Many attendees are watching the industry closely to see innovative product solutions, particularly LED's. This year did not disappoint.  While many manufacturers have shown LED luminaires and lamp (bulb) replacements in previous years, the industry is making enough progress that more of these solutions are nearing readiness for widespread use.

At the LFI Innovation Awards, a new LED module from Bridgelux and Molex won the Most Innovative Product of the Year Award.  Helieon is an LED light source that turns and locks into place, emulating traditional lighting sockets and allowing users to alter beam angle, color temperature or light output without removing or replacing the luminaire.

“Bridgelux is delivering energy-efficient LED lighting solutions that are driving the transformation of the $100 billion lighting industry,” said Bill Watkins, Bridgelux CEO. “Providing high quality light and an easy, familiar installation experience at a price point to enable mass adoption, Helieon delivers on the promise of solid state lighting.”

This year's LFI showcased a number of solutions from manufacturers that bring the promise of LED lighting for general illumination closer to reality.  Viable site and exterior lighting solutions, as well as  linear and point source luminaires for interior use boast increased lumen output, better controllability, better color rendering, and lower costs than in previous years.

The lighting industry continues its endeavor to deliver viable, affordable LED-based solutions for general ambient light, a need which has typically been filled by fluorescent and incandescent lamps.

Originally posted 2010-08-26 00:01:04.

Related posts:

1. Are Incandescent Bulbs Going the Way of the Dinosaur?
2. The Six Components of Successful Daylighting Part III
3. 9 Lighting Disasters to Avoid in the Kitchen and Bathroom

Kitchen Sinks

In a typical situation an accessible kitchen sink has to have a clear space beneath. This allows a person in a wheelchair to approach the sink and get close enough to effectively use it. Generally, this requires such a person to get their knees under the sink while still having a clear area for their toes.

Most office break rooms consist of countertop and cabinet space, a refrigerator, coffee maker and a toaster oven. In this situation a parallel approach is allowed at the sink. This allows there to be a standard base cabinet under the sink.

What is the difference between a break room and a typical kitchen? Cooktops and ranges. In a space with a kitchen sink but no cooktop or conventional range, a parallel approach is allowed to the sink by section 606.2, exception 1 of the ADA guidelines. It is also important to know that countertops in such spaces must be no higher than 34” and no deeper than 24”

Originally posted 2010-12-02 00:06:19.

Related posts:

1. Designing a Commercial Kitchen – What the Small Restaurant Owner Needs to Give Their Architect
2. ADA Accessible Doors – An In-Depth Look at the Building Code
3. Minimum Space Between Counters in a Kitchen – How Wide Should the Aisle Be?

Armstrong's Ceiling-2-Ceiling program allows you to recycle used ceiling tiles from your remodel or demolition project. You pull the tile out and put it on a pallet, then Armstrong takes it from you and recycles it as post-consumer content for their manufacturing process.

The Ultima, Dune and Cirrus lay-in ceiling tiles are all available with post-consumer content if you're looking to make your own loop when you replace what you sent of for recycling. You may also be able to use it to pursue LEED points. With the tiles that we are replacing in our office, we're getting tiles with up to 53% recycled content (18% post-consumer).

There is a significant amount of information on this program on their website and this PDF.  There are obviously some tiles that don't work (like asbestos) but a great deal of tile is eligible.

Originally posted 2011-04-12 02:03:05.

Related posts:

1. University of Denver Boettcher Center Auditorium – Where the Ceiling meets the Wall
2. University of Denver Boettcher Center Auditorium Ceiling Renovation
3. Achieving a 2 Hour Floor Ceiling Assembly From the Underside Only

Projected Light Over the Depth of the Entire Office

The Transom has the effect of having Venetian Blinds in it (and the cost is about the same) while the incident light is capable of being reflected to the furthest reaches of the depth of the office. In fact, during our tour, the only artificial lights we could find that were on were over areas with taller partition walls that were separated for privacy.

Transom with Reflective Louvers for Effective Daylighting

The ceilings in the space are painted with a bright light surface as well as the acoustic panels in order to take the reflected light and distribute it more evenly throughout the room.  In the end analysis, an elegant and simple solution that creates a wonderfully naturally lit indoor environment.

Related posts:

1. The Six Components of Successful Daylighting Part II
2. The Six Components of Successful Daylighting Part III
3. Controlling Western Sun Glare with Electrochromic Windows at NREL

Virginia, you've experienced one of the main issues with compact fluorescent bulbs that we can easily avoid with some education.  Be prepared to carefully scrutinize the packaging of bulbs you're evaluating, and keep in mind the following guidelines.

First of all, we must consider two rating systems currently used by the lighting industry to determine what color a bulb is relative to known sources such as incandescent bulbs or daylight, and just how real that bulb makes things look compared to a known source.

