Client News: Valspar offers Color Matters a new, online AIA/CES

The Valspar Corporation offers “Color Matters: The Relationship Between Color and Pigments in Architectural Coatings,” a new continuing education course. Registered members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) who successfully complete the online course may earn 1.0 Learning Unit with Continuing Education Systems (CES).
Valspar_Blue
“The perception of color is informed by a culture and its symbolism, from food and fashion to the landscape, structures, raw materials and light. Color forecasting identifies the newest trends in color that are drawn from these underlying influences and provides an ongoing resource of inspiration for designers and architects,” said James Sherwood, Valspar’s architectural business development manager. “We are excited to share this course with the architectural community as it demonstrates the importance of color in the built environment, not only in specific industries and building types, but also to the people who benefit from these colorful spaces.”

Color powder cmykThe relationship between color and pigments will be explained, including how pigments can affect color performance in architectural coatings. ASTM performance test methods will be described to foster a deeper understanding of the effect that exposure has on pigments and color retention. AAMA specifications will be addressed to help architects in selecting the correct pigments for optimal form and function in a project.

* Valspar’s “Color Matters” is presented by Hanley Wood, LLC, a registered provider with the AIA/CES. This informative program is available online at ArchitectCEUniversity.com and at HanleyWoodUniversity.com.
* The June issue of McGraw-Hill’s Architectural Record magazine and online Continuing Education Center feature a similar 1.0 LU course, “Talking Color.”
* Visitors to Valspar’s AIA booth #3618 booth also will have the opportunity to earn 0.25 Learning Units with an Expo Chat.
AIA-registered architects are required to complete a total of 18 Learning Units in a calendar year. Online courses offer a convenient method for earning credits and acquiring new knowledge.
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In addition to providing continuing education, Valspar supports architects and building industry professionals with inspirational videos, industry-leading technical expertise, color-matching and sustainability resources, responsive customer service and high-priority lead times.

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Association News: Hamilton Wood Type opens storefront in Saint Paul offers retail shop, gallery space, classroom venue and co-op printing studio for Twin Cities artists

Hamilton Ink Spot opens June 14, 2014, concurrent with Metro Transit’s Green Line opening and Northern Spark’s all-night arts festival. The new Ink Spot storefront is located steps from the Green Line at 375 N. Wabasha Street in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota.
HWT_InkSpot_Store
Hamilton Ink Spot features Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum’s merchandise for sale, as well as a co-op space for Twin Cities artists to create and exhibit their original posters, cards, clothing and other printed work. On July 3, the public is invited to return for a grand opening celebration with the co-op members for free music, gallery show and other activities.

Operated by Hamilton’s artistic director, Bill Moran, the 2,200-square-foot studio offers gallery space, a retail shop, working letterpress and screen printing studio, a classroom venue for individualized study and group workshops, and professionally guided internships. An internationally respected artist and designer, Moran has worked since 1986 in Saint Paul and since 2011 from the Wabasha Street location. He has been involved with the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum since 2001.

HWT_InkSpot_TypeHamilton Ink Spot is the first venture to which Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum lends its name. Based in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Hamilton is the only museum dedicated to the preservation, study, production and printing of wood type. With 1.5 million pieces of wood type and more than 1,000 styles and sizes of patterns, Hamilton’s collection is one of the premier wood type collections in the world.

Moran radiates with enthusiasm for the new venture saying, “Hamilton Ink Spot is a chance to share a treasure of American printing with Twin Cities’ design and letterpress lovers. Having a store in a major metropolitan area is something our fans and friends have been asking us to do for a few years and we’re excited to make it happen.”

