Storm & Security

8 STORM & SECURITY PROTECTION / FORECAST 2015 percent of architects expect revenues and profits to grow this year, it reports. That optimism translates to hiring plans, with nearly half of builders/remodelers and specialty trade firms expecting to grow their employee base this year. Storm Shelters Showcased at Industry Events Tornado safety shelters were showcase at two industry trade events early this year. The National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) participat- ed as an industrial partner with the Portland Cement Associ- ation (PCA) exhibit at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas, NV, in January. Donn Thompson, AIA, NSSA corporate sponsor, directed the project for PCA. Mike Vaughn, NSSA president, assisted by transporting manufactured shelters by Vaughn Concrete Products and Survive-A-Storm to the exhib- it and then providing trucks and hoist equipment to position the shelters for the exhibit. Also included in the exhibit were four site-built shelters: a wood frame shelter built by Simpson Strong-Tie (NSSA corporate sponsor), a reinforced concrete shelter, a concrete masonry shelter and a concrete shelter manufactured with insulated concrete forms. The same shelters then were displayed at the World of Concrete exhibit in Las Vegas in February. Vaughn Concrete Products again assisted with positioning and removing the shelters from the exhibit. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), a NSSA corporate sponsor, assisted with publicity with the help of John Zarrella of the Weather Channel. Through many known media hits on 178 Web sites, more than 20 million people were exposed to the exhibit, the association states. Florida LEED Gold Home Features CGI Windows, Doors Domus Alba, an award winning 8,000-square-foot home in Pinecrest, FL, became the first home of its size in Florida to be certified LEED Gold in July 2014. Contributing to the efficiency of this precedent-setting home were CGI Windows & Doors impact-resistant products. The home is the design of architect David M. Harper, FAIA, who decided to create the property as a framework to promote sustainability on a variety of levels. Following Hurri- cane Andrew in August 1992, Harper served as chair of the building code committee tasked with upgrading and improv- ing Florida's building codes. In this capacity he learned the importance of good impact windows as part of a successful building envelope in a hurricane-prone area. Familiar with CGI windows and doors for years, Harper selected fixed, operable and sliding products to be part of his new home. All doors and windows are low-E and tri- ple-paned to help with temperature regulation. In addition to its LEED certification, the home was se- lected Home of the Year in 2014 by the South Florida United States Green Building Council. The house also is the first LEED home in Pinecrest. UM Offers New Graduate Degree in Natural Hazard, Catastrophe Analytics The University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Ma- rine and Atmospheric Science, Miami, FL, is offering a new Master of Professional Science (MPS) degree track in Natural Hazard and Catastrophe Analytics starting in fall 2015. To meet society's need for a skilled workforce, this track will provide graduate students with the skills and knowledge necessary to understand earth's natural hazards, such as hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes, and the data analytics tools required to assess the associated risks, according to a statement release by the school. The MPS program is an accelerated graduate degree program intended for students who seek advanced training in natural science-related fields. In place of a research-based thesis, MPS students complete an internship with a business or government entity applying their skills in a hands-on setting. Students in the catastrophe track come from a wide range of disciplines including business, emergency manage- ment, engineering, public health and science. The course- work, which can be completed in one year, additionally exposes students to the legal and regulatory knowledge, communication training and project management skills required to assess risks and exposures associated with natural hazards. IN/BOX continued

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