NEWH - Fall 2018 - 32

SUSTAINABILITY | POINT OF VIEW

Green Voice Rewind
By Stacey Olson, Associate, Gensler

With more than half of 2018 in the rearview mirror, let's pause to recap two of our most exciting industry events: BDwest,
held in April in Los Angeles; and HD Expo, held in May in Las