ARLINGTON, VA.—The Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel announced that it has been awarded a Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It has been verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The property is owned by The JBG Companies of Chevy Chase, Md. and managed by Marriott International, Inc.Renaissance Arlington Capital View opened in March 2011.  Since its inception, the property has always been designed to be LEED certified. The hotel’s LEED Gold certification is shared with the adjoining property, Residence Inn Arlington Capital View.“On our one year anniversary...

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICH.—Signature Crypton Carpet, a brand that weaves together Crypton’s stain, liquid and odor-causing bacteria resistant fabrics and the design expertise of Signature Carpets, announces their latest venture in sustainable living and environmental preservation—the Yellowstone Collection. Signature Crypton Carpet has collaborated with the Yellow Stone Park Foundation, taking on all of the park’s discarded plastic bottles and turning them into carpet backings. This new line, known as the “Yellowstone Collection” will invest 50 cents of every square yard sold through it’s P2 program, back to The Yellowstone Park Foundation, to help preserve and protect one of America’s most pristine...

DELAVAN, WIS.—When the husband-and-wife team of Fritz Kreiss and Catherine McQueen learned that a two-lane highway adjacent to their five-acre property in Delavan, Wis. would be expanded to four lanes they could have tried to sell the land with their cottage on it. Instead, they decided to build perhaps North America’s greenest lodging establishment—the 19-suite Green Leaf Inn that will be a net zero energy property. Net zero energy properties generate more energy than they consume. The Green Leaf Inn is scheduled to open in the spring of next year.It is the owners’ intention for the inn to serve...

TACOMA, WASH.—Premier SIPS by Insulfoam has received FSC Chain of Custody certification for the oriented strand board (OSB) it uses in its structural insulated panels (SIPs). FSC certified forest products are verified from the forest of origin through the supply chain (FSC-C109396). The FSC label ensures that the forest products used are from responsibly harvested and verified sources. “Using FSC certified wood products provides building professionals who use SIPs with an additional way to earn points under leading green building rating systems,” said James Hodgson, general manager for Premier SIPS. “We’re pleased to be able to offer this option to...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Sherwin Williams is in the process of developing new, biobased paints using soybeans. Because of the potential for biobased products to create new markets for soybeans, U.S. soybean farmers have invested millions of dollars to research, test and promote soy biobased products. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is excited about the potential for this growing industry and visited the Sherwin-Williams John G. Breen Technology research facility in Cleveland on March 16 to highlight how the biobased products industry is creating new economic opportunities for Ohio agriculture. Vilsack was joined at the event by Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Chris...

NEW YORK—Conrad New York has opened its doors in New York City’s vibrant Battery Park City neighborhood. Rising 16 stories along the Hudson River waterfront, the 463 all-suite luxury hotel is the first New York address from Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the global luxury brand of Hilton Worldwide.With its strong commitment to sustainability, the Conrad New York is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for New Construction from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for sustainable building practices and design.Noteworthy environmentally-friendly considerations at the Conrad include: a green roof and chef’s roof garden, bike racks...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, the newest casino in the Chicagoland area, has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Rivers Casino is the first casino in the world to achieve the LEED Gold certification.“We are proud to be recognized as a leader in sustainable development and we hope to set an example for the rest of the gaming and entertainment industries,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of Rivers Casino. “It’s important to all of our team members that we are a good corporate citizen.”“Achieving LEED...

CHICAGO—Six hundred bucks is not a bad monthly electricity bill for a 15-story, 63-room urban hotel. Granted, The Ivy Hotel has not opened yet but general manager James Cazares says public space lighting has been burning 24/7. Key to the tiny bill last month is LED recessed lighting—MR16 bulbs that consume just one watt each. LED lighting is just one of the many green facets of the luxury boutique Chicago property set to open at the end of April.Just over a block from Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s Near North neighborhood, The Ivy Hotel was once an office building. The...

GLEN RAVEN, N.C.—Glen Raven Custom Fabrics announced that two of its new Sunbrella Contract fabrics—a filling-face twill and plain-weave canvas—have attained Silver level compliance with the NSF/ANSI 336-2011 Sustainable Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabrics. The company is the first to declare compliance under the standard, which was adopted by the Association of Contract Textiles (ACT) in 2011 to provide the industry with a universal measurement and language for sustainability. “Glen Raven was active in the development of the NSF/ANSI 336 standard and has been committed to designing fabrics that would be compliant well before the standard was finalized,” said John...

ATLANTA—Design firm Perkins+Will announced that its Atlanta office earned LEED Platinum with 95 points awarded, the most of any project in the Northern Hemisphere to date under the 2009 version of LEED for New Construction. “Perkins+Will has designed a showpiece building,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “1315 Peachtree Street exemplifies the kind of environmentally sustainable measures that can be taken during a building retrofit. It has earned its high LEED score and will continue to pay dividends through energy saving measures for decades to come.” The office building, originally constructed in...