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August 2007

 

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HBF (ex Bermuda & PR)
HBF Textiles (ex Bermuda & PR)
Joseph Noble Textiles
J. Persing
Leland International
Surface Technologies
Tayco (ex Barbados & PR)
Westin-Nielsen
2020 Technologies (Caribbean)

"When one buys some of my artwork I hope it is because they will wish to learn from it and not because they think it will match their drapes!"

-Christian Cardell Corbet

(click image for Valeri, a Gold Award Winner)

 

A Passion for Green
Sustainable design practices create a dramatic and sacred house of worship.

When looking at St. Gabriel's church in Toronto, it's hard to know which issue took first priority-spirituality or sustainability. In this case they're one and the same. The building is owned by the Passionists, an order of the Catholic Church that considers the earth sacred. "The sense is that humans are not primary and the earth derivative, but the earth is primary and humans are derivative," explains Roberto Chiotti, a principle of Larkin Architect Limited, which designed the building. "That's a dramatic shift in understanding [compared to traditional Catholic ideas]."

 

The resulting structure is equally radical. St. Gabriel's has been certified LEED Gold, and is one of the greenest worship spaces in North America. Rather than an introverted organization of space, the church's south wall is floor-to-ceiling glass, putting emphasis on the garden outside while also facilitating passive solar heating. Instead of a steeple, the transparent wall is topped by an enormous canopy, positioned to shade the interior in summer. Parking is buried underground to create maximum green space. In the entrance hall, there's a living plant wall; in the restrooms, there are waterless urinals, dual-flush toilets, and solar-powered low-flow faucets. When representatives of the church need a ride, they can even get behind the wheel of a newly purchased hybrid car.

 

In addition to the south-facing glass wall, there is a skylight that runs around the perimeter of the nave that is lined with an updated version of stained glass windows. Equipped with colored panels by glass artist David Pearl, the skylight floods the building's exposed concrete walls with ribbons of colored light that shift throughout the day. It's a dramatic effect that has the added advantage of reducing the building's need for artificial light - proof that celestial inspiration and earthly sustainability can easily go hand in hand.

 

Complete Metropolis Magazine article and photos....

 

On September 8 and 9, Team Tayco will take a two- day walk to help end breast cancer. The Weekend to End Breast Cancer has raised over 60-million dollars since 2003. The goal of the charity is to not only fund life-saving research but to support the programs and facilities that help improve the quality of life of those living with and battling the disease.

 

Since January 2007, Tayco has been behind its Pull Up a Chair Campaign, which saw that a portion of every chair sale for the Tayco Seating collection went to the cause. To date, Tayco has raised thousands of dollars for the event, exceeding its initial expectations.

 

One of the walkers, Bob Caughell and Tayco's vice president describes the upcoming walk as something that will not only help fund programs, treatments, and research but raise awareness both inside and outside of the company.

 

So how will Team Tayco endure two days and 60KM of walking? "One step at a time", says Caughell with a smile.

 

Pull Up a Chair Campaign...

 

HBF Textiles launches new website
Visitors to the new HBF Textiles website are greeted with colorful rotating imagery of the latest introductions. A comprehensive "sort and search" feature is available to locate and view products by designer name, product category, product name, color palette, price point, pattern or solid.

 

High-resolution images and downloadable specification pages are available for every product. Additionally, product pages offer users the ability to drill down on the high-resolution images to the point where the actual weave is visible. It is very much like Google Earth!

 

HBF's goal is to make the website an effective resource for all visitors with more enhancements to come. Visit now and visit often!

 

HBF Textiles new website...

 

LEED Calculator
The HBF LEED Calculator is an online tool available for consumers wishing to identify more environmentally sensitive products. The calculator is also a highly useful vehicle by which visitors can calculate the contribution of HBF products towards the attainment of LEED credits.Register today and watch the benefits add up!

LEED Calculator...

 

 

All the best,

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Bill Meyer

Contract Specialities, Inc. (CSI)

 

phone: 954-389-1295 or 800-808-8274