So, as if I didn't love Maharam enough - a wonderful lady from their Marketing Department contacted me at work inquiring about my interest in the Horto by Maharam fabric - shown here. Even though she had so graciously offered me a hefty discount to specify the fabric - much to my chagrin - I had to decline and inform her that it was, regrettably, a hypothetical project through school.
I arrived to work today to see a present! The gorgeous Horto fabric on a pillow from the fantastic people at Maharam!! :)
Every dealing I have had with these people has been wonderful. Susan Sublette, our local Maharam rep, is SO sweet and swift in every request. All of the contacts that I have spoken to at the company are great! I just had to share my lovely experience with the Maharam staff because I know I look forward to specifying many more Maharam products in academic projects and professional projects for years to come.
So thank you again!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Zuo Modern
I found a really cool barstool that I want to use in my convenience store. Unfortunately, Zuo Modern has very little if anything about any of their furniture.
The Flute chair has abstract lines and a back lip for back support. It comes in a leatherette seat, a hydraulic mechanism for adjusting height, an adjustable footrest, and a chrome plated steel base. The standard leatherette options are black, white, and green.
Dimensions: 21.7" w, 14.5" d, 30.5" - 40.5" h, 23" - 33" seat ht, and 17" base diameter.
Little is revealed about further specifications or sustainability. There is no information regarding testing for commercial application, so upon further review, this may not be the best product to put in a convenience store. It's probably just recommended for personal residential use. Guess I'm back to looking for my barstool options...
LonSeal Floors
The second type of wood laminate floor that I want to use in my convenience store is through LonSeal Vinyl Flooring.
LonSeal is a vinyl flooring company that offers product with patterns, textures, and woodwork. They also have products made with recyclable material. One of the collections within LonSeal is LonZebra, which has a very interesting striated wood grain pattern. This helps mask dirt or any imperfections in the floor that may occur with daily use. It reminds me of bamboo, and it is so similar to my 3-Form Resin panel, so rock! :)
This line allows you to show an application of "wood" with the low cost and durability of vinyl. It offers up to 10 different color selections (68 African Sunset pictured above). It also coordinates well with other LonSeal vinyl collections.
LonSeal has many green features as well. It contains 35% post-consumer recycled content, an EQ 4.1: low VOC adhesive and a GreenAir low VOC emission product, and GreenMedic microbial resistant.
In addition, they have passed a multitude of tests, including abrasion resistance, smoke density, static load limit, and chemical resistance. They offer a 10-year limited lifetime warranty.
Specifications include a 0.080" overall thickness with a 0.020" wear layer thickness. The roll of flooring comes as 6' x 60', weighing 250 lbs.
LonSeal is a vinyl flooring company that offers product with patterns, textures, and woodwork. They also have products made with recyclable material. One of the collections within LonSeal is LonZebra, which has a very interesting striated wood grain pattern. This helps mask dirt or any imperfections in the floor that may occur with daily use. It reminds me of bamboo, and it is so similar to my 3-Form Resin panel, so rock! :)
This line allows you to show an application of "wood" with the low cost and durability of vinyl. It offers up to 10 different color selections (68 African Sunset pictured above). It also coordinates well with other LonSeal vinyl collections.
LonSeal has many green features as well. It contains 35% post-consumer recycled content, an EQ 4.1: low VOC adhesive and a GreenAir low VOC emission product, and GreenMedic microbial resistant.
In addition, they have passed a multitude of tests, including abrasion resistance, smoke density, static load limit, and chemical resistance. They offer a 10-year limited lifetime warranty.
Specifications include a 0.080" overall thickness with a 0.020" wear layer thickness. The roll of flooring comes as 6' x 60', weighing 250 lbs.
Roppe Floors
Half of my flooring in my convenience store is laminate flooring, and the other half, I want to have rubber floor. Rubber floor is an awesome material because it is great for maintenance, it is incredibly durable, and it is very slip-resistant.
Roppe Floors offers options in smooth/marbleized, recycled rubber, textured/patterned, and extra slip-resistant - among many other options. They are often specified in healthcare, retail, gyms, and many other applications that would require extra caution for people. I feel like it would be perfect for my application.
Above is the smooth design/marbleized collection. It is available in patterns, marble or solid color. There are over 60 color selections.
They have very extensive installation instructions. But Roppe also offers you the option of integrating your own custom flooring logo for your client.
It has passed many tests, including ASTM E-662 (which tests specific optical density of smoke generated by solid materials), ASTM F-1344 (rated Class 1) NFPA, ANSI, and it is ADA accessible.
