VMZinc Welcomes Architects To New “Lounge” at the 2012 AIA Convention
May 7, 2012 (Washington, DC) – VMZINC®, the brand name of the architectural zinc manufactured by Umicore Building Products USA (UBP), will welcome architects to its new booth-turned-lounge this year during the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2012 National Convention & Design Exposition.
The convention and expo will be held May 17-19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
VMZINC has redesigned its former Booth #329 to feel more like a lounge, “where architects and other convention attendees can come to relax, refuel, and talk about zinc with our territory managers,” said Chandra Hester, marketing assistant for UBP.
Underscoring the focus on architecture, VMZINC will present interviews with select architects on large LCD TVs in the booth, along with a slideshow of projects that feature VMZINC applications.
The booth will also feature a new VMZINC Composite Material mock-up, produced by NOW Specialties, Inc., of Texas, whose sales team will be on hand to answer any questions.
And on Friday, May 18, VMZINC will host a happy hour at the Convention Center in Room 158 B from 4-7 p.m.
The theme for this year’s AIA National Convention & Expo is Design Connects.
” ‘Design Connects’ celebrates the uniqueness of design as the synthesis of theory and practice, the relationship of the built and natural environments, and the aspiration of architecture to serve the broader goals of humanity,” said James H. Determan, AIA, chair of the National Convention Advisory Committee.
Among the many points the VMZINC representatives will make in their booth during the convention is architectural zinc’s connection to environmental stewardship, a key issue among today’s architects.
“Zinc is a very natural and significant mineral that is prevalent throughout the world,” notes Dan Nicely, Associate AIA and VMZINC’s director of market development. “It takes very little energy to manufacture zinc, the life span of zinc cladding is 80 to 100 years, it is virtually maintenance free, and it is completely recyclable, from construction scrap to the end of its useful life.”
Nicely said he hopes architects attending the convention will visit Booth 329 often, not only to learn about architectural zinc and its applications but also to relax and regroup before moving on to other events in the Convention Center.
For more information on the 2012 AIA Convention & Expo, go to www.aia.org and click on “Conferences & Events.”
For more information on VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.
VMZinc Launches Two New Facebook Pages To Increase The Conversation
VMZinc Launches Two New Facebook Pages To Increase The Conversation
And invites visitors to vote for their favorite projects for a special ArchiZinc Trophee
May 1, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — Embracing the power of social media, VMZINC®, the recognized brand of architectural zinc manufactured by Umicore Building Products USA, has launched two new Facebook pages to complement its original Facebook page: “VMZINCresidential” and “VM Zinc for Architecture”.
According to Dan Nicely, an associate member of the AIA and UBP’s Director of Market Development, the “VMZINCresidential” page will specifically address applications and ideas around using architectural zinc on single-family and multi-family housing. It will also allow residential architects and homeowners to discuss their decisions to use VMZINC architectural zinc on roofs, walls and other applications.
Nicely said the global corporation hopes architects will visit the “VM Zinc for Architecture” page to discover the broad range of surface aspects available from VMZINC and to share their experiences with using architectural zinc on a variety of projects types and styles, from modern structures to historic restoration.
To launch “VM ZINC for Architecture,” VMZINC is also encouraging visitors to vote for their favorite project in VMZINC’s gallery of photos. The winning projects will receive the “Fans’ Special ArchiZinc Trophee.”
Open to architects throughout the world, the ArchiZinc Trophee competition awards prizes in four building categories: Individual Housing, Collective Housing, Public Buildings and Commercial Buildings. The purpose of this bi-annual competition is not only to reward the most attractive projects for the quality of their architecture and their integration into the environment, but also to highlight zinc through appropriate new applications.
Nicely said VMZINC is keenly aware that Facebook offers a platform for promoting its products and services, for facilitating direct customer engagement and two-way communication, and for getting its messages to go “viral” around the Internet.
“We hope architects, contractors, installers, business and homeowners who specify VMZINC will get in on the conversation and let us hear from them on one of our three Facebook pages,” he said.
For more information on Umicore Building Products and VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.
Umicore Announces Partnership with The International Life Cycle Chair
To more fully understand its products’ and services’ impact on the environment, economy and society.
Brussels (April 18, 2012) - Today the Polytechnique Montréal and ESG UQAM launched the International Life Cycle Chair, a research unit that is part of the globally renowned CIRAIG, the Interuniversity Research Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services. Umicore is one of the 14 international partners contributing $500,000 each to the overall $7 million five-year budget.
The International Life Cycle Chair will conduct high-level academic research on the full impact that products and services have on our society from a total-cycle environmental and social perspective.