The City of Saint Paul’s Joe Spencer shares Moran’s excitement and adds, “Ink Spot is the perfect gathering place to both showcase the amazing talent of this national design mecca we call home. Ink Spot is a wonderful place to bring great artists and designers together along with their adoring audiences.”
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At its opening, Hamilton Ink Spot will feature the work of its co-op members, including the following artists:
* Lunalux’s Jenni Undis
* Designer and printer Taylor Snyder
* Illustrator and designer, Bill Ference
* Designer Sam Anderson
* Sister Black Press’ Monica Edwards Larson
* Jeff Johnson and Replace
* Designer Jesse Lindhorst
* Designer Andy Nelson
* McNally Smith College of Music

“Like the Ink Spots of old, another voice in Saint Paul adds harmony. What a marvelous way to extend the collection and opportunity for printers,” concludes Hamilton’s museum director, Jim Moran.

To learn more about Hamilton Ink Spot’s co-op memberships, workshops, internships, merchandise and exhibition gallery, please email bill@woodtype.org or visit http://woodtype.org/visit/hamiltoninkspot

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Association News: Freeman addresses product transparency declarations during the AAMA Summer Conference

AAMA_WilliamHFreemanWilliam Freeman, technical consultant to the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), discussed the institute’s alternative to Health Product Declarations (HPDs), during the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Summer Conference held June 1-4, in Indianapolis. Freeman explained why RFCI created Product Transparency Declarations (PTDs) and how they differ from HPDs.

“An increased number of architects are demanding transparency,” says Freeman, adding that architects wish to know the ingredients contained in a building material.

HPDs were introduced in November 2012 and focus on ingredients as pure chemicals, as well as hazard lists, but without consideration for exposure or risk. Though an HPD is not an assessment of risks associated with the use of a product, building product manufacturers are reluctant to publish HDPs and thus their proprietary formulas.

“HPDs are so complex that manufacturers are hiring third-party firms to complete them,” says Freeman. “PTDs use a much less complicated reporting method.”

PTDs provide transparency based on exposure and risk rather than hazard, while also providing labeling and warning requirements. While HPDs focus on raw materials in a product, PTDs focus on a finished product delivered to a job site.

Additionally, HPDs require the percentage of each ingredient in a material be disclosed, including an indication of whether any of those percentages vary over time. PTDs do not require reporting of percentages of each product ingredient.

Another way PTDs are simpler is that the PTD uses six authoritative hazard lists, says Freeman; HPDs use 30.

The PTD created by RFCI is flexible enough to be used for any building product, according to Freeman, and RFCI is pursuing both ANSI and LEED® recognition for their HPD alternative. It’s unclear, says Freeman, about the process used to decide what is included in current and future HPDs.

About the Speaker
Freeman retired from Armstrong after 35 years in the floor and carpet divisions and has worked for the past 13 years as a technical and regulatory consultant for RFCI with much of his work focused on environmental issues. Freeman is past vice chair of the National Institute of Building Science’s Consultative Council, and he was a member of the original task group, which drafted the Materials & Resources section of the U.S. Green Building Council LEED rating system. He was also a member of the technical committee that developed the Green Globes ANSI standard and is currently a member of the board of directors of the Green Building Initiative, as well as chairman of Working Group 2 of ISO Technical Committee 219, which establishes worldwide standards for resilient flooring.

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Client News: Tubelite adds Tim McMenamin as Lean Champion

Tim McMenamin joins Tubelite Inc. as Lean Champion helping to drive efficiency and quality, improve productivity and optimize the company’s value stream. Tubelite provides clients and their commercial building projects with storefront, curtainwall, entrance and daylighting systems.
Tubelite_TimMcMenamin
Most recently, McMenamin applied his “Black Belt” in Six Sigma/Lean manufacturing at E&J Gallo Winery and previously served as a team leader managing several bottling production lines. He began his career in Michigan’s automotive production industry as a project design leader with the General Motors’ Chevrolet Avalanche launch team. He also worked as a production supervisor at Ford Sterling Axle Plant, as Daimler Chrysler’s production team leader in the final assembly of Dodge Ram and Dakota trucks, and as a production supervisor for American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.

McMenamin earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on supply chain/logistics from Davenport University-Eastern Region in Dearborn, Michigan.

