It's Not Just Furniture! » K-12 http://ceg-pa.com/blog The Corporate Environments Blog ----- www.ceg-pa.com Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:54:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://ceg-pa.com/blog http://ceg-pa.com/blog/wp-content/mbp-favicon/favicon.ico It's Not Just Furniture! The HON Company Adds New Enhancements to SmartLink™ Education Furniture http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2010/06/02/the-hon-company-adds-new-enhancements-to-smartlink%e2%84%a2-education-furniture/ http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2010/06/02/the-hon-company-adds-new-enhancements-to-smartlink%e2%84%a2-education-furniture/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:15:36 +0000 admin http://ceg-pa.com/blog/?p=382

Compact Teacher Station, Adaptable Student Desks and Innovative Accessories Round Out This Comprehensive Collection.

Muscatine, IA – March 22, 2010 – Born out of meticulous research, The HON Company’s SmartLink™ furniture for learning environments has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the education and design communities. Building upon this award-winning collection, HON is pleased to introduce a number of extensions to the SmartLink family – including a compact teacher station, sit-to-stand and fixed student desks, and innovative accessories.

“All of the SmartLink extensions are designed to offer the best utilization of space while providing the ultimate in productivity,” said Mark Roumfort, HON’s vice president of product development. “Whether it’s for a kindergarten or a high school learning environment, these new additions to the SmartLink lines are flexible, durable, smart solutions that can easily be reconfigured to facilitate interactive learning and better support individual teaching and learning styles.”

Compact Teacher Station
Gone are the days when a bulky teacher’s desk sits at the head of the room. Instead, today’s smartest learning environments are flexible and interactive – and require a teacher’s station that fits this bill. The new compact teacher station (24” x 60”; as compared to the traditional size of 26” x 72”) is ideal for teachers who prefer a smaller desk. It also can be used as a computer station or as a workspace for assistants, student teachers or volunteers. What’s more, the smaller size makes it highly mobile and perfect for laptops.

Adaptable Student Desks
The new sit-to-stand student desk adjusts from 30 to 43 inches in one-inch increments; and also presents additional collaborative opportunities for group and project meetings.

Offering further customization in the SmartLink student desks, HON now provides a fixed-height leg option – at 30 inches high – which is perfect for high school and college learning environments.

Both of the new student desk options still feature the same benefits as the other SmartLink student desks, including “non-handed” tops, which provide greater flexibility and arm support to any user. The desks are also lightweight and can easily be organized into a variety of configurations, which is further facilitated by the top shape.  Plus, all of the SmartLink student desks offer a number of storage options, including a backpack hook and wire basket, which allow students the ability to easily organize their materials.

New Accessories
Finally, to make better use of wall and floor space, HON has introduced new whiteboard cabinet brackets and a rail kit for use with its SmartLink storage system. The cabinet and whiteboard brackets attach to HON’s full-height storage units – turning virtually any storage space into an extra teaching surface, display space or student work area, without taking up extra wall space.

For more information about SmartLink education furniture, visit www.hon.com.

]]> http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2010/06/02/the-hon-company-adds-new-enhancements-to-smartlink%e2%84%a2-education-furniture/feed/ 0 Corporate Environments Profiled in OFDealer January eZine http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2010/01/21/corporate-environments-profiled-in-ofdealer-january-ezine/ http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2010/01/21/corporate-environments-profiled-in-ofdealer-january-ezine/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:38:55 +0000 admin http://ceg-pa.com/blog/?p=344

ofdaprofile Corporate Environments Profiled in OFDealer January eZine

Corporate Environments OFDealer Profile

Corporate Environments has been profiled in the January 2010 issue of the OFDealer eZine from OFDA. The article, written by Alicia Ellis, discusses what tools and techniques we are using to expand our products and business offerings to our current and future clients in a down economy. You can read the issue in pdf version here

]]> http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2010/01/21/corporate-environments-profiled-in-ofdealer-january-ezine/feed/ 0 BRETFORD FIRST TO INTRODUCE MULTI-SURFACE ANTIMICROBIAL FINISHES ON TABLES AND CARTS FOR LEARNING AND TRAINING http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2009/09/03/bretford-first-to-introduce-multi-surface-antimicrobial-finishes-on-tables-and-carts-for-learning-and-training/ http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2009/09/03/bretford-first-to-introduce-multi-surface-antimicrobial-finishes-on-tables-and-carts-for-learning-and-training/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:20:46 +0000 admin http://ceg-pa.com/blog/?p=313
mbt logo BRETFORD FIRST TO INTRODUCE MULTI SURFACE ANTIMICROBIAL FINISHES ON TABLES AND CARTS FOR LEARNING AND TRAINING
Bretford’s new Microbe Barrier Technologies

Bretford Manufacturing, Inc., manufacturer of dependable furniture products that improve how people work and learn, is the first to offer multi-surface antimicrobial finishes on more than 50 different tables and carts for learning and training environments. Bretford’s new Microbe Barrier Technologies™ antimicrobial surface protection reduces the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew and fungi by 99.99 percent for the life of the product. Available for order now, the Bretford tables and carts with these finishes are intended to help prevent the spread of germs and contribute to the health and well-being of children and adults.

