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Green Design

With the goal of reducing energy costs and minimizing environmental impact, architects and designers are getting serious about green design. Every part of the property can be impacted and savvy designers are incorporating reclaimed materials and restorative greenery. Visit Green Lodging News for the latest news and best practices. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Green Design

Home Green Design
With the goal of reducing energy costs and minimizing environmental impact, architects and designers are getting serious about green design. Every part of the property can be impacted and savvy designers are incorporating reclaimed materials and restorative greenery. Visit Green Lodging News for the latest news and best practices. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

New LEED Credit Recognizes Products Certified to Furniture Sustainability Standard

NATIONAL REPORT—Architects, designers, facility managers and business leaders pursuing LEED certification may now be able to earn credit for specifying level certified furniture products under the USGBC’s new Pilot Credit 80: Environmentally Preferable Interior Finishes and Furnishings—a credit that specifically recognizes products that have been third-party certified to the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.Scot Horst, senior vice president, LEED, USGBC, made the announcement at BIFMA’s 2013 Annual Meeting.“BIFMA and the office furniture industry have been at the forefront of sustainability and transparency in product manufacturing and its willingness to engage with USGBC has created a uniquely collaborative process that...

Hyatt Regency Houston Measures Impact of EnerLogic Film

KINGSPORT, TENN.—Through its line of performance films, Eastman Chemical Co. has partnered with the Hyatt Regency Houston and Green Generation Solutions (GGS), an energy-efficiency and sustainability engineering firm, to measure the true energy-savings impact of EnerLogic 35 low-e window film.The 924,000-square-foot Hyatt Regency Houston sought to address temperature complaints from guests, as well as its high energy expenditures that totaled $1.6 million annually. The high utility bills were diverting resources the hotel uses to offer best-in-class service and amenities to guests.“Most solar films are great at blocking solar energy from entering a building in the summer, but they do...

SCS Issues Gold-Level Certification to Designtex

EMERYVILLE, CALIF.—SCS Global Services (SCS) has issued the first gold-level certification to Designtex, a Steelcase Company, under the facts ecolabel developed by the Association for Contract Textiles (ACT). The certification recognizes Designtex’s “Gold Standard” textiles collection—including its Concept, Precision, and Pop Art styles—as meeting stringent criteria for environmental sustainability from the fiber stage to end-of-use.“This certification confirms Designtex’s commitment to environmental excellence,” said Stowe Beam, managing director of SCS Environmental Certification Services division. “Its precedent-setting gold-level certification is a valuable example for other textile companies to follow.”According to Beam, the facts ecolabel is issued only after companies demonstrate that...

Industry Veterans Announce Launch of Meadow Lighting

RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, CALIF.—Jeff Lazar and Jim Hesterly announced the launch of a new hospitality lighting supplier, Meadow Lighting, and simultaneously appointed Ken Koneck as vice president to steer the new venture. Meadow Lighting is uniquely positioned to deliver guestroom table and floor lamp portables, as well as hardwired fixtures including wall mounted sconces and small hanging fixtures for lodging.“Lighting offers us a wonderful additional platform of product design and functionality in guestrooms, to blend with JLF’s seating and fine tables,” says Jeff Lazar, president of JL Furnishings. “JLF has enjoyed unprecedented growth over the last several years. Now with...

SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Idaho’s First LEED Hotel, Opens

COEUR D’ ALENE, IDAHO—The 118-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, opened on August 5. The SpringHill Suites Coeur d’Alene will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by CDB Hospitality, LLC of Spokane, Wash. Located two miles from downtown, 35 miles from Spokane International Airport and five minutes from Lake Coeur d’Alene, the hotel offers guests convenient access to Centennial Trail, the Spokane River, and Silverwood Theme Park. The SpringHill Suites Coeur d’Alene has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for its contributions in making the environment a healthier place by...

National Restaurant Association’s LED Lighting Tips

CHICAGO—More restaurants are exploring LED lights, which use less energy than incandescent bulbs and often qualify for rebates or other incentives. Energy Star, an Environmental Protection Agency program that promotes energy efficiency, estimates LEDs use at least 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights.Consider these points when exploring LED lighting:•    Be prepared for an upfront investment. While LEDs cost more initially, they last 35 to 50 times longer than incandescent lighting and about two to five times longer than fluorescent lighting, according to Energy Star. Restaurants typically start to see a return on their investment in four to 16...

Viridian Adds Line of Premade 4’x8’ Architectural Panels

PORTLAND, ORE.—Viridian Reclaimed Wood announced the introduction of a new line of 4’ x 8’ premade architectural panels with rustic and reclaimed wood faces, according to Viridian co-owner Joe Mitchoff.The new 3-ply engineered panels were developed in response to recent demand from the commercial interiors segment. Designed for reliability, durability and quick and seamless installation, they are ideal for wall coverings, store fixtures, signage and casework. Custom graphics and CNC designs can be applied to any panel.“These panels are incredibly versatile and they can be customized in limitless ways,” Mitchoff said. “And the slimmer dimensions make them ideal for...

Xanterra Completes Phase One of Renovations of Lake Yellowstone Hotel

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK—The oldest hotel in Yellowstone National Park, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, has received a bottom-up facelift—literally—that would make any grand dame of 122 years proud. The project, costing in excess of $10 million, included new lobby décor, major structural enhancements, the addition of an elevator, new business center and 43 renovated rooms, including four newly created suites in the west wing of the hotel.Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ Yellowstone National Park Lodges, operator of the hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, tours and activities in the park, has been working since the day the hotel closed for the summer season in 2012...

Ultrafabrics Introduces Ultraleather Pro

CHICAGO—In its quest to produce functional yet luxurious polyurethane fabrics, Ultrafabrics has developed Ultraleather Pro, the next generation in its portfolio of leather options. A beneficiary of the manufacturer’s latest technological advances, Ultraleather Pro is softest in class yet delivers performance values that are unexpected in a leather-like product.Ultraleather Pro is unaffected by the most difficult of stains and most ballpoint ink, Betadine solution, red wine or mustard, making it an ideal coverings choice for a range of applications, from corporate and educational projects to healthcare and hospitality. Its easy-to-clean surface is durable, tested for abrasion resistance beyond a...

Grand Rapids’ CityFlatsHotel is Michigan’s Second LEED Gold Hotel; First Was in Holland

GRAND RAPIDS—The CityFlatsHotel in downtown Grand Rapids was built in 2011 to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification and has now accomplished it. The five-story hotel, at 83 Monroe Center in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, inhabits what was once the legendary Fox Jewelers Building. Like its sister hotel (the CityFlatsHotel in Holland, Mich.) before it, the CityFlatsHotel Grand Rapids joins the ranks of LEED certified buildings throughout the world.LEED buildings are designed to: reduce waste sent to landfills, conserve energy and water, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and be healthier and safer for...