Sizes available: 12" x 12", 19 11/16" x 19 11/16" or 36" x 36"
Thicknesses: 1/8" or 3/16"
They even offer slender strips of 1/2" x 24 1/2", 1" x 25", and 2" x 26" to assist in completing a logo or design.
It is very green - PVC free, fully recyclable. This particular line contains 10% rubber, which may contribute to the LEED Green Building Certification System. Other Roppe lines are composed up to 100% recycled content.
It is incredibly durable. It stands up well to constant traffic from wheelchairs, shopping carts, luggage carriers or dollies and resists scuffing, gouging, cigarette burns, most chemicals and common substances.
Even though the initial investment of the product is quite expensive, for the life cycle of the material, the durability, and maintenance, the cost is well worth the investment. In addition to these benefits, it offers noise reduction from foot comfort and great comfort.
They offer 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year warranties available for this specific collection, dependent on the damage.
Roppe Floors offers options in smooth/marbleized, recycled rubber, textured/patterned, and extra slip-resistant - among many other options. They are often specified in healthcare, retail, gyms, and many other applications that would require extra caution for people. I feel like it would be perfect for my application.
Above is the smooth design/marbleized collection. It is available in patterns, marble or solid color. There are over 60 color selections.
They have very extensive installation instructions. But Roppe also offers you the option of integrating your own custom flooring logo for your client.
It has passed many tests, including ASTM E-662 (which tests specific optical density of smoke generated by solid materials), ASTM F-1344 (rated Class 1) NFPA, ANSI, and it is ADA accessible.
Sizes available: 12" x 12", 19 11/16" x 19 11/16" or 36" x 36"
Thicknesses: 1/8" or 3/16"
They even offer slender strips of 1/2" x 24 1/2", 1" x 25", and 2" x 26" to assist in completing a logo or design.
It is very green - PVC free, fully recyclable. This particular line contains 10% rubber, which may contribute to the LEED Green Building Certification System. Other Roppe lines are composed up to 100% recycled content.
It is incredibly durable. It stands up well to constant traffic from wheelchairs, shopping carts, luggage carriers or dollies and resists scuffing, gouging, cigarette burns, most chemicals and common substances.
Even though the initial investment of the product is quite expensive, for the life cycle of the material, the durability, and maintenance, the cost is well worth the investment. In addition to these benefits, it offers noise reduction from foot comfort and great comfort.
They offer 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year warranties available for this specific collection, dependent on the damage.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Armstrong Ceilings
So - I'm echoing this pattern of linear woodwork in laminate and resin panels in my convenience store, and I wanted a similar ceiling architectural element. It may end up being too busy in the end, but I thought it was a nice material to share.
Armstrong Ceilings have a really cool WoodWorks collection where they showcase interesting architectural ceiling patterned options with wood. The material and linear pattern depicted showcases the versatility of ceiling elements - they don't need to be boring standard tiles.
There are, of course, some major downsides to this cool application. One is that it is a high cost for only a 1-year warranty, no defects, damage. Beyond that point, the company claims no responsibility for damages... so if your $15,000 ceiling falls apart on the 366th day of its manufacture, you're SOL. Another is that there is very little to any durability to this expensive ceiling installation. And according to the specs, it says it isn't "hardware friendly"... maybe that's a delicate way of saying that it's a PITA to install? Or it strips your screws? Alas, there are some pretty cool features that still redeem this product...
They come in 4 1/2" and 6" plank sizes (96" in length and 3/4" thick), both suspended by steel cables. They are natural wood veneer, which can be cut to allow access to electrical and HVAC units above. They can be cut also to offer a curved grid installation.
They also offer many options for achieving LEED credits. The material is made of 92% pre-consumer recycled content. Choosing a Bamboo finish on your wood or also specifying your wood with FSC-certified options allows for redemption of LEED credits.
The finish availability includes: Dark Cherry, Bamboo Patina, Constraints Cherry, Constants Walnut, Constants Maple, Natural Variations Beech, Natural Variations Light Cherry, and Natural Variations Maple (all selections within Armstrong). It also comes with a semi-gloss coating on top.
They have a .50 NRC Acoustics rating, which stands for the Noise Reduction Coefficient - this rating is average, where .80 is very high and .20 is very low. The fire resistance/flame spread rating is Class A (HPVA), and it has a standard anti-microbial and humidity resistance rating.
