Remodel the Green Way with Window Film

School News — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 17:53:39 +0000

By Darrell Smith

In today’s world, being environmentally conscious and incorporating green initiatives when remodeling is a high priority for many schools. It not only benefits building operators, faculty and students, but also the planet. Knowing this, schools can incorporate professionally installed window film as an economical means to advance their green initiatives.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), between 25 to 35 percent of wasted building energy is blamed on inefficient windows, and many older buildings still have less efficient single pane glass windows. With professionally installed energy control window film, a building’s windows can allow in less than 25 percent of solar energy, versus allowing in 90 percent without the film. Once installed, window film may offer year-round savings of about 5 to 10 percent of the total energy bill — for cooling alone the savings may reach 30 percent.

The uneven glare coming in through older windows can cause hot spots and damage from UV exposure. Instead of having to replace structurally sound windows, a simple, yet cost-effective solution is to apply a thin layer of window film, which will help regulate the temperatures within the building, minimize cooling costs and make the environment more comfortable for students and staff.

By retrofitting existing windows, building operators can save on the cost of replacing windows that are structurally sound and upgrade to today’s energy and safety standards. Roughly 258 million tons of municipal solid waste is generated each year. By installing window film on older inefficient windows, instead of discarding them, the amount of landfill waste can also be reduced.

Window film is rated by the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council), as are new windows and doors, so schools can be sure of the benefits. The window film industry has grown tremendously in recent decades, and developments like nanotechnology and advanced coatings have taken the benefits to new heights. The most common types of window film are solar control film, spectrally selective film, decorative film, safety/security film and low‐e film.

Window film is a sheet of one or more layers of polyester substrate, each of which has been scientifically coated with microscopically thin layers of metals and chemicals and laminated together. A scratch-resistant coating is then applied on one side; a mounting adhesive layer and a protective release liner is applied on the other side. When the release liner is removed, that side of the film with the adhesive is professionally applied to the interior surface of the glass. Window film is available in a range of shades from visually clear to darker shades of grey and bronze and works with any size or shape window. Introduced over 40 years ago, window film has now been engineered using today’s advanced technology to deliver energy savings similar to those found in low-e windows, yet at a fraction of what replacement windows cost. It’s important that a professional install it to ensure a proper fit in order for the product to perform to its best ability and live up to or beyond its warranty.

By offering seven times the energy savings per dollar spent when compared with full window replacement, window film is an eco-friendly option that is affordable while still making the needed improvement to a commercial building’s windows.

The benefits of professionally installed window film extend beyond a school’s walls as well. It blocks 99 percent of UV rays, reducing the risk of skin cancer, and also reduces glare and fading of floors and interior furnishings, making it a wise investment to enlist a professional installer in school building remodeling projects.

Darrell Smith is the executive director of the International Window Film Association (IWFA).

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Childhood Center Offers Fun Learning Spaces

ST. LOUIS — Soft exterior and interior hues, an unassuming design and an enclosed playground urface made of recycled rubber are just some of the design elements geared specifically for the young occupants of the Early Childhood Development & Parenting Education Center, located on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, Mo.

Built to serve as a childcare facility, and home to Harris-Stowe’s Early Childhood Education department, the $17 million center was created to best accommodate newborn infants through pre-kindergarten children.

Designed by KAI Design & Build of St. Louis in collaboration with renowned architect, Adrian Luchini, the building incorporates a variety of unique child development areas and sustainable building elements. The center was constructed to facilitate the Reggio Emilia educational model, a form of child development that encourages learning through the five senses and through a child’s relationships with other toddlers in their unadorned environments.

KAI is currently seeking LEED Silver certification for the facility, which features a super-efficient HVAC system with an energy wheel, recycled materials, low-VOC finishes, native plant landscaping with a rain garden, and pervious pavement to reduce storm water runoff.

“The entire design of the building reflects the idea that spaces are to be a backdrop —they’re not to overshadow the children in any way,” says Donald Koppy, vice president of architecture with KAI. “Basically, the concept for the whole building was that the kids bring the color, the liveliness and the atmosphere to the play spaces.”

The 48,000-square-foot building features a front facade made of blue glass and a curved white reflective rooftop, which together bring to mind a shimmering wave. Located just past the main entrance is an enclosed outdoor play space, left exposed by a roof cutout. A portion of the play area remains covered by an overhang of the building’s second story, home of the higher education areas. The play area, which features a ground made of fall-protecting recycled rubber, is visible from the street through the building’s all-glass façade.

A series of circles etched into the rubber playground, each one filled with crushed recycled rubber, create activity spaces within the play area. Within some of the circles are playscapes that have been designed to accommodate each of the center’s varied age groups. Interior storage spaces secure tricycles, games and other objects of play.

“The building also has an indoor play area called the gross motor skills room,” Koppy says. “It’s a large interior area where the kids can play during very inclement weather.”

A video monitoring system allows students and parents to observe children at play from the higher-education classrooms. A direct-observation room with mirrored one-way glass is also available. Pan-tilt-zoom color cameras let teachers record the activities of children and project the videos onto computer monitors and screens within the center.

Second story floor-to-ceiling windows look down upon the play area, and children’s classrooms and teacher’s offices contain multiple windows of various sizes and heights to accommodate the occupants. A glassed-in “air-quarium”, located on the second floor near the entrance lobby, allows students and visitors to peer down into play areas directly below. The glass space, which opens at the roof, also provides natural lighting to both the second and first floors.

“The idea is that all the classrooms, including the higher education rooms, look down into the play area,” Koppy says.

The education center was designed to meet the needs of four learning groups: young children, young parents, professionals in the field of early childhood education and Harris-Stowe’s early childhood education majors. Areas for students and parents include a parent’s library and education room, a multi-purpose room with a full kitchen, student computer lounge, and a large multimedia classroom/lecture hall.

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Remodel the Green Way with Window Film

Childhood Center Offers Fun Learning Spaces