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...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new online calculator from American Rivers lets individuals discover the benefits of installing green roofs on their businesses. Green roofs are gaining popularity as cities look for cost-effective ways to protect and restore clean water. A green roof is one that is covered with plants and shrubs. By absorbing rainwater and providing insulation for the building, a green roof prevents storm runoff from polluting local streams and reduces heating and cooling costs. The “Get More Green” calculator allows visitors to enter an address via Google Maps, and determine the square footage of a building’s roof. Visitors then get a...

RIO DE JANEIRO—At the RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Marriott International, Inc. and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) announced a partnership to support new environmentally-sustainable hotel development in growth markets in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The partnership stands to generate millions of dollars in OPIC financing for Marriott hotel projects internationally, demonstrating a shared commitment to the environment and investment in these emerging economies. According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently concluded between the two parties, OPIC will make long-term loans to the third-party owners of the hotels,...

LAS VEGAS—Crystals at CityCenter has earned the VIVA “Best-of-the-Best” designation by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Crystals is one of only three 2012 VIVA (Vision, Innovation, Value and Achievement) award winners in the world.“The VIVA ‘Best-of-the-Best’ award honors and recognizes the most outstanding examples of shopping center design and development, sustainability, marketing, and community service worldwide,” ICSC said in a statement.“Crystals is an integral part of CityCenter and was created with a vision to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip,” said...

SAINT-GEORGES, QUEBEC—Victor, Designtex, and Steelcase announced a collaborative effort with Unifi to initiate a program to recycle textile industry waste back into fiber and yarn that will be used in first quality fabrics, creating a closed loop process. In an effort to drive sustainable innovation, these companies are establishing a program whereby fabric waste from pre-approved Victor products at Steelcase’s Athens, Alabama panel manufacturing facility will be segregated, collected, and sent to Unifi’s REPREVE Recycling Center in North Carolina to be recycled into fiber and yarn. This yarn will be sent to Victor to be woven into new products...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—Marriott International, Inc. announced the first hotel to open as part of its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment) Volume Program—The Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River in Arizona. The hotel is also the first Marriott-branded property built on U.S. tribal land in cooperation with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, creating nearly 30 jobs.“This partnership is a symbol of Marriott’s commitment to working with diverse business partners,” said Eric Jacobs, chief development officer, North American Lodging, Marriott International. “Our business thrives on partnerships with organizations that share similar philosophies and values. We believe that we have found a great...