For USG, the commitment to sustainability means delivering products, design solutions and services that contribute to healthy, comfortable, productive environments for the long term. This involves playing an active role in helping the building industry reduce waste, reduce carbon footprints and improve indoor environmental quality. Indoor environmental quality refers to all environmental factors that affect the health and well-being of building occupants and focuses largely on indoor air quality, with comfort, humidity, air exchange, acoustics, and lighting being contributing factors.

Nowhere is indoor environmental quality more important than in creating healthy learning environments. Schools require efficient temperature control and ventilation and excellent indoor air quality to avoid exacerbating the already high levels of asthma among students. Furthermore, acoustics and lighting have significant impacts on learning and must be carefully considered.

USG has a long-standing history of providing products that contribute to healthy learning environments. According to the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS), USG has a wide selection of ceiling products that meet or surpass CHPS's stringent emission standards. While other manufacturers simply apply additives or surface treatments, USG uses proprietary formulations and coating technologies, such as those in its ClimaPlus™ brand ceiling panels to increase mold and mildew protection.

USG Ceiling Solutions on Display
USG’s products were on display at this year’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Green building companies from around the world participated in the convention to share innovations and ideas. These innovations leapt off the page and into reality at the Project FROG™ "School of the Future, Today".

The mission of Project FROG (Flexible Response to Ongoing Growth) is to provide sustainable, friendly and affordable learning environments that inspire creativity, collaboration and productivity. It also aims to provide best-in-class performance with aesthetically pleasing design.

USG welcomed the opportunity to provide the ceiling design solution for Project Frog. USG presented a custom Logix™ Linear Integrated Ceiling System with Donn® Fineline® Grid and Frost™ ClimaPlus™ ceiling panels. This solution provides an aesthetically pleasing design, with a cleaner, smoother monolithic appearance.

Frost ClimaPlus panels were used in the classroom because they offer exceptional light reflectance, reducing the number of light fixtures needed and cutting down on energy use and eye strain.

Frost ClimaPlus panels also provide superior noise reduction and contain a broad spectrum antimicrobial treatment that inhibits the growth of mold and mildew. The result is a healthier, brighter and quieter learning environment. The panels are comprised of 71 percent recycled content and emit zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or formaldehyde, which plays an important role in overall indoor environmental quality.

Making Sustainability a Reality
USG understands the importance indoor environmental quality plays in creating healthy learning environments and is committed to providing the products and services to make sustainability a reality.

Discover how USG ceiling solutions are clearing the air at Sidwell Friends School.

For more information on USG's sustainable building products, click here. And for specification details visit usgdesignstudio.com.