Living on campus during college becomes as much a part of any students’ academic growth as attending classes. In the race to attract the best and brightest minds, universities are focusing on creating spaces of comfort and productivity. Residential spaces that need to meet high traffic demands while accommodating an ever-changing populace creates a unique set of obstacles for any educational institution’s housing. Additionally, demonstrating leading environmental thoughts by constructing with green building initiatives top the priority list.
For the University of Kentucky Residential Revival project, expanding student living quarters to include seven buildings and 3000 additional beds tasked contractors Messer and Quality Interiors with maintaining a hypo-allergenic environment that withstands extensive use, while installing with ease. Upon completion of the five-year project, campus housing will seek LEED Silver certification, so Messer and Quality Interiors sought out environmentally conscious products.
Between the high volume construction, varied hypo-allergenic needs of the students, green initiatives, and the desire to create a lasting professional finish, Messer and Quality Interiors searched for durable products with environmentally-friendly manufacturing. Using shower bead constructed from vinyl rather than metal became an obvious choice. Vinyl bead prevents rust, kinks, dents, and maintains a professional look for longer due to its flexible and durable nature. For finishing shower surrounds, they chose Trim-Tex’s Shower Bead.
Step 1 Shower Bead is installed around the surround, Step 2 finish with mud compound, Step 3 remove the tear off strip and caulk the gap for a clean finish.
The unique vinyl construction of Trim-Tex Shower Bead replaces paper tape, thereby eliminating the food source for mold and maintaining a hypo-allergenic environment long-term. Shower Bead also features an extra-long 2¼" mud leg that requires less mud to span the gap between the drywall and flange. A tear away strip protects the shower enclosure from mud and leaves a crisp, finished edge with no mess. Using staples instead of screws, Trim-Tex Shower Beads save time on labor while guaranteeing a professional finish.
Trim-Tex manufactures all of its products in the USA using 70% recycled material. This helps keep millions of pounds of plastic out of landfills each year and contributes to an overall green construction initiative. By selecting Trim-Tex Shower Bead for the University of Kentucky Residential Revival project, Messer and Quality Interiors provided a long-lasting, hypo-allergenic, environmentally-conscious solution that will withstand the rigors of university residential life for decades to come.
For more information visit Trim-Tex.com.
Related Stories
| Sep 13, 2010
Campus housing fosters community connection
A 600,000-sf complex on the University of Washington's Seattle campus will include four residence halls for 1,650 students and a 100-seat cafe, 8,000-sf grocery store, and conference center with 200-seat auditorium for both student and community use.
| Sep 13, 2010
Richmond living/learning complex targets LEED Silver
The 162,000-sf living/learning complex includes a residence hall with 122 units for 459 students with a study center on the ground level and communal and study spaces on each of the residential levels. The project is targeting LEED Silver.
| Sep 13, 2010
'A Model for the Entire Industry'
How a university and its Building Team forged a relationship with 'the toughest building authority in the country' to bring a replacement hospital in early and under budget.
| Sep 13, 2010
Committed to the Core
How a forward-looking city government, a growth-minded university, a developer with vision, and a determined Building Team are breathing life into downtown Phoenix.
| Aug 11, 2010
JE Dunn, Balfour Beatty among country's biggest institutional building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 Institutional Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Stimulus funding helps get NOAA project off the ground
The award-winning design for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) replacement laboratory saw its first sign of movement on Sept 15 with a groundbreaking ceremony held in La Jolla, Calif. The $102 million project is funded primarily by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), resulting in a rapidly advanced construction plan for the facility.
| Aug 11, 2010
JanCom Technologies expands headquarters
JanCom Technologies, Inc., an Austin, Texas-based technology, infrastructure, audio-visual, and critical power systems consulting and engineering services firm, continues to grow due to an influx of high-profile international projects. The company recently expanded to a 5,000-square-foot office space at 206 Wild Basin Road. The move represents a 2,000-square-foot increase in space to accommodate the company’s growth.
| Aug 11, 2010
Rouss & Robertson Halls
University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce
Charlottesville, Va.
Rouss Hall, a historic 24,000-sf building designed by Stanford White, served as the home of the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce from 1955 to 1975. Thirty years later, the university unveiled plans to have the business school return to the small, outdated 110-year-old facility, but this time with the addition of a 132,000-sf companion building to be named Robertson Hall.
| Aug 11, 2010
Steel Joist Institute announces 2009 Design Awards
The Steel Joist Institute is now accepting entries for its 2009 Design Awards. The winning entries will be announced in November 2009 and the company with the winning project in each category will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship in its name to a school of its choice for an engineering student.
