NanaWall Offers Lamboo to Increase Glass Wall Sustainability Efforts

The first time I laid eyes on a NanaWall door system, it was love at first site. NanaWall door products bring the outside in with a push of the collapsible door via its open glass wall technology. Think of a wall full of windows that with ease opens your home or business to the outside. Just dreamy.  Really.

To be honest it is hard to ascertain with a NanaWall if you are inside or outside. The transition is that seamless. Now, some of you must be thinking, this “wall” must be light weight. Oh contrar. As you push the collapsible door, you can feel the weight of the panels. Not to say it is hard to push but simply not a push over.

Loving Nana Walls but would like a Nana window? No problem. In fact, the Company has several products such as Nana screens, French doors to simply Nana glass.  Nana Walls are not just for  residences, they have been used in many different applications including  restaurants, retail, and hospitality.

When I saw the Nana Wall, I immediately thought this application is for warm weather climates.  Boy was I wrong.  Take a look at the above Madison, Wisconsin home.  I can bet you it gets mighty cold there. Can’t you just picture a wall of windows looking at the Rocky Mountains?

What makes a NanaWall Products Green?

According to the Company,

“The use of NanaWall provides the following health and living/work space benefits:

• Be able to build a smaller building by being able to utilize the outside as part of the living space
• NFRC/Energy Star certified systems with industry leading U-factors and Solar Heat Gain Coefficients
• Weather resistant with excellent air infiltration and water penetration ratings
• Excellent acoustic performance
• Recyclable aluminum frames with 25% recycled content with eco friendly powder coated finishes
• Wood frames with eco friendly water based pretreatment. PEFC certified Douglas fir standard and FSC certified pine, meranti, spruce, and American white oak available on request.
• Natural ventilation
• Daylighting with more natural light
• Innovative Shipping Crates design“

In addition, the Company’s products are Dade County Hurricane Certified.  The Company also offers Triple Glazing and Ornilux® Bird Protection Glass.

I love the concept of  making your outdoors an extension of your house.  Green can absolutely be beautiful.

Now, NanaWalls and Bamboo!

NanaWalls is now offering certain products made with Lamboo, which is a laminated bamboo product. Lamboo will be available for NanaWall’s WD65 wood-framed system and WA67aluminum-clad wood-framed system. According to NanaWall’s recent press, NanaWall is the first company to offer a Lamboo laminated bamboo in a folding door system.  What was the attraction? The Company explained as follows:

“We chose Lamboo because our customers requested more ecologically responsible material to use in LEED® certified projects,” said Ebrahim Nana, president of NanaWall Systems. “We already offer FSC wood but Lamboo takes the concept one step further and is recognized as a rapidly renewable resource by the U.S. Green Building Council.” [Source.]

What is Lamboo?

Lamboo?  Sound more like an endearment then a product.  (“Lammieboo, can you get that for me?“) I just wonder if there was some really good jokes around the cooler about the name.  Now I have to admit, the name makes sense.  Laminated plus Bamboo.  You couldn’t call the product BamLam.  Lamboo is so much nicer of a name.

What the heck is lamboo?

Honestly, I have no idea of what is a laminated bamboo product as compared to an ordinary bamboo product. Now people, do you think that your bamboo floor comes from cutting the bamboo reeds and smoothing them out? I thought that all bamboo products were laminated.  (Again, correct me here if I am wrong.)  The Company explains the meaning of life and Lamboo (well, as to sustainability maybe.)

“Lamboo, Inc. has isolated 4 out of the 1600 species of bamboo to be used for all of its architectural and structural applications. Lamboo is produced from only mature plants, anywhere from their 4th to 6th year of life to allow for optimal hardness and strength. The growth rate and potential offered by bamboo make it a great resource for the construction industry. Bamboo sequesters 35% more carbon than its tree counter parts.

Lamboo is an engineered bamboo product that is used primarily for architectural and structural applications, and is structurally superior to its wood counterparts. With three grain and two color choices available it is not only structurally stable but aesthetically pleasing. Our process uses 15% less embodied energy than that of engineered wood and 300% less embodied energy than aluminum and steel. Lamboo on average is 20% more stable than wood in moisture and temperature changes, 10 times stronger than wood in tension and 3 times stronger mechanically.”

Mighty Big Foot to Source the Bamboo

But what about the carbon footprint as it pertains to sourcing the bamboo?  Most bamboo seems to come from China. A long carbon footprint boat ride. The Company states,

“We aim to source our materials from the nearest location possible to fit our clients’ needs. Sourcing is available from Africa, Central and South America, China, India, and Vietnam to ensure the most sustainable logistics for your projects worldwide.

Being located in the heart of the Midwest allows for ease of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, and effective flow of our products for North American Markets. Lamboo provides reliability from point of origin to point of consumption based on customer requirements for both national and international business.”

At least they are trying to source closer to the destination, but be aware that they are still sourcing from outside the US.  Again, with many green products, there is always a balancing act.

Does Laminated Mean Toxic Glues?

Sorry that I am so jaded, but words like laminated and engineered just bring up terrible formaldehyde dreams for me.  Although the Company’s website does not tell me how the strands are laminated, they do say that their product contributes to LEED IEQ Credit 4.4 – Low-emitting materials.

Before I forget, on a side note, the Company offers many different products made out of Lamboo including veneers, doors, windows, panels and structural components.

Questions:

How do you like the NanaWall concept?

How do you feel about certain products being offered in Bamboo?

Any tinge of carbon footprint feelings?

How do you feel about glass walls and R factors  in most climates?

Similar Posts:

• Live from the International Building Show Feeling Like a Pig in Mud
• Tru-Stile: A Solution for Architectural Green Designed Doors
• Volatile Organic Compounds: Harmful in Our Home. Learn to Choose Better.
• Twin Maples Show House’s Carriage House, Green at its Best
• Top 10 2008 Green Building Products from BuildingGreen