Armstrong Ceilings have a really cool WoodWorks collection where they showcase interesting architectural ceiling patterned options with wood. The material and linear pattern depicted showcases the versatility of ceiling elements - they don't need to be boring standard tiles.
There are, of course, some major downsides to this cool application. One is that it is a high cost for only a 1-year warranty, no defects, damage. Beyond that point, the company claims no responsibility for damages... so if your $15,000 ceiling falls apart on the 366th day of its manufacture, you're SOL. Another is that there is very little to any durability to this expensive ceiling installation. And according to the specs, it says it isn't "hardware friendly"... maybe that's a delicate way of saying that it's a PITA to install? Or it strips your screws? Alas, there are some pretty cool features that still redeem this product...
They come in 4 1/2" and 6" plank sizes (96" in length and 3/4" thick), both suspended by steel cables. They are natural wood veneer, which can be cut to allow access to electrical and HVAC units above. They can be cut also to offer a curved grid installation.
They also offer many options for achieving LEED credits. The material is made of 92% pre-consumer recycled content. Choosing a Bamboo finish on your wood or also specifying your wood with FSC-certified options allows for redemption of LEED credits.
The finish availability includes: Dark Cherry, Bamboo Patina, Constraints Cherry, Constants Walnut, Constants Maple, Natural Variations Beech, Natural Variations Light Cherry, and Natural Variations Maple (all selections within Armstrong). It also comes with a semi-gloss coating on top.
They have a .50 NRC Acoustics rating, which stands for the Noise Reduction Coefficient - this rating is average, where .80 is very high and .20 is very low. The fire resistance/flame spread rating is Class A (HPVA), and it has a standard anti-microbial and humidity resistance rating.
Panda Chair!
Okay - so I don't have plans to ever put this in my projects, but I was looking for chairs, and I stumbled upon this crazy Panda Chair. Now, at a retail auction it sold for $76,000. It almost makes me want to head to the nearest Toys R Us and take up a new career of stapling stuffed animals to chairs and making bank.
The highly creative and a bit... bizarre designers at Moss Online have brought this Baquete Chair with Pandas (Limited Edition, mind you) to the public created by Fernando and Humberto Campana in 2006. They are manufactured in their studio in Brazil.
And if the construction wasn't evident or anything... it's composed of stuffed animals on a metal base
Their 25 piece collection, featuring the same construction with stuffed alligators, stuffed teddy bears, stuffed dolls, stuffed sharks/dolphins, and others are exclusively sold through Moss Online. It is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity, signed by the designers themselves.
The dimensions are roughly 41" x 37". And though the auctioned piece sold for a whopping $76,000 - when purchased through Moss Online, the price is omitted and only available upon request.
Unless you can recycle the stuffed animals, I'm fairly certain there are no sustainable materials involved in the construction of this piece.
The highly creative and a bit... bizarre designers at Moss Online have brought this Baquete Chair with Pandas (Limited Edition, mind you) to the public created by Fernando and Humberto Campana in 2006. They are manufactured in their studio in Brazil.
And if the construction wasn't evident or anything... it's composed of stuffed animals on a metal base
Their 25 piece collection, featuring the same construction with stuffed alligators, stuffed teddy bears, stuffed dolls, stuffed sharks/dolphins, and others are exclusively sold through Moss Online. It is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity, signed by the designers themselves.
The dimensions are roughly 41" x 37". And though the auctioned piece sold for a whopping $76,000 - when purchased through Moss Online, the price is omitted and only available upon request.
Unless you can recycle the stuffed animals, I'm fairly certain there are no sustainable materials involved in the construction of this piece.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Imagine Graphics
Imagine Graphics
I'm not sure if this company would be considered a material, but they are a graphics company that takes your drawings and manufactures them into physical signage for use. They also create graphics for you, should you require that service.
Since their portfolio is entirely custom, there are few specs to report on. They have over 50 materials available for use to create signage - which are chosen based on your budget. They color a wide variety of color-matching services, so if there is an existing logo, they can make signage to complement.
Lead times vary - some signs can be made in a week, others require longer - dependent on the design. The outdoor graphics have a lifetime of 5 years on average, some last longer dependent on the percentage of direct sunlight and weather conditions. Indoor signage and graphics usually last long term, but they are also dependent on their location and direct use.
Some green materials are used in signage, which offer recyclable or biodegradable options including a paper stock used for posters, cardboard, and foamboard. There is eco-friendly printable wallpaper, available with UV-cured inks. They also reuse many materials, so less waste returns to the landfill.
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