Welcome to the Kleber & Associates blog! Here’s the latest on The 2013 AIA Convention
2013 AIA Convention Takes Over Denver
Kleber & Associates attended the 2013 AIA Convention and Expo in the heart of Denver, from June 20 to June 22 with much enthusiasm. This year’s theme was ‘Building Leaders,’ as the 2013 AIA Convention and Expo challenged industry professionals to exercise leadership and engage the public in designing a more sustainable world.
The AIA Convention and Expo is an annual event hosted by the American Institute of Architects, bringing thousands of architects and design professionals to the industry’s most comprehensive national event. The convention is host to manufacturers, associates, partners, principals and other top level leaders who create policy, set budgets, design buildings, and wield influence in the architectural community.
With more than 700 exhibitors, the AIA Convention and Expo featured various product pavilions with a specific focus on eco-friendly, sustainable products including the software and high-tech pavilion; and the kitchen and bath, stone and tile, and lighting pavilions. At the heart of the Convention and Expo was continuing education. This was the chance for architects to earn as many CEU credits as possible throughout the three day event.
Companies such as Nichiha USA, Feeney Architectural Products, Las Vegas Rock, Inc., and Light Tape were among the exhibitors displaying stand-out products for unique design. With both functional and aesthetically pleasing products, these companies offer products that meet the performance demands of a wide variety of architectural assemblies.
Nichiha USA
Nichiha USA, an international leader in fiber cement technology, unveiled its newest stone product in the KuraStone family, LedgeStone. LedgeStone embodies the classic elegance of stacked large stones and deep, rich textures with the added value of an engineered rain screen system that effectively manages air flow and moisture. In addition to the new LedgeStone product, Nichiha was also a stand-out with its industry leading Illumination Series Panels, a strong competitor to more expensive metal clad panels.
Feeney Architectural Products
Feeney, Inc. offers solutions for architects and designers interested in sleek, beautiful railing designs. Slender CableRail cable assemblies are made from durable, weatherproof 316-grade stainless steel and are virtually invisible on any deck, porch or balcony. The Feeney DesignRail railing frame systems are made from high-strength 6000-series aluminum with a powder-coated finish for superior color retention. Both products are popular choices for interior and exterior residential and commercial railing applications.
Light Tape
Imagine a light bulb you can bend around any surface for hundreds of feet, indoors and out. It is as thin as a credit card and costs a fraction of the cost of other lighting systems to operate and maintain. LightTape EL is the longest, thinnest, brightest and most durable electroluminescent light in the world. Seen as the most important innovation in lighting since the invention of the light bulb, LightTape EL is widely used in airports, marine, fountains, home theatres, and many other applications.
People Moving Systems
Two elevator / destination-dispatch companies stood out at AIA 2013–Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators, LLC (PVE) and Schindler. PVE, the designer and manufacturer of the vacuum elevator, is an innovative, technology-based company that has revolutionized how people and goods may be vertically transported within residential, marine and stage environments. A highlight of the show, attendees were able to go for a ride and take a look out over the showroom floor!
Schindler has once again redefined the pinnacle of destination-dispatch performance with its third generation system, The PORT Technology. The Schindler Group is a leading global provider of elevators, escalators and related services. The technology behind The PORT Technology is a software system that uses information to guide and transport people quickly and safely to their individual destinations, communicating with them through a device called the PORT.
Las Vegas Rock Inc.
Las Vegas Rock offers a wide variety of natural stone products that can be customized to meet your specific design and budget needs. Each fabricated product is essentially a one of a kind slab or tile with color patterns and internal fabric that is difficult to reproduce. The artistic quality of the stone makes it important for architectural applications that require exclusivity.
Centennial Woods
Centennial Woods was founded in 1999 to reclaim rustic lumber from Wyoming Snowfences and repurpose it for a second life. Centennial Woods’ Wyoming Snowfence wood is chemical free and naturally weathered for decades. The reclaimed wood is utilized for siding, paneling, flooring, ceilings, wainscoting, millwork, and trim.
Resysta
Resysta impresses with its unique diversity of potential applications for decking design. Resysta looks like wood but is made of 60% rice husk, 22% common salt, and 18% mineral oil; offering high mechanical strength, thermal stability as well as chemical resistance. Unlike wood, Resysta is swell, splinter, and crack-free, does not grey or fade, and withstands fungal decay.
Architectural Grille
Architectural Grille offers custom items with a limitless number of design possibilities. Using the latest, most sophisticated technology available, it is now possible to cut complex shapes and design patterns in materials such as paper, wood, glass, marble and all metals. This technology eliminates the barriers in grille manufacturing and design, while providing customers with a new, cost saving alternative to the conventional methods of decorative grille manufacturing.
Throughout the convention, dozens of seminars were also taking place on subjects including improving profitability, sustainable design, and building information modeling. Keynote speakers at the convention included Blake Mycoskie, TOMS Founder, as well as General Colin L. Powell. Additionally, there were networking and business events, theme speakers, and even tours highlighting Denver’s classic architecture. A resounding success again this year, we look forward to the 2014 AIA Convention and Expo scheduled to be held in Chicago from June 26 to June 28, 2014.
