Products: The Pro's Choice

ConTrak's Kevin Putman on InSpire simulated slate roof tiles - 5/1/2008
Available in 18 colors and seven blends, InSpire simulated slate roof tiles are made of a 100%-recyclable blend of virgin resins and natural limestone that has been compression-molded, resulting in a strong, durable, and lightweight alternative to traditional slate.

GTM Architects's Diane Taitt on 3form Varia resin panels - 4/1/2008
3form Varia architectural resin panels can be custom designed with virtually any color, pattern, interlayer, and finish, providing architects with endless design possibilities for functional and decorative panel systems. Diane Taitt, IIDA, ASID, senior interior architect with GTM Architects, Bethesda, Md.

HMC Architects's Pam Maynard on Finelite direct/indirect pendant light fixtures - 3/1/2008
Finelite offers a variety of direct, indirect, and direct/indirect pendant light fixtures for offices, schools, hospitals, and other light-intensive environments. The company’s pendant direct/indirect linear fluorescent fixtures are ideal for classrooms, where a bright, evenly distributed light source is desired.

SmithGroup's Rodrigo Manríquez on io Lighting’s Line Series 2.0 LED fixture - 11/1/2007
Rodrigo Manríquez, IALD, LC, IESNA, principal and senior lighting designer with SmithGroup, specified Line Series 2.0 fixtures with white LEDs to illuminate the ornate limestone exterior of Albert Kahn’s 1915 Detroit Athletic Club in the heart of the city’s cultural district. Approximately 630 linear feet of LEDs were mounted along the façade to accentuate key features of the exterior, including the ornate cornice and balustrades.

Architect Helen Kessler on Lutron's EcoSystem Daylight Dimming System - 10/1/2007
Chicago-based architect Helen Kessler specified EcoSystem for Exelon Corp.’s headquarters, where she served as LEED consultant. Exelon consolidated all of its downtown offices and renovated 10 floors (approx. 220,000 sf) of Chicago’s Chase Tower for its HQ. With the help of the Lutron lighting system, energy consumption has been decreased by 43%.

Engineer John Yoon on the Sentry Switch lighting control system - 9/1/2007
John Yoon, P.E., senior engineer with McGuire Engineers, Chicago, specified Sentry Switch lighting control devices for a recent conference center project at Motorola’s headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill. The switches were installed in all storage closets, electrical closets, and other unoccupied rooms to enable automatic shut-off of lights in those spaces.

Architect Sassan Gharai on IceStone Recycled Glass and Concrete Surfacing - 8/1/2007
Sassan Gharai specified IceStone for Ecco Park, a green mixed-use project he designed and is developing in Washington D.C. The four-story complex has 6,000 sf of retail space and 85 condominium units that will use recycled materials, natural daylighting and ventilation, and be topped with a green roof. Finish options include natural, salvaged, and recycled materials.

Architect Dennis O'Beirne on Kalwall Translucent Insulated Glazing - 7/1/2007
Dennis O'Beirne, architectural manager for Southfield, Mich.-based architecture and construction firm Giffels, specified Kalwall glazing for more than a dozen of substation renovation projects for Detroit Edison. The glazing replaced hundreds of rusted steel sash windows in the 90-year-old buildings.

Structural engineer Nathan Charlton on SmartBeam cellular beams - 6/1/2007
Nathan Charlton, principal with Seattle-based structural engineer KPFF Consulting Engineers, specified a system of SmartBeams for the $24 million, 195,000-sf Banner Bank Building in Boise, Idaho. The LEED Core and Shell Platinum building was designed by the local office of Omaha, Neb.-based architect HDR.

Kirei USA's Kirei Board - 12/1/2006
Kirei Board is an engineered panel constructed from the stalks of sorghum (a member of the grass family), which is grown as food in various parts of the world. The reclaimed stalk straw is combined with poplar wood bonding layers and heat-pressed with a nontoxic, water-based polymer-isocyanate adhesive to form the strong, lightweight, and eco-friendly boards.