RPC

Rob Pelletier Construction, Inc. Houston Texas

Chutes

RPC Inc represents Chutes International and is also a certified installer of their products.  We can assist in design by helping you select the right product for the project. We can write specs and estimates. RPC Inc can install the chosen system.

Chutes International caters to everyone in the construction industry. Whether you are renovating or building from the ground up, you need a way to safely move everything from construction debris to dirty linens. Since 1989 we’ve led the industry in safety, new product development, product improvement, customer education, training and support. All of our products are made in the US.

Chutes offers:

  • Internal Chutes
    • Made of aluminized or stainless steel
    • Standard and custom sizes
    • Doors are stainless steel
    • All parts are fully welded
  • External Chutes
    • Temporary chutes for construction sites
    • Steel or plastic
    • Allow access to multiple floors / roofs
    • Easy to install or disassemble by existing crew
  • Commercial Compactors and Sorters
    • Adaptable for apartments, hospitals, offices, warehouses… most applications
    • Streamline waste management by reducing waste
    • Lower costs
    • Supports sustainability goals
  • Chute and Compactor Parts
    • Based on a standardized system to make repairs easy
    • Extensive stock on hand for quick response

 

Should You Replace a Skylight in a Building?

Here are the top 10 reasons to consider replacing an older skylight on a commercial building:

1. Energy Efficiency

Modern skylights are designed with better insulation and glazing technologies, which can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs compared to older models.

2. Leak Prevention

Older skylights are more prone to leaks due to worn seals, cracked glass, or outdated installation methods. Replacing them can prevent water damage and mold growth.

3. Improved Natural Lighting

New skylights often feature better light diffusion and UV filtering, enhancing indoor lighting quality while protecting furnishings from sun damage.

4. Enhanced Aesthetics

A new skylight can modernize the appearance of your building, both inside and out, which is especially valuable for client-facing businesses.

5. Compliance with Building Codes

Building codes and energy standards evolve. Replacing your skylight ensures compliance with current regulations, which may be necessary for insurance or resale.

6. Increased Property Value

Upgraded features like energy-efficient skylights can boost the overall value of your commercial property.

7. Better Ventilation Options

Many newer skylights offer improved ventilation features, including remote-controlled or automated opening systems, which can enhance indoor air quality.

8. Reduced Maintenance

Modern skylights are built with durable materials and coatings that resist dirt, scratches, and weathering, reducing the need for frequent cleaning or repairs.

9. Safety Improvements

New skylights often include safety glass and better structural integrity, reducing the risk of breakage and injury.

10. Warranty and Support

Replacing your skylight gives you access to updated warranties and manufacturer support, which can be valuable for long-term maintenance and peace of mind.

RPC will inspect your skylight and make recommendations at no charge so you’ll have the facts on your current skylight and the very best options for a replacement skylight. Call us today at 512-962-9522.

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CHANDLER-GILBERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE WILLIAMS CAMPUS

The Vision

Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Mesa, Arizona, serves more than 16,000 students at three different locations in the Southeast Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The 753-acre Williams Campus was originally created from a portion of the former Williams Air Force Base and is in close proximity to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. In December, 2008, the college completed construction of Engel Hall, a spectacular new 20,778 square-foot nursing classroom and faculty office building and 6,000 square-foot covered outdoor plaza on the Williams Campus. The first floor of the facility houses student classrooms, laboratory spaces and lounge areas; the second floor houses faculty offices.

Engel Hall was developed as part of the Williams Education Research and Training Master Plan and with an administration directive to provide the college with a new standard of design and architectural materials for future expansion projects across the campus. Achieving maximum energy efficiency and indoor air comfort by minimizing the impact of the hot Arizona sun and a minimum LEED Gold Certification were key requirements of this project. Materials and products employed in the facility were selected based on their insulative value, their durability under extreme regional weather conditions, their visual and textural intrigue, their recycled content and their regional availability.

The Airolite Look…

Architects positioned Engel Hall’s building footprint and created exterior facades to establish a revitalized street presence to the adjacent avenue. The building’s low-profile and sleek lines are visually integrated with the expansive horizon that surrounds the campus. Engel Hall’s engaging but understated exterior immediately projects a progressive, contemporary image for the college and helps support the Master Plan’s recommendation to create new space that “represents the place of this institution in its community.”

A sweeping veil of Airolite sun controls spans the entire length and height of Engel Hall’s second floor providing a very distinctive, visual intrigue to the building during daylight hours and a stunning presence when backlit from the interior at night. The stylish second floor wall of Airolite sun controls also provides a dramatic framed view of the Superstition Mountains for visitors standing in the outdoor plaza where graduation ceremonies, concerts, trade fairs and other campus events will be held. The sun controls’ Kynar 500® Pearlescent Warm Silver finish matches the adjacent storefront and ceiling systems.

That Works

Vital shading provided by the sun controls contribute to energy-efficient cooling and desired thermal comfort for faculty offices without obstructing interior views of the surrounding campus.

Six-inch Airolite airfoil blades form the continuous length and height of the second floor. Blades are arrayed horizontally at 6 inches on center with a solar orientation of 30 degrees and were delivered to the site in approximately 10 feet wide x 6 feet high factory-assembled sections. Each sun control section is secured to steel trusses which also support the overhanging second floor. In addition, the flexibility of the Airolite sun controls relative to solar orientation helped with the user’s thermal comfort, and their recycled material content helped in achieving LEED Gold Certification. Airolite’s sun controls provided shade for the faculty offices, which in turn created a more pleasing visual environment and a more comfortable thermal environment for the users. The sun controls helped contribute to reduced solar heat gain which resulted in reduced cooling and energy consumption. “Airolite’s architectural louvers provided a design element that subtly and successfully addressed the functional needs of the users, energy efficiency requirements of the building, and our own aesthetic goals as a design firm,” stated Paul Goldammer, project manager for Gabor Lorant Architects, Inc.

