The First Facility Management Blog

Photo: Alien Jesus Collective

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood, and studies indicate it disproportionally affects inner-city children living in public housing. In most cases, asthma is triggered by airborne allergens, usually dust, that cause respiratory inflammation, airway constriction and wheezing.

Scientists have long wondered if there is a specific allergen in dust that causes asthma. According to a study in the New York Times*, it now appears that scientists from the Boston University School of Medicine have finally discovered one of the key culprits.

Dust was collected from homes in public housing facilities using a vacuum cleaner. The dust sample contained cockroach remains, which become airborne after the insects die. Laboratory mice that inhaled this dust soon experienced difficulty breathing, showing signs that they were experiencing an asthma attack.

Many scientists, including those not directly involved in the research, have expressed excitement regarding this discovery. Said Dr. Lester Kobizik of Harvard Medical School, “[Now we know] the nasty material people actually become allergic to.”

One reason scientists were so excited by this discovery is because most previous tests searching for the allergens that induce asthma have been performed in artificial, laboratory settings. “In this case, however, they found the cause of the problem [by] turning to a real-life situation: vacuuming a carpet,” says Jolynn Kennedy, marketing manager at Tornado Industries. “Now we know all of our work and research into high-filtration, HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners that can capture and trap many of these allergens was for a good cause.”

* “House Dust Yields Clue to Asthma: Cockroaches” by Elissa Ely, NYT, 4/7/2009

The Shaw Contract Group Design Is… Award is an award program that recognizes inspirational and visionary design. Seven winning projects chosen from entries submitted by firms from around the world were announced last August. As part of program’s benefits, winning firms each receive $2,000 to donate to a school or organization of their choice. Shaw Contract Group is proud to make donations in the names of the winning firms to support design education and the designers of tomorrow.

In its fourth year, the Design Is… Award seeks entrants to explain their definition of design. Entries are asked to describe the challenges, processes, and results from their projects, and will be judged by a panel of design experts. Because carpet is only a part of the project, the overall design of the space is considered. All design projects completed between February 2007 and February 2009 are eligible. 

Entry information is available at www.shawcontractgroup.com/designis. Project entries must be received by February 28, 2009. 

“Since its inception, the Design Is… Award program has elevated projects that deserve to be seen by the design community at large,” says John Stephens, vice president of marketing. “Shaw Contract Group is honored to have its carpet products play an integral role in each of these projects. We are proud that our winners have chosen these fine institutions to further support design education.” 

Last year’s winners and their donation recipients were:

• Envision Design (Washington, D.C.)—Department of Architecture, Virginia Tech;
• Gensler (Houston, TX)—College of Visual Arts and Design, University of North Texas; School of Architecture, University of Texas; 
• MCM Interiors (Vancouver, BC)—The Art Institute of Vancouver;
• Nell Studio & SABArchitects (Seattle, WA)—Department of Interior Design, Washington State University; 
• OWP/P (Chicago, IL)—School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan; 
• Partridge Architects (Philadelphia, PA)—Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel University; 
• VOA Associates (Chicago, IL)—Turning Point, an outpatient mental healthcare center that provides care to all patients.

Green building is expected to grow six to 10 percent this year, yet the path to get there is long process requiring research to determine if products contribute toward the coveted LEED certification.

The Mohawk Group is helping to shorten the environmental product specification process with its new LEED PLUS calculator. Powered by ecoScorecard from Viridity Inc., the LEED PLUS calculator is a web based tool that allows users to search building products and calculate the USGBC’s LEED points, along with several other industry environmental ratings, in minutes.

ecoScorecard is an environmental software company that helps architects, designers and builders build green more efficiently. Using web based tools, ecoScorecard lets manufacturers efficiently provide information and documentation to the architects and designers that specify their products. ecoScorecard is provided as a free service to architects and designers, and is provided via license to manufacturers.

“We understand the design community has a plethora of green building product options, but finding the right one that fits within an installation can be a challenge, particularly when you’re trying to meet an environmental standard or certification,” said Al Kabus, president, The Mohawk Group. “As a company committed to ‘sustainability that works,’ we’re going beyond just offering sustainable carpet. We are working with our customers to provide the tools and information necessary to make their jobs easier and less time intensive.”

