WESTBURY, N.Y.—The Viana Hotel and Spa, located in Westbury N.Y., has been awarded LEED certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). As Long Island’s only green-built feng shui hotel, Viana Hotel and Spa has made an unwavering commitment to sustainability and efficiency. The project team includes LEED consultants, The Cotocon Group and TWIG, who utilize various elements to create buildings that are sustainable and retrofitted to green standards. The architectural work that carries out these eco-friendly principles was completed by Hero Architects, and accompanied by commissioning agent Viridian Energy & Environmental LLC.
Starting with the demolition, the team behind The Viana Hotel and Spa building began practicing green behavior by ensuring the materials from the previous structure were carefully recycled. From there, the building was developed using environmentally conscious techniques. The wall insulation, steel, and concrete used for the structure are all made of recycled material. In fact, the roof insulation is made of Icynene, a material made partially of recycled soda bottles. On the rooftop, one can also find a 10 kW solar panel system. This on-site reusable energy system combined with the purchase of green power contributes to 100 percent of renewable energy for the entire building.
The eco-friendly lifestyle was not only used in the building of the hotel, but throughout the entire facility. Some of the unique procedures used within the hotel include an entirely paperless guest check-in and check-out process, a distinctive in-room heating and cooling system with a smart digital thermostat and sensor, and dimmable LED lighting in all public areas. In guest bathrooms there are dual flush toilets and water-restricted sinks, and even the landscaping is made up of low water-usage plants watered by a drip irrigation system, all for maximum water conservation.
“The unsung hero at the Viana Hotel and Spa unquestionably has to be the indoor environmental quality,” says Jimmy Carchietta, LEED AP and CEO of The Cotocon Group. “Although this is not as visible as LED lighting, the owner and design team have gone above and beyond the basic indoor code requirements to ensure that the indoor air quality is better inside the Viana, than the air we breathe outdoors.”
