PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) on April 9 during a celebration event at the company’s Parsippany global headquarters. The certification is for the headquarters. One of numerous planned Wyndham Green events throughout Earth Month, the LEED celebration was attended by more than 100 guests and included remarks by Melverne E. Cooke, chief of staff for the office of Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, Parsippany Mayor Jamie Barberio, USGBC vice president, market development, Doug Gatlin and Wyndham Worldwide chairman...

SAN FRANCISCO—The four-diamond W San Francisco made history this week by earning the first LEED certification of an existing building belonging to a major hotel brand. With its Silver LEED certification, W San Francisco becomes only the seventh hotel in the United States to receive the recognition for an existing building. Stringent criteria for an existing building certification measure “operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts,” according to the U.S. Green Building Council, which administers the LEED program. “For our guests, the green experience at W San Francisco...

BETHEDA, MD.—Marriott International headquarters has been awarded the gold medal for green buildings. After a three-year effort to become more sustainable and environmentally-friendly, the 30-year-old building is celebrating its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Existing Building Gold status—an investment that is saving the company $700,000 annually and that will result in up to $1.3 million in expected tax credits over three years. This achievement moves the company closer to the goal announced last fall to expand its green building portfolio to approximately 300 properties in five years, the broadest commitment of its kind in the industry. Today,...

PORTLAND, ORE.—GleenGlass LLC, a manufacturer of recycled glass surfaces, recently completed recycled glass bathroom vanities and reception counters for The Oxford Hotel in Bend, Ore. Inspired by the cosmopolitan mountain town of Bend, The Oxford Hotel was designed and built to incorporate local, environmentally friendly products that reflect the ambience of the Cascade Mountains and Central Oregon region. GleenGlass was selected to create handcrafted recycled glass vanities that would capture the look and feel of a high desert river. “The goal of The Oxford Hotel’s vanity design was to provide a surface that was clear and would have enough...

SAN DIEGO—Cali Bamboo, a premier manufacturer of green building materials for residential and commercial projects made entirely from bamboo, announced it will offer the world’s first bamboo dimensional lumber, Lumboo. The newly engineered offering replaces traditional lumber and provides customers with products that possess greater strength, density, sustainability and termite resistance while also being a cost effective option. “Lumboo has been in the works for more than five years, and we’re excited to offer customers an affordable and environmentally-friendly choice,” said Tanner Haigwood, COO and vice president of Cali Bamboo. “Not only is it made from 100 percent compressed bamboo,...

PITTSBURGH—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of the Fairmont Pittsburgh, the city’s first premier luxury hotel. Featuring 185 guestrooms, 12,000 square feet of event space and a 6,000 square-foot health club, Fairmont Pittsburgh has made its home at Three PNC Plaza, one of the largest mixed-use buildings to be certified by the United States Green Building Council in accordance with its LEED rating system. Later this year, Fairmont Pittsburgh expects to receive LEED certification at a Gold level, which complements the company’s industry leading Green Partnership, a program focused on operational sustainability and responsible tourism practices. Guestrooms...

LAS VEGAS—Considered the only conference dedicated solely to sustainable hospitality design, Hospitality Design Green Day (HD Green Day) will be presented by Hospitality Design (HD) magazine at the Sands Expo & Convention Center and Venetian Conference Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. HD Green Day is the industry’s leading event focused on idea exchange, education and trends related to sustainable design and operations. Co-located with Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo), the event will take place from noon to 4:15 p.m. “HD Green Day provides a unique opportunity to connect with the companies and individuals who...

WYLIE, TEXAS—Carlisle Coatings & Waterproofing Inc. (CCW), a leading manufacturer of waterproofing materials, announces its new and improved CCW-500 hot-applied waterproofing membrane. The new patent-pending formulation utilizes a post-industrial renewable resource that results in a membrane with superior flexibility and crack-bridging ability when compared to membranes produced using older technologies. The CCW-500 membrane is a single-component, 100 percent solids, rubberized asphalt compound which, when set after application, forms a durable yet flexible monolithic waterproofing membrane conforming to stringent building specifications. “Our goal was to improve performance and try to reduce our dependency on petroleum-based materials,” CCW general manager Jason Covington said....

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands Corp., a leading international developer of multi-use integrated resorts, has launched its Sands Eco 360° Global Sustainable Development program. The program’s launch was highlighted by an announcement that the company’s Venetian Resort and Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas have achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Existing Buildings Gold as part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s building certification program. The combined Venetian, Sands Expo, and Palazzo Las Vegas, which in 2008 received LEED for New Construction Silver certification, now comprise the largest LEED building in the world. “The launch of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—What do organizations representing building safety professionals, energy and lighting engineers, green building practitioners, architects and technical standards developers have in common? They have all come together to green the nation’s built environment by establishing a comprehensive model green building code designed to rapidly advance green building practice across the United States. The International Code Council (ICC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) just announced the launch of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), representing the merger of two...