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C o n s t r u c t i o n M a r k e t p l a c e 4 1 T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION: CULTURE, CONNECTIVITY AND CONVENIENCE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF HOME APPLIANCE DESIGN The world's leading manufacturer of major home appliances says the changing landscape of global societal cultures is opening the door to a new kind of home appliance design. Home appliances have already advanced technologically, with connected appli- ances on the floor in appliance show- rooms. But at its core, design is emo- tional and personal – as unique to a consumer as songs on their favorite playlist. Today, as more consumers look for products that provide pur- poseful technology to fit their daily lives and reflect a sense of individual- ity, home appliance design demands both passion and a unique perspec- tive. Whirlpool Corporation's Global Consumer Design centers, operating in locations throughout the world have cultivated a unique design process, studying the cultures, behaviors and needs of diverse consumers in the pas- sionate pursuit of bringing those unique emotional and personal con- nections to life through design. Designers examine not only how we connect with appliances, but how we connect with each other. These con- nections – how we entertain our friends and take care of our families – combined with the socio-economic factors that impact our lives every day lead to design with a purpose. Usability labs create realistic set- tings, allowing consumers to interact with newly designed home appliances, providing insight into uses and indi- vidual preferences. The company's Global Consumer Design team com- bines real world study with virtual technology for a unique perspective, conducting in-home analyses to moni- tor patterns of usage and cultural influences and through usability labs and digital studios to create realistic settings. "Exceptional design is the result of endless curiosity and careful study," said Patrick Schiavone, Vice President, Global Consumer Design. "Our Global Consumer Design team is passionate about creating intuitive products that represent the lifestyle and the culture of our consumers today. Our products are in eight of every 10 homes in the U.S. and avail- able in 130 countries. Each home has its own unique sense of beauty. It's our job to capture that beauty in form and function." This year alone, Whirlpool Corporation has delighted the market with several home appliance introduc- tions that reflect a new trend in home appliance design: individuality. As a result of Whirlpool Corporation's joint venture with Proctor & Gamble, with the Swash ™ is a revolutionary new product that speaks to an increase in rewear of clothing. The Swash system refreshes, restores and dewrinkles clothes in just 10 minutes. Designers worked to cre- ate an appliance that suited how con- sumers would use it, creating an aes- thetic that goes beyond the laundry room and fit for the bedroom, where it served consumers best. The company's Jenn-Air brand introduced Obsidian refrigerator inte- rior design that takes a fresh look at color innovation – from the inside out – with a black interior accentuated by LED lighting. The company's iconic KitchenAid brand continues to see fresh new col- ors of its stand mixers on countless countertops and wedding gift reg- istries. This year the brand introduced specialty small appliances, including a pour over coffee maker and multi- cooker, designed to look right at home on countertops everywhere. Whirlpool Corporation designs have resulted in a portfolio of acco- lades, including close to a dozen awards by USAToday's Reviewed.com this year alone, as well as Best Laundry Innovation for the Swash sys- tem, Best Four-Door French Door Refrigerator for KitchenAid brand and Best Smart Appliance Platform for Whirlpool® 6th Sense Live ™ tech- nology. main line of business? MS: iSPAN Systems is the proprietary manufacturer of the first 'I' shaped cold formed steel joists called Total Joists. Total Joists are the first steel joist designed to work with wood framing and multi-residential construction. Total Joists can help builders save up to 10 per- cent on their floor assembly costs, as well as weeks off their construction schedule. iSPAN also has a composite/concrete floor system called Composite Total Joists that have been designed to work with any wall type including ICF, mason- ry, concrete, steel studs and structural steel. Composite Total Joists utilizes the Total Joists with a shoe for top chord bearing and a unique dovetail steel deck, Total Lewis Deck, which interlocks with the concrete topping to form composite action between the concrete and steel joist, greatly increasing the joist strength, thereby increasing the joist spacing to 48 inches spans to 40 feet. CM: What would you say makes your company unique? MS: iSPAN Systems is an innovative and service focused company whose mission is to help its clients build their buildings better, quicker, stronger and more cost efficient. iSPAN uses BIM technology to create and manufacture joists to length for each project, including precise serv- ice hole placement to match the mechan- ical for easy trade