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Association News: AAMA announces 2014 scholarship winners

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) celebrated 14 consecutive years of furthering the careers and education of students pursuing a degree related to the building products industry by awarding six AAMA scholarships to children of employees of AAMA member companies. The recipients of 10 partner scholarships were also announced. The scholarship award winners were announced during the 2014 AAMA Summer Conference, held June 1-4, in Indianapolis.

“We are extremely proud of this year’s group of AAMA scholarship winners,” said Rich Walker, AAMA’s president and CEO. “This next generation of leaders shows a bright future for the industry. We are pleased to support their efforts to expand their knowledge in these fields.”AAMA_Group

The AAMA Scholarship is a one-time award of $2,000. All children of employees of AAMA member companies are eligible to obtain this financial aid for higher education in pursuit of a degree in an engineering or technical field relating to the building products industry. Applicants are judged on grade point average, college entrance exam scores and a 500-word essay. Eligible candidates must be high school seniors or college students who are children of employees of AAMA member companies in good standing.

The 2014 FenestrationMasters™ Scholarship Award was awarded to David Sloane, a soon-to-be freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sloane will be pursuing a degree in engineering. He is interested in math and science and earned a National Honors award three years in a row. His mother, Loren Sloane, is an employee of Atrium Companies, Inc., in Dallas.

The first 2014 AAMA Scholarship Award recipient is Jakob Hartl, who will be a junior at Iowa State University this fall. He is pursuing a degree in engineering and is a member of the FTC Robotics team and the Lunabotics team. He is ranked number one in his class. His father, Wilhelm Hartl, works for Pella Corporation in Pella, Iowa.

The second recipient is Tanner Phelps, who is a soon-to-be freshman pursuing a degree in chemical engineering this fall at Iowa State University. In his essay, Phelps said he hopes to use his degree someday to help improve the world we live in. His father, Doug Phelps, works for Pella Corporation in Pella, Iowa.

The third recipient is Steven Patrick, a soon-to-be freshman at the University of Tennessee. Patrick plans to major in mechanical engineering and has aspirations of starting his own engineering company someday. His mother, Amy Patrick, works for Kawneer Company, Inc. in Springdale, Arkansas.

The fourth recipient is Tyler Foster, who will be a freshman this fall at the University of Iowa, where he will pursue a degree in computer science. He was ranked number one in his class in high school and is active in the North Mahaska 4-H community. His father, Keith Foster, works for Pella Corporation in Pella, Iowa.

The fifth, and final, recipient is Holly Hagemann, who will start this fall at Northern Illinois University, where she will pursue a degree in electrical engineering. Currently, she works as a high school student tutor specializing in statistics and calculus. Her mother, Patricia L. Hagemann, works for Pella Corporation in West Chicago, Illinois.

The 10 partner scholarship recipients are as follows: Jean Abbey, winner of the Henry and Carole Taylor family Scholarship, from Architectural Testing, Inc.; Ashton Tongco, winner of a scholarship from Graham Architectural; Haris Hrahic, winner of a scholarship from MI Windows and Doors; Tyler Quatraro, Alexa Acquista and Matthew Saunders, all winners of the Milgard Manufacturing Scholarship; Katlyn Nau, winner of the PGT Talent for Tomorrow Scholarship; Kaitlyn Shaw, winner of the Ron Sandwith Scholarship from Quanex Building Products; Caden Brooker, winner of a scholarship from Simonton Windows; and Moriah Dockter, winner of a scholarship from VEKA, Inc.

For more information, visit the AAMA Scholarship Program web page or contact Jannine Klemencic, AAMA’s association services assistant. Videos of the AAMA Scholarship Award winners accepting their awards can be found on AAMA’s YouTube Channel.

