Zurich North America Headquarters Schaumburg, Ill.

A Pillar of Stability and Strength

Typically, the only time you deal with an insurance company is when facing a loss or tragedy. That’s why global insurance provider, Zurich, commissioned their new North American headquarters to be a pillar of “stability and strength” for all who view it, in Schaumburg, Ill.—where they’ve been had a local presence for a century. The 783,800-sq.-ft. complex is composed of three primary buildings or “bars,” each 95-ft. wide × 395-ft., 425-ft. and 485-ft. long, respectively. The lower two bars are angled to optimize solar orientation and minimize sound from the neighboring interstate, while the top bar—soaring 11 stories—is cantilevered

Advances

Doors/Entry Systems

Door Flexibility

The ProCare 8300 has a flush bolt at eye level, instead of out of reach at the top of the door, and features a simple push button that allows nurses to push down the door when their hands are full. It also won’t latch onto patient’s IVs or staff badges.

Case Study

Stone/Masonry

Suspended Animation

On the campus side, light-colored brick, along with concrete, predominates, drawing on the limestone shades of the school’s oldest structures. The town side, however, features brick in deep red tones. For this building, New York City-based Weiss/Manfredi brought those downtown hues onto campus, combining millennia-old masonry technology with cutting-edge architecture to create a high-performance structure that’s also become a teaching tool.Aiming for LEED Platinum certification, Weiss/Manfredi’s architects selected brick that was produced locally. And they got their own lessons in how brick is fired and in how its color can shift based on how it’s produced from suppli

Advances

Flooring

A Walk on the Mediterranean Side

Available in luxurious Carrera marble or pristine limestone, Medina tiles from StoneImpressions lets you create an extraordinary design space with a taste of Mediterranean culture. The line shines with onyx and turquoise jewel tones. The tiles are sealed with a three-part acrylic topcoat that is durable and an ideal choice for kitchens, bathrooms, backsplashes and light traffic flooring. The tiles come in both 6-in. × 6-in. and 12-in. × 12-in. sizes.

The Susan E. Brackett Dance Center, Oklahoma City Ballet Company and Dance School Oklahoma City

Case Study

Solar Control/Sun Shading

Dancing in the Light

Architectural elegance meets engineered precision at Oklahoma City Ballet’s new rehearsal space and dance school. Beautiful natural light takes center stage in the half-cylinder-shaped space, which was recently converted from an award-winning fitness center into The Susan E. Brackett Dance Center.To filter light and create a privacy barrier for dancers, automated shades were needed to create a unique shading solution inside the 26,685-sq.-ft. building. Architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris selected Hunter Douglas Architectural’s RB 500+ automated shades featuring Mermet’s E Screen in 1% white fabric.At the arched window, 10 high-performance shades line the bottom while ano

Advances

Stone/Masonry

Versatile and Durable Thin-clad Stone

ARRIS-tile thin-clad stone is versatile, surprisingly afforadable and easy to install. These 3/4" thick units come in three heights and simply adhere (like tile) to a solid substrate. ARRIS-tile colors are co-ordinated with Arriscraft's popular Renaissance Masonry Units, come in 12 standard colors and in Rocked, Smooth and Satin textures, with return corner units available. This high-performance stone is suitable for face-sealed, drainage plane, insulated drainage plane and Energy Code compliant adhered veneers.All Arriscraft stone products are calcium silicate stone—made using only natural materials, sand and lime (plus color pigments) and deliver the aest

AP ProductWire

January 13, 2021 by Jim Crockett

A Federal Case

Later this year marks the 30th anniversary of ADA—landmark Federal legislation. Starting in the coming issue, we’ll begin a series on the subject. The inaugural installment focuses on efforts being made at historic facilities, including within San Francisco’s City hall, the site of a somewhat controversial curved ramp that split from the historic décor. That said, recent events, of course, have me thinking about access to governmental facilities, including one of the most historic, the Capitol Building—site to last week’s infamous breach of security and sanctity. As I watched invaders literally scale walls to gain entry, it shattered many illusions of safety. But given the ADA context, the building’s mighty staircase, so prominent in the news coverage, also sent home for me a realization that this nation not only has a long way to go in repairing the fabric of its citizenry, but also in truly realizing the legacy of ADA. Following are a handful of security and access products—some that were Product Innovation Award winners, and some that point to lighting as a means of wayfinding—the latter idea, perhaps, even more critical in this dark, national, time.

Recent Articles

Natural Look

Metal Adds Modern Look

Outstanding CRI

Get Creative

Downlight Palette

Advances

Thermal & Moisture Control

Two-in-One Moisture Control

Combining a moisture-barrier membrane with fiberglass lath, the new Delta-Dry & Lath rainscreen system allows for faster installation and ensures better envelope performance over time in stucco and manufactured stone façades. The resulting rainscreen design enables quicker drying of any moisture that penetrates exterior cladding and reduces risk of façade staining or failure.

Case Study

Glass & Curtainwall

Calgary Office Offers Energy-Efficient, Comfortable Workplace

The curtainwall relies on Tianjin North Glass’ (tng) state-of-the-art, bent, triple-pane insulated glazing units (IGUs) with two low-E coatings from G-Crystal Glass Group. Technoform’s tgi Spacer m, a bendable, yet durable, warm edge spacer separates the three panes of glass, creating an insulating barrier at the perimeter of the igu to improve thermal performance. This combination of high-performance components allows the igus to meet the project’s high thermal performance requirements and achieve the overall energy-saving, sustainability goals.The thermal performance requirements of 707 Fifth included stringent whole unit u-factors of 0.91 W/m²K (0.16 hr/ft²F),

Case Study

Restrooms

Détente Required

In helping transform a grandiose hotel into the new headquarters for the European Parliament, diplomacy was required of its functional human spaces. A former hotel, Residence Palace (Europa) in Brussels, is being renovated to serve as the headquarters of the European Parliament. The significant renovations to the facility include a redesign of the old building, as well as a facility expansion to add offices, meeting rooms and washrooms, all of which must uphold the historical architecture of the space. As the center of the European Union (EU) community, its where dignitaries meet to collaborate and work on challenges and opportunities impacting EU countries. To preserve the sophisticati

Architectural Products

A Pillar of Stability and Strength

Read the Digital Edition

Nov/Dec ’20

Door Flexibility

Suspended Animation

A Walk on the Mediterranean Side

Dancing in the Light

Versatile and Durable Thin-clad Stone

AP ProductWire

A Federal Case

Two-in-One Moisture Control

Calgary Office Offers Energy-Efficient, Comfortable Workplace

Détente Required