MAPEI Joins School-Design Collaborative

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – MAPEI Corp. is now part of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) design effort for public-education facilities.

MAPEI registered a number of its adhesives, mortars, grouts and waterproofing products with the CHPS High Performance Products database for design, construction and operation in 12 states.

“We believe the programs that have evolved from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools provide a standard that sets the bar for manufacturing companies who want to demonstrate their sustainability in the construction market,” says Neil McMurdie, MAPEI Americas director of research and development.

The program started in 1999, as California’s major utilities came together in a collaborative effort to address energy efficiency in the state’s public schools. Since that time, the Sacramento, Calif.-based initiative expanded its range and is used in Connecticut, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. (A CHPS program for Hawaii is currently under development.)

CHPS provides resources to schools, school districts and professionals to help make schools energy-, water- and material-efficient; well-lit; thermally comfortable; acoustically sound; safe; healthy, and easy to operate. The resources include a six-volume best practices manual, training and conferences, as well a high-performance building rating and recognition program.

The database includes other attributes, such as recycled content, rapidly renewable material content, organically grown material content, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products, and lifecycle/multiple-attribute claims.

 “Now, the architectural and design community, as well as other members of the community, can consult two reputable resources to find products that have been tested against industry standards to deliver the most sustainable construction for schools and other buildings,” McMurdie adds.

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