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Association News: Dr. Elizabeth Watson addresses AAMA Summer Conference attendees with presentation on universal design

Dr. Elizabeth WatsonDr. Elizabeth Watson, director of the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Wisconsin, discussed designing for accessibility during the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Summer Conference. Her keynote address focused on the importance of universal design and challenged attendees to take a fresh approach.

Watson’s presentation, titled “Moving from ADA to Universal Design: A Road Map,” showcased her more than 24 years of experience with individuals with disabilities. Designing for accessibility is a great idea and also the law, said Watson. However, accessibility standards and ADA guidelines are simply the minimums. Many designers and manufacturers desire to move to the next level of inclusion using the principles of Universal Design (UD).

“By designing just to ADA requirements, you’ve alienated 25 to 30 percent of the population,” says Watson.

Watson began her presentation with a video of Matt Scott in a Nike “No Excuses” commercial, rattling off a list of cliché reasons not to do something. Scott is captain of the wheelchair basketball team that took home the gold in the 2011 Parapan American Games.

“These are the folks I work with daily,” says Watson, sharing her passion for the importance of universal design.

If we live a long life, we will all be temporarily able bodied, she said. “I want to age in my own home… in my own community.”

Watson spoke about available resources for UD, such as the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, where UD was first developed. Universal Design is intended to be useful and marketable to any group of users, says Watson. This means it must be flexible and accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

She challenged attendees to look at product design differently, including bringing in new team members to gain fresh perspective and making products more flexible in order to serve more people. This may lead to failures; however, “celebrating successes and acknowledging what worked well is important,” says Watson.

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Client News: Rockfon Koral ceiling panels offer great sound absorption, high light reflectance, lightly textured white surface

* Chicago Metallic/ROCKFON will be exhibiting at the AIA Expo in booth #963 *

Rockfon_Koral_GatewayBlending aesthetics, performance and ease of installation, Rockfon(R) Koral(TM) stone wool acoustic ceiling panels feature a lightly textured, painted white surface, good sound absorption, high light reflectance, fire protection and humidity resistance. Rockfon Koral panels are well suited to create modular ceiling designs such as open-plan offices, retail centers, commercial kitchens and baths, long corridors, large classrooms, and convention centers.

“The attractive, lightly textured, painted white surface of Rockfon Koral panels has high light reflectance with an LR of 0.86. Maximizing the use of natural light may allow the number of light fixtures to be reduced; lowering electronic light loads and reducing cooling costs,” said Cory Nevins, ROCKFON’s director of marketing for North America. “These panels also deliver great speech privacy performance and very high sound absorption with an NRC of 0.85.”

Rockfon Koral’s high Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) mitigates what is known as the “cocktail effect,” explained ROCKFON’s district manager for Ontario and western Canada, Scott Debenham. “When a large group of people gathers in an open space, they escalate the volume of their voices, competing to hear one another. This makes it increasingly difficult to hear the individual conversations taking place. Our stone wool ceiling panels’ high sound absorption makes it easier to hear one another without raising your voice, as well as enhances speech intelligibility to hear a speaker addressing the large group.”

Contributing to buildings’ environmental goals, Rockfon Koral ceiling panels contain up to 34 percent recycled content. ROCKFON’s extensive portfolio of stone wool acoustic ceiling solutions has earned UL® Environment’s GREENGUARD Gold Certification for low-emitting products.

Available with either a square tegular, square tegular narrow or square lay-in edge, Rockfon Koral may be specified in 2-by-2-foot or 2-by-4-foot sizes. As with all of ROCKFON’s stone wool ceiling panels, these panels also are 50 to 75 percent lighter than other ceiling panels for easier installation. Providing low maintenance and long-term durability, ROCKFON products supplied in North America are supported with a 10-year product and 30-year limited system warranty.

ROCKFON’s product portfolio in North America includes an extensive range of solutions from suspended and concealed ceilings to clouds and baffles. To learn more about Rockfon Koral ceiling panels or other ROCKFON products, please visit http://www.rockfon.com.

