CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR, CALIF.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is revising its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System, introducing new prerequisites that will apply to buildings seeking certification and the cleaning contractors that clean these facilities. This is according to Steve Ashkin, a board member at the USGBC and the professional cleaning industry’s leading advocate for sustainability. Board members will vote on these new prerequisites and related issues, with their decisions made public in late September 2023, at the International Greenbuild Conference in Washington, DC. Among the prerequisites and requirements LEED is concentrating on include the following: Redirecting LEED’s emphasis from certifying...

WESTPORT, CONN.—Hlynur Atlason and Atlason Studio are the recipient of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum’s National Design Award for Product Design. This achievement highlights Atlason’s groundbreaking work across a multitude of design disciplines including consumer products, packaging, and furniture design. The award is one of the nation’s highest honors in the product design category and it celebrates Atlason’s history of dreaming up useful, beautiful, and sustainable design. One of the newest members of Heller’s Next Generation of Modern team of rising-star designers, Atlason is the mastermind behind two of the brand’s most recent product launches. Atlason worked closely with...

KALAMAZOO, MICH.—Landscape Forms, North America’s leading designer and manufacturer of premium site furniture, structure, LED lighting, and accessories, announces expansions to its Ashbery lighting family. Focused on broadening performance capabilities, the new Ashbery expansions allow the company’s popular line of modern traditional area lights to feature more prominently in a greater range of outdoor spaces. “Ashbery was originally designed to be very well adapted for pedestrian-centric environments, but we recognize that our clients are designing spaces that go beyond the purely pedestrian, and they want a common design language all throughout,” says Landscape Forms President of Lighting, Jordan Agustin. “The...

IRVINE, CALIF.—A core practice of humanity for centuries, rituals have been scientifically proven to have a positive impact on physical, mental, and emotional well-being, providing practitioners with a sense of calm. Imbued with meaning, these mindful practices grounded in values can invite a deeper sense of connection, intentionality, and purpose into one’s life. With these rejuvenating benefits in mind, Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering created its latest high-performing textile line: Ritual. Leveraging the power of rituals as the leading source of inspiration for eight inspiring designs, the line brings the principles and positive effects of structure and harmony found in ritualized practices...

DENVER—Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) welcomes Alex Kosis back to the firm as an Associate Principal, bolstering its expertise in building enclosure engineering consulting and sustainable building practices. Kosis joins SGH’s Building Technology group from Denver, partnering closely with SGH colleagues in the San Francisco Bay Area; Chicago; and throughout the United States. Kosis brings more than fifteen years of experience in the industry, specializing in roofing and waterproofing system design and repair, and thermal analysis for optimal building performance. “Alex has been a tremendously positive presence at SGH ever since joining us straight out of school. It is gratifying to see...

KALAMAZOO, MICH.—Landscape Forms, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-design site furniture, structure, LED lighting and accessories, announced the addition of a new sustainability leader. Amy Syverson-Shaffer, ASLA, RLA, SITES AP has been appointed to Landscape Forms’ new role of Manager of Sustainability. Syverson-Shaffer served previously as the Landscape Forms Business Development Representative for Philadelphia. “I grew up in Southwest Michigan, have always had a deep connection to nature, and developed a real bond with Landscape Forms when I was working in landscape architecture,” says Syverson-Shaffer. “So, this new position feels meant to be, like coming home.” “Our company is rooted...

NEW YORK—PurOptima, a global leading manufacturer of sustainable interior glass wall partitions and doors, announced that all its glass and aluminum wall partitions and doors will be made using Hydro CIRCAL. Hydro CIRCAL is a new brand of sustainable aluminum, made with a minimum of 75 percent recycled post-consumer scrap, which minimizes the carbon footprint of the products in which it’s used. Recycling aluminum requires just 5 percent of the energy needed to produce primary aluminum, drastically reducing the amount of energy required. This benefit is then passed onto PurOptima’s glass wall partitions and doors, greatly reducing their embodied carbon, reflecting...

MÉRIDA, MEXICO—WAYAM Mundo Imperial may only have 52 suites but its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint surpass green-focused properties much greater in size. The property in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico just earned LEED Gold certification—the first one in Mérida with LEED certification and an ideal partner for Yucatan´s LEED Platinum International Congress Center. Fernando Zepeda, General Manager of the 72-employee WAYAM Mundo Imperial, says the hotel’s owners embarked on the path toward LEED certification about five years ago, though their commitment to sustainable development goes back decades. The property opened in the summer of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic....

MILAN, ITALY—Yasmine Mahmoudieh, a globally recognized, award-winning designer, architect, and sustainability ambassador, has unveiled “Turn Me,” a revolutionary piece of furniture that exemplifies sustainability, eco-consciousness, and versatility. Known for her expertise in 3D printing, Artificial Intelligence, and sustainable materials, Turn Me stands as a testament to her commitment to sustainability and dedication to shaping a more sustainable future in the luxury hotel and real estate industry. Crafted through innovative 3D printing technology using recycled plastics, Turn Me effortlessly transforms from a chic chair to a functional table or a comfortable bench, adapting seamlessly to any environment, whether indoors, outdoors, residential,...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The construction industry is often very energy-consuming, and because of this, it doesn’t go together with the environmental sustainability that has taken front stage lately. Generally, the construction industry is an enormous consumer of natural resources and raw materials, generating approximately 39 percent of the carbon emissions on Earth. The effects it brings to the world are negative, and this is why new sustainable alternatives have appeared, like green buildings. The importance of green buildings is vital today as we face many challenges, from climate change to resource depletion, and it is essential to develop products that will...