Home Green Design

Green Design

With the goal of reducing energy costs and minimizing environmental impact, architects and designers are getting serious about green design. Every part of the property can be impacted and savvy designers are incorporating reclaimed materials and restorative greenery. Visit Green Lodging News for the latest news and best practices. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Green Design

Home Green Design
With the goal of reducing energy costs and minimizing environmental impact, architects and designers are getting serious about green design. Every part of the property can be impacted and savvy designers are incorporating reclaimed materials and restorative greenery. Visit Green Lodging News for the latest news and best practices. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Portola Hotel & Spa Earns LEED Silver Certification from USGBC

MONTEREY, CALIF.—Setting the bar for environmentally-conscious hotels in Central California, Portola Hotel & Spa, located in the heart of Monterey, was recently granted its Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Portola Hotel & Spa becomes one of only three hotels in all of California and one of only six hotels in the United States to earn this level of accreditation in the Existing Building (EB) category. As an independent hotel brand, and an existing building, Portola Hotel & Spa achieved this certification as a result of a longstanding commitment by...

Trove Introduces Eco-friendly Printed Wallcovering

NEW YORK—Trove, a wallcovering company with a focus on art and nature-inspired themes, introduces REDEUX, an eco-friendly commercial grade printed wallcovering that is a recyclable alternative to PVC. REDEUX contains more than 31 percent post-consumer recycled materials, and combines Type II durability with a Class “A” fire rating. The high level of breathability in the material increases resistance to mold and mildew in humid environments, and with no harmful gas emissions and low VOC emissions, REDEUX contributes to safer air quality and up to 6 LEED point credits. A true alternative to vinyl wallcovering, Trove will also offer a reclamation...

This Year’s Greenbuild Attendance Topped 28,000

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo welcomed more than 28,000 attendees this past November at its show in Chicago. Attendees representing various backgrounds, professions and 114 countries filled the exhibit hall floor, educational and speaker sessions, green building tours and networking events that made up the three-day show. The nearly 200,000-square-foot expo hall floor featured more than 1,800 exhibit booths representing more than 1,000 exhibiting companies. Greenbuild is the industry’s largest gathering of representatives from all sectors of the green building movement. “Generation Green came out in full-force in Chicago, proving that the...

Durkan Announces Second Annual Carpet Design Contest

MARIETTA, GA.—Do you have an eye for cutting-edge carpet design? Durkan, the hospitality brand of The Mohawk Group, is calling on design professionals and students to discover a new way to express their creativity with its second annual carpet design contest. Supported by NEWH (The Network of the Hospitality Industry), D*scover aims to exhibit the talent of hospitality designers, while contributing toward the education of future designers. Participants will compete for the opportunity to travel to the HD Expo and Conference (HD Expo), which will be held May 18 to 20, 2011 in Las Vegas, and showcase their winning...

Southwall, Dow Corning Join Forces to Improve Window Glass

PALO ALTO, CALIF.—Southwall Technologies Inc. and Dow Corning Corporation announced the availability of energy-efficient Heat Mirror “S” film and 982FS two-part structural silicone sealant for commercial building projects in North America. Having successfully worked together over the past three decades, the two companies are now combining the best of their suspended film and silicone sealant technologies to provide the industry’s lightest weight and most energy-efficient multi-cavity insulating glass available for large glass-intensive projects. With the combined solution, architects and window manufacturers can now increase energy savings by up to 30 percent, block more than 99 percent of UV radiation...

Element New York Times Square West Now Open

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. recently announced the opening of Element New York Times Square West. The first Element hotel to open in New York City, Element New York Times Square West is one of the city’s greenest properties and located in the center of fast-paced Times Square. Element, Starwood’s green trailblazer, continues to make history as the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Element’s energizing, eco-chic environment offers bright public spaces, smart design, and modern...

Building Requirements Developed by PCA, IBHS Stress Durability

SKOKIE, ILL.—Each year in the United States, more than $35 billion in direct property loss is caused by natural disasters. Yet, while states and municipalities are seeking to adopt ordinances that require “green” or “sustainable” construction, they are overlooking disaster-resistance construction. To allow local governments to adopt green building codes that address high performance as well as conventional sustainable features, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) have developed High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability 2.0. The criteria are written in mandatory language that amends and appends the International Code Council International Building...

Philips Simplifies Color Mixing with New LED Floodlights

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS—Philips Wide-Lite, a leading manufacturer of sustainable lighting products, unveils a new family of indoor and outdoor RGB LED floodlights that allows users to simply “paint” with light—thanks to four levels of dynamic color-mixing control. Designers seeking to better integrate lighting solutions with dynamic color mixing schemes now have the flexibility and diversity to do so, thanks to the innovative Color-Tune technology that TAG offers. Color-Tune allows the user to control everything directly at the fixture. Simply power up a TAG luminaire for the first time and 16 million color possibilities are available. Push the Color-Tune button to...

Dining at Soneva Kiri by Six Senses Hits New Heights with Unique Treepod

BANGKOK—Dining at Soneva Kiri by Six Senses is anything but ordinary and has now been taken to new heights, with the recently launched Treepod Dining experience. The Treepod is situated at one of the best vantage points the resort offers, a few yards along the coastal path from the resort’s main facilities on the west facing side of the island. Guests board the rattan bird’s nest at ground level and fasten their leather seatbelts to be gently hoisted 16 feet into the tall, native massang trees. The Pod is outfitted with comfortable cushioned seating for up to four diners....

iLevel to Note Certification to Fiber Sourcing Standard

FEDERAL WAY, WASH.—iLevel by Weyerhaeuser will soon provide builders and dealers with an easy way to recognize that all of its manufacturing facilities are certified to the SFI Certified Fiber Sourcing standard. In addition to a plan to include an SFI Certified Fiber Sourcing logo on product wrap, the company will be stamping the logo on each lumber and engineered wood product piece by the end of January. Builders can quickly spot these products in lumberyards and visibly demonstrate during construction their commitment to using responsible materials. The SFI Certified Fiber Sourcing Standard indicates that iLevel knows where all of...