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Tu e sd a y, Fe b ru a ry 4 , 2 0 1 4 C o n stru c tio n Ma rke tp la c e TOP OUTDOOR LIVING TRENDS DEMAND OUTDOOR ROOMS AND PRODUCTS FOR ENTERTAINING AND RECREATION American homeowners are increasingly drawn to adding outdoor rooms for entertaining and recreation on their properties, according to the 2013 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects. The results also show demand for both sustainable and low-maintenance design. Landscape architects who specialize in residential design across the country were asked to rate the expected popularity of a variety of residential outdoor design elements in 2013. The category of outdoor living spaces, defined as kitchens and entertainment spaces, received a 94.5 percent rating as somewhat or very popular. It all but tied with gardens and landscaped spaces at 94.4 percent. Across all categories, 97 percent of respondents rated fire pits and fireplaces as somewhat or very in-demand for 2013, followed by grills (96.3 percent), seating and dining areas (96.3 percent) and lighting (95.1 percent). "In this uncertain economy, homeowners want to get more enjoyment out of their yards," said ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA. "They want attractive outdoor spaces that are both easy to take care of and sustainable." Decorative water elements including MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES SAVE MONEY WITH INNOVATIVE WATER SOFTENERS Troy Jensen is the Maintenance Manager at the Four Seasons at South Town in South Jordan, Utah. The Four Seasons is owned by Wasatch Property Management and is a 276-unit residential living apartment complex that focuses on business professionals who are in town for extended work-related functions. The Four Seasons focuses on a high-end clientele and strives to provide a home environment for its guests. Wasatch Property Management owns 17 similar properties in Utah and a total of 60 properties throughout California, Washington and Arizona. As Maintenance Manager, Jensen responds to about five – six work orders a day during the winter months and about 12-13 work orders per day during the summer months. When he joined the team at the Four Seasons and learned that the facilities were built with water softeners, he was initially concerned over the challenges they could present. "I had never worked with water softeners before but had heard that they could be challenging," admitted Jensen. "I had some questions and concerns coming in, but those were quickly put to rest once I was introduced to the NuvoH2O team, specifically Shane Cullimore. Shane explained to me the system and walked me through the installation and maintenance process." NuvoH20 is the next generation of innovative water protection that uses citrus to provide a salt-free water softening solution for hard water. It's a compact, easy-to-install, cost-effective system that prevents, protects and saves appliances, plumbing and fixtures from damaging WHY BUILDERS SHOULD CHOOSE TUBULAR SKYLIGHTS FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS By Bob Dutkiewicz, Vice President, Natural Light Energy Systems Historically, many architects and builders have used skylights for two reasons: they are an inexpensive source of lighting; and, they add to the aesthetics of homes and offices. But now, there are additional reasons to consider skylights: It turns out they can have a positive effect on people and their productivity. Research conducted in schools, retail centers and businesses have shown some interesting and perhaps surprising results from increased exposure to daylight. For example, in a controlled study conducted by the Heschong Mahone Group, Fair Oaks, Calif., students' math and reading comprehension scores improved as compared with students who were in classrooms with only artificial light. To paraphrase the study, "Students with daylight in their classrooms performed 2025 percent better on reading and math tests…children in classrooms that are naturally lit have higher attendance records, are more attentive and have fewer behavioral problems." In a controlled study of more than 100 nearly identical retail stores, two thirds of the stores had skylights installed, and one third did not. The impact of sky-lighting on sales measured over an 18-month period was dramatic. Researchers concluded that if the 33 per- 27 waterfalls, ornamental their popularity with pools, and splash pools homeowners. Native were predicted to be in or drought-tolerant demand for home landplants (83 percent), scapes (90.9 percent). Spas drip irrigation (82.5 (81.5 percent) and pools percent), permeable (75.3 percent) are also paving (72.8 percent) expected to be popular. and reduced lawns Terraces, patios and (72.6 