CORTLAND, N.Y.—Hope Lake Holdings, LLC has received a congratulatory letter from the President, CEO & Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council, S. Richard Fedrizzi, on earning LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, certification on Hope Lake Lodge & Convention Center. The project has achieved LEED Certification under the LEED for New Construction Rating System.“LEED certification identifies Hope Lake Lodge & Convention Center as a showcase example of sustainable design and demonstrates leadership in transforming the building industry,” Fedrizzi said. “In honor of this impressive achievement and in appreciation of Greek Peak’s participation in LEED, certificates...

NATIONAL REPORT—It will be at this year’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (November 20 to 22 in Philadelphia) that the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED) v4 will be introduced. For the hospitality industry, the rollout will be significant. It will be the first time that there will be hospitality-specific adaptations of LEED: LEED Hospitality-New Construction, LEED Hospitality-Existing Buildings, and LEED Hospitality-Commercial Interiors. The adaptations are the result of many years of conversations and input from LEED stakeholders in the hospitality community. Some of that input can be found among the more than 22,000 comments...

ROCKVILLE, MD.— The construction documents for “The Crib, an Enviresponsible Shelter” are now available to builders and fabricators under a license from Broadhurst Architects, Inc. of Maryland. This award-winning contemporary prefabricated cottage can serve as a weekend retreat, a home yoga studio, a backyard home office, or in multiples as cabins at an eco-resort. “The Crib was originally designed for a remote site on Nanjemoy Creek in Charles County, Md. as a weekend retreat,” said architect Jeffrey Broadhurst. “Inspired by traditional American corn cribs, it’s become a sophisticated kit of parts to serve modern needs and tastes.”  The current...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a rule that will allow the agency to restrict imports of potentially harmful perfluorinated chemicals that could be used in carpets. The regulation will require companies to report to EPA all new uses, including in domestic and imported products, of these chemicals once used  for soil and stain resistance in carpets. These chemicals have been shown to persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in humans and animals. This action follows the U.S. chemical industry’s voluntary phase out of these chemicals and a range of actions by EPA to address concerns...

NEW YORK—Seven exhibitors received Editors’ Choice Awards during the Opening Ceremonies of the 98th annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) and 4th annual Boutique Design New York (BDNY), Sunday, November 10, 2013, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The awards recognize best new products within the categories of design, equipment & supplies, food & beverage, green, operations, tabletop and technology. From the seven winners, the Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show” Award also was selected. The 2013 Editors’ Choice Award winners are:Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show”—Phillips Collection (High Point, N.C.) for the Bicycle...

MIRAMAR, FLA.—Trend Group, an international manufacturer and distributor of unique mosaic tiles and natural stones headquartered in Vicenza, Italy with production facilities and offices in several countries, along with its subsidiary company, Granite Transformations, has partnered with Kohler Co. to further each company’s eco-friendly mission of keeping unnecessary waste out of landfills. With this collaboration, Kohler Co. provides pre-consumer porcelain from their bath and sink manufacturing to be re-purposed for the production of Trend’s newest line of exclusive granite surfaces.This two-year partnership has resulted in the creation of Trend products #1606 and #1607, also referred to as Terra Chiara...

NEW YORK—Designtex announced that Susan Lyons, president of Designtex, will be honored as a Legacy Innovator at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute’s inaugural Innovation Celebration event, which will be held in New York on November 15 to recognize leaders in product design innovation as they create better products for our world.This award recognizes Lyons’s pioneering role as a passionate but practically minded advocate for environmental sustainability in textile design. In 1993, Lyons, then Creative Director of Designtex, began to research the possibility of developing a collection of ecological fabrics. But at that time no one knew exactly...

MIAMI—Coverings ETC announces the newest addition to its Bio-Glass collection: “Topaz Blue.” This new color is made from 100 percent upcycled bottles. Topaz Blue rounds out a roster of six colors including White Diamond, Oriental Jade, Fossil Amber, Malachite, and Emerald Forest.Merging subtle elegance with durability, Red Dot Design award winner Bio-Glass is stain proof and scratch resistant, making it ideal for kitchen countertops, back-splashes, vanities, and wall coverings. It is available in sheet sizes measuring 110" x 49" x ¾" thick. Bio-Glass is suitable for partitions, facades, and other decorative surfaces. They’re as durable as granite and, being...

NEW YORK—Hastings Tile & Bath, importers and distributors of contemporary bathroom products, has announced additions to VOLA’s award-winning Round Series of in-wall accessories for residential and hospitality bathrooms. The new electronic soap dispenser and cistern flush are built-in and aligned to the wall. They are also completely contact-free, using the latest technology to provide a clean experience.The Round Series for the luxury washroom already features the built-in waste bin and the built-in tissue dispenser. Together with the classic VOLA hands-free tap (now available in a vertical configuration) and electronic cistern flush, the new soap dispenser takes the outer circle...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a few short weeks, approximately 30,000 people from all over the world will descend upon the historic city of Philadelphia for the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, which features three days of extensive educational programming, workshops and showcases of the latest green products and services. Presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and owned and produced by Hanley Wood, Greenbuild, which takes place from November 20 to 22, 2013, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.“Philadelphia is the perfect city for Greenbuild—with its rich history and its...