Carpet lets hospital grow
With area population projected to grow by 25% over the next 10 years, Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, Calif., decided in 2004 to embark on a $160 million, seven-story expansion that will feature 112 acute care beds and 18 operating rooms when it reopens in early 2007. With facility needs constantly in flux, Memorial sought a flooring product that could easily change with floor plan reconfigurations. Facilities director John Del Re and architect HDR, Omaha, Neb., specified modular carpet tiles from Milliken. The company's Sense carpet was installed in nurses' stations, corridors, and a pediatrics wing. The carpet features a nylon fiber for durability (it resists stains and soiling) and roller mobility. Milliken Input No. 228 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Munich soccer arena gets fitting floor covering
Twelve stadium boxes in the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, were designed with woven floor covering that fits the look of the futuristic soccer arena. In the Audi corporation skybox (above), Carpet Concept's Net woven flooring was utilized to provide the interior with a high-tech appearance. Stainless steel metallic yarn is woven into the ribbed material of the floor, forming small squares that reflect and illuminate the natural light of the box. Twelve other skyboxes were furnished with Carpet Concept's Eco product. Carpet Concept Input No. 221 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Skylight brightens GSA warehouse
When the U.S. General Services Administration decided to modernize a portion of a 1 million-sf warehouse into offices within the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, Mo., the GSA turned to local designer BNIM Architects to develop a creative and cost-effective re-design strategy. Seeking to develop a plan that would diffuse daylight from a new atrium space into the surrounding office spaces, BNIM designers proposed a light-mediating sculpture. The design team specified Acrylite Radiant acrylic sheet from Cyro Industries for the sculpture, which incorporates proprietary technology that creates a color-changing effect. The new atrium and the light-mediating sculpture provide more than enough natural light and add color and flare to the otherwise drab, warehouse-like interior. Cyro Input No. 223 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
ACM panels bring fresh look to Alaska
The Alaska Marine Highway System has a history of using wooden buildings for its traditional ferry terminals. But as part of a modernization project completed in late 2004, the system received new equipment, a computerized reservation system, and other modern amenities. The AMHS wanted a modern look to reflect the modernized buildings. Approximately 5,000 sf of Alucobond aluminum composite material was fabricated by KPS of North Vancouver, B.C., to give the terminal a high-tech appearance. Designed by Jensen Yorba Lott, Juneau, the new terminal building suggests the future of modern marine travel, while still keeping in touch with the heritage of the AMHS. Alucobond Input No. 226 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Mesh fabric saves space
When the Austin (Texas) Convention Center nearly doubled its exhibit and meeting space in 2002, it created a major inconvenience for drivers looking to park in the city's busy downtown. The solution was a five-story parking garage built in conjunction with a city-owned cooling plant. Looking for a way to blend the new parking garage with the existing convention center, architects specified Cambridge Architectural Mesh's space sculpting system to help create a seamless transition. Approximately 20,000 sf of metal fabric in Cambridge's plait pattern, supported by frame attachment hardware, wraps a corner and adorns the brick walls of the integrated structure. Cambridge Architectural Mesh Input No. 227 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Crocodile habitat is natural and secure
The planners of the Wilhelma zoological and botanical gardens in Stuttgart, Germany, wanted to transport visitors into the world of crocodiles without making them feel unprotected at the new crocodile habitat. Thus, safety had to remain perceptible without impairing the view of the Wilhelma's four ancient predators. Both humans and animals are protected by an innovative balustrade construction made of stainless steel cable nets. The nets flow into an organic footbridge developed for the habitat. Nearly invisible, the double X-TEND balustrade prevents visitors from falling while at the same time ensuring an exciting glimpse into the crocodile habitat. Stuttgart-based architect Officium Design and Engineering worked with Carl Stahl to develop the black net, which melds into the background better than untreated stainless steel nets, according to the maker. Carl Stahl Input No. 222 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Solution underfoot at Boys & Girls Clubs
With more than 7,000 youth members attending the eight inner-city branches of Fort Worth, Texas's Boys & Girls Clubs of America on a daily basis, the flooring conditions in the facilities were worn. Searching for a long-term replacement, BGCA VP and CFO Sharon Driggers specified a custom epoxy aggregate resurfacing system. More than 25,000 sf of GL flooring was installed in five branch buildings. Driggers liked the durability, slip-resistance, and environmental benefits (VOC-free) of the flooring. GoldenLook Intl. Input No. 220 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Marriott sheds light on CFLs
To provide better lighting and improve guest satisfaction, Marriott International, working with Aurora, Ohio, lighting manufacturer TCP, replaced light bulbs in more than 800 hotels across the nation with energy-saving compact fluorescent lights. CFLs, which have an average life of 10,000 hours, can last six to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. A full-service Marriott hotel with 350 rooms and six sockets per room saved more than $22,000 a year in energy costs by replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs. “The CFLs satisfied all of our lighting requirements from quality to efficiency,” said Pat Maher, SVP of engineering at Marriott. TCP Input No. 224 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
Chillers keep casino in the green
After utility rate increases were proposed this year by Nevada Power, MGM Mirage began to look for ways to save electricity at its Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Gary Hughes, director of engineering for the resort, decided to make several energy-saving adjustments to the resort's five 1,000-ton, constant-speed centrifugal chillers. First, the crew added variable orifices to the chillers, which save energy by allowing the cooling tower water entering the chillers to run as low as 55 degrees F. The engineers also added York OptiSpeed variable-speed drives to the chillers to reduce energy consumption by as much as 30%. Hughes expects the improvements will save 1.5 million kW/hours of electricity this year. York Input No. 225 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