Click here to learn more. 

Edmunds HQ

It takes a lot of people to make up Edmunds.com, the automotive networking and shopping giant. In 2016, Edmunds moved all those people into a new office in Santa Monica, CA, to give them a better, more collaborative, more enjoyable place to work. Architects M+M Creative Studio designed a vast flowing space with a polished industrial aesthetic heavy on car culture and a wealth of collaborative spaces. They integrated outdoor courtyards inside by making the office into a “convertible” with NanaWall opening glass walls. The result is an award-winning business space where people love to come to work.

Click here to read more.

Why Environmental Product Declarations Matter in Construction

What is an EPD?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) or Environmental Declaration is like a nutrition label for building products. It shows the environmental impact of a product across its full life cycle — from raw material sourcing and manufacturing to use and disposal.

For architects and contractors, EPDs are key to earning LEED and other green building credits while supporting transparent, informed design decisions. School districts value EPDs because they help create healthier learning environments, meet sustainability commitments and may tie into state or federal funding requirements. For owners and facilities managers, EPD simplify long-term planning by providing reliable data for compliance, reporting and lifecycle cost considerations. By choosing products with EPDs, decision-makers ensure they’re investing in materials that align with sustainability goals, occupant health and future regulatory needs.

Simply put, EPDs give you the facts to make smarter building choices.

RPC works with manufacturers who are leading with EPDs.  Here is an initial list. We’ll keep you updated as new declarations become available.

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Briteway® Canopy System  

UniQuad®

QuadSpan™

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Nueva School

The Vision

Learn by doing, learn by care is the driving force behind the culture of the Nueva School. The private school, founded in 1967, develops and nurtures gifted children to maximize their potential. They engage students using project-based and social-emotional learning, tailored the needs of each student.

Nueva School started as a pre-K through middle school and in 2014 expanded to a second campus to house its high school program. The new campus in San Mateo provided the opportunity to approach secondary education with a greater connection to community. According to the school’s website, the San Mateo campus was, “designed to use 65% less energy than a typical high school,” and a “transit-oriented campus . . . conceived as a ‘living laboratory’ that will inspire . . .”

The architectural design of the San Mateo campus incorporated many custom sunshade products that provided functional thermal reduction while captivating the attention of all who see it.

The Airolite Look…

The design of sun control products from Airolite emphasizes reducing heat transfer while still permitting natural lighting. The sun control products for the Nueva School all were custom designed and included origami-shaped sunscreens for smaller windows and sun shades having dimensions up to 25’ 4” wide by 27’ 4”. A critical requirement for the large sun shades was the ability to install easily. Airolite products are designed for easy installation; however the sheer size of the sun shades demanded additional engineering to minimize the labor needed for field installation. Working with the contractors, Airolite engineers developed a plan to build and deliver the larger sun shades in several sections instead of assembling individual pieces on-site. This planning resulted in field labor savings of more than 50%.

Attaching the larger sun shades to the building also required a non-standard approach to ensure these products could stand up to the point load and wind loads. In place of traditional methods, engineers developed a process to attach the sun shades using brackets that went into the wall structure prior to the window system. The brackets attached to steel plates providing the necessary support to hold each sun shade in place.

Aesthetics also were important to the project. Architects and school leaders wanted to stimulate the young minds of the students, making it important that every aspect of the facility achieved this goal. All Airolite sun control products attached to the Nueva School had to match exact primary and secondary colors specified.

That Works

The San Mateo campus of the Nueva School opened in 2014 as a non-traditional approach to secondary education. The campus achieved LEED Gold certification, meeting its goal of using up to 65% less energy.

Airolite custom sun control products assisted in helping the school achieve its LEED certification. The sun shades prevented heat transfer from sun glare yet allowed light and air from San Francisco Bay to flow in the windows unobstructed. Airolite offers custom solutions regardless of the size of the product required.

Click here to learn more. 

The Big Build Ireland

Featured on RTE 1 on Sunday, the episode showcased an incredible building project from the presenter, Baz Ashmawy, and his team of volunteers for Tipperary woman, Sinead Barry and her family.

Sinead’s husband, Michael (34), tragically passed away after a very short battle with cancer whilst self-building their dream home. For five years, Michael had been self-building their house, and when he fell ill and sadly passed away in March 2019, the home was unfinished.

Baz and the team from DIY SOS The Big Build Ireland stepped up to help complete the new build last year, creating an incredible family home for Sinead and her three young children.

Click here to continue reading.

Electrically OperablePartitions

Are you looking for a flexible space solution with the push of a button for your next project? Let’s talk about Moderco’s electrically operated partitions. These partitions are engineered for performance, convenience and style. Electrically operated partitions are ideal for schools, offices or event spaces where you want smart design to meet seamless function.

Moderco offers two series:  Excel 700 and Signature 800.

Excel 700

Excel is your best choice if a competitively priced, precisely engineered operable partition fits your needs. Excel is assembled with consistent quality. Each panel frame is fully welded.

Signature 800

This is the operable partition system that has the honor of being the most continuously in-use system design in the world!  Only Moderco manufactures these partitions. Signature 800 combines lightweight, high strength, steel reinforced aluminum frame. The partitions are available in single, paired or electric continuously hinged configurations. All Signature 800 operable partitions are independently tested with STC values as high as 55 and with extended warranty options.  Signature is Moderco’s premiere system that will provide the user with years of trouble free service.