It was a beautiful morning at the Las Vegas Spring Preserve for the USGBC Nevada Monthly Meeting.
Last week, we had the exciting opportunity to sponsor the USGBC Nevada Monthly Breakfast Meeting in Las Vegas and lead a discussion on the opportunities associated with Coverings 2014 for this important community of green architecture experts.
World-renowned tile expert Ryan Fasan joined us to deliver a lecture on the ecological benefits of ceramic tile. Fasan started his talk by stressing the sustainability of tile; highlighting its minimal maintenance requirements, long lifespan, resistance to adverse conditions, and raw material resource availability. He pinpointed several specific inherent characteristics of ceramics:
100% natural material composed primarily of clay, silicates, feldspar and other natural minerals
Inorganic and inert – inhibits growth of mold, bacteria and other allergens
Unaffected by UV exposure
Resistant to both fire and flood
Neither primary (contained within) nor secondary (sink for) indoor air contaminates – Zero VOC
Ability to spot-repair
Usual maintenance requires only PH neutral & biodegradable cleaners – no solvents or caustic chemicals required to maintain or refinish most installations
Has a useable lifespan longer than the average North American building’s lifespan (60 years)
Fasan conceded that tile did not have a large presence on green building material lists when early standards were being developed, but mentioned that it was a result of the low presence of the overall industry at that time. Such is certainly not the case today – the tile industry is one of the most active building material sectors in sustainable design standardization and best practices. The industry is proud to be involved at every level in USGBC, ISO, ASTM standards committees and working groups to further sustainable design practices.
Overall, it was a very productive morning in Las Vegas. We look forward to continuing to work with this powerful group as we move towards Coverings 2014, April 29-May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