1. Correlated Color Temperature, or CCT, defines the warmth or coolness of a light source, and ranges from about 1,800 degree Kelvin (1800K) for a candle to a very cool north sky at over 20,000 degrees Kelvin (20000K). Our benchmarks are an incandescent bulb at 2700K, direct sun at 5300K, sun with blue sky at 6000K, and north sky at about 10000K.  Many offices and commercial spaces are lit with fluorescent bulbs that are 3000K or 3500K, which look cooler than an incandescent bulb.  Fluorescent bulbs labeled "warm white" are typically 3000K, while "cool white" bulbs are typically 4100K. Check out different color temperatures here.
2. Color Rendering Index, or CRI, ranges from 0-100 and indicates how colors appear relative to two benchmarks: incandescent bulbs, including halogen, and daylight. These both have CRI's of 100.  The closer to 100 the CRI is of a light source, the more natural and rich colors tend to appear.  Many newer fluorescent sources have a CRI above 80. Read more about CRI here or here.

The key to picking a compact fluorescent bulb requires carefully scrutinizing the packaging for information about color temperature (sometimes noted as CCT, if it is labeled at all) and color rendering index (almost always referred to as CRI). A recent trip to several local purveyors of compact fluorescent bulbs turned up mixed results: packaging sometimes indicated color temperature, sometimes did not.

Stick with products that label color temperature, which usually shows up on the packaging simply as "2700K", or in the product number with a number like "827". This is lighting industry parlance for a product that has a CRI in the 80's (hence the 8), and has a CCT of 2700K (hence the 27). Other likely combinations are 830 (CRI in the 80's, CCT of 3000K), 835 and 841.

Consider testing results from independent laboratories. In rigorous testing of color accuracy and color shift conducted by the Lighting Research Institute at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, compact fluorescent lamp color from Philips, Osram Sylvania and GE was more accurate with less color shift over time than products from SunPark Electronics of Lights of America.  See the test results at the end of this report.

Here in the mountain west, our light tends to be pretty warm, and an environment filled with dusty sage, buff and terra cotta looks most balanced with a warmer color temperature like 2700K - 3000K. One of the Denver Lighting Examiner's preferred compact fluorescent bulbs is Osram Sylvania's Living Spaces, which has enriched red color intended specifically for living environments, color temperature of 2700K, CRI of 82, and energy star rating. They are available locally at Lowe's.

Choose what color temperature is best suited to the intended use and desired feel of a space. Want a room to feel cool and conducive to intense concentration? Choose a cooler color palette with grays and blues and bulbs with a cooler color temperature, like 3500K.  Want to feel enveloped in warmth, soothed, and comforted, like you're curled up by the fireside or at your favorite restaurant under dim light?  Choose our warmer palette of buff, rich browns, and reds, and bulbs with a warmer color temperature of 2500K-2700K.

Originally posted 2010-02-16 00:01:41.

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1. Save Energy on Lighting With Dimmer Switches and Incandescent Bulbs
2. Resolve to Make Your Exterior Lighting Dark Sky Compliant
3. Keep Our Night Skies Dark: How to Take Action in the Community

CASTING CALL—Interior Design Disaster!

Homeowners in Denver, New York and LA: Do you have an interior decorating disaster in your home? Did you complete a DIY makeover that should have been a DI-Don’t? Has your design dream turned into a nightmare? Then HGTV is looking for you!

HGTV is NOW CASTING energetic, fun-spirited homeowners in who want to remedy their failed decorating attempts!  Friends and families of homeowners may also apply—if you think your friend/relative needs a decorating intervention, let us know!

Homeowners, AKA the Design Victims:

• Must have created a hideous room (that can be fixed cosmetically). Horrible color schemes, decorating “themes” gone wrong, “kitschy” becoming tacky—all of these are great! Loud designs welcome!
• Must have a family member or close friend who is troubled by the hideousness of the room. (Can be the homeowner him/herself.)
• Must have at least a little sense of humor about the room—willing to take some gentle teasing about it.
• The room may have been designed and decorated by the homeowner, a friend/relative, or even a hired designer. NOTE: rooms that were decorated by the home’s previous owner will not be considered.

If you think you might be a victim of your own self-inflicted design wounds, apply now!

Our design expert will deconstruct your decorating and help you see where things went wrong. Then, let the fun begin! Our host will bring the room down to the bare bones and help you redecorate it—including furniture, window treatments, finishes and accessories—and this time end up with a room you can be proud of!

Taping begins in mid-June, and we are casting ASAP!

To Apply:

Go to http://highnoontv.com/casting_apply_new.php?application_id=19 for an online application.

Contact Allison Dalvit at ADalvit@highnoontv.com

Related posts:

1. Another HGTV Casting Call for Denver Colorado Homeowners
2. Casting Call for New HGTV Series in Denver
3. New HGTV Show Casting for Denver Area General Contractor

What is building energy modeling (BEM)? BEM is used to predict a building's energy use based on construction and regional climate. With BEM, the modeler is able to manipulate elements of a building's construction, such as adding or removing shading elements, modifying HVAC systems, or changing glazing types. With each component modeled, the computer runs simulations to predict a building's energy usage based on occupancy, cloud cover, temperature, season, and a host of other variables.

