WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its LEED in Motion: Hospitality report, which showcases tremendous industry growth in green building and defines the scale up opportunities for the hospitality sector. More than 109 million square feet of hotel space is currently LEED certified, and the report highlights some of the most impressive LEED certified hotels throughout the world.“Across industries we are seeing an increase in consumer demand toward sustainability practices, and no industry is better poised to meet these demands than hospitality,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC. “This growing sector is rapidly adopting...

BOSTON—Major weather events and climate changes are leading architects and developers to create interesting new responses to an evolving environment. Innovative ways of thinking about buildings and urban design will be necessary in some waterfront redevelopment projects—especially those integrated within existing urban infrastructure—contends Michael Liu, Principal at Boston-based architecture and master planning firm, The Architectural Team (TAT). Driven by building codes hoping to address rising sea levels and the reality of increasingly flood-prone neighborhoods, architects working in coastal areas or flood plains are often required to raise habitable space above street level. Recent TAT projects in Lynn, Salem, and East...

CHICAGO—NeoCon, the premier, global platform for connecting, learning and conducting business in commercial interiors, will ring in its 48th year this June 13 to 15 at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The three-day tradeshow and conference highlights hundreds of leading exhibitors across key vertical markets including Workplace, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Education, Public Spaces, and Government. The 2016 edition will feature a first-hand look at the latest prototypes and product launches for commercial interiors. Also on tap will be world-class educational programming—from compelling keynote presentations that give attendees insider access to today’s most influential thought leaders—to a robust offering of...

LOS ANGELES—Cachet Hotel Group (CHG) announced the debut of its first resort development in Asia. Located in Guizhou Province, China, the dual-branded resort development Cachet Resort Wanfeng Valley is set to open with both URBN and Cachet Resort concepts in October 2016.A national tourism destination known for its rich cultural heritage and scenery, Guizhou enjoys the designation as one of “Top 52 Places to Go in 2016” according to The New York Times. Owned and developed by Guizhou SenYao Real Estate Development Co., the resort spans across 300 acres of natural scenic land in the Xingyi City of Guizhou...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—A dynamic fusion of color and texture, Patina is the newest offering in the Móz Designs Blendz Collection of architectural wall coverings. Móz Patina integrates the depth of color and variegated tones of copper, but in a lightweight, easy-to-install Móz metal. Patina’s organic, natural finish creates visual interest in any interior installation, including hotels, restaurants, spas, retail centers, cruise ships and other signature applications.Along with Móz’s Patina addition, Blendz features many palettes of blended colorways in a wide range of tones. A choice of textural grains can be incorporated into the colorways. The entire series can be viewed...

SAN FRANCISCO—Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. announces the opening of the new Axiom Hotel in San Francisco. Opening at the famed Cable Car turnaround at the nexus of historic Union Square and innovative Mid-Market, the boutique hotel offers 152 rooms and tech-forward amenities. Axiom Hotel is managed by Kokua Hospitality with design from New York City-based Stonehill & Taylor.As a LEED certified boutique hotel, Axiom has sustainability efforts that coincide with the green city of San Francisco. Convenient filtered ice and water stations on every guest floor are not only eco-friendly, but also allow guests unlimited and complimentary fresh...

LONDON—Smith & Fong Co., manufacturer of Plyboo bamboo architectural plywood and textured wall systems, announced it has significantly expanded its presence in the United Kingdom and Europe, with a London office and centralized warehousing in the Midlands for its full line of bamboo and palm plywood and paneling products, according to company president Angus Stocks.“Smith & Fong views the U.K. and Europe as major architectural and design markets that are central to our growth strategy,” Stocks said. “We want to connect and deliver our products in the European region to support a growing demand.”The company has partnered with IQ...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Viridian Reclaimed Wood announced the introduction of Zigzag, a new line of affordable reclaimed wood paneling derived from shipping crates, according to Viridian co-owner Joe Mitchoff. “Zigzag paneling is named after a winding river canyon on the slopes of Mt. Hood for a reason,” Mitchoff said. “It’s rugged, variable and looks amazing in wide-open spaces.”Differing from most of Viridian’s paneling products, Zigzag is budget-priced, making it ideal for environments that require large-scale coverage.Zigzag features heavy patina and includes some painted boards that can easily be culled before installation, if desired. It comes in mixed widths and thicknesses with...

Name: Lorraine Francis AIA, LEED BD+CTitle: Director, NEWH Sustainable Hospitality CommitteeYears as Director: 1.5 Committee’s Primary Responsibilities: “The main focus is on the Green Voice series. We try to do three presentations at Boutique Design New York, Boutique Design West, and HD Expo. We also have two student scholarships that get awarded at HD Expo.” Additional Title: Regional Director of Hospitality Interiors, Gensler NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.—As Director of NEWH’s Sustainable Hospitality Committee, Lorraine Francis leads monthly committee meetings in preparation for educational discussions at key industry events. She works with various subcommittees within the Sustainable Hospitality Committee and has...

CHICAGO—Virgin Hotels announced that Virgin Hotels Chicago, the brand’s first property, has achieved LEED Gold certification, a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The hotel and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) celebrated the achievement with a hosted panel discussion surrounding reducing carbon, reaching net zero and greening supply chains in the hospitality industry.“Our goal as a company is to have all our properties achieve LEED Silver, so we are ecstatic to have exceeded that benchmark in Chicago,” said Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels. “As we continue to open additional...