more effectively eliminates graffiti.
Formulated based on contractor feedback, the product offers more effective penetration to melt away graffiti while also featuring the same ecological advantages as its other graffiti-removing products with biodegradable components. Graffiti Remover was designed to have a shorter dwell time, allowing for faster project completion.
“Another improvement users will notice is less ghosting left on the substrate because it’s more effective at removing graffiti in general,” said Jake Boyer, leader of Prosoco’s line of masonry cleaners and protective treatments.
Graffiti Remover is designed to work with the company’s Blok-Guard anti-graffiti treatments and is water-rinsable and VOC compliant.
The product works with substrates that include terracotta, brick, concrete, terrazzo, stone, wood and metal.
For more information, visit prosoco.com.
Frick Environmental Center Places 2nd in Annual ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards
Several local companies were recognized by the ACI for their role in building the Frick Environmental Center. Construction was especially difficult with the building owner's (Pittsburgh Park's Conservancy) aiming to achieve the lofty Living Building Challenge. The team completed the project and came in 2nd place in the Low-Rise Building Category of the ACI Annual Awards.
Project Credits:
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Engineer: Barber & Hoffman
GC and Concrete Contractor: PJ Dick
Concrete Supplies: Essroc Ready Mix