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Client News: Appleton Coated reveals winners in U360 Design Competition

Appleton Coated congratulates the U360 Design Competition’s 2014 winners and presents them in its online gallery at appletoncoated.com and in “U Made,” the printed showbook. Five creative professionals from the Appleton Coated Design Council evaluated over 300 entries and selected the best examples demonstrating the impact of well-executed print.ACU_U360_Cover2014

“We celebrate the art of print communication and marvel at the effort that elevates it,” says Ferkó X. Goldinger, Appleton Coated’s marketing manager. “These visionary victors use deft design to bring ideas to order and transform doodles into delights. U360’s winning entries exemplify work that’s worth the paper it’s printed on; work that bends print to its creative will and makes a lasting impression that leaves a mark.”

Now in its fifth year, U360 celebrates design, content and printing excellence, and all that paper makes possible. Appleton Coated introduced U360 in 2009 as a new, professionally reviewed North American competition. It evolved from the successful legacy of U B the Judge event-based, peer-judged format.

Submissions to the 2015 U360 Competition must be printed all, or in part, on Utopia and/or Curious Collection, accompanied by a completed entry form, and produced in 2014. Entries for the 2015 U360 Design Competition are due Dec. 5, 2014. Special awards honor entries in the categories of Best of Show, Design Excellence, Print Excellence, Communication Excellence and Regional Excellence.

 

Best of Show

“The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Fashion 2013 Branding Campaign;” designed by Faust, Chicago; printed by Rider Dickerson, Bellwood, Illinois; paper grades are U1X Silk 80-pound cover and Utopia Two Matte 100-pound text.
“To me, Utopia is ubiquitous to luxury… when designing for fashion, I can think of no better surface for my ink to set upon. It allows the photos to look their best and provides a touch that reinforces the first impression,” stated Bob Faust, principal of Faust.

 

ACU_U360_SLGreenDesign Excellence Awards

* “SL Green Realty Corp. 2012 Annual Report;” designed by OTTO, New York; printed by Digital Color Concepts, New York; paper grade is U1X Silk 100-pound cover and text.
“We chose U1X paper for its brightness, performance and feel, and because it addresses our desire to be environmentally responsible,” said David Kohler, principal of OTTO.

* “Doug’s Gym” for Dick Patrick Photography; designed by The Matchbox Studio, Dallas; printed by Broadnax Printing, Dallas; paper grade is Utopia Premium Ivory Silk 95-pound text.
ACU_U360_DougsGym“Utopia is our go-to sheet here at the studio because it’s always reliable, holds color really well, and is at a good price point. It’s a bonus that along with great paper, we get to work with great people,” noted Zach Hale, graphic designer with The Matchbox Studio.

 

Print Excellence Award

“Automotive Jewelry Volume 1;” designed for and by Coachbuilt Press, Philadelphia; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; photography by Michael Furman; paper grade is Utopia Two Matte 100-pound text.
“I thought the paper would support and complement the images and elevate the book to more of an objet d’art vs. another ‘nice book.’ Utopia Two Matte offers a softer, more aesthetic feel, yet upholds critical reproduction values,” praised Bob Tursack, CEO of Brilliant Graphics.

 

Communication Excellence Award

* “150 East 72nd Street” for Macklowe Properties; designed by Massimo Vignelli with Yoshiki Waterhouse, Vignelli Associates; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; paper grade is Utopia Two Matte 100-pound text.

* “The Leap Year Project;” designed by Grip Design, Chicago; printed by Graphic Arts Studio, Barrington, Illinois; paper grades are Utopia Two Dull 120-pound cover and Utopia Two Matte 100-pound text.
“Because the book was so image and color intensive, Utopia Two Matte was the perfect choice for the body. It offered an almost uncoated paper-like tactility, plus the ability to handle large areas of solid color and retain the integrity of the photography. It really is the perfect platform for this project,” observed principal of Kelly Kaminski, of Grip Design.

