Public owners who ignore or fail to recognize overly narrow specifications prepared by their design consultants can violate open and fair competition requirements, and furthermore incur significant liability if the resulting project cannot comply with the anticipated performance requirements. An owner’s design team has legitimate reasons to seek out reputable vendors and products to include in the construction of any public facility.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is replacing Westridge Middle School in Orlando, Fla., and recently signed a contract for the installation of energy saving-equipment that will eventually save the school millions of dollars.
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — The Acorn Family of Companies has officially changed its name to Morris Group International.
The new name will allow the company to better acknowledge and promote its diverse line of businesses, including Acorn Engineering Company, the founding company, as well as all of the other divisions formerly under the Acorn Family of Companies umbrella.
MANCHESTER, Conn. — Schools in the Manchester School District in Connecticut are facing some serious problems. Leaking roofs, failing mortar, paper-thin steam pipes and maxed-out electrical systems are all in need of attention by the district — but costs are high.
The cost to fix just the high priority items is about $10.4 million, according to district manager Richard E. Ziegler.
“Our schools are in rough shape,” said Ziegler.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — There are perks for those using energy efficient designs and the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) is seeing it first hand.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Midwest Great Lakes Annual Regional Conference of Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) is scheduled for April 25 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Minneapolis.
The theme of the 2012 Regional Conference — One Voice: Coming Together to Transform Education, Whatever it takes/Wherever it leads — will center on the need for a more holistic approach to the planning and design of learning environments.
DALLAS — For the 110 years they’ve been around, Lennox has always strived to innovate.
Kicked off with the development of the first riveted steel furnace in 1895, the Dallas-based HVAC manufacturer and distributor continues its innovation goals with the recent announcement of their new solar-powered, renewable energy rooftop unit.
The SunSource commercial energy system rooftop unit requires no changes to a building’s electrical system and the panels do not have to be laid out on any particular grid, according to company officials.
JOPLIN, Mo. — On May 22, 2011, Joplin experienced devastating loss — losing 162 people and nearly 8,000 structures as a result of a powerful tornado ripping through the town of more than 50,000 residents.
Of the buildings destroyed by the tornado — 10 buildings in the Joplin School District were significantly damaged or completely devastated.
CLINTONVILLE, N.Y. — AuSable Valley Central School District (AVCSD) recently unveiled a new heating system at a school that will save the district thousands of dollars.
“We’re looking at (saving) over $100,000 in fuel costs annually,” said AVCSD Superintendent Paul Savage. “That’s considerable, and that’s conservative. As we go forward, we’ll learn more about where we’re at. That’s something that is a definite win for our school and community here.”
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Facility operators and maintenance crews will recognize brands such as Adams Rite, Yale, Corbin Russwin, Sargent, Security Metal Products and Pemko — all of which fall under Assa Abloy’s product line. Established in 1994, Assa Abloy has emerged a leading manufacturer and developer of door opening hardware and design in the educational vertical.
