MILWAUKEE—Timber Holdings International, the original Iron Woods brand of naturally durable hardwood products, announced a partnership with MEISTER of Germany to be the U.S. distributor of the first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified laminate flooring line for the United States. The new flooring is suited for both commercial and residential buildings, and complies with LEED requirements set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council for green buildings. The laminate line includes both cork backed (9.3 mm) sound-absorbing, and non-cork backed (8mm) products in 4" and 5 1/2" widths. This floor is produced using the newly-developed direct printing technology, so there...

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—UL Environment Inc. announced it has validated environmental claims for Serious Materials’ new drywall product, EcoRock. This represents the first validation of claims by UL Environment since its launch in January 2009, and the first product in the 115-year history of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to receive an Environmental Claims Validation. UL Environment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UL, a world leader in product safety testing services. UL Environment validated Serious Materials’ environmental claims for EcoRock by performing assessments and laboratory tests. An audit was conducted for recycled content, environmental chamber tests were performed to determine volatile organic compound (VOC)...

SAINT-GEORGES, QUEBEC—Victor Group, a leading North American textile company, and a leader in the development of environmentally friendly fabrics, has joined the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) as a Silver Corporate Exemplary Member, earning the distinction of being the first textile manufacturer to join at this level. The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a nonprofit balanced coalition of industry players founded in High Point, N.C., in October 2006 to promote sustainable practices among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike. The SFC recognizes the scientific consensus that the world is experiencing global climate change. SFC members acknowledge the tremendous urgency, and take immediate steps...

GATLINBURG, TENN.—The Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg, adjacent to The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, is on its way to becoming the first LEED certified hotel in Tennessee. The 118-unit property opened on May 28. According to Logan Coykendall, part owner of the hotel and owner of Hospitality Management Solutions, the Sevierville, Tenn.-based management company that operates it, the Hilton Garden Inn should achieve a “solid Silver” LEED rating later this year. LEED, a certification program for new and existing buildings run by the U.S. Green Building Council, offers four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The decision to...

LOUISVILLE, KY.—The design vision of global lifestyle brand Joseph Abboud comes to commercial interiors for the first time with the introduction of a wallcovering collection for Versa. The 14-pattern collection is inspired by Joseph Abboud’s roots in menswear, incorporating tailored details, textures resembling nubby linens, brushed silks and burnished suedes, and designs influenced by glen plaids, paisleys, stripes and damasks. Earthy organic looks also emphasize artisanal, irregular, handcrafted qualities and include interpretations of burled wood, foliage and weathered materials. Made of Type II, 20-ounce vinyl, the collection features deeply embossed 3-D textures and 20 percent recycled content reclaimed and recycled...

SAN DIEGO—Demonstrating its commitment to San Diego, Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter is investing more than $300,000 in the local arts community and is taking hotel art to a new level—12 stories up, in fact. Following more than a year of design work and two weeks of installation, Hotel Indigo San Diego unveiled its first piece of public art in advance of the hotel opening on July 13, 2009. Aptly named “Indigo Waters,” the 40-foot exterior wall sculpture made up of 33 hand-painted, laminated and tempered blue-colored glass panels is positioned on the western facade of the hotel...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is commending the House of Representatives for passing landmark energy and climate legislation that includes several significant provisions to incentivize and accelerate the benefits of green building across the country. “From programs that would generate billions of dollars to spur and scale green retrofitting of our existing building stock to inclusion of the GREEN Act, which would create new opportunities for green affordable housing, this bill recognizes that green building is a major part of the solution to our economic and energy challenges,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC. “With...

CHICAGO—Sears Tower announced plans for a renovation that will result in unparalleled energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions. The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere will reduce its base building electricity use by up to 80 percent, which includes a combination of energy savings and cogeneration. The energy savings equal 68 million kilowatt hours annually or 150,000 barrels of oil every year. The sustainability plans will also drive economic development in the West Loop, creating more than 3,600 jobs, and are part of a broader initiative to transform the global icon. Another aspect of the transformation is a proposed new,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As part of LEED v3, the latest version of the U.S. Green Building Council’s program for green building design, construction, operations and maintenance, buildings seeking LEED certification will begin submitting operational performance data on a recurring basis as a precondition to certification. “Today there is all too often a disconnect, or performance gap, between the energy modeling done during the design phase and what actually happens during daily operation after the building is constructed,” said Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED, U.S. Green Building Council. “We’re convinced that ongoing monitoring and reporting of data is the single best...

MONTREAL, QUEBEC—At the second annual National Green Building Summit earlier this month, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) announced details of the LEED Canada for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance 2009 (LEED Canada EB:O&M) program. Available later this summer, this new rating system provides ongoing certification on the performance, operations and maintenance of commercial, government and institutional buildings that have either never been LEED certified or that have been certified under other LEED programs such as LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations. “Examining actual performance and not design expectations, LEED Canada EB:O&M 2009 recognizes the ongoing efforts of...