While simple daylighting software is available, most BEM tools are complex and challenging to learn, with more sophisticated daylight modeling software taking entire arrays of processors to accurately reflect the sun's movement across the sky. The effort is often limited to high performance buildings and large budgets. The work that Scheib and Guglielmetti are performing in their positions at NREL is done with the long term vision of making BEM accessible to the average person.

The NREL researchers are committed to making annual simulations of daylight easier and more accurate. According to Guglielmetti, "It's a very exciting time in industry. Our focus is to make this a usable tool that everyday people can access through the web. For instance, a retailer that has stores everywhere can run climate-based calculations and fine-tune designs to save energy based on regional climate and daylight availability."

Advanced Energy Design Guides, published by ASHRAE, currently offer strategies to minimize energy use beyond what is required by the model energy code, ASHRAE 90.1.  Another of the NREL team's goals is to help refine the Energy Design Guides by offering much more accurate daylighting strategies based on their research and development of these new tools.

An additional benefit of a simpler BEM tool that incorporates daylight analysis is the ability to update model energy and building codes with accurate climate modeling data that incorporates daylight's true impact on energy use regionally.

Most importantly, more accurate energy modeling, including daylighting, will help building teams meet energy codes in practice rather than in the abstract world of energy modeling and code compliance. Currently, actual building energy use often differs drastically from energy modeling predictions because of software limitations and difficulty of use. As Scheib states, "If you're actually working to meet an energy metric, you need an accurate modeling tool."

Related posts:

1. The Six Components of Successful Daylighting Part III
2. The Six Components of Successful Daylighting Part II
3. The Six Components of Successful Daylighting

view from across the street

Giovanni's Italian restaurant in Copperas Cove, Texas is on schedule to open before the end of the year.  This has been an exciting project for everyone involved and the opening is greatly anticipated.

Please view the photos we have included to get a better idea of just how close to completion we really are!

view walking towards the the entrance

"wine barrel booths" in the wine cellar dining area

bridge over the canal leading to the "Venezia" dining area

view from main dining area back to the waiting area

another view towards the entrance focused on the tower at the waiting area

Related posts:

1. Giovanni Italian Restaurant Floor Plans
2. Kershenstein Honka Log Home in Evergreen Colorado Near Completion
3. Rendering of Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant in Copperas Cove, Texas

Below you can see the new suspended acoustical tile ceiling in one of the lower classrooms.  On the west wall of this room we have kept the very cool original wood veneer system with interlocking battens, and when the decision was made to drop in a new ceiling we had to decide how the two planes would intersect.  In the end, we decided it would be better if they didn't interact at all.  A detail with a horizontal batten passing through the grid was unattractive mainly because suspended grids don't make tight turns gracefully.  We opted to leave a 4" gap between the two, allowing the battens to pass freely beyond the ceiling and disappear into the space above.

Outside the classrooms in the vestibule we have the opposite situation.  Here the new walls and ceiling are all sheetrocked which allow us to gracefully weave the new materials around the old.

Related posts:

1. University of Denver Boettcher Center Auditorium Ceiling Renovation
2. University of Denver Boettcher Center Auditorium – Patterning
3. University of Denver Boettcher Center Auditorium Interior Deconstruction

The original guidebook for ADA is pretty sparse in this area but fortunately there was an update in 1998 that added several areas.

The major addition was in play areas specifying requirements for accessible paths and the type and quantity of play equipment that is required to be accessible giving children with special needs the ability to play with their peers.

The 1998 ADAAG update also gave options for toilets, grab bars, lavatories, mirrors, and hand rails that cater to children.  In most cases these aren't required, but they do give the designer a range of reduced heights more appropriate to the younger client.  ANSI 117.1-2003 speaks more in terms of requirements but the height of children's facilities tend to overlap with the height of their equivalent adult facility.  For example, an adult size toilet seat may be 17"-19" high, while a child's may be 11" - 17" high.  The effect is the same for both in this way.  You have the option to go lower, but you may stay at a standard height as well.

One interesting note about the ADA requirements is that for restroom stalls with wall mounted toilets you are typically allowed to go with a slightly smaller stall but this is not the case when dealing with a stall primarily used by children.  I found this to be interesting given the reduced size of the occupant using the facility, so I'll be interested to see the commentary on this issue as I'm sure there is a logical reason.

In conclusion, anyone who has potty trained a toddler will tell you, that there are enough barriers in the process without the size of the toilet getting in the way.   I look forward to making this facility as accessible as possible to all of its users, big...and small.

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2. Avoid Costly Future Alterations: Free Fair Housing and Accessibility Presentation
3. ADA Accessible Doors – An In-Depth Look at the Building Code