Staf Laget, Umicore Leader for Climate, Recycling & Product Sustainability, said: “At Umicore we believe that it is essential to develop a full understanding of the impact that our products have on the world from an ecological, social, and economic standpoint. We are very proud to be a Life Cycle Chair partner and are looking forward to receiving independent scientific advice from the Life Cycle research center regarding our sustainability approach for our products and services.”
In recent years Umicore has developed a methodology to deepen the understanding of the lifecycles and impacts of its products, combining the best of current industry practice in this field with in-house expertise. The partnership with the Polytechnique Montréal and ESG UQAM allows Umicore to submit its methodology to independent scientific analysis and will help the company continue to strive for improvement in the area of product sustainability.
“The life cycle approach enables coherent decision-making on the social, economic, and environmental levels,” said Rejean Samson, principal chair-holder. “The research conducted by the International Life Cycle Chair will promote voluntary corporate actions towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns. We are delighted to count Umicore among our sustainable partners.”
For more information on the Life Cycle Chair: www.ciraig.org
Life Cycle Chair press release: http://www.chaire-cycledevie.org/en/press_releases.php
“Focus On Zinc” Spotlights Residential Applications Around The Globe
The 12th edition of VMZinc’s international magazine is now available.
April 17, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – VMZINC® has published the twelfth edition of “Focus On Zinc,” its international architecture magazine that showcases examples of zinc wall and roof applications around the globe, including modern, innovative private homes in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Poland, and Denmark.
VMZINC is the brand name for the architectural zinc manufactured by Umicore BuildingProducts USA.
“A brief journey through the pages of this issue of ‘Focus on Zinc’ confirms a trend that has been established over a number of years,” notes Senior Vice President Pierre Van de Bruaene in the magazine’s introduction: “Applications of our material to the facades of buildings are becoming increasingly predominant.”
Building types featured in this edition range from large cultural arts centers and educational facilities to office buildings, private homes, and even Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. The latter, designed by Jag/RoTo Architecture, features exterior walls of VMZ Flatlock panels in red PIGMENTO®.
The private home in Cincinnati that’s featured in this edition demonstrates architect Jose Garcia’s style of combining raw materials with experimental installation and modern architectural expression. He specified QUARTZ-ZINC® and ANTHRA-ZINC® in Dri-Design cassettes for the exterior, which define the house’s volumes and provides the homeowner with a surface cladding that requires little to no maintenance.
The design of a private home in Silkeborg, Denmark, was inspired by Japanese Origami and expressed through the use of VMZ standing seam panels in ANTHRA-ZINC for the roof. The façade is composed of black-stained wood strips. This atypical contemporary house was designed by architects 3xN & M2.
The most ambitious project in this edition, however, is an office building in France that uses VMZ standing seam and flatlock panels in QUARTZ-ZINC to contribute to architect Cabinet Jourda’s zero-energy-use target. Chosen for its durability and recyclability, VMZINC is a key element of this building sustainability.
“Focus On Zinc” is published in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish. To request a copy call VMZINC’s USA headquarters at 919.874.7173 or email a request to: Info@vmzinc-us.com.
Introducing ALPOLIC’s Regional Website!
Introducing ALPOLIC’s Regional Website!
ALPOLIC has launched a regional website that enhances user experience for customers in North, Central, and South America.
Located at www.alpolic-northamerica.com, the new site features a regional selector that allows you to choose one of three regions – North America, Central America, or South America; a hot link to ALPOLIC’s International website and a Spanish language option to better serve the continued growth of the Central and South American markets.
All of the same helpful tools you have come to expect from ALPOLIC remain in place, such as the ability to select products, finishes, and samples; but product availability data now changes in accordance with the region selected – giving you valuable information about what products are available in their specific region. Visit us today!
Grason Cook Named Alucoil National Sales Manager
Alucoil North America, formerly Intrabond, is pleased to announce the addition of Grason Cook as National Sales Manager for North America. Grason will be responsible for executing commercial strategies in order to increase the specification rate and sales of our larson by Alucoil® brand aluminum composite material in the USA and Canada. Grason brings 9 years of experience specific to the architectural wall cladding market and a proven track record of developing demand for new product brands via intense architectural promotion. His previous positions included direct sales and market development responsibilities at both a major fiber cement wall panel manufacturer, and a major phenolic resin wall panel manufacturer.
