DALLAS—East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Inc., a leading importer and distributor of the high-quality hardwoods, announced that it has recently selected Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. (SCS) as its new accredited Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification auditor. “In choosing a new auditor, it was important to us that we choose a company that would be attentive to our needs, and SCS was the best fit for East Teak,” says Matt Mladenka, marketing and sales director. “After reviewing several accredited auditing companies, we felt that they could best help us get to where we wanted to be with our FSC-certified wood program.” East Teak,...

NEWBERG, ORE.—The Allison Inn & Spa will open September 26 in Newberg in the heart of Oregon’s wine country. Set on 35 acres, the 85-room (with 20 suites) property was designed by GGLO, Seattle, and is owned by Newberg-based Springbook Properties, Inc. The owners expect to earn a LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council for the project. The Allison Inn & Spa is a four-level structure consisting of 154,000 square feet of building space. The east wing is dedicated to guestrooms. The west wing is home to the conference and event space. The inn’s lobby, restaurant...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) launched a credentialing maintenance program (CMP) for LEED APs and Green Associates, ensuring that LEED professional credentials will remain relevant and meaningful in a rapidly evolving marketplace. “Since 2001, the LEED AP credential has been recognized as a mark of significant achievement, acknowledging that a candidate passed a rigorous test that assessed their knowledge of green building fundamentals as well as knowledge of practice in a chosen specialty,” said Peter Templeton, president, GBCI. “But knowledge doesn’t stand still, and credential maintenance underscores a professional’s commitment to staying at the leading edge of green...

BOSTON—Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), a provider of integrated performance analysis software for sustainable building design, announced the launch of VE-Gaia, a step-by-step smart navigation software solution that offers a complete analysis workflow environment designed to guide the user through the process and facilitate analysis understanding. VE-Gaia is composed of a series of navigators which increase productivity, reduce the potential for human error and change the way analysis is undertaken. Using VE-Gaia, designers have the ability to input and manipulate exact building data within an integrated central data model. The smart navigators take users through a range of different analysis...

NEW YORK—International architecture company RMJM announced details of the $1 billion development it is designing in Istanbul’s new residential and business district, which will be one of the greenest projects in Turkey. The luxury 372,000-square-meter development on a site totaling 107,000 square meters—being designed by RMJM’s New York and Istanbul studios—will be located in the Atasehir district of Istanbul which the Turkish government intends to transform into the country’s new financial district and business center. Set on a highly visible site that features panoramic views stretching from the Bosphorus Strait in the west to the Princes’ Islands and the...

OSCODA, MICH.—PROTECT-ALL Commercial Flooring, manufactured by Oscoda Plastics, Inc., has joined the ReSource Commercial Flooring Network (RCFN) as a Preferred Supplier. PROTECT-ALL joins a strategic group of manufacturers currently part of RCFN that include the industry’s most recognized brands of commercial flooring, accessories and installation products. “We are excited at the opportunity to be associated with the ReSource Network,” said John Rouse, Oscoda Plastics national sales manager. “Their members, who are some of the top commercial contractors in the country, can help us respond to the growing market demands for our environmentally-friendly flooring products.” PROTECT-ALL is a leading environmentally-friendly recycled vinyl...

LOS ANGELES—Staron Surfaces, a division of worldwide technology leader Samsung, was recently honored with the SCS Material Content Certification for seven of its surfacing products. The certification, issued by Scientific Certification Systems, a leader in certifying independent environmental claims, recognizes Staron for the use of recycled material in several of its acrylic surfacing options. The certification was awarded on the following Staron solid surface products: Staron Pebble Seastar—Minimum 5 percent pre-consumer recycled resin and chip content; Staron Aspen Mine—Minimum 10 percent pre-consumer recycled resin and chip content; Staron Aspen Snow—Minimum 10 percent pre-consumer recycled resin and chip content; Staron...

NORTH WALPOLE, N.H.—Len-Tex Corp., a leading manufacturer of commercial wallcoverings, has introduced three new Surface iQ Wallcovering patterns featuring its proprietary PCV-free technology. Rhapsody, Circuit and Iden offer stylish design options for interior walls while maintaining a cleaner, healthier environment. Asian-influenced Rhapsody exudes both harmony and energy with its crosshatch design that creates a rhythmic and captivating effect. Delicate detail combined with the accent shimmer of pearls and metallics provide a striking visual aesthetic for hospitality, spa or corporate settings. The geometric nature of Circuit’s design simulates elements of technology in a palette of 11 fresh colorways. Multiple print layers...

PHILADELPHIA—The Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC’s first LEED registered hotel and its 48th overall—the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia—will open on October 14 in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of the City of Brotherly Love. The $92.5 million, 230-room boutique hotel will be Kimpton’s first in Philadelphia. The 24-story property will occupy the Architects Building, which was the former home of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. It was first built in 1929 and historic elements have been preserved. The hotel’s designer is Powerstrip Studio. According to Peggy Trott, general manager, Kimpton is pursuing a LEED for Existing...

Tracking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits requires software functionality similar to that required for more traditional construction project management. Consequently, a few leading vendors have re-purposed their technology to make this possible; others have customers who have developed their own work-arounds. A lot more software development is expected as the number of annual LEED projects continues to grow. Here is some information on what is available, how it works and how one can benefit from it. Tracking LEED credits is a document-intensive process. Just ask any experienced LEED Accredited Professional (AP). Submittal documentation includes drawings, receipts, product...