 According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 82 million students and staff are returning to K-12 and higher education environments in the United States this fall. “There is heightened concern about the spread of germs, especially this year with all the flu precautions,” said Mikel Briggs, president of Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. “The time was right for us to do our part by providing an added line of defense against sickness-related germs in schools and offices.”

Research at the University of Arizona has found that classrooms are some of the most germ-filled public places. Teachers’ workspaces are more bacteria-laden than workspaces of other professions because of the constant contact with children. This research also showed that every 60 seconds, a working adult touches as many as 30 objects, and that surfaces play a role in the transmission of viruses and bacteria that cause illness. If these surfaces are not effectively cleaned, and then are touched by individuals, the transfer of disease-causing microbes can begin, resulting in cross-contamination.

“Studies report that good hand hygiene and surface cleaning are still the number-one ways to reduce the transfer of germs,” continued Briggs. “To complement these efforts, Bretford’s tables and carts with antimicrobial multi-surface protection can help prevent the spread of additional germs, which is especially important for schools and offices at this time”.

About Microbe Barrier Technologies Antimicrobial Surface Protection Bretford’s Microbe Barrier Technologies are a blend of polymers and other substances that are coated onto the tables and carts. These finishes do not change the physical or mechanical characteristics of the wood and metal products. The coatings use either a physical or chemical reaction to prevent a disease-causing microbe – or germ – from multiplying. Through extensive studies, these colorless, odorless finishes have been found to be safe for people and effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria, mold, mildew and fungi. According to the standard methods AATCC Test Method 100 and JIS Z 2801, microbe population reductions of 99.99 percent can be achieved.

Bretford Tables and Carts With Microbe Barrier Technologies Currently, more than 50 different tables and carts are available with Microbe Barrier Technologies finishes. Models from Bretford’s Connections Series work centers, Quattro Series classroom and activity tables and RHOMBII Series training tables will have these coatings as well as brand new edges for a modern look. In addition, models from the company’s laptop and technology cart lines will also have the new antimicrobial surface protection.

Availability Bretford’s tables and carts with Microbe Barrier Technologies are available for order now and will begin shipping on October 1, 2009. For more information, please call 1-610-974-7990.

]]> http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2009/09/03/bretford-first-to-introduce-multi-surface-antimicrobial-finishes-on-tables-and-carts-for-learning-and-training/feed/ 0 ASHRAE design guide aims to simplify energy efficiency design for K-12 schools http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2009/05/01/ashrae-design-guide-aims-to-simplify-energy-efficiency-design-for-k-12-schools/ http://ceg-pa.com/blog/2009/05/01/ashrae-design-guide-aims-to-simplify-energy-efficiency-design-for-k-12-schools/#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 18:38:44 +0000 admin http://ceg-pa.com/blog/?p=168

ASHRAE design guide aims to simplify energy efficiency design for K-12 schools

April 2, 2009
Building Design and Construction

classroom1 ASHRAE design guide aims to simplify energy efficiency design for K 12 schoolsThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009, provides significant funding and financing opportunities to modernize, renovate, and repair public schools. Under the “State Fiscal Stabilization Fund,” up to $48.3 billion can be allocated to schools. An additional $25 billion in eligible bonds also have been authorized.

To help Building Teams meet energy efficiency design goals, ASHRAE and other building industry organizations have developed the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings. The guide provides recommendations for achieving 30% energy savings over the minimum code requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999. Estimates show that a full 16% of schools districts’ controllable costs is spent on energy.

“Beyond energy savings, by implementing the recommendations, schools may benefit from an improved learning environment, reduced operating costs, reduced environmental and climate impacts, and enhanced teaching opportunities on the environment,” ASHRAE President Bill Harrison said.

The recommendations in the guide allow those involved in designing or constructing school buildings to easily achieve advanced levels of energy savings without having to resort to detailed calculations or analysis. All of the energy-saving recommendations for each of the eight U.S. climate zones are summarized in a single table. Additional recommendations point to other opportunities to incorporate greater savings into the design of the building.

More than 14,000 free copies of the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings were sent to school systems in the United States last spring. Copies of the guide are available for free download at www.ashrae.org/freeaedg; Print copies may be ordered from the ASHRAE Bookstore at www.ashrae.org.

Details on the stimulus funding for educational facilities can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery.

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