 

The additional 2014 winning entries are:

* “Supreme Models Show Package” for Supreme Management; designed by Kiel Kong Art Direction & Design, New York; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; paper grade is Utopia two Matte 80-pound cover.

* “Fort Worth Opera;” designed by The Matchbox Studio, Dallas; printed by Broadnax Printing, Dallas; paper grade is Utopia Two Gloss 100-pound cover and text.

* “Canadian Olympic Team” for Hudson’s Bay; designed by Arcade Agency, Toronto; printed by Broadnax Printing, Dallas; paper grade is SKIN Curious Collection Black 141-pound cover.

* “Haworth Collection” for Haworth, Inc.; designed by Plenty, Grand Rapids, Michigan; printed by Custom Printers, Grand Rapids, Michigan; paper grades are SKIN Curious Collection Black 141-pound cover and Curious Translucents Pearl 53-pound cover.

* “RMA 9 River Gala Invite Package;” designed for and by the Rubin Museum of Art, New York; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; paper grade is Utopia Premium Ivory Silk 110-pound cover.

* “MY14 Lincoln MKZ Brochure & Letter” for Lincoln Motor Company; designed by Latcha & Associates, Farmington Hills, Michigan; printed by Hennegan, Florence, Kentucky; paper grade is U1X Silk in 80- and 120-pound cover and 100-pound text.

* “The Soufan Group Campaign;” designed by Gladstone Media, Inc., Toronto, Ontario; printed by C.J. Graphics Inc., Toronto, Ontario; paper grades are SKIN Curious Collection Black 141-pound cover and Curious Translucents Bright White 27-pound text.

* “Fall ’13 Timberland Catalog;” designed for and by Timberland, Stratham, New Hampshire; printed by RR Donnelley, Danville, Kentucky; paper grade is U2:XG Matte 80-pound cover and text.

* “Cadillac CTS-V 2014;” designed by Fallon, Minneapolis; printed by Lithographix, Los Angeles; paper grade is U1X Gloss 100-pound cover and text.

* “Guess Holiday 2013;” designed for and by Guess, Los Angeles; printed by Primary Color, El Segundo, California; paper grade is Utopia One Dull 100-pound cover and text.

* “388 Bridge Street Package” for Stahl Development; designed by dBox, New York; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; paper grade is U1X Sillk 120-pound cover and 100-pound cover and text.

* “Joseph Abboud Spring/Summer 2013 Look Book;” designed by Yard NYC, New York; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; paper grade is Utopia Premium Gloss 100-pound text.

* “I-Bike 2013 MSP Artcrank;” designed for and by Blue Torpedo, Minneapolis; printed by Big Table Studio, Saint Paul, Minnesota; paper grade is Curious Cosmic Pulsar Red 133-pound cover.

* “Olnick Spanu Books: Esposito and Bagnoli” for Olnick Spanu Collection; designed by Yoshiki Waterhouse, New York; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; paper grade is Utopia Two Matte 100-pound text.

* “Annual Carlson Holiday Fiesta” for Carlson; designed by The Matchbox Studio, Dallas; printed by United Group Printing, Dallas; paper grade is Curious Particles Snow 80-pound text.ACU_U360_HolidayFiesta

* “Temple University Honors Yield Piece;” designed for and by Temple University, Philadelphia; printed by Offset Impressions, Reading, Pennsylvania; paper grade is Utopia Two Dull 80-pound cover.

 

Entries receiving regional excellence include:

* East – “Gotham Organization Campaign;” designed by Yard NYC, New York; printed by Brilliant Graphics, Exton, Pennsylvania; paper grades are Utopia Premium Gloss 150-pound cover and 100-pound text, and Utopia Two Matte 65-pound cover.

