WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors announced that Mahesh Ramanujam will be stepping down as president and CEO of USGBC, Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI) and Arc Skoru, effective Nov. 1, 2021. This announcement comes as a part of the organization’s review of its structure, go-to-market strategy and leadership to optimize the organizations’ support of the green building community, expand the green building marketplace, increase access to sustainable, healthy and resilient places, and ensure organizational excellence. “Mahesh Ramanujam has a deep dedication to the green building movement and has worked tirelessly to advance the goals of...

The world’s environment is affected primarily by real estate, transportation, and manufacturing. Due to the influence that these industries have on each other, it is clear that designing and operating sustainable buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. Some of the concerns addressed by sustainability practices include inefficient site planning; lack of smart growth; waste of water, electricity, and energy; overconsumption and excessive waste; not using sustainable materials; minimizing transportation; the lack of healthy indoor air quality; increased pollution; depletion of the ozone layer; and climate change. Challenges & Misconceptions The hospitality industry was slow to adopt sustainable operations and design because...

CALHOUN, GA.—Mannington Commercial announced that it has completed the purchase of select assets from AtlasMasland, the commercial floor covering business of The Dixie Group. The purchase provides Mannington Commercial with expanded carpet manufacturing capabilities, an extensive set of well-established product lines and more sales resources to meet its customers’ evolving needs. “Today marks an exciting new chapter for Mannington Commercial and our customers,” said Mannington Commercial President Tom Pendley. “These new resources enable us to further penetrate strategic, high-growth market segments while providing a broader array of flooring solutions for our customers. We welcome AtlasMasland to the Mannington family and...

SEDONA, ARIZ.—As one of the most anticipated hotel openings of the year, Ambiente, A Landscape Hotel in Sedona, Ariz. is set to welcome its first guests this December and local family developer Two Sister Bosses is offering a first glance into the highly unique, ultra-luxury accommodations as the first Atrium is now completed. Set on three rugged acres in Red Rock Country overlooking the city's most iconic monoliths, diligent and intentional work is quickly progressing as Ambiente takes shape with all 40 of its cubed-shaped, glass-encased Atriums fully constructed and undergoing interior and rooftop finishing touches. Work is also underway on...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries (Shaw) has introduced its first Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold (V3.1) flooring products, representing the latest in the company’s sustainability achievements. The company has long been committed to Cradle to Cradle design and its focus on material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship and social fairness. Shaw’s EcoWorx-backed carpet tile (introduced in 1999) was the first flooring to ever be Cradle to Cradle Certified and was one of the first products from any industry to obtain that achievement. Today, almost 90 percent of the products the company manufactures are Cradle to...

WILMINGTON, DEL.—With the release of the latest landmark climate report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), DuPont announced it is even more urgent that architects, policymakers and industry work together to limit the impact of global warming, and reduce embodied carbon. Affirming its commitment to transparency, DuPont Performance Building Solutions has published an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its newest Styrofoam Brand ST-100 Series extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS). This latest EPD continues the company’s practice of publishing third-party-verified EPDs for Styrofoam Brand products sold in North America, including its reduced and low global warming potential (GWP) products introduced in 2021 to help architects...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News welcomes STEP HEAT to the Flooring/Radiant Heat section of its Green Product & Service Directory. STEP HEAT offers underfloor radiant heating solutions that bring warmth to hotels, reducing energy costs and improving indoor air quality. STEP Warmfloor® is a 24/48 Volt AC/DC heating system that warms the air by heating the objects within the space from the ground up. It features a self-regulating heating element that decreases its electrical consumption when the ambient temperature increases. STEP Warmfloor is installed by laying out the heating elements to the pre-designed layout and connecting to a low-voltage electrical...

NEW YORK—Emmy Award-winning writer, actor, director and producer, Dan Levy, inspires individuals to change their communities. Informa Connect, a division of Informa plc, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the 2021 Greenbuild International Conference + Expo will feature an exclusive conversation with Dan Levy. He will take the main stage at Greenbuild on Wednesday, September 22 at 12:15 p.m. Pacific at the San Diego Convention Center. “Social equity is a huge aspect of sustainable building,” says Sherida Sessa, Greenbuild Brand Director. “Dan Levy is not only a talented and award-winning writer, actor, and producer, he is an advocate of social justice...

One of the most interesting sustainability-focused megaprojects in the works currently is called GreenCity and is planned for the Richmond, Virginia metro region. The eco-district project will include commercial, entertainment and residential developments. Two hotels are planned for GreenCity, with the first scheduled to be developed in the initial development sequence, and the second to follow as the market dictates. A 17,000-seat arena is planned. Also included will be retail space and a 40-acre, publicly accessible park system. Transit connections are currently under study, but when completed will allow for easy regional access via bus and other systems. Some of...

NEW YORK—WhyHotel, a hospitality platform and operator, announced its partnership with Alpha'a, an online, community-oriented platform offering tailor-made art collections for businesses across several industries including hospitality, technology, and interior design, to curate artwork collections across WhyHotel’s portfolio of existing and future pop-up hotel locations. Elevating up-and-coming creatives with local ties to the community, Alpha'a works to highlight local artists and their creations to build aesthetic narratives that resonate with WhyHotel cities and guests alike. WhyHotel first partnered with Alpha'a in 2020 for the Miami & D.C. properties. Featured artists included contemporary painter and photographer Patricia Carparelli, Dustin Harewood—whose work explores multiculturalism and historical narratives—and J.D....