WASHINGTON, D.C.—Last month, the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System surpassed one billion square feet. Another six billion square feet of projects are registered and currently working toward LEED certification around the world. “This traction demonstrates the transformation of the way we design, build and operate buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Not only does green building contribute to saving energy, water and money, it also creates green jobs that will grow and energize our economy.” The milestone is a testament to the global effort...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—For the second time in three years, Valley Forge Fabrics received Editors’ Choice distinction during the opening ceremony of the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show in New York City. The awards program recognizes products within the categories of design, equipment & supplies, guest amenities, linen, technology, as well as an eco-friendly equivalent to each of these categories. Valley Forge won in the Linens category for the Expand-A-Grip bedding product. Valley Forge Fabrics, A leader in sustainable textiles and the largest producer of decorative fabrics for hospitality, introduced the Expand-A-Grip product earlier this year. Featured on the Valley...

MCLEAN, VA.—Home2 Suites by Hilton, the newest and fastest growing brand in the history of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands, announced it will build its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified hotel in Lexington Park, Md. As the brand’s fifth U.S. property to break ground, this will also be the first LEED certified hotel in Southern Maryland. Scheduled for completion in Q1 2012, the 100-suite, four-story hotel will be owned by Lexington Park Hotel Partners III and managed by Cherry Cove Hospitality Management, LLC. The hotel will be constructed by Herman/Stewart Construction of Lanham, Md., one...

GRATON, CALIF.—Ceilume, manufacturer of decorative ceiling tiles, announced the launch of its sustainable ceiling tile collection. The tiles are made from the company’s new Ceilume-P40-Plus, a proprietary material with 60 percent recycled content (40 percent post-consumer, 20 percent pre-consumer) which diverts soda and water bottle waste from landfills. Ceilume Sustainable tiles set a new standard for environmental responsibility in the ceiling tile industry, and received recognition in the 2010 American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Bloom Awards in the Innovative Materials category. In addition to using 80 percent less material than conventional tiles, Ceilume Sustainable tiles are fully returnable at...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—American Clay Enterprises, Inc.’s new PlasterPlus offers a hard, yet repairable, no-VOC (volatile organic compound) finish for the cost of a high quality, zero-VOC paint job.  PlasterPlus is sold dry in 27 lb. lots through select commercial distributors, and is intended for hospitality projects. The polymer binder has no VOCs, is mold resistant, easy to apply, and can contribute up to eight LEED points. American Clay has been used for numerous commercial/industrial jobs to date—from hotels (including Disney) and retail to schools and spas. Now with PlasterPlus, American Clay can replace paint more equitably. Adding the completely repairable binder...

CHICAGO—Architects, designers, retailers and consumers now have an American National Standard that helps identify sustainable and environmentally-preferable wallcoverings: NSF/ANSI 342: Sustainability Assessment for Wallcovering Products. NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to protecting public health and the environment, announced the adoption of the first American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved wallcovering standard at Greenbuild 2010. The NSF/ANSI 342 sustainable wallcovering standard was developed through the National Center for Sustainability Standards, which was founded by NSF to develop national standards and protocols for measuring sustainability attributes and conformity assessment programs to help verify sustainability claims. The Center is helping to eliminate...

ANAHEIM, CALIF.—The Anaheim Convention Center, the largest convention center on the west coast, was recently awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and is one of only 14 convention centers in the country to earn this distinction. LEED is the lead rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for designing, constructing and operating the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings.   “The Anaheim Convention Center continues to remain current, and we are very pleased with the LEED certification awarded to the Convention Center,” said City of Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle. “Upgrades to and...

CHICAGO—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild International Conference & Expo officially started on Wednesday, November 17 in Chicago as retired Gen. Colin Powell addressed a crowd of 10,000 in the opening keynote hall with a message of leadership and optimism for the future. Powell presented the Greenbuild 2010 opening keynote address at a plenary session that also included a discussion between political pundits Mary Matalin and James Carville and remarks from USGBC president, CEO and founding chair Rick Fedrizzi. “Leadership has to be passionate,” General Colin Powell said. “Each person involved must believe they have a purpose.”  Powell’s address...

DENVER—Atmosphere Hospitality Management, which introduced its full service, 180-suite Adoba Eco Hotel & Suites prototype earlier this year, has added a 112-room select service option for developers called Adoba Eco Inn. Every Adoba Eco Inn, like each Adoba Eco Hotel & Suites, will be required to achieve Gold or Platinum certification through the U.S. Green Business Council’s LEED certification process for new construction. The Adoba Eco Inn prototype features the brand’s green “DNA”—Distinctively New Attributes—such as Adoba Smart Solar Roofing, A-Gemini Alternative Wind Energy Solution, the A-Gemini Total Technology Property Management System, and the Journey Rewards program. “The development and...

MIAMI—Fabric Innovations, a leading supplier of luxury linens, bedding and custom fabrics to the worldwide hospitality industry, unveiled a new line of eco-friendly bamboo bedding at Boutique Design New York (BDNY). The inaugural design-centric hospitality product showcase was held at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, November 14 to 15, 2010. The new bedding line, which includes uniquely textured quilted coverlets and pillow shams in a soft color palette, is crafted exclusively from 100 percent Moso bamboo, recognized worldwide for its superior sustainability and environmentally friendly characteristics. In addition, bamboo fabric’s unique silky texture provides a high...