Building Design+Construction editors bring you the top building products for the month of July. Collected across a variety of building sectors, these products provide durability, accelerate electrification, and offer simplicity.
From the Fast Set Collection of stone panels to Ingenious Plank hybrid resilient flooring, here are 15 products being used in the industry today.
July 2024 Top 15 Building Products
—
Façades by Design
by Construction Specialties
Façades by Design allows the application of imagery—such as photography, graphics, patterns, and color—onto any flat surface, including perforated sheet, linear sun controls, and louvers, as well as custom profiles and extrusions. Utilizing new capabilities in digital printing, the powder-coated images printed on the company’s façade solutions are backed by a 10-year warranty, are AAMA 2604 compliant, and are scratch- and fade-resistant. A dedicated project manager will provide support through the design process from material selection to final image and layout approval.
Sloan DropSpot line of bottle filters and water coolers
by Sloan
Launching in three configurations in filtered and unfiltered options, the Sloan DropSpot line of bottle filters and water coolers are designed to provide safer drinking water while being attractive aesthetics that suit any commercial environment. While supporting facility maintenance teams with an easily accessible filter, the bottle fillers and water coolers’ filter achieves is engineered to comply with NSF 53, NSF 42 and NSF 401 standards that certify a product reduces health and non-health related contaminants, respectively. The On-wall bottle filler, On-wall bottle filler with single-level cooler and On-wall bottle filler with bi-level cooler are offered in standard stainless steel or black powder-coated finish options.
Fast Set Collection of stone panels
by Toro Stone
As a brand focused on meeting the specific needs of masons and contractors, Toro Stone targets offering stone options for every aesthetic, starting with its launch with eight distinctive stone veneer collections. With an extensive dealer network and warehouses strategically placed for swift nationwide distribution, the stone veneer company aims to simplify the specification and ordering process while offering efficient stone solutions and consistent quality. This is exemplified through one of the newly launched collections, the Fast Set Collection, as the panelized products achieve the polished look of natural stone with a simple installation process. Other collections available include the Mountain Ledge Collection, Cobblestone Collection, and Reclaimed Brick Collection.
Solarban 72 Starphire glass windows
by Vitro Architectural Glass
Photo courtesy Vitro Architectural Glass
As the currently largest LEED Platinum-certified complex, the 22-story Harmon and Merlin towers will house Amazon’s second headquarters, and to help meet the complex’s aggressive performance goals, the glazing on the Solarban 72 Starphire glass windows played a key role. Because it allows 68% of visible light to pass through while blocking 72% of the sun’s solar rays, 3,008 custom single-hung operable Solarban 72 Starphire glass windows were installed across the two buildings. A vision panel, spanning from 30 to 120 inches above the finished floor, has a 2-inch integral light shelf at the top that directs daylighting up to 50 feet into the building’s interior, which helps drive down lighting loads for 88% of occupied areas. An additional frit from Walker Glass—Walker’s AviProtek E pattern places acid-etched visual markers on the exterior surface of glass and Solarban 72 solar control low-E coating on surface two—was added to the building’s lower levels that face Metropolitan Park.
Euro Style Restroom Partition Collection expansion
by Bradley
An expansion of the Euro Style Restroom Partition Collection, the Skyline Series and Highrise Series combine luxurious design with a fully enclosed, floor-to-ceiling system that is custom engineered to the dimensions of a commercial bathroom application. Both partition series incorporate noise-minimizing features, like soft-closing doors. The Skyline Euro Style partitions are made from enameled tempered glass available in a variety of colors to bring light and brightness into the restroom. Made of water-resistant Phenolic LT material, the Highrise Euro Style series also offers LED occupancy indicators that turn from green to red.
C800H and C800SH Architectural Canopies
by Airolite
Designed to fit any building application seamlessly, the two models of Architectural Canopies can protect entrances from the elements and minimize the effects of the sun’s rays. Lightweight and built with 100% aluminum components that are functional, durable and aesthetically appealing, both the C800H and C800SH are 8-inch deep and available in preconfigured projections of 24, 36, 48, 60 or 72 inches. The C800H canopy allows for optional rain gutter for water control, while the C800SH features a visually pleasing flat soffit deck that incorporates interior and exterior rain gutters for water control.