“Mohawk is providing its customers with a virtual green building consultant. In effect, they’re helping to make green building easier,” said Paul Shahriari, CEO, ecoScorecard. Mohawk customers can access the LEED PLUS calculator evaluation tool by logging onto The Mohawk Group’s web site or one of its brand sites—Bigelow, Lees, Karastan, or Durkan (coming soon). Simply select a product and then choose which system to rate it against—LEED, CHPS (Collaborative For High Performance Schools), GGHC (Green Guide For Healthcare), LABS21 (Laboratories For The 21st Century)—or check compliance for prevalent third party certifications. Results are delivered in minutes via a PDF report. For added convenience, users can save their reports and use them as supplemental product documentation to be included along with LEED or equivalent certification submissions.

“On average, an architecture firm can spend anywhere from 100 to 200 hours gathering and evaluating data for LEED projects with the majority of this time spent on product specification,” said Lewis Perkins, director of sustainable strategies, The Mohawk Group. “With the LEED PLUS calculator we’ve done all the legwork. Days, weeks, and even months spent evaluating products are reduced to mere moments so that users can focus on what’s truly important—achieving a high quality project on time and on budget.”
 
Balancing the Sustainable Equation
Prior to launching its LEED PLUS calculator, The Mohawk Group worked with Viridity to provide relevant environmental information about each of its products. The Viridity team of green building experts evaluated and documented these products against the various rating systems. Now, when users perform a search, the information is delivered using software with embedded algorithms.

“The path to sustainability is ongoing, and the rules and regulations are always changing,” added Perkins. “This calculator gives us the ability to anticipate customers’ future needs and prepare for changes yet to come.”

As The Mohawk Group releases more offerings, additional products can easily be added and rated at any time. The calculator is updated to the environmental rating systems within 48 hours of every change. In fact, Mohawk and Viridity are already working to rate the products by the new provisions of LEED 2009.

LEED PLUS calculator is the latest in a series of solutions The Mohawk Group has introduced within the last few months designed with the customer in mind to streamline the specification process. In June, the company introduced Drag and Fly—a first of its kind “drag and place” software for carpeting images. The easy to use web based application provides architects and designers with an array of high resolution images allowing for on the spot and accurately scaled placement of modular carpeting images into 3D renderings or computer aided drawings (CAD). 

J&J/Invision, a commercial carpet manufacturer based in Dalton, GA, recently received an American flag from a group of United States troops stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan. The flag was received in response to a donation of 50 rugs given by the company to keep the troops warm throughout the winter months.

Don Nase, J&J/Invision business manager, was contacted by National Flooring Systems’ Andy Franks after Franks received word from a family member stationed at the United States National Support Element in Kabul that their living quarters did not have flooring. With cold temperatures hovering, the troops needed something that would help keep the heat inside and give them a warm area to walk. In response to their need, Nase worked with Bob Hubbs, vice president of customer satisfaction at J&J/Invision to coordinate delivery of the rugs to Afghanistan.

“J&J/Invision is proud to assist our troops as they give their time and their lives to defend the country and the community that we live and work in day in and day out,” said Hubbs. “We are happy to be able to do something that makes their time away feel more like home.”

As a token of appreciation the troops mailed J&J/Invision a flag that was flown over the United States National Support Element headquartered in Kabul as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Included with the flag was also a certificate and letter from Lieutenant Colonel Douglas F. Stitt.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the kind and considerate donation of carpets that you provided to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines stationed here in Kabul, Afghanistan. Taking the time to express your gratitude does register with us and we cannot thank you enough,” said Stitt.

The U.S. flag will be displayed at the J&J Campus in the front lobby of the corporate office.

In its third annual Design Is… Award competition, Shaw Contract Group, the leading flooring provider to the commercial market, recently announced seven firms whose projects define the concept of design. These projects surmount simple beauty by delivering innovative solutions that positively impact the people who inhabit a space and the functions that take place there. This year’s winners are:

Winner: Envision Design brings functionality, flexibility, and sustainability to the headquarters of the International Interior Design Association in Chicago. The design team’s goal was for the space to reflect the highest standards in the interior design industry in human health, well-being, materials and furniture, HVAC systems, and environmental responsibility. The end result is a LEED-CI Gold facility with a state of the art conference room, materials from throughout the industry, and a place that the design community can call home.

