ATLANTA—Acuity Brands, Inc. announced the introduction of the Lithonia Lighting W Series luminaires that feature integral occupancy sensors to manage lighting usage in low-traffic or low-occupancy areas such as corridors, stairwells and restrooms. The luminaires automatically turn on or off as occupants ascend and descend stairs, walk corridors or enter a seldom used space, significantly reducing energy consumption by not lighting the space when it is not in use.The W Series luminaires are available with energy-efficient LED or fluorescent lamps and can be configured for surface or wall mount applications. The luminaires’ linear-fluted diffuser coordinates with the Lithonia Lighting...

Turner Construction just released the results of its 2012 Market Barometer Survey. A total of 718 executives participated in the survey. They represented the following types of companies: architecture (49 percent), construction (19 percent), real estate consulting (11 percent), corporate owner-occupant (9 percent), developer (9 percent), engineering (9 percent), real estate owners (7 percent), corporate tenant (3 percent), and broker/real estate service provider (2 percent). Eighty-four percent of respondents said their companies were committed to environmentally-sustainable practices. Executives were most likely to cite financial factors as being important to their companies’ decisions on whether to incorporate green features in...

SAN FRANCISCO—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced a $3 million grant from Google that will catalyze the transformation of the building materials industry and accelerate the creation of healthier indoor environments.“Healthy, non-toxic building materials are a critical component in green building,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “Fostering awareness of the materials we put into our buildings is of paramount importance, since many materials can link to a host of environmental and health issues. Working with Google enables us to broaden our efforts in the materials industry as we prepare for the...

JEFFERSON CITY, TENN.—Longtime industry veteran, Peter Mandel, has created an exclusive collection of internationally known brands of Italian designed seating to be manufactured and represented in North America under Motivo Furniture.Mandel has more than 30 years of experience in the design trade and hospitality industries.  His accomplishments include managing the national product launches for Ariston Hospitality, Archetype Furniture and Westwood Interiors. He also created the furniture division (Duralee Fine Furniture) for Duralee Fabrics, managing every aspect of operations that included design of the product line from conception to fabrication, marketing, building the nationwide sales force and driving revenue. He...

SEATTLE—Hyatt at Olive 8, Seattle’s first and only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified hotel, continues to lead the local hospitality industry in green initiatives with the announcement of its Green Seal Gold Certification—the much sought after achievement that can only be accomplished if the property complies with the Green Seal Standard for Hotels & Lodging Properties (GS-33, 2011) at the highest level. Only three hotels in the United States have obtained a gold certification, and only a handful of properties have the unique combination of all three environmentally friendly distinctions.“Since opening our doors in February 2009,...

NEW YORK—Around the world, the green building marketplace is accelerating, according to a new study released by McGraw-Hill Construction in partnership with United Technologies at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco.The study indicates a shift in the global construction market, now viewing green as a business opportunity rather than a niche market. Overwhelmingly, firms report that their top reasons to do green work are client demand (35 percent) and market demand (33 percent)—two key business drivers of strategic planning. The next top reasons were also oriented toward the corporate bottom line—lower operating costs (30 percent) and...

PHILADELPHIA—Campus Apartments, a developer and manager of university-affiliated real estate, announces that its first hotel development, Homewood Suites by Hilton—University City, was awarded the Silver level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.The upscale extended-stay hotel, which provides residential-style accommodations for visitors to area universities and medical facilities, opened in May 2012 after 18 months of development. Located in Philadelphia’s University City District, the hotel was designed and constructed to meet green building standards with sustainable systems and an energy-efficient envelope.The City of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. and The...

SAN FRANCISCO—U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the world’s largest conference dedicated to green building, kicked off earlier this week at San Francisco’s LEED Gold Moscone Center with 7,000 attendees. The morning’s opening plenary, headlined by MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-hosts Mika Brzezinksi and Joe Scarborough marked the official launch of the 2012 show.Now in its 11th year, Greenbuild convenes 35,000 members of the green building industry for three days of education sessions, renowned speakers, networking events, and a vast exhibition floor with thousands of booths. This year’s location in San Francisco is ideal: With more...

NEW YORK—M1T Partners, LP (M1T), an SEC Registered Investment Advisory addressing the needs of private equity and merger and acquisition specialists by placing investments and providing the necessary advisory services to arrange, structure, execute and syndicate transactions, has finalized a preliminary round of funding of Adoba Eco Hotel, the first independent hotel chain to design, build and convert fully LEED certified hotels. M1T’s $75 million investment represents the first round of financing of a five-year plan to accelerate Adoba’s national expansion plan. M1T’s investment in the Adoba Eco Hotel brand expansion is being conducted through the firm’s fund that...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—Native Trails, the maker of luxury, sustainable furnishings for kitchens and baths, has expanded its collection of hand crafted accessories and furnishings. The Harmony and Solace Mirrors are part of the brand’s Renewal Series, which consists of bath furnishings and accessories made from bamboo.“We continually look for ways to enrich people’s surroundings with good design and sustainable materials,” said founder and CEO of Native Trails, Naomi Neilson Howard. “The Renewal Series illustrates bamboo’s warm persona, providing myriad choices in bath furniture and mirrors for designers and homeowners to create distinction and depth in their living spaces.”Artisan...