PORTLAND, ORE.—Sage Hospitality, a hospitality development and management company, announced that the famed Meier & Frank building in the heart of downtown Portland will reopen this fall as the Nines, a Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel. Once the store where Portland residents shopped when they needed to dress “to the nines,” the hotel ushers in a new level of style and eco-luxury on the top nine floors of this historic building on Pioneer Square. “The building has been completely recreated, blending the legacy of its architectural heritage with a world-class hotel,” said Walter Isenberg, president and CEO of Sage Hospitality, the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual conference and exhibition will be held from November 19 to 21 in Boston. Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, and is the recent recipient of Tradeshow Week’s “Fastest 50,” honoring the 50 fastest growing shows in North America. This year, more than 25,000 attendees will attend, eager to learn more about LEED green building certification, the nationally accepted system for green buildings, developed by USGBC as a tool to build healthy, energy-efficient, resource-friendly structures. This year’s show will explore “Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global...

SOUTH HACKENSACK, N.J.—J. Josephson introduces EcoView, an Osnaburg backed, non-woven wallcovering that is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wallcoverings. EcoView is a new, dimensionally stable offering available for all Vycon and Symphony patterns—in every colorway. These 54-inch products meet Type II physical characteristics and contain 35 percent pulp, 21 percent polyester fibers, 14 percent acrylic, 16.5 percent adhesive and 13.5 percent polyester cotton backing. EcoView can be used in LEED-certified projects and meets strict VOC (volatile organic compounds) standards for air quality. EcoView is an alternative product for those designers who prefer using a non-woven wallcovering. EcoView is readily available...

MIAMI—Blue Leaf Hospitality announced its participation in the Hospitality Design (“HD”) Boutique from September 17 to 18 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The Miami-based contract furniture company is putting its “green” foot forward at the event with a new product line born of recycled materials, an Art Deco vintage collection and a contemporary cabana concept. “We pride ourselves in catering to our clients, which means we create everything from a single sample to several thousand upon demand,” said Stan Shockley, president of Blue Leaf Hospitality. “Because we are constantly evolving, HD Boutique provides us with a platform...

ATLANTA— As designers and consumers become more involved in the eco-friendly movement and wish to purchase products that protect the health and well-being of their families and building occupants, one product they focus on is paint. To assist in the purchase decisions, the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) wants to educate consumers on the difference between volatile organic compound (VOC) content and VOC emissions. VOC content is the amount (by weight) of VOCs that are in the formulation of paint, while VOC emissions are the amount of VOCs released into the air following the application of paint. The difference between the...

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—Santa Monica-based hotel developer, The Ambrose Collection, has won two awards for its latest concept, Hotel Ray. Having pioneered environmentally responsible practices long before “going green” was in fashion, The Ambrose Collection, with these two new honors, has once again proven that sustainability can—and should—seamlessly coexist with luxury. Winning a Finalist Award at Hospitality Design (HD) magazine’s fourth annual Hospitality Design Awards (HD Awards), and the Los Angeles Architectural Awards’ 2008 Award of Excellence in the Commercial Design Concept category, Hotel Ray serves as a model of sustainability for future development, marrying the luxuries of an...

MIAMI—Site activity is now underway at One Bayfront Plaza, announced Florida East Coast Realty, Inc. (FECR). Borings have been completed on the $2 billion development in downtown Miami that will comprise a 70-story mixed-use tower. At 1,049 feet, the One Bayfront Plaza tower is poised to be the tallest building in Miami. Adjacent will be a 43-story hotel, the first to be built north of the Miami River in 25 years. Together, the project will total 4 million square feet. FECR is pursuing Silver level LEED certification for the buildings. According to FECR’s construction manager, Alan Krause, the...

CHICAGO— Mr. Bamboo, Inc. is introducing BamLoc strand-woven “click” or “floating” bamboo flooring for eco-friendly commercial spaces. BamLoc is the first 100 percent solid strand-woven floating bamboo floor with a unique interlocking design. The sustainability, durability and natural beauty of strand-woven bamboo flooring make it a popular choice for designers, builders and remodelers. This wide-plank, strand-woven bamboo is ideal for heavy traffic areas. BamLoc is also ideal for spaces with subfloor environments. Mr. Bamboo created BamLoc to be just as strong as BamStrand, the company’s nail-down bamboo floor. BamLoc is not a composite; it is the latest innovation in bamboo...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Moran Architects, P.C. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Moran Architects is an international, multi-disciplinary design firm specializing in sustainable design for the wellness and hospitality industries. With each new project, the company strives to reduce or, when possible, eliminate its carbon footprint. The firm incorporates regenerative design solutions that work within the existing ecosystem to create more energy, clean water and habitat than previously existed. For additional information, call (480) 990-8448, e-mail gmoran@moranarchitects.com, or go to www.moranarchitects.com.

SAGINAW, MICH.—The Duro-Last roofing system has been installed on the Bardessono Inn & Spa in Yountville, Calif. The spa is scheduled to open in February 2009, and will be submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED Platinum certification. The spa consists of five separate buildings that are protected by almost 80,000 square feet of Duro-Last’s single-ply PVC roofing system. The spa’s prefabricated roofing system was manufactured at Duro-Last’s Grants Pass, Ore., facility and installed by authorized contractor Fidelity Roof Co. of Oakland, Calif. Fidelity is also an approved installer for SunPower, the manufacturer of the PowerGuard solar electrical...