Innovations Encourage Green Renovations
Flexibility and Sliding Doors
Flexible partitions promote shared daylight, different working styles, easy renovations and re-configurations in offices. Photo courtesy of THE SLIDING DOOR COMPANY® |
Modernization, rebranding and creating a new business image can drive major renovations. In fact, the refresh rate for new images for hotels, restaurants and offices is often part of a 5- to 10-year facility plan. New research in work styles has driven new configurations for old office floor plans. To maintain and recruit new staff, business owners and management are requesting interiors that provide healthier air quality, increased access to daylight, use less toxic finishes and allow for flexible work spaces that can be configured to a variety of work options.
Workspaces created from sliding glass doors can provide flexibility for shared workplaces, satellite offices, as well as group conference nodes. Glass sliding doors create a larger sense of space and can be used in daylight harvesting strategies for greater access to views of nature. These modular components replace traditional drywall partitions and promote change.
As Todd Schwarz, sales manager, Commercial Division of The Sliding Door Company notes, “Sustainability is not just a checklist of materials, healthy finishes or certified products. It is problem solving that affects design in a cost-effective manner. For an office setting, modularity allows for flexible configurations for growing businesses as well as businesses looking to downsize.”
A private conference room created with a frosted sliding glass door wall with upper transparent window glazing shares daylight with the hallway. Photo courtesy of THE SLIDING DOOR COMPANY® |
REUSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE: CONSERVING RESOURCES
Building reuse is a strategy for the conservation of resources. Renovating an existing building rather than building new can reduce the environmental impact on the environment of materials transport and manufacturing and reduce waste.
Brent Spann, vice president of marketing of Eldorado Stone, comments: “Whenever possible, specified building products should have sustainable attributes. Some products that are lighter weight are better in a life-cycle analysis because they can be transported over longer distances for less fuel and less impact on infrastructure. Products designed to reduce labor and waste during installation can also be considered sustainable.”
Renovations using products, processes and materials that have green attributes can add substantial value to projects. The following is a continued discussion of windows, waterproofing, engineered and manufactured stone, as well as the use of glass sliding doors for maximizing the benefits of green renovations:
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www.bradleycorp.com/diplomat/
www.cetco.com/bmg
www.eldoradostone.com
www.pellacommercial.com
www.slidingdoorco.com