Winner: Gensler redesigned its Houston office, placing corporate identity, sustainable design, and a celebration of the firm’s capabilities at the forefront, all while maintaining a strict budget and a tight schedule. Using a studio design concept, the firm creates collaborative spaces with movable partitions and portable furniture to provide maximum flexibility in a space designed to accommodate 10% more staff in the same square footage. LEED Silver certification is an important measure of the design’s success.

Winner: MCM Interiors draws inspiration from client Electronic Arts’ business in video game design and development. To attract talent, inspire creativity, optimize staff and infrastructure efficiency, and enhance corporate communications and culture, the design team introduces light movement, color, scale, texture, and nature throughout the Burnaby, British Columbia facility. Common areas and wellness facilities deliver quality of life amenities that are important to the client’s values, while weaving layers of interactivity into the space.

Winner: OWP/P incorporates the Chicago cityscape in its design for the LEED certified offices of Transwestern Commercial Services. Through full height glass in corridor spaces, natural light creates a reflection element that is juxtaposed against shadow elements found in the carpet. Light and silhouette are used throughout the space to create an ethereal connection between the interior and the city beyond. The firm helps to bring a feeling of transparency to a traditionally closed door environment.

Winner: SABArchitects and Nell Studio break barriers between people and departments in their office design for Turner Construction Company, Seattle. Material choices, from wood walls to carpeting, help to define functional zones that still maintain a cohesive feel through use of color. By moving kitchen functions from small, isolated break areas to the large rooftop penthouse, space is used more efficiently while increasing interaction and collaboration between employees.

Winner: VOA Associates takes a holistic design approach to RMB Capital Management’s office renovation in Chicago. The redesigned space exemplifies international style, reflects the company’s values, and pays homage to the mid-20th century modern building where the company is housed. In order to establish a professional and inviting space that incorporates elements of home, the firm uses traditional pieces like bookcases, lamp, and plants within a business setting.

People’s Choice Winner: Partridge Architects brings confidence, warmth and security to asset management firm, Logan Circle Partners in Philadelphia. In a design that conveys affluence without arrogance, the team seeks to create an open environment that bridges departments and encourages employee interaction. Glass fronted offices surround an open trading area is surrounded by glass fronted offices, providing visibility onto the trading floor. The intense nature of trading is offset by amenities that allow employees to relax without leaving the facility.

“The Design Is… Award continues to promote successful design strategies that are improving the work of clients, while allowing those that inhabit these spaces to realize a greater purpose and
meaning for their activities,” says John Stephens, vice president of marketing for Shaw Contract Group. “This award competition celebrates the decision makers, the leaders in the interior design
industry that are redefining design, and the way it impacts our businesses and our lives.

“We hope that by announcing and promoting the winners of this year’s competition, Design Is… will inspire other organizations to rethink their role in smart design as a contribution to quality of life,
and the realization of human potential in every setting. Design Is… winners are the standard.”

Five distinguished members of the design community served as judges, who narrowed submissions based on a number of criteria which exemplified design solutions beyond aesthetic quality. Judges reviewed the challenges, processes, and results of each project and how each design team defined design. The judging process was moderated by Cheryl Durst, executive vice president and CEO of the International Interior Design Association.

The judging panel included: Kelly Bauer, principal of Richard + Bauer; Dan Lee, vice president of Halff Associates; Pam Light, senior vice president with HOK; John Lijewski, senior vice president / interior design executive with Bank of America; and Jack Weber, owner and principal with Gresham, Smith and Partners.

Winning firms will be recognized in an upcoming advertising campaign in leading industry publications and receive an original award sculpture by Bruce Mau Design. A $2,000 scholarship in the name of each winning firm will be awarded to the program or organization of the firm’s choosing. Shaw Contract Group will also promote its winners through promotional and marketing materials.

The People’s Choice Award was conducted by visitors to Shaw Contract Group’s website using a voting tool. Thirteen finalists were featured as candidates for the People’s Choice Award and over
5,000 votes were cast during June and July.