* West – “Minnesota Greeting Cards” for McIntosh Embossing, Inc.; designed by Blue Torpedo, Minneapolis; printed by McInstosh Embossing, Inc., Minneapolis; paper grades are Curious Particles Haze and Snow 80-pound cover, SKIN Curious Collection Stone 100-pound cover, Curious Cosmic Mercury Pearl and Blue Planet 133-pound cover, and Curious Metallics Cryogen White 89-pound cover, Chocolate 111-pound cover and Lustre 80-pound text.

 

The 2013-2014 Appleton Coated Design Council members include:
* John Connolly, principal and creative director at Ideas on Purpose in New York
* Dana Lytle, founder, principal and design director at Planet Propaganda, Madison, Wisconsin
* Vicky Jones, president of Brand Fever in Atlanta
* Fritz Klaetke, principal and design director of Visual Dialogue in Boston
* Ray Talamo, director of design at Roger Williams University’s Department of Marketing Communications, Bristol, Rhode Island

 

For more information about Appleton Coated’s U360 Competition, Showbook, or Utopia and Curious Collection, visit http://www.appletoncoated.com and http://www.CuriousPapers.com.

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Association News: AAMA releases new document detailing testing for organic coatings on wood, cellulosic composite substrates

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has published AAMA 653-14, Voluntary Performance Requirements and Test Procedures for Organic Coatings on Wood and Cellulosic Composite Substrates.” This new document describes test procedures and performance requirements for organic coatings applied to AAMA-certified wood and cellulosic composite substrates for windows, doors and similar products, as defined and specified in AAMA 309-04.AAMA_Wood_2703_sunroom

“Although this new document is similar to AAMA 633 for exterior stain finishes released a couple years ago, AAMA 653 is the latest in the AAMA finishes document series and covers organic coatings (or finishes),” says Adam Toft (Arkema, Inc), chair of AAMA’s WCCMC Finishes Committee. “The base requirements for organic coatings on different material types includes AAMA 2603, 613, 623, 633, and now 653. All these referenced finish documents show that your finish meets a minimum level of performance. AAMA 653 now provides the ability to demonstrate the same level of performance for a finish on wood and cellulosic substrates.”

The test procedures and performance requirements described in AAMA 653 are specific to factory-applied coatings intended for service in exterior environments. The document will assist architects, owners and contractors in specifying and obtaining factory-applied finishes, which will provide a good level of performance in terms of film integrity, exterior durability and general appearance over the years.

 

AAMA 653-14, along with other AAMA documents, may be purchased from AAMA’s Publication store.

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Association News: AAMA introduces new mobile app in time for Summer Conference

In conjunction with its Summer Conference, June 1-4, 2014, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has released the AAMA app. This new technology companion for the conference is now available for free download in the Apple and Android app stores.AAMA_App

During the conference, users of the app will be able to:
* Receive notifications with pertinent event information
* Connect and interact with AAMA staff and peers
* Keep the easy-to-reference conference agenda available at all times
* Build a customized conference schedule
* Quickly reference hotel, meeting space and local restaurant information
* Take notes during conference sessions on a mobile device
* Share content via Twitter, Facebook and email

Other app features for post-conference use include:
* Purchase technical standards and market research
* Sign up for AAMA’s professional training and certification program, FenestrationMasters™
* Discover the benefits of AAMA membership and begin the application process
* Learn more about AAMA product certification and request to join the program
* Get the latest industry legislative and regulatory information
* Keep up to date on the latest industry and AAMA news

“This new tool is an invaluable aid during AAMA conferences and offers a wealth of offers information to users between events. Use the attendee directory to network and get in touch after the event concludes. You can also use the app to view and register for future events, purchase technical standards and market research, learn about many AAMA programs and services and keep up to date while on the move,” says Rich Walker, AAMA’s president and CEO.

For Apple devices, such as iPad or iPhone, users must have iOs 5.0 or later. Android devices must operate on version 2.2 or later.

During the AAMA Summer Conference, attendees are encouraged to use the hashtag “#AAMAConf” in tweets in order to share and connect with other attendees. Follow @AAMAinfo on Twitter for official coverage and updates.

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