HIMACS solid surface – a Winning Interior Materials for House Design Project
College students won top honors at a Department of Energy contest for their prototype house featuring HIMACS solid surface countertops. A team from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, was working on its submission to a national contest when superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey in 2012.
The school suffered minor flooding from the storm, but other areas of New Jersey were hit much harder. The superstorm caused $29 billion in damage, knocked out power for up to 10 days for some residents, killed more than 280 people and destroyed or damaged nearly 350,000 homes in New Jersey. Though it was too late to change course for that year’s contest, the storm inspired the team’s 2015 entry to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.
· Cost-effective, Energy-efficient house design made possible by HIMACS solid surface
For the decathlon, held every other year, 20 college teams are tasked to build and design houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. The Stevens Institute of Technology team got to work on a plan for housing that could withstand the damage caused by Sandy and fit the parameters of the contest.
The result was the SU+RE HOUSE, a 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom home that can rebuff flooding and generate its own power while using 90 percent less energy than conventional housing. “It turned out beautifully; it felt like a ’60s beach cottage with a touch of modern applied to it,” said A. J. Elliott, the electrical engineer and communications lead on the SU+RE HOUSE project.
The team’s design, which included HIMACS solid surface countertops from LX Hausys in the kitchen and bathroom, won top honors in the contest.
Why HIMACS? Outstanding Quality and Design for Kitchen Countertops
The Stevens team chose the HIMACS solid surface for the kitchen countertops for several reasons, Elliott said.
The reasons are:
· The hygienic properties of HIMACS solid surface
HIMACS has a smooth, scratch-resistant and pore-free surface that is critical for post-flood cleanup. Seamless processing prevents bacteria or mold from settling and enables thorough and quick cleaning so that cross-contamination and germs during treatments have no chance.
Such properties of HIMACS has been certified by an independent laboratory for its hygienic properties in accordance with the international norm LGA and NSF, meeting the higher standards for hygiene.
· Extraordinary versatility and impressive designs for kitchen countertops
White hue HIMACS surface fits the beach cottage’s design perfectly, giving the cottage a bright look even if the lights aren’t turned on. With the lights on, the material’s luster perfectly highlighted the color-shifting lighting design installed in the house.
The color-shifting lighting is another high-tech touch of the SU+RE HOUSE. The LED lights are programmed to shift throughout the day to match the colors outside. They are bluer in the morning and more orange at night.
With its flexible formability and wide range of colors, HIMACS offered exceptional design possibilities and all the prerequisites for designing the SU+RE House. Also, the thermoformability of HIMACS means any shape is possible, offering complete design freedom. The material could be molded and installed into textured, three-dimensional rectangles for the kitchen backsplash.
HIMACS, a Perfect Realization of Functional Bathroom Design Ideas
As part of the money-saving design, the kitchen and bathroom share the west side of the house. In addition to the cost savings, this design minimizes heat loss through the ducts and gives centralized access to basic necessities. Also, the two rooms share the HIMACS countertop materials.
The bathroom introduced a new challenge for the Stevens team: building a functional bathroom in an extremely narrow and long room. The bathroom is the one room where a feeling of wellness and tranquility is essential.
The ideal countertop material to help achieve this should be pleasant to the touch, extremely hygienic and, naturally, waterproof. But once these practical considerations have been addressed, it also needs to be malleable and flexible so that every design idea is possible: from simple straight lines, to dramatic and opulent visions.
· Best material for interior design of small bathrooms – HIMACS solid surface
Stevens team found their answer in HIMACS. HIMACS solid surface met every conditions to achieve their small bathroom interior design ideas. Two rows of solid countertop along the entirety of the wall, from the bathroom sink right into the shower.
The unusual design, made possible by the HIMACS countertops, allowed the team to offer the features needed to design a small bathroom and keep it within ADA requirements for wheelchair access. The lower row of shelving serves as storage and comes in handy in the shower, for shampoo and soap but also for the room’s dual purpose as a mudroom. The shower, which is made of the same wood as the deck, has a door leading outside.
“If you’ve been surfing or enjoying some other beach activity, you can come right into the shower instead of tracking dirt and sand throughout the rest of the house,” Elliott said.
· Looking for bathroom interior design ideas? HIMACS is the answer
Selecting the appropriate interior materials is important to maximize the efficiency and maintenance of the space. These solid surface materials will enable suppliers to provide affordable yet hygienic bathroom spaces with a relaxing atmosphere for the residents. A shower booth made with HIMACS has non-porous surfaces, allowing for easy removal of limescale by simply wiping the surface, thus making hygienic maintenance easy.
HIMACS wide sheet is available in different thickness and allows for a seamless shower booth design. Furthermore, wall claddings with beautiful patterns will add aesthetic value on top of the bathroom’s hygiene. It is easy to add amenities that can help control water usage to create an energy-efficient bathroom, such as built-in bathtubs, shower booths, and sinks.
Check out LX Hausys HIMACS collection and get inspirations for your kitchen and bathroom remodeling project.