Making Material Selections - Chapter 1 Flashcards
ANSI
American National Standards Institute
What role does the ADA play in interior design?
You must incorporate ADA Accessibility Guidelines in your designs for public spaces.
ASHRAE
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers
ASTM
American Society for Testing & Materials
NKBA
National Kitchen & Bath Association
What’s the difference between codes as opposed to guidelines?
Buildings must comply with local building codes but guidelines may be voluntary.
ICC
International Code Counsil
Give an example of lightly regulated areas
Private spaces like a residential home vs. apartment.
For able-bodied adults familiar with the premises
No exceptional hazards.
Give an example of heavily regulated areas
Public shared places both public and privately owned.
(school/restaurants)
Spaces that serve to vulnerable populations (children/sick people)
Hazardous materials and processes are contained
Guidelines that pertain to materials :
- Fire Resistance
- Slip Resistance
- Ability to be cleaned or sanitized
Guidelines that pertain to Items :
- Ease of Use
(particularly panic situations) - Visibility
- Air Quality
Fire safety codes stipulate resistance to flames based on flame ratings that vary from A-C.
In what order does it go most to least stringent?
A, B & C
UL
Underwritten Laboratory
Third party testers for materials to see if they meet code
What is one of the biggest concerns for designers specifying surfacing?
Flammability
Flammability Testing :
Describe how the Methenamine Pill works.
A pill is placed on the material and then ignited. Seven of eight samples must resist burning out from the center. Measured from the center to the edge of the burn, the flame must be extinguished in less than eight inches.
IBC
International Building Code
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Developed by the United States Green Building Counsil (USGBC), it’s a system for evaluating the effectiveness of building designs in achieving sustainability.
The system is separate from building codes and its optional.
The LEED system awards points for meeting criteria in which you can receive silver, gold, or platinum certification depending on how many sustainable characteristics are incorporated into the design.
How does ‘passive solar ‘ work?
Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces. In this approach, the building itself or some element of it takes advantage of natural energy characteristics in materials and air created by exposure to the sun.
Renewable
More of the material can be produced. Plant or animal based so can grow more. Recycled content that will continue to become available.
Ex. Lumber, jute, leather
Sustainable
The time and resources needed to produce the material.
Ex. Managed forestry.
Recyclable
The material can be put to some other use at the end of its current use.
Ex. Used concrete can be broken and become aggregate in new concrete work.
Recycled
Material that would have gone to a landfill is used as an ingredient in new products.
Down-cycling
Used products are turned into items of less value than the original item.
Ex. Old carpet turned into car bumpers for parking lots
Up-cycling
Used products are turned into items of greater value than the original item.
Ex. Recycled newspapers are turned into solid surfacing for countertops.
Cradle-to-cradle
Old products turned into new versions of themselves
Ex. Carpet fiber reclaimed and turned into new carpet fiber.
Postconsumer
The item has been used and was destined for landfill when it was diverted from the waste stream into a new purpose.
Ex. Aluminum cans recycled into aluminum for storm doors
Preconsumer
Scraps from production are cycled back into the material stream at a fabricators place of manufacture
Ex. Glass trimmings from production are melted into new batches of glass.
Durable
Physical fitness of the material for its intended location as well as the longevity of its design.
Ex. Stone mosaics in the Pantheon
Adaptability
Can be reused in its current form in a new location
Ex. Carpet tiles moved to a new facility
Low-embodied energy
Little energy was consumed when producing and transporting this item. Materials that are regionally manufactured or harvested.
Ex. Using stone from a local quarry rather than an overseas source.
Sustainably Maintained
The material does not require excessive maintenance for its location
Ex. Porcelain tile that can be easily maintained without the use of noxious chemicals
Nontoxic
Compounds that are unhealthy for humans and the environment are not used.
Ex. Specify inert components that do not off-gas VOCs so they do not affect indoor air quality.
Biodegradable
Material that will deteriorate harmlessly into safe components
Ex. Specify plant based materials that are not treated with toxic chemicals and will degrade into harmless components when exposed to living organisms if possible
Carbon Neutral
Production of the material does not increase the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere
Ex. Select materials that have low energy use or manufacturers that offset carbon dioxide by, say, planting trees.
Remanufactured
Material that is reworked to extend its life
Ex. Carpeting is one example of a material that can be overprinted to refresh its appearance if it “uglies out” before it wears
Reuse
Secondhand items salvaged from other sites.
Ex. Architectural salvage and furniture have established markets so convenient use of some product categories is available
When how green your products or materials are, try to consider :
- Manufacturing
- Packing & Shipping
- Preparation & Installation
- Use & Maintainance
- Removal & Disposal
Ecosystems
Inter-related habitats and organisms; healthy ecosystems remain in balance without depletion of resources.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Substances whose state can be changed and that interact with organic systems like ecosystems or individual plants and animals.
Outgas
Volatile compounds that change from a solid or liquid to a gas and float out of the material.
Particulates
Suspend solids (dust, grit, etc.) that reduce visibility and can cause lung and eye damage, and respiratory problems.
Air changes per hour (ACH)
Movement of a volume of air in a given period of time; if a house has one air change per hour, it means that all the air in the house will be replaced in a one hour period.
Sick building syndrome
Health or comfort complaints that appear to be linked to building systems but where no specific illness or cause can be identified.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), how much more concentrated are interior environments than open when it comes to volatile organic compounds?
Ten times
What is the difference between green design and toxicity!
Toxicity directly addresses the affect that the products “ingredients” have on the human body but often then things that are bad for humans are also bad for ecosystems. When you avoid toxic materials for your client’s sake, you’ll be preserving the health of the environment as well.
Environmental costs should include :
Not only the price of the materials but the sustainability and social impacts,
FSC
Forest Stewardship Counsil
Life-Cycle costs consist of :
- Material
- Prep Work required
- Installation
- Maintenance per year multiplied by the number of years the material is predicted to last
- Cost of removing and disposing the material
- Cost of restoring surfaces to receive other materials after removal
Specification
A detailed description of requirements, or characteristics of a product or of labor, to be performed by others.
NOFA
National Wood Flooring Association
What kind of jobs will have higher designer fees?
More responsibility = more time
Commissioning Agents
Persons responsible for coordinating and carrying out the commission process by implementing the commissioning plan and ensuring prior to occupancy that all building systems are operational