percent) are ASLA Honor award Recipient, Sonoma retreat by decks are high on people's making their way Aidlin darling design; Photo: Bruce Damonte lists (97.6 percent), as are into outdoor living fencing (89.6 percent) and ornamental spaces across the country. water features (84.2 percent). Americans still prefer such practical About the Survey yet striking design elements for their garThe survey asked residential landscape dens as low-maintenance landscapes architecture professionals about the esti(93.9 percent) and native plants (86.6 mated popularity of various design elepercent), with organic slightly increasing ments for 2013. The survey was fielded in popularity (65.3 percent compared to January 28 through February 12, 2013, 61.2 percent in 2012). In keeping with with 166 responding. the local food movement, more people are opting for food and vegetable garTo learn more about the American dens, including orchards and vineyards Society of Landscape Architects and (82.7 percent). the landscape architecture profession, Besides planting locally and organivisit booth #S1710 or www.asla.org/ cally, other sustainable elements continue residentialinfo.com. and costly effects of scale build-up. The Four Seasons is the only property of the 60 that includes water softeners. It's being used by Wasatch Property Management as a case study for the other properties to determine the viability of including water softeners in other properties. "Utah traditionally has hard water and is known to present unique problems for property management companies," said Jensen. "Testing it here in Utah and this environment allows us to get a good idea of how to effectively manage it in the other states where we have properties." NuvoH2O's cartridge system is compact and easy to install. It requires no separate drain, electricity, soft water loop, brine tank or calibration. The system does not corrode pipes and extends the life and performance of appliances such as dishwashers, water heaters and fixtures. "In the year-and-a-half that I've been at the Four Seasons, I haven't had any issues with the water softeners," said Jensen. "In fact, we use a Taco hydronic heating system with a circulating pump that typically gets scaled up pretty quickly, but with the NuvoH2O system, it has been much easier to maintain and even eliminate the amount of scale build-up which in turn makes it more efficient." The Four Seasons sees the water softeners as something that differentiates them from their competitors and is a big selling point for tenants who typically occupy a rental unit anywhere from six months to a year. From his perspective, Jensen is thrilled with the NuvoH2O systems, "They are extremely easy to manage, replace cartridges and efficient when it comes to heating. The water softeners are an amenity we can advertise and that I know our clients appreciate." cent of stores were to add skylights, sales from those stores could be expected to increase anywhere from 31 percent to 49 percent. This was determined with 99 percent statistical certainty. Grocery stores and other retail centers can also benefit from the addition of natural light – particularly from skylights. According to a case study performed by Pacific Gas & Electric, a sky-lighting system in a typical grocery store in Los Angeles was found to save about $10,000 per year in the reduction of utility costs for lighting and air conditioning. Furthermore, the store increased revenues because customers were willing to browse and shop longer. Surveyed customers reported that the additional "pure" light from skylights gave them a sense that the store felt "cleaner, more open," "more spacious," "brighter," "more inviting." Tubular skylights have a unique design which captures the maximum amount of sunshine while dispersing daylight evenly. This can greatly increase workplace safety and decrease employee absenteeism. Florescent lighting (used frequently in warehouses and manufacturing facilities) produces varying of levels of "flicker" – which can produce eye strain, headaches and even attention deficit problems. Also, overhead artificial light illuminates horizontal surfaces while casting shadows. Diffused daylight from a tubular skylight illuminates both horizontal and vertical surfaces evenly with no flicker. In summary, sunlight provides significant physiological and psychological benefits. Using sky-lighting systems to capture daylight is an economical and environmentally sound way to make home, work, shopping and school more satisfying. For more information, visit www.nuvowater.com, call 888-367-9542 or stop by IBS booth #C8102. For more information on tubular skylights and sky-lighting systems, contact Bob Dutkiewicz at 602-485-5984 or email bob@nltubular.com. To learn more, stop by booth #C6151.