Inspiring,Green Donor Recognition Sign

The Yawley Family Inn, a home-away-from-home for patient families of the Children’s Hospital Boston, is about hope. So when ASI, New England provided a signage system and donor recognition elements for the inn, they selected “Ithemba,” part of 3form’s Varia line of ecoresins (40% recycled content, GreenGuard Certified) and one of its “Full Circle” products that encapsulates handcrafted materials made by indigenous peoples.

Ithemba features a copper and beaded pattern produced by HIV-impacted African women, giving them a source of income, and means “hope” in the Xosi language. The donor elements also incorporate tempered-glass panels that are updated annually and reinstalled. (Photo: John Gillooly)

Ultra Low VOC Paint

In sign industry, most materials and components require a top coat of paint or clear be applied to add color or to protect the material from the surrounding environment. The VOC emission of paints and inks is a growing topic, particularly in educational facilities and hospitals as indoor air quality is ever important.

Last week at the ISA Expo in Orlando, FL Matthews Paint introduced their new MAP Ultra Low VOC (MAP-LV) paints. MAP-LV paints are an environmentally friendly product that provides greater durability, gloss retention and hiding than standard acrylic polyurethane paints. MAP-LV limiting VOC to 50g/L or .4172 lbs/gal. The industry standard acrylic polyurethane VOC levels are 2.8-3.5 VOC and automotive grade water-based paints contain VOC levels as high as 461g/L or 3.85 VOC lbs per gallon.

To learn more CLICK HERE

EPA Spray Coating Rule - HAPs 6H Compliance

On January 9, 2008, the EPA issued it's final rule on the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations at Area Sources - HAPs 6H Compliance.

When this rule was issued many believed that it applied only to the automotive industry and that compliance did not extend to the sign industry. This initial assessment was incorrect and all companies that use paint or use a spray guns need to be in compliance by January 10, 2011.

GRC-Pirk Management Company, registered environmental assessor for the EPA, have partnered with the ISA and are providing free consulting service for ISA members. For more information on HAPs 6H Compliance visit http://www.haps6h.com/.

United States' First Zero Net Energy Community

You may have already heard about the University of California, Davis' ambitious quest to build the United States' first Zero Net Energy community. West Village, a 220-acre campus development that will integrate student, faculty, and staff housing, will also incorporate sustainable design features including aggressive energy-savings measures and a smart grid to generate, store, and distribute energy.

The $280 million project also provides a perfect learning laboratory for students in Tim McNeil's environmental graphic design course at UC Davis. McNeil, associate professor of design and director of the UC Davis Design Museum (and a member of SEGD), includes a component on communicating energy efficiency, green building, and sustainable landscape features. His students recently completed a project to develop a wayfinding and signage system that would inform people about the zero net energy features of the new community.

The class developed a self-guided visitor tour for the center of West Village to interpret the community's energy efficiency features and goal of zero net energy. This was expressed through the design of a family of six markers to interpret the information, and a wayfinding strategy connecting the signs to a system of logical locations on the site plan. We share some of the (impressive) results here. -- Contributed by Pat Knapp, SEGD