restaurant development + design is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.
Issue link: http://rddmag.epubxp.com/i/595518
7 0 • r e s t a u r a n t d e v e l o p m e n t + d e s i g n • N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 BUILDING PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS T he economy is growing again and so is restaurant construction. Pent-up demand combined with easier access to capital has many operators digging in to grow their unit counts and refresh their brands. They're doing so with eyes wide open to some important trends that drive the selection of building products and materials. Leading the way is green building. Within the construction industry, it's a sector that Lux Research, an indepen- dent research frm specializing in emerg- ing technology, expects to grow by $280 billion globally by 2020. For restaurants, green design starts with incorporating sustainable building and fnishing products. Last year, Dunkin' rolled out its new DD Green initiative, a rating system and framework for building more eco-friendly restaurants. It incorporates sustainable design and construction, including use of products and materials that check off "green" boxes such as energy-effcient, recycled, low-VOC, solar, low-fow and natu- ral. Subway has developed ECO-Restaurant models, named in part for their use of sustainable building products. These range from Forest Steward Council (FSC) certifed wood moldings to low-VOC paints and ad- hesives to furniture products that are free of ozone-depleting substances. Lux sees several trends that will con- tinue to drive the green-build movement: • Net Zero. Commercial building developers and architects are starting to showcase Zero Net Energy designs as a means of competitive differentiation. • Alternative Energy. More busi- nesses are turning to sources such as solar and wind to lower utility costs, meet green build- ing standards and generate their own electricity. • Local Sourcing of Raw Materials. Many companies are opting to pur- chase materials locally to reduce transportation carbon emissions. 2015 PRODUCT ISSUE Specialty Metals Design, Fabrication Metal Design Systems Inc. (MDSI) is a national specialty metals fabricator that provides engineered systems as well as design and development resources. MDSI manufactures panel systems, canopies, column covers, branding elements of varying sizes and structures, and LED lighting components. The company offers a variety of sustainable claddings and panel systems, including ACM, aluminum, colored stainless, Corten steel, cop- per, zinc, phenolic material and fber cement. MDSI of- fers more than 14 unique sys- tems, including Glazed Joint, Rear Ventilated-Rainscreen, Perimeter Extrusion Mounted, Non-Progressive, Flat Lock Systems and ColumnMax Column Covers. www.metaldesignsystems.com Customer Pathway Awnings Part of the AwnGuard family of products, the bolt-on ClearPath Canopy has combined front and back water control systems to provide integrated water management over customer pathways. ClearPath at- taches to both existing and new construction and is available for all United States wind and snow load regions. Optional integrated LED lighting brightens the path. www.awnexinc.com