Building science and product innovation experts from CertainTeed are ready to share firsthand insight into the monumental green transformation of the company’s new headquarters during the 2015 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. The recently completed, 65-acre corporate campus is the foundation of the company’s exhibit (booth #1925). 

In addition to a robust display highlighting the products used to construct the new office complex, and in conjunction with sister business SageGlass (#2029), CertainTeed will host five continuing education courses in Learning Lab #L1827. The event runs Nov. 18-19 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

The company has transformed more than 320,000 square feet of office space in Malvern, Pennsylvania, into a facility utilizing CertainTeed and Saint-Gobain products as well as technical consultation from the company's building science team. Opened with a ribbon cutting event on October 15, the exact day of the 350th anniversary of Saint-Gobain, CertainTeed’s parent company, the headquarters houses approximately 800 employees in a workplace designed to maximize comfort, health and productivity through the use of a wide range of the company’s building materials.

The facility serves as a “living laboratory” where CertainTeed experts are measuring the impacts its products have on real workspace environments, and will be the only commercial building in Pennsylvania to have an interior and exterior that is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certified, according to the U.S. Green Building Council database.

“Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed’s headquarters is designed to demonstrate the power our products have to improve the quality of people’s lives. It is a shining example of how innovative companies can design, construct and renovate sustainable, healthy, comfortable and environmentally friendly buildings around the world,” said John Crowe, president and CEO of Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Corporations. “We are excited to share our unique construction journey with the building and remodeling community at Greenbuild.”

A number of innovative CertainTeed products selected to achieve energy efficiency, sustainability, indoor environmental quality, acoustic and aesthetic goals for the headquarters will be on display during Greenbuild. These include: 

• AirRenew, the industry’s only formaldehyde-absorbing wallboard for enhanced indoor air quality; and SilentFX acoustical gypsum board, which features a viscoelastic polymer that dampens sound energy and significantly improves sound attenuation through walls and ceilings. Both products are included in a gypsum industry-first display announcing new Health Product Declarations for 42 wallboard products; and six industry-first Environmental Product Declarations (grouped by manufacturing plant location) for Easi-Lite and 5/8-inch Type X fire resistant gypsum board.
• Sustainable Insulation fiberglass batt insulation, which is covered by an EPD and HPD, offering third-party verified information on its high recycled glass content and formaldehyde-free plant-based binder. The R-13 and R-19 insulation creates an environment that is quiet, comfortable and conserves energy and resources.
• A variety of the company’s acoustical ceiling products, including Gyptone Quattro 46, perforated gypsum ceiling panels. Gyptone panels offer unique aesthetic appeal and acoustic properties, along with the industry’s first HPD. Ecophon Focus Ds and Solo Circle will also be on display; both products are certified VOC compliant and use exclusive 3RD technology to replace traditional petroleum-based bindings. These products combine style and performance for a quieter, more productive workplace.
• CoolStar low-slope roofing — the solar reflectivity and thermal emissivity (the ability to release absorbed heat) qualities of CoolStar roofing make it one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to lower commercial building energy consumption — minimizing the building’s environmental impact and maximizing occupant comfort.

High-performance products from Saint-Gobain, including SageGlass advanced dynamic glass, SHEERFILL architectural membranes, and Novelio wall coverings, were also utilized in the headquarters and will be on display. Attendees can also look forward to three additional residential product displays:

• A 360-degree view of the Apollo II solar roofing system, featuring 60-watt monocrystalline PV panels that fully integrate with asphalt or flat tile roofing shingles for a clean, seamless appearance.
• Walls featuring SMARTBATT with MoistureSense Technology, a first of its kind batt insulation that allows walls to ‘breathe,’ for effective moisture management and indoor air quality; and CertaSpray X polyurethane foam insulation for attics and crawlspaces which not only seals and insulates, but also passes Appendix X fire code requirements.
• A display showcasing Bufftech Chesterfield with CertaGrain vinyl privacy fence with woodgrain texture and variegated color. CertainTeed is the first vinyl fence manufacturer to provide complete product environmental transparency by publishing a Life Cycle Assessment.

The CertainTeed learning lab will premiere its newest CEU course at Greenbuild, “Sustainability at the Manufacturing Plant: Water and Energy Reduction Case Studies.” Attendees will learn through four varied examples how the goals of manufacturing and environmental stewardship can work together to make operational reduction projects possible through close public/private collaboration. Best possible practices and outcomes will be discussed to achieve the triple bottom line: People, Planet and Profit.

CertainTeed will host two additional CEU courses, including “Balancing Act: Sustainable office design from multiple viewpoints,” focusing on the integrated design process associated with the headquarters transformation; and “Net Zero Energy Home: Design Strategies and System Optimization,” exploring ways to achieve energy efficiency goals in residential construction. SageGlass will host “An Introduction to Electrochromic Glazing,” discussing the environmental benefits of dynamic glass and strategies for maximum energy conservation.

For a complete course schedule, go to http://www.greenbuildexpo.com/educationlabs.