BALTIMORE, MD.—The Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel is taking green building to another level—the roof level. The $301 million, 750-room hotel next to the Baltimore Convention Center will include the Baltimore area’s largest green roof when construction is completed in August. The 32,000-square-foot green roof is located on the hotel’s east and west buildings. Dan Freed, principal of RTKL Associates, the architectural firm with offices in Baltimore that designed the hotel, said he didn’t know of another hotel in Maryland with a green roof the size of the Hilton’s. “Hotels are a little behind the curve on sustainable issues,” Freed said....

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries, Inc. was named Large Recycler of the Year by the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), a joint industry-government initiative to promote carpet recycling, reuse and waste reduction of post consumer carpet. Shaw leads the carpet industry with its cradle-to-cradle recycling program that has recycled 100 million pounds of post consumer carpet to date through its Evergreen Nylon Recycling Facility. Shaw president Randy Merritt says that the company’s commercial and residential carpet products embody the carpet-to-carpet design as a means to reduce landfill waste and virgin raw material usage. The company’s efforts have lead to increased amounts...

NIANTIC, CONN.—INNCOM International, a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of guestroom automation systems for the international lodging industry, has unveiled a new design-centric energy-management solution made of recyclable glass that controls room temperature, lighting and more. The e4 Glass Series Smart Digital Thermostat and Switch, developed with design team tonychi and associates and lighting design partner Arc Light Design, were introduced at the Hospitality Design Expo and Conference last week. “The INNCOM e4 Glass Series finally gives designers the much needed flexibility to work in-room electronics into the overall guestroom design scheme,” said Arc Light designer Alejandro Bulaevsky. “The...

LAS VEGAS—Last week’s HD 2008 Expo & Conference was the setting for the introduction of hundreds of new green products. Furniture, floor covering, fabric, wall covering and other vendors capitalized on the opportunity to talk about the ways their products incorporate recycled content, reduce or eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOCs), reduce waste, and lower energy consumption. It would be a Herculean task to mention every new product but here are some of the highlights from last week’s event at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. Valley Forge Fabrics introduced its 100 percent recycled and recyclable polyester drapery...

LAS VEGAS—Inspired by design trends seen at European markets, Amtico introduces the Back to Black collection of saturated, abstract floor tiles that bring a striking twist to commercial interiors. The collection features rich undertones and is finished with a subtle pearlescent sheen that creates a lacquered appearance. Four products comprise the Back to Black range: Vamp, a dark, deep and mysterious shade of black; Desire, a rich, bitter dark chocolate brown; Envy, enigmatic dark olive tones; and Poison, a rich shade of aubergine. When the floors in the Back to Black collection are combined with opulently styled furniture and accessories the...

LAS VEGAS—A total of 270 people attended Hospitality Design’s Green Day here at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on Tuesday, May 14. Even more—450—attended the publication’s third annual Green Luncheon, at which environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo provided the keynote speech. The strong turnout was proof that lodging’s design community is eager for green learning and networking opportunities. Green Day kicked off with a session entitled, “Why Go Green?” Tode Rubenstein, president, Ecodynamix Consulting, Inc., emphasized that green practices are most definitely not a trend. For hoteliers, he said, the benefits to greening operations include cost reductions, increased revenue,...

SAN FRANCISCO—Joie de Vivre Hospitality has announced its latest innovation in the hotel world—Domain Hotel—located in Sunnyvale, Calif. After a complete renovation, the former Radisson was re-introduced last month with a new identity fitting with its Santa Clara-meets-Sunnyvale location. One of the few hotels going green in the south bay, the new Domain Hotel, offering 124 rooms and 12 suites on three levels, is decorated in two themes—Tranquility and Awakening—each of which are offered upon check-in, depending on the guest’s preference. If one is interested in Awakening, it’s possible to reserve one of the rooms where the outside is brought...

PITTSFORD, N.Y.—G3 Technology Innovations, LLC (G3i) announced the launch of a new website for GreenShield, the next generation of textile finish. The website offers information about the GreenShield product family, the technology behind GreenShield, answers to frequently asked questions, and contact information for enquiries. GreenShield is the only fabric finish that responsibly manages environmentally harmful chemicals. Unlike other textile finishes, GreenShield uses at least eight times less fluorocarbon to deliver similar or better water and stain repellency performance on most fabrics. It is the greenest and safest multifunctional finish for textiles on the market today, reducing or eliminating...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL.—Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc. has developed the first ever 100 percent recycled polyester drapery fabrics that are inherently fire retardant to meet all vertical fire codes. These Earth-friendly textile constructions are 100 percent post consumer recycled polyester and the first to be serviceable without any additional fire retardant chemicals. The drapery fabrics look and perform like their conventional non-recycled and chemically treated ancestors, but have two major differences. First, they are inherent so there is no risk of the fabric losing its FR properties after washing. Secondly, these inherent FR recycled fabrics have less of an environment footprint...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added its eighth case study to its Vendor Case Studies section. The case study focuses on the Lied Lodge & Conference Center in Nebraska City, Neb., and its selection of Milliken & Co. to replace its 13-year-old carpeting in its guestrooms and public areas, including the focal-point grand staircase. Milliken broadloom met the green building criteria with a custom carpet that modifies and updates the original design elements. Michelle Galvin of Galvin Design Studios sought to complement the rustic feel of the interior. The acorn-and-leaf motif chosen for the carpet uses earth tones and greens....