LG CLOi ServeBot
by LG Business Solutions
Designed to provide safe delivery services in hospitality and healthcare settings, LG CLOi ServeBot, an autonomous, door-type service robot, can perform simple and repetitive delivery tasks to reduce the burden on staff. Its four-door/internal compartment design holds items weighing up to 30kg and can be set to open or close automatically during operation; the robot can tell when a delivery has been completed due to internal camera sensors. An expanded operational coverage allows the robot to utilize elevators to move between floors for deliveries as well as to escort customers to a given destination and offer voice guidance for sight-impaired users.
Connected Power
by Honeywell
Connected Power allows building managers across North America to monitor, manage and automate a building’s power usage at the plug level, autonomously powering down unused outlets based on space usage or occupancy data. The solution also addresses workplace safety by ensuring equipment is powered down when not needed, detecting outlet temperatures to identify potential issues, and can send remote alerts if a business-critical device shuts off unexpectedly. In addition to being used as a stand-alone portal that can directly manage and control up to 2,500 outlets, the solution can be integrated into most existing building management systems.
'Brushed' finished ALUCOBOND PLUS panels
by 3A Composites
Photo courtesy 3A Composites
Prefabricated construction is challenging traditional paradigms in commercial construction and is no longer merely synonymous with flat box building designs, as a recent case study explores. Benefits to pre-fab include predictability, time efficiency, cost savings and reduced environmental burden. Showcasing pre-fab construction technique, the Union on 24th student housing high rise met the architects’ objective to deliver a finished look that was elegant yet low-maintenance and on time even with an aggressive project schedule. A key feature of the building is the ALUCOBOND PLUS panels in ‘Brushed’ finish, which helps the prefabricated panels live up to the project team’s expectations by delivering a sleek, consistent appearance. While the fabrication of the 42- by 9-feet panels took place at an off-site facility, the installation process was meticulously coordinated with the construction schedule so that as the envelope for each floor was finished the interior work on the floor below could be finished.
EnergyShield XR Continuous Insulation
by Atlas
EnergyShield XR Continuous Insulation is a polyiso continuous insulation board that delivers a strong sustainability profile—delivering a higher R-value per inch than XPS—in a thinner profile to optimize wall designs while meeting the latest energy codes. Designed for both above- and below-grade applications for residential and commercial projects, the polyiso continuous insulation board maintains its UV stability and won’t deform from heat buildup. In addition to a simplified wall insulation strategy, it offers efficiencies like less storage space used and material required per project.
Sto Strike Defense
by Sto Corp.
Engineered to protect new and existing exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), Sto Strike Defense is a fortification option that defends against punctures caused by woodpeckers as well as blunt and sharp objects. A key component of the ultra-high impact puncture-resistant solution is StoArmat Classic Plus—a cement-free, organic high-build acrylic plaster. For restoration applications, Sto Mesh is embedded in StoArmat Classic Plus over the existing EIFS; for new construction, StoArmat embeds into the basecoat along with the fortification layer. This enhanced durability does not mean sacrificing design as it allows for a wide range of aesthetic options, including wood, brick, stone and textured finishes.
1000 LED Lighted Handrail
by Inpro
The 1000 LED Lighted Handrail provides a solution for nighttime lighting within hospitals, senior living communities and long-term care facilities looking to enhance safety measures and patient care. Helping reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls, especially in low-light conditions, the handrail is easy to install, integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, and meets all relevant safety codes and standards. Its energy-efficient LED technology offers long-lasting performance with minimal maintenance, and the lighting is dimmable and has a choice of light temperatures.
Ingenious Plank hybrid resilient flooring
by AHF Products
Launching across several AHF brands including Armstrong Flooring, Bruce and Robbins, Ingenious Plank represents an innovative standard in sustainability, performance and design. The next-generation hybrid resilient flooring has a core composed of natural wood fibers encapsulated within a high-performance resin, making it an eco-friendly solution and PVC-free. The hybrid flooring is waterproof, dent-proof, scratch-resistant and has an attached pad for sound absorption. In addition to being 40% lighter than traditional rigid core products, the flooring’s Angle Lock system enables an easy, secure installation.
