BOULDER, COLO.—Despite the general weakness in new construction due to the global recession, one building-related field has continued to grow: retrofits tied to improving the efficiency of facilities. A number of factors have been driving this growth, including the need to improve the energy performance of buildings for cost savings as well as the desire to obtain green building certification. A new white paper from Pike Research identifies 10 key trends that are having a strong influence on the worldwide building industry. The paper, which includes predictions about the building efficiency market in 2011 and beyond, is available for...

ST. LOUIS—Michael Jantzen, an artist strongly influenced by nature and technology, who has been producing conceptual art and architectural projects for almost 40 years, has released his latest hotel design—The Solar Winds Desert Hotel. An idea still in need of a developer, the hotel design, according to Jantzen, evolved from his thoughts about desert plants and how they function in a hot dry climate. The 140-room luxury eco-hotel, vertically cylindrical in design, would be powered by the sun and the wind. The “stem” of the hotel would house the hotel rooms, a vertical axis wind turbine would sit atop...

SAN FRANCISCO—Smith & Fong Co., manufacturer of Plyboo bamboo architectural plywood and flooring, announced the company has launched a new range of FSC-certified PlybooStrand bamboo plywood and flooring. “Strand bamboo has long been popular among the architecture and design community for its performance and aesthetic qualities,” Smith & Fong president and founder Dan Smith said. “Adding FSC certification ensures managed forestry and the associated LEED MRc7 credit.” Smith said FSC PlybooStrand plywood and flooring are both PlybooPure urea formaldehyde-free. This allows for certification of the plywood under SCS/Indoor Advantage Gold and certification of the flooring under SCS/ FloorScore. FSC PlybooStrand panels are...

BOULDER, COLO.—Green building certifications from programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) are quickly becoming the standard for the construction industry in many countries. While green building certification programs are well-known for their importance in new construction projects, a recent report from Pike Research forecasts that by 2020, nearly half the total certified footprint—25 billion square feet—will comprise certifications for existing buildings. “As the new construction market has slowed during the global recession, green building certifications for existing buildings have become an increasing area of focus,” says research...

DALLAS—The Fairmont Dallas announces Sean Springer of Springer Design Studio as the first Artist in Residence of 2011. Springer crafts furniture, home accessories and sculptures using salvaged wood creating purposeful, functional pieces from materials that would otherwise end up as waste. Springer’s resume is a veritable journey through a series of high-profile internships and jobs, working for and learning from artists, each in a different craft, who shaped him and helped hone the skills that allow him to create poignant, consequential pieces. The deliberate edges, complimentary contours and fluid arches of Springer’s work are manifestations of his experience, which...

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—UL Environment, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and a global leader in environmental evaluation and certification, announced that it has launched an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Program. UL Environment’s EPD program provides a comprehensive, globally recognized, and scientifically robust mechanism to consistently evaluate environmental claims on products. Equivalent to a sustainability “nutrition label,” an EPD is the documentation of an audited Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the environmental performance of a product, based on approved Product Category Rules (PCRs) in accordance with ISO 14025 guidelines. UL Environment’s EPD program provides the structure and global scale...

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...

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...

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...

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...