With its late 1970s vibe, Marriott’s previous headquarters was “like a cave,” Rado Ivanov told me this past week. Ivanov is Vice President, Global Design, U.S. & Canada for Marriott International. Marriott’s associates were located on just six floors. I spoke with Ivanov about Marriott’s all new headquarters in downtown Bethesda, Md. The 21-story, 785,000-square-foot building, which just had its official opening, is light years from a cave and probably one of the most advanced headquarters buildings in the country. It is LEEDv4 Gold-certified (for Core & Shell), is aiming for LEEDv4 Gold for Commercial Interiors, and has earned a...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) has reported that the Arc performance platform is now tracking more than seven billion square feet of project space in nearly 140 countries, an increase of 1.4 billion square feet over the last 12 months. This makes Arc among the largest databases of building performance in the world. “Reaching seven billion square feet of space using Arc is a significant milestone,” said Peter Templeton, interim President, and CEO, GBCI and Arc. “This underscores the rapidly growing commitment of building owners and operators worldwide to tracking, reporting, and verifying performance as critical steps towards minimizing...

NEW YORK—Material Bank, the world’s largest marketplace for architectural, design, and construction materials, announced its commitment to The Climate Pledge. Material Bank has transformed the architecture and design industry by allowing members to search from more than 450+ brands on a single website, order samples until midnight ET, and receive all materials in a single box by 10:30 a.m. the next morning. Built with sustainability at its core, the platform reduces massive amounts of waste in the sampling process. By signing The Climate Pledge, the company takes its commitment to sustainability a step further, going beyond industry standards to place...

BETHESDA, MD.—Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., the nation’s largest lodging real estate investment trust, released its 2022 Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report, which details the Company’s CR program and responsible investment strategy along with its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, progress and industry-leading accomplishments. Additionally, the 2022 CR Report introduces the framework for the Company’s 2050 CR vision. “It was a milestone year for Host’s social initiatives—especially our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging—and we continued to lead on the environmental front,” said Joanne Hamilton, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Responsibility. “While we continue to make significant...

MIAMI—SH Hotels & Resorts, the sustainable brand management company founded by Starwood Capital Group Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht, announced the first Treehouse Hotel to open in the U.S. in Sunnyvale, Calif., in the high-tech heart of Silicon Valley, in late 2023. The free-spirited, environmentally conscious lifestyle brand creatively captures the carefree comfort, freedom, nostalgia, and fun of childhood. Every Treehouse Hotel is founded on the adventurous ideas that inspire a child to build their “treehouse” and hang with real and imaginary friends. Treehouse Sunnyvale will fuse the creativity, innovation, and adventure of the dynamic Silicon Valley with the brand’s...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett North America, a leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, announces the hiring of Omoleye Simmons as Vice President of Design for the company’s commercial business. “This new position was created as part of Tarkett’s commitment to leading the industry in design and delivering on our promise to offer beautiful, on-trend flooring solutions for any space,” said Paul Young, Senior Vice President, Product, Innovation, Design & Sustainability, Tarkett North America. “We’re excited to welcome Omoleye to our team and look forward to seeing her vision come to life.” An accomplished designer, Simmons spent the better part...

BETHESDA, MD.—After six years of planning, design, and construction, Marriott International has opened its global headquarters in downtown Bethesda, Md. The 21-story, 785,000-square-foot, LEEDv4 Gold-certified building is the new workplace for corporate associates, supporting over 8,100 hotels in 139 countries and territories around the world. “We are thrilled to be welcoming associates to our new headquarters,” said Anthony Capuano, CEO of Marriott International. “The campus has been designed to better connect our global workforce in support of our hotels and teams around the world. Empowering associates and accelerating innovation were our key priorities and central in every decision we made to...

MUMBAI, INDIA—As Green Travel begins to set its foot in the Indian hospitality sector, eco-conscious, urban travelers looking to escape from city lights can now holiday at India’s first carbon-neutral resort—The Machan, Lonavala. Known for its exclusive line of treehouses, surrounded by lush green forests, also home to many endemic species, the company is setting new standards for sustainable stays and aims to put India on the global green map. Talking about the importance of being a Carbon Neutral organization, Varun Hooja, Partner at The Machan said, “Green travel is not just a disruptive trend but a reality for our planet. The ill-effects of climate change are known to everyone. This is why the world is setting targets for itself and...

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Global design company, West Elm, a member of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer, announced the launch of a new collaboration with designer, Mara Hoffman. The new Mara Hoffman Collection for West Elm features 28 items that celebrate both brands’ shared passion for design, sustainability, and responsible production processes. The new assortment spans multiple categories for West Elm including furniture, lighting, decorative accessories, and textiles. The pieces in the collection are grounded in warm neutral tones and feature high contrast black and whites executed on textured fabrications. As part of both brands’ commitment to...

SOLON, OHIO—A worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, Tarkett North America announces a new carbon strategy that will ultimately make real changes in how the company makes its floors, reducing impact rather than offsetting it. Earlier this year, Tarkett announced its Climate Roadmap for 2030, which includes a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent across its entire value chain by 2030—in full alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement objective to limit global warming to 1.5°C. To provide full visibility into these efforts, Tarkett has been evaluated and assessed by the independent organization Science Based...