Contract - November/December 2011 - (Page 30)

industry news Perkins+Will’s transparent site Global firm enhances its Precautionary Materials List and online database for transparency of information Design and construction professionals can educate both the public and fellow practitioners related to environmental hazards in materials. With that goal in mind, Perkins+Will released its improved Precautionary Materials List and online database with the Transparency Site online at www.transparency.perkinswill.com. Expanding on the site first launched in 2009 during Greenbuild, this one features a better, userfriendly interface, includes an asthma and flame-retardant database, and an informative report on fly ash in concrete. Peter Syrett, LEED AP, associate principal, and senior project designer, and Chris Youssef, LEED AP BD+C, NCIDQ, and associate interior designer at Perkins+Will, spearheaded this project with the intent of providing a free, universally accessible database of substances that cause harm— or are suspected to—to humans and the environment in an effort to help people make informed building decisions. Whether a manufacturer, specifier, architect, de-constructor, or homeowner, everyone can learn which “ingredients” are being used in construction, and how those materials may affect them. “Many of the materials we address in the Transparency Site have been opaque to the industry,” says Syrett. “As architects and designers, we should thoughtfully consider the social and environmental impact of our professional activities, and while there are no perfect building materials, we hope this site will aid the building product marketplace in making choices that support the highest ethical intentions.” Although there is information that is already made publicly available, there is often a lack of knowledge in how to find or research it. A team of five members in the firm’s New York office culled information from various studies and reports to make a more accessible, searchable resource that is all in one place. And, as a “living document,” teams will periodically update the database as information evolves. “Promoting education and disseminating information about the makeup of construction materials is the right thing to do,” says Peter Busby, managing director of Perkins+Will’s Vancouver office. “By making this research publicly available, we empower ourselves, our clients, and the industry to make informed decisions about the health of our buildings.” This valuable resource is organized somewhat like a dictionary or encyclopedic index, separated into the three categories of Precautionary List, Asthma Triggers + Asthmagens, and Flame Retardants. Within those sections, one can find subcategories ranging from Polyurethane Foam to Chemical Compounds. Clicking on links within these sections bring up specific ingredients, their known and suspected health effects, definitions of the health effects, and types of products and materials where these ingredients are found. Another handy aspect of the list is an information box naming some alternatives to those ingredients. A fourth section on the site includes news, recommended reading, and other resources. —Sheila Kim. www.contractdesign.com Select No. 14 at ContractDesign.com/readerservice JUXTAFORM JUXTAFORM, LLC / 888 589-8236 / juxtaform.com http://www.transparency.perkinswill.com http://www.juxtaform.com http://www.juxtaform.com http://www.contractdesign.com http://www.ContractDesign.com/readerservice

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - November/December 2011

Contract - November/December 2011
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Product Briefs
Product Focus: Classic Touch
Product Focus: Generating Buzz(i)
Gelfand Partners Architects Office in San Francisco Designed by Gelfand Partners Architects
Sorg Architects Office in Washington, D.C. Designed by Sorg Architects
Sauerbruch Hutton Office in Berlin, Germany Designed by Sauerbruch Hutton
Roth Sheppard Architects Office in Denver Designed by Roth Sheppard Architects
AOL West Coast Headquarters in Palo Alto, California Designed by Studio O+A
Red Bull Canada Office Expansion in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Designed by Johnson Chou Inc.
Goods Shed North in Melbourne, Australia Designed by BVN Architecture
Bota Bota Spa in Montreal, Quebec, Canada Designed by Sid Lee Architecture
A’maree’s in Newport Beach, California Designed by Paul Davis Architects
2011 Contract Brand Report Awareness Survey
Sources
Designers Select: Building Products
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - November/December 2011