Commercial Building Products September 2015 - (Page 7)

EDITOR'S notebook Three Random Travel Things P lanes, trains, and automobiles have been a dominant part of my life lately. While I'd rather be at home, I don't mind travel. In general, it's fun to meet people and even more fun to learn things. But I'm one who tends to be annoyed by the little things and there are three travel-related irritations that I have to get off of my chest and, for good or bad, I've elected you to be my rant recipients. TOUCHLESS RESTROOM FIXTURES I'm about to take up a collection and start a research effort to develop reliable technology and standardization for touchless fixtures. They all need help. In an airport restroom recently another guy and I found ourselves doing the touchless dance with a couple of faucets. We both concluded that we are terrible dancers because our "partners" wouldn't tango with us. We both successfully took turns with a third faucet partner and then had to chuckle when someone else came along and found dancing chemistry with one of our previous partners. That's just what we need in this world, faucets with attitude. On the positive side, touchless paper-towel dispensers have helped me re-connect with my youth. When in doubt, just wipe your hands on your pants. HOTEL ROOM HVAC SYSTEMS We all have spent sleepless nights being constantly awakened by cycling PTAC units with noisy fans. My solution to those torture tools, unless it's hot outside, is to simply turn them off and open the window. Just a crack in the winter and wide open at all other times. But that's a universal problem and not the real irritant. The real irritant is the orientation of in-wall blowers and the desk. Now I appreciate that, for many, a hotel room desk is just a place to hold pocket paraphernalia and a pizza box. But, as an editor, I use those desks for their designed purpose and often for extended periods of time. When room designers place the desk in line with the HVAC blower vent, the periodic blasts of cold air to one side of me or to the back of my neck convinces me that hotel room I'm not sure what statement the designer is trying to make with this teardrop basket and gas fire, but it's definitely an eye-catching design. designers never actually spend time in the rooms they create. ARTSY LOBBIES This one is more fascination than irritation and it's in the triumvirate primarily because I need a picture for the page. I also couldn't come up with a third irritant that wouldn't take two pages of explanation. I recently stayed in a very nice hotel with excellent rooms. But it was the lobby that stood out. Unlike most hotel lobbies these days, which are designed to be pseudo living rooms and/or gathering places, the designer of this lobby threw function completely out the window and used the opportunity to make some kind of a statement. In the lobby there are two of these teardrop basket things on either side of the glassed-in gas fire. "Functional" seating is on padded, knee-high stools. A flight attendant, who was also staying at the hotel, showed up as I was making some photos and asked me to take a picture of her in one of the teardrops. She did kind of a dive move to get into that thing, sat up, and said "cheese." I recorded the moment on her phone and mine, but can't show you because I don't have a model release. Just use your imagination. I desperately wanted to wrap those two things in foil and make Hershey's Kisses out of them. CBP Gary L. Parr Editorial Director cbpmagazine.com SEPTEMBER 2015 COMMERCI A L BUIL DING P RODUC T S 7 http://www.cbpmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Building Products September 2015

Table of Contents I
Table of Contents I
Table of Contents II
Table of Contents II
Editor's Notebook
Editor's Notebook
Industry Profile
Industry Profile
Make Seniors Feel At Home
Make Seniors Feel At Home
Music Room Hits High Note
Music Room Hits High Note
Interiors Products
Interiors Products
New Lighting, Not New Fixtures
New Lighting, Not New Fixtures
Lighting & Electrical Products
Lighting & Electrical Products
Daylight Draws Library Patrons
Daylight Draws Library Patrons
Windows & Doors Products
Windows & Doors Products
How Sweet It Is
How Sweet It Is
Building Technology Products
Building Technology Products
Aluminum Panels Top Off Science Building
Aluminum Panels Top Off Science Building
Exteriors Products
Exteriors Products
HDPE Cooling Toowers Get The Noise Out
HDPE Cooling Toowers Get The Noise Out
HVAC & Plumbing Products
HVAC & Plumbing Products
Showcase
Showcase
Index
Index
Portfolio
Portfolio

Commercial Building Products September 2015