Alucoil North America, the newest of 4 domestic continuous process ACM manufacturers, has embarked upon a major initiative to increase brand awareness and project specification rates of its larson by Alucoil® ACM with architects, designers, and specification writers. Hiring Grason is step one in accomplishing that objective and we welcome him to the Alucoil family. Grason may be reached by email at: grason.cook@alucoilnorthamerica.com
Alucoil S.A. is a top-tier manufacturer of high-tech aluminum products for building & construction, transportation, and industrial application in Europe. Under the larson® brand, Alucoil offers a diverse line of unique product and coating technologies that complement its core ACM materials – including innovations such as powder coated coil, flat sheet, ACM, and a 100% recyclable A2 fire rated building panels. Alucoil is executing an aggressive global growth plan entailing simultaneous expansion into North and South America, as well as the Middle and Southeast Asia.
Alucoil is part of Grupo Alibérico, a leading European aluminum company with over 40 years of experience in the world of aluminum. Present in market sectors from building and construction, transportation, and packaging, it transforms over 100,000 tons of aluminum annually. The Aliberico team is composed of over 1,000 people and has manufacturing facilities in Spain and commercial offices all over Europe and North Africa. It exports to over 45 countries on 5 continents.
For more information please call +1 803-505-6543, email your current Alucoil North America contact, or email us directly at: info@alucoilnorthamerica.com
Two 2012 AIA Honor Award Winners Feature VMZinc Exteriors
Architectural zinc adds to beauty, sustainability of two projects.
January 17, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — Two of the nine projects from around the world that recently received 2012 Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) feature VMZINC® exteriors.
The award-winning Carnegie Mellon University’s Gates Center for Computer Science and the Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies were designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects of Atlanta, Ga., with special attention to energy and water conservation and other sustainable practices.
The two centers’ zinc exterior skin and distinctive window openings differ from the predominately yellow brick, historically influenced buildings on the CMU campus. Yet the jurors believed the zinc skin and window openings “surprisingly relate beautifully to the campus fabric without being literal.”
Last year, both centers received LEED® Gold certification. The use of architectural zinc contributed to the certification because zinc is manufactured using very little energy, it lasts an average of 80 years with very little maintenance, and it is completely recyclable, both during construction (construction scraps) and at the end of its use.
Another award-winning project with a VMZINC exterior is The Poetry Foundation in Chicago, designed by John Ronan Architects. The building’s outer layer is VMZINC’s black ANTHRA-ZINC®. Since transparency was an important issue in the design, the ANTHRA-ZINC is perforated where it borders the garden, allowing visual access to the garden from the street. Inside the garden, the zinc screen wall internalizes the garden experience and provides a sense of removal.
The Poetry Foundation was featured in Architectural Record in November, prior to winning one of this year’s AIA Honor Award.
“We talk a lot about the sustainability of zinc, but there’s also the aesthetic quality,” said Daniel Nicely, director of market development for Umicore Building Products USA, the manufacturer of VMZINC®. “Architectural zinc allows architects to easily create interesting and innovative forms. We’re proud that our product played a major role in the striking design and sustainability of both of these award-winning project.”
For more information on the 2012 AIA Honor Awards, go to www.aia.org/practicing/awards/2012/architecture.
For more information on VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.
About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.
Umicore Building Products is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years, Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com. VMZINC also maintains the blog ZINCsense and an active Facebook page.
Rapid Materials Secures METALCON 2011 Booth
Rapid Materials has secured their booth for the 2011 METALCON show in Atlanta, GA. The show will be at the Georgia World Congress Center during October 11 – 13, 2011.
You’ll be able to visit us at Booth # 848. See you in October!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Rapid Materials is a blessed company. Part of our blessings we enjoy are; those companies and individuals with which we conduct business, our current, past and future customers.
Therefore, let me take this opportunity to wish you and your families; a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Zane S. Miller
Rapid Materials
Three Big Announcements from Intrabond!
With three big announcements the past two weeks, there is a lot of excitement coming from the Manning, South Carolina based metal composite material manufacturer, Intrabond.
Leading the announcements is that Intrabond is now accepting orders for Fire Retardant (FR) core material. They have recently passed both the NFPA 285 multi-story test and UL 1715 Test at SW Research. The FR core material is available in 14 standard colors, 50″ and 62″ widths, and is now available now at www.rapidintrabondusa.com.
In other news from last week, Intrabond has recently added all fourteen (14) of their new standard colors to Rapid Materials. Intrabond has been able to gather the best mixture of colors from the industry leaders, which allows them be the perfect substitute to other manufacturers.
Intrabond’s most prominent announcement comes to us today with the appointment of Robert (Bob) Taylor as Director of Sales and Marketing for Intrabond LLC in the Domestic US and Canadian markets.
For more information on Intrabond, please visit www.rapidintrabondusa.com
