GRAND RAPIDS, S.D.—Adoba Eco-Hotels and Suites has designated Interface Hospitality carpet tile its floor covering of choice for the brand’s chain of properties. The Adoba Eco Hotel brand is committed to environmentally responsible architecture and design, improving the environmental footprints of its holdings one guestroom at a time. “The flooring is the first big step toward sustainable interior design and Interface, known for the highest of sustainability standards, is the ideal partner to deliver great design that will delight the AdobaEco Hotel guests,” said James Henderson CEO/president of the Adoba brand. “We encourage our property owners to source many of...

BARAHONA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC—What was once a family retreat for the Schiffino family, Casa Bonita Lodge is making its mark as one of the most sustainable destinations in the Caribbean. Set on 160 acres of unspoiled land in the Dominican Republic’s Barahuco Mountains, the lodge is partially powered by a 6.5-kilowatt hydroelectric generator situated on the Riosito River. The generator meets 30 percent of the 14-villa lodge’s electricity needs. According to Sandra Beltran, vice president of sales and marketing for Prohotel International, the company that manages the lodge, the goal is to upgrade the hydro plant so that it supplies...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown has completed a multi-million renovation and is the newest incarnation of a 12-story round building that has been a city landmark since 1969. Owned by Union Hotel Company Tallahassee RLLLP, the hotel has 164 guestrooms.To attain LEED status, Union Hotel Company Tallahassee, RLLP partnered with Boulder, Colo.-based UHG Consulting, a sustainability consulting firm specializing in LEED certification and green building. UHG worked with Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee to advance the hotel’s sustainability initiatives, achieve total cost savings from energy efficiency, and create public awareness of its green practices.“Four Points by Sheraton...

POMPANO BEACH, FLA.—The 200-year-old expensive process of burning fossil fuels and baking limestone in kilns, which was invented in England and is now used worldwide, has seen its day according to scientists in Florida. Blue World Crete Inc. has found a sustainable and superior alternative concrete which does not pollute and is less expensive than Portland.The Portland process produces 1.25 tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of cement manufactured along with a variety of dangerous amounts of heavy metals. Geo-Blue Crete takes advantage of a natural chemical reaction which emanates from the oceans’ marine life, called bio-mineralization. In...

HOUSTON—Toshiba’s new candelabra 180 series is a direct replacement for a 25W incandescent candelabra and is designed to fit standard E12 and E26 socket fixtures. The lamp uses up to 84 percent less energy than incandescent candelabras.“This new lamp creates inviting, warm light that brings out the colors and elegance of any room,” said Peter DallePezze, vice president of marketing and product development, Toshiba International Corp. LED Lighting Systems Division. “This is exactly what designers, architects and homeowners have been looking for in energy-efficient lighting. Not only are LEDs known for their energy-saving performance, they’re also known for their...

NEW YORK—Designtex, a Steelcase company, announced that Susan Lyons has joined the organization as of June 18, as their new president. Lyons was previously with Designtex as creative director and executive vice president of design. She left in 2002 to form a collaborative design studio that focused on material research, product and color strategy, product design and sustainable materials development. For the last six years, she has also worked as the creative director for materials at Herman Miller.“Susan is a perfect fit for this role,” said Frank Merlotti, president of Coalesse. ”She is a systems design thinker who understands...

NATIONAL REPORT—There has been a lot of attention lately on green meetings—from green meeting standards to industry agreement on the measurement of the carbon footprint of a meeting. What has been little talked about is the role a simple meeting table can play in the greening of meetings over many years. Increasingly, suppliers are offering tables that are not only recyclable but that can also be used without linens. In the manufacturing of these tables vendors are also taking steps to be environmentally responsible—recycling scrap, recapturing and reusing paint, purchasing supplies locally, incorporating highly unique materials, and making quality...

BOSTON—Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Hostelling International USA (HI-USA) officials, community leaders and travelers last week celebrated the grand opening of the new Boston hostel located in the heart of downtown Boston at the intersection of the Midtown Cultural District, Theater District, and Chinatown. The new 480-bed Boston hostel, which replaces the 208-bed hostel currently located in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, has been built to LEED green building certification program standards and is expected to be the first LEED Certified hostel in the nation.“I congratulate Hostelling International on this great new facility and welcome the many new visitors it will...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Viridian Reclaimed Wood announced the introduction of a new range of reclaimed old-growth Douglas-fir flooring, according to Viridian co-owner Joe Mitchoff. Available in four varieties—nail-edge, mixed-grain, vertical (VG) and rustic—Viridian’s Doug-fir collection is reclaimed from beams salvaged from abandoned warehouses, docks and old gymnasiums, among other sources, and is derived from some of the company’s most mature raw-material sources.“This old-growth Doug-fir is in a class by itself, with very tight grain—new lumber cannot compare,” Mitchoff said. “Even our mixed-grain Doug-fir gets mistaken for what passes for today’s vertical-grain. Architects and designers who want the old-growth look but demand...

CHICAGO—Interface was recently awarded Best of NeoCon honors for its new Urban Retreat modular carpet tile collection, celebrating its global launch at this year’s show. Urban Retreat, which explores the intersection of manmade and Mother Nature, earned Silver in the Carpet: Modular category.This year’s competition drew 325 entries in 40 product and furnishings categories, and was sponsored by Contract magazine, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and McMorrow Report.com.Urban Retreat was inspired by Biophilia—man’s innate attraction to nature. Designer and constant collaborator David Oakey drew from the growing global...