co-ordinating, joist layouts and divisioning for easy job installation and interference checks, and iSPAN (Cont'd. from p. 1) complete accessory takeoff and supply for proper installation and quality assur- ance. iSPAN also has dedicated technical representatives to help with project plan- ning, detailing, site training, installation and inspection. CM: What distinguishes your products from the competition? MS: We really have two market areas that we compete in. One is wood framing with our Total Joists. As Total Joists are steel, our UL 1 Hr Fire Rating only requires one layer of gypsum board com- pared with typical two layers for wood assemblies. Total Joist's precut service holes also eliminate bulkheads, saving cost and time while increasing the ceil- ing height and marketing appeal. Total Joists also have unmatched clear span capabilities compared to wood joists, creating shallower floor profiles and reducing the amount of load bearing walls and footings required. Our second market area is the non-combustible mar- ket with Composite Total Joists. Composite Total Joists are about half the weight of precast concrete floors, creat- ing lighter supporting walls and founda- tions, and offer a more than 50 percent improvement in acoustic ratings. Composite Total Joists are also a natural fit with light gauge steel construction, and offer much simpler construction and larger joist spacing and spans compared with conventional C-shape joists. For more information, visit booth #C6723 in the Canadian Pavilion, email sales@ispanystems.com, call 519.458.4222 or visit www.ispansystems.com. your company. What's your main line of business? JU: INTEX Millwork Solutions is a PVC Millwork and PVC Railing Systems manufacturer located in Millville, N.J. We're a custom millwork shop specializ- ing in PVC railing, pergola and gutter systems. The word "system" is important because Cellular PVC (CPVC) has many great qualities, but it also has characteris- tics that require a system approach to design that allows for structural strength and deals with expansion and contraction properly. INTEX believes in providing a system that gives the best performance, while assisting the installer to install the product efficiently and correctly. CM: Tell our readers more about the INTEX CPVC Rail Systems. JU: First of all, they are designed as sys- tems. INTEX supplies all fasteners and brackets to put the system together, even for applications such as medallion panel inserts or radius sections of rail. All sys- tems are delivered precisely sized and ready for assembly with all necessary hardware. The system has been tested to meet the requirements of the International Building Code. INTEX Hampton extruded PVC rail can span up to 10 feet commercially, INTEX Dartmouth extruded PVC Rail is com- mercial code approved for 12-foot spans, 50 percent longer than competitors. INTEX can also provide a steel post mount with a PVC cover to allow for a continuous top rail while providing struc- tural support mid span, allowing for runs as long as 16 feet. CM: Why does INTEX use CPVC for its products? JU: The Cellular PVC formulation used in our products is a proven material that has been used in the field for decades. This is combined with aluminum extru- sion to provide structural integrity beyond what composites can offer. PVC INTEX (Cont'd. from p. 1) works like wood and can be cut, coped, milled, routed or drilled without the many drawbacks of using wood outside the home. There are many finishing options with CPVC products, and paint has superior adhesion to CPVC com- pared to wood. Paint brush strokes on CPVC make it indistinguishable from painted wood, a look that cannot be achieved with other composites. CPVC also performs better than other compos- ites; many may add wood flour mixes or other additives to build structural strength into an inherently weak product. Some wood flour composites have enclosed hollow construction incorporat- ed into their rail design. Unfortunately, these hollow pockets can fill with water and go through freeze/thaw cycles until saturation and cracking occurs, breaking down the product from the inside. CM: What can customers expect work- ing with INTEX Millwork? JU: In our product literature, Jim Ferg of Ferg Homes LLC describes his experi- ence: "My customers demand certain products and expect high quality. When I was introduced to your product, I thought to myself: why didn't I think of that. What a great product. It is the answer to the problems associated with wood, such as rot and warping, but still allows you the freedom of design, as with wood. It is also the cure for the blandness associated with typical vinyl rail systems. Most of all you don't get that vinyl rail squeak, a common complaint among all of my homeowners. I went to your facility and met with your staff. What a first class operation, from the sales team to the President of the company and all those between. All were very helpful and knowledgeable. All associated with Ferg homes love the way the project turned out, most of all the homeowner. I look forward to working with you and your products in the future." For more information, visit www.intexmillwork.com, call 856.293 .4100, email joeu@intexmillwork.com or stop by booth #S1469.