ATHENS, GA.—Atlanta-based Rialto Property Partners, LLC and Savannah, Ga.-based Melaver, Inc. announced that construction on a new Hotel Indigo has commenced in downtown Athens, Ga. Located five blocks from the University of Georgia’s campus, the boutique hotel will have 130 eco-luxury guestrooms and plans to be open by the fall of 2009. The building is anticipated to be among the first three hotels in the world to achieve LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Hotel Indigo Athens will offer a complete boutique experience. Features include residential-inspired guestrooms, hardwood floors and spa-like showers, which are all part of...

ROGERS, ARK.—BioBased 1701s Insulation is the first spray polyurethane foam insulation to meet the stringent GREENGUARD Certification guidelines for indoor air quality. The GREENGUARD Certification Program is an industry-independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. The first GREENGUARD Certification was awarded in the fall of 2002. BioBased Insulation’s soy-based, water-blown, closed cell insulation product earned both the GREENGUARD Certification and the GREENGUARD Certification for Children & Schools. “Our company is focused on developing insulation products that are more sustainable than traditional products,” said Mike Muccio, chief operating officer of BioBased Insulation. “We believe that sustainability means more than just...

PORTLAND, ORE.—With shared vision and focus, The Heathman Hotel and Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects (AMAA) have partnered to deliver a locally responsible, sustainable and efficient remodel of all 155 of the historic hotel’s bathrooms. Beginning this month hotel guests are able to experience the remodeled bathrooms and see that luxury and sustainability can coexist. In October 2007, AMAA, an integrated architectural and interior design firm based in Portland, Ore., was tasked with implementing a sustainable remodel within a historic and luxury hotel. “We welcomed the opportunity to work with the Heathman Hotel, a renowned Northwest historic icon,” said Karen Bowery, head...

PORTLAND, ORE.— Placing it among exclusive company on an international scale, Portland’s Avalon Hotel & Spa has achieved the Northwest’s first LEED certification of an existing hotel building. The Avalon, a luxury boutique hotel and spa, joins the ranks of only nine other hotels in the world to have achieved LEED certification and is the second existing hotel building in the world to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) coveted Silver rating. The Avalon is located in Portland, Ore., a location that is consistently ranked as the greenest city in America, with 43 buildings certified to the USGBC’s LEED...

VENICE, CALIF.—Sustainable contemporary furniture-design firm Animavi announced the introduction of the Animavi Artisan Screen, a seven-section, freestanding space-defining sculpture for commercial and custom residential applications. The Artisan Screen is comprised of seven handcrafted steel bases that can be configured in a linear or serpentine form, enabling a six- to seven-foot length. The base unit is available in two finishes: artisan patina or raw steel. The seven-foot vertical planks that make up the screen can be specified in three different material options: Chroma by 3form, Varia Pure Color ecoresin by 3form or Forest Stewardship (FSC)-certified bamboo by Plyboo. “The Artisan Screen is...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As a part of the broader vision for LEED V3, the certification bodies for the LEED Green Building Rating System were announced. Well-known and respected for their role in certifying organizations, processes and products to ISO and other standards, they are: ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc.; BSI Management Systems America, Inc.; Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.; DNV Certification; Intertek; KEMA-Registered Quality, Inc.; Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Inc.; NSF-International Strategic Registrations; SRI Quality System Registrar, Inc.; and Underwriters Laboratories-DQS Inc. In the spirit of the most successful LEED projects, this evolution in the certification process is being undertaken as an integrated...

LYNDEN, WASH.—Lynden Door Inc., a manufacturer of wood flush interior doors, announced that it has been third-party certified for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (SGS-COC-003855). The FSC COC audit report found the Lynden plant to be a safe, efficient and progressive manufacturing operation. “Lynden Door’s lean manufacturing initiatives are a perfect platform from which to launch Chain of Custody certification,” said senior vice president John Ridder. “Furthermore, the company’s order flow, accounting and procurement processes all offer strong administrative support for Chain of Custody documentation. We welcome traceability as a fundamental of our overall manufacturing operation, and as...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Hospitality Group announced its designer partnership with Angela Adams. Featuring signature designs celebrating the inspiring beauty of nature, Adams’ sustainable collections, Ocean and Garden, present timeless landscapes from the land and sea. “We are pleased to partner with Angela Adams, a leader in contemporary design,” said Desiree Worsley, v.p. of marketing, Shaw Hospitality Group. “Our innovative collaboration is focused on delivering inspirational designs for both public and private spaces in a way that provides unprecedented opportunity for our clients to create unity and harmony throughout their properties.” Ocean and Garden are designed as a celebration of the tides, the...

CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE—The transformation of Inn by the Sea into one of Maine’s premier luxury beach destinations is complete after a massive multi-million dollar makeover, announced the inn’s general manager, Sara Masterson. The renovation seamlessly weds contemporary amenities and green design features with traditional coastal charm to create an atmosphere of upscale elegance throughout the property. Guests are given a touch of the red carpet treatment the instant they are ushered into comfortable leather chairs for ‘check-in’ in the renovated lobby, now open to scenic Atlantic views. A nautical compass rose detail on the granite floor is repeated beyond an...

SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA—Scout Real Estate Capital CEO Alan Worden announced that work on the company’s new five-star resort hotel on the site of the old Wyndham Beach Resort in Southampton Parish (formerly Sonesta Beach Resort) is progressing on schedule. Scout intends to present its proposed plans for the property to the government’s Special Cabinet Committee for approval in early September 2008. Current estimates place project development costs at $300 million. Scout plans to pursue U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the hotel. Preliminary plans for the hotel include more than 150 luxury hotel rooms,...