KALAMAZOO, MICH.—Landscape Forms introduces the next generation of products in the company’s 35 Collection, a family of site furniture elements with a youthful spirit and a mission to promote social life in outdoor spaces. The new additions are all in the family, created in collaboration with design partner frog design, the innovation powerhouse renowned for the SONY Walkman, the Apple computer, and software applications and mobile products for Microsoft and Disney. The results are three designs that continue the collection’s subtle integration of natural and architectural forms and take 35 fast forward.“The 35 Collection has been extremely successful,” says...

SIOUX LOOKOUT, ONTARIO—Most sea shipping containers that end up in the United States or Canada from points west never get shipped back. Trade imbalances can have burdensome repercussions on the environment. Many shipping containers are recycled for their steel but occasionally the containers are creatively reused—even in construction. Case in point is the recently opened Days Inn-Sioux Lookout in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. The 60-room Days Inn, a Realstar Hospitality franchised hotel that is managed by Liberty Hospitality, is comprised of 120 sea shipping containers on two levels. The modular units were prefabricated off-site in Calgary, Alberta by Ladacor Ltd.The...

At Greenbuild 2014 in New Orleans, Mahesh Ramanujam, the President of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) said that the GBCI intends to broaden its mandate. Today, the GBCI is known for supporting the third party verification efforts for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. But going forward, Ramanujam said the GBCI intends to host new third party environmental programs that will address third party certification of the following four concentrations of the built environment: energy efficiency, sustainable landscape, health and wellness, and financial markets. The rating systems for energy...

WHEELING, ILL.—The Brentano Design Studio, led by Iris Wang, celebrates 25 years in 2015. The textile house has grown from a modest eight patterns in 1990 to an international design leader. “I feel very blessed,” says Wang, founder of the company. “So many people have helped Brentano get to this point. My husband E-Kwan and I have two sons, and with this company, it’s like we’ve raised a third child. Brentano holds a unique place in the industry, and I’m thankful, as an artist and businesswoman, that our point of view has been so well received.” Wang often...

DALTON, GA.—Displayed in new architectural folders, Tandus Centiva introduces two new styles, Substrate and NuGrain, expanding the company’s luxury vinyl tile products in the marketplace.Substrate is an intuitive new material for the floor plane developed by Suzanne Tick and Terry Mowers with the Japanese concept of finding singular beauty in the transient nature of pared down objects. As a luxury vinyl tile, Substrate brings the look of textile scrim to the floor in an enduring format with the look of irregular fluidity and modest imperfection. With a 32 mil wear layer and deep embossing technique, Substrate has a similar...

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Now more than ever, when you check into NU Hotel Brooklyn, you stand a very good chance to land a guestroom that features a locally-inspired mural painted by a Brooklyn artist, as the hotel now has a total of 15 guestrooms outfitted in NU Perspectives, a program which brings local Brooklyn artists into the guestrooms and allows them to use the walls as their canvas.“What started as a side project has really transformed the character and personality of our guestrooms,” said Independent Collection Area General Manager Javier Egipciaco. “It’s an honor to showcase the unique work of such...

MIAMI—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the opening of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Bogota Zona Financiera. The new-build, 99-room hotel is a LEED Gold certified property and is located in the heart of Bogota’s financial district. The hotel is part of a mixed-use development comprised of two towers, one of which houses the hotel and a second offices and retail stores. The new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bogota Zona Financiera hotel is the fifth IHG-branded hotel in Bogota and is 15 miles from El Dorado International Airport. The property is conveniently located near local businesses, embassies,...

DELANCO, N.J.—Stylex announced that its current seating portfolio has attained BIFMA level certification. A transparent, multi-attribute third-party certification program for the furniture industry, level is similar in intention to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification for the building industry.Stylex President John Golden explains, “We’re proud to have attained level certification. It speaks to the rigorous environmental and social standards we aspire to, and we’re excited to offer our customers proof of our commitment in this area.”BIFMA’s level was designed to communicate the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment across many attributes and has...

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, CALIF.—Nestled amongst picturesque forests and meadows and steps from the famed General Grant Tree, John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon’s Grant Grove Village has been lending itself to unforgettable national park trips for close to two decades. A fixture of countless family getaways and outdoor adventures, the rustic stone-and-timber lodge offers intimate and inviting quarters for guests in all seasons. Now, its welcoming atmosphere is further enhanced and equipped to deliver an authentic national parks experience after a full remodel of the lodge’s 36 rooms. Partnering with local Darden Architects, concessionaire Delaware North Companies...

DALLAS—The Renaissance Dallas Hotel last week unveiled new multi-million dollar innovative, modern event and meeting spaces. The Renaissance Dallas’ new 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space includes a 16,000 square foot technologically advanced Grand Ballroom accommodating up to 1,500 guests. The Grand Ballroom space includes modern décor, 24-foot vaulted ceilings, skylight crystal chandeliers, a state-of-the art lighting and sound system with remote controlled screens, and window shades allowing natural light during the day. The event space also features linen-less rectangular tables seating eight to 10, easily accessible direct load in capabilities and a separate valet entrance for...