Tag Archives: California

Cooling down a California brewery with HVLS fan

A recent installation of a massive ceiling fan at Ritual Brewing in Redlands, California, has greatly improved the overall mood at the establishment. Located in an industrial building with an interior roof height of 7.3 to 8.5 m (24 to 28 ft), the 2202-m2 (23,700-sf) space was difficult to keep at a comfortable temperature. Staff at the brewery observed temperatures creeping up to 38 C (100 F), with no possibility of the stagnant space cooling down overnight. The lack of air circulation was frustrating for both customers and employees.

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Illuminating design for the visually impaired

San Francisco’s LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a 115-year-old social services organization serving people who are blind or have low vision. In designing the organization’s new headquarters, the architects at Mark Cavagnero Associates had the opportunity to reimagine their usual design process and rethink how to create beautiful spaces focusing on all senses.

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Detecting earthquakes with dark fiber

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) recently determined that dark fiber—the underground network of installed, but unused fiber-optic cables across the United States and beyond—can be employed as sensors for detecting earthquakes, the presence of groundwater, changes in permafrost conditions, and other subsurface activity.

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Report calls for eliminating toxic materials from carpets

Earlier this month, the Healthy Building Network’s (HBN’s) report, “Eliminating Toxics in Carpets: Lessons for the Future of Recycling,” called for removal of more than 40 highly toxic chemicals in manufacturing processes for carpeting. It also outlines strategies to protect public health and the environment by eliminating hazardous chemicals from carpets, increasing carpet recycling rates, and improving product transparency.

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