PAC-CLAD Tite-Loc Plus roofing panels
by Petersen, a Carlisle company
Photo courtesy Petersen, a Carlisle company
When transforming two former foundry structures into spaces for a range of retail, restaurants and offices, the project designers wanted to harken back to the site’s long history as an iron and steel producer, with metal products from Petersen playing a prominent role. The centerpieces of the Raleigh Iron Works are the Bow Truss building, which dates back to the 1800s, and the Double Gable building from the 1950s; both were previously owned by Peden Steel and operated as a welding shop and steel fabrication facilities, respectively. To emphasize the buildings’ industrial histories, 40,000 sf of PAC-CLAD Tite-Loc Plus roofing panels in a Zinc finish top the two structures, while the Bow Truss’s walls feature an additional 30,000 sf of PAC-CLAD M-36 Corrugated wall panels.
Strap Latch bifold door
by Schweiss Doors
With every opening and closing of a bifold door, the newly designed Strap Latch door offers simplicity, cleanliness, and reliability. The strap latches firmly hold the door against the building in all positions, securing it when open or partially open and will firmly lock the door when closed. Eliminating the need for cables, chains, sprockets, pulleys, extra motors and additional parts, it also offers protection from wind gusts while the door is in any position of operation. Available in yellow, black, gray, and white strap latches.
FOR MORE BUILDING PRODUCTS:
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Stimulus funding helps get NOAA project off the ground
The award-winning design for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s new Southwest Fisheries Science Center replacement laboratory saw its first sign of movement last month with a groundbreaking ceremony held in La Jolla, Calif. The $102 million project is funded primarily by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
| Aug 11, 2010
National Intrepid Center tops out at Walter Reed
SmithGroup, Turner Construction, and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), a nonprofit organization supporting the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their families, celebrated the overall structural completion of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), an advanced facility dedicated to research, diagnosis, and treatment of military personnel and veterans sufferin...
| Aug 11, 2010
Alabama hospital gets a four-story addition
Birmingham, Ala.-based Hoar Construction has completed the North Tower addition at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, Ala. The four-story, 123,000-sf addition accommodates an ER on the first floor, 32 private patient rooms and nursing support on the second and third floors, and room for 32 planned patient rooms on the top floor.
| Aug 11, 2010
America's Greenest Hospital
Hospitals are energy gluttons. With 24/7/365 operating schedules and stringent requirements for air quality in ORs and other clinical areas, an acute-care hospital will gobble up about twice the energy per square foot of, say, a commercial office building. It is an achievement worth noting, therefore, when a major hospital achieves LEED Platinum status, especially when that hospital attains 14 ...
| Aug 11, 2010
Hospital Additions + Renovations: 14 Lessons from Expert Building Teams
Two additions to a community hospital in Ohio that will double its square footage. A 12-story addition on top of an existing 12-story tower at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. A $54 million renovation and addition at the University of Virginia Medical Center. A 67-bed, $70 million addition/renovation to a community hospital that is only five years old.
| Aug 11, 2010
Research Facility Breaks the Mold
In the market for state-of-the-art biomedical research space in Boston's Longwood Medical Area? Good news: there are still two floors available in the Center for Life Science | Boston, a multi-tenant, speculative high-rise research building designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates, Boston, and developed by Lyme Properties, Hanover, N.
| Aug 11, 2010
3 Hospitals, 3 Building Teams, 1 Mission: Optimum Sustainability
It's big news in any city when a new billion-dollar hospital is announced. Imagine what it must be like to have not one, not two, but three such blockbusters in the works, each of them tracking LEED-NC Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. That's the case in San Francisco, where three new billion-dollar-plus healthcare facilities are in various stages of design and constructi...
| Aug 11, 2010
Holyoke Health Center
The team behind the new Holyoke (Mass.) Health Center was aiming for more than the renovation of a single building—they were hoping to revive an entire community. Holyoke's central business district was built in the 19th century as part of a planned industrial town, but over the years it had fallen into disrepair.
| Aug 11, 2010
Right-Sizing Healthcare
Over the past 30 years or so, the healthcare industry has quietly super-sized its healthcare facilities. Since 1980, ORs have bulked up in size by 53%, acute-care patient rooms by 77%. The slow creep went unlabeled until recently, when consultant H. Scot Latimer applied the super-sizing moniker to hospitals, inpatient rooms, operating rooms, and other treatment and administrative spaces.
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Healthcare
11. Operating Room-Integrated MRI will Help Neurosurgeons Get it Right the First Time A major limitation of traditional brain cancer surgery is the lack of scanning capability in the operating room. Neurosurgeons do their best to visually identify and remove the cancerous tissue, but only an MRI scan will confirm if the operation was a complete success or not.
