As the process of designing and certifying projects becomes more sophisticated, so does the process of product specification. Understanding a product’s impact on the environment, the relationship of a building to occupant health or even technical specifications related to barrier-free accessibility is no easy undertaking, but thankfully there are several, new digital tools on the market to help make the process more painless for designers and specifiers.
Following are three tools to help you make more informed product specification decisions.
Sustainability Estimator by Mohawk Group
Mohawk Group recently debuted the Sustainability Estimator—a new digital tool, available exclusively on the Mohawk Group website, that allows users to see the positive impact their projects can potentially have on the ecological community and society as a whole.
Users simply select different flooring products that are being considered for specification and the estimated carpet square yardage or hard surface square footage. Once the required information is entered, the Sustainability Estimator will provide the project's relevant building and product certifications and carbon and water positive impacts, as well as social benefits associated with the selected products.
“When you are able to have a firsthand glimpse of the possible positive effects of your specifications, it is incredibly empowering. That alone connects all the dots in a very tangible and meaningful way,” said Jackie Dettmar, vice president of marketing, design and product development at Mohawk Group. “Our Sustainability Estimator not only helps specifiers feel confident about the finishes they are implementing; it ignites deep conversations between designers, facility managers and end users around sustainability and responsible manufacturing.”
For more information, visit mohawkgroup.com/estimator.
Relational Data Tool by Fitwel
Fitwel has announced the implementation of the Relational Data tool that allows real estate companies to rank their properties’ and entities’ healthy building performance against their peers. A first for the industry, it adds value to Fitwel Certification by providing users entity-level ranking against like-companies. The announcement marks Fitwel’s ever-increasing product offering, expanding from a healthy building certification to a comprehensive data platform that drives market transformation for the industry.
In addition to measuring performance amongst all certified projects on Fitwel, the new tool also measures performance of Walkability & Transportation and Environmental Quality - two of the top five “S” metrics most tracked by investors, as found in the New Investor Consensus: The Rising Demand for Healthy Buildings (March 2021). The Relational Data dashboard visualizes key data insights with side-by-side rankings, making it easy for a company to digest where and how to improve their healthy building performance and communicate achievements to stakeholders. The platform’s data also highlights how leading real estate industry companies stack up against each other and creates a higher standard for healthy buildings.
Ultimately, the Relational Data tool will help real estate companies measure the effectiveness of Fitwel implementation and make more informed business decisions in implementing healthy buildings to find areas of improvement for health-centered ‘S’ initiatives.
To learn more, visit fitwel.com.
Product Selector by Infinity Drain
Infinity Drain recently introduced the Product Selector, a step-by-step online tool for design professionals that takes the guess work out of selecting the right drain for both residential and commercial shower applications. The pictorial tool guides the user through selecting the style, barrier-free accessibility, waterproofing method, flow rate, and more to find all the possible options for each choice in both center or linear drains. Search results can be saved and shared via email, pdf or text.
“We understand that choosing a drain involves many decisions to make regarding technical options like waterproofing, not to mention all the various grate styles, finishes and sizes,” said Jonathan Brill, president of Infinity Drain. “With Infinity Drain’s new Product Selector, we’ve taken all the guesswork out to make the specification process easy and convenient. The tool will be a vital asset for showrooms, homeowners, designers and other specifiers to help guide them to the right drain every time.”
A question can be skipped in the digital process and the user will still find a complete list of options to share with Infinity Drain or a showroom, specifier or plumbing/installation expert to help make the final choice.
Experience the Product Selector by visiting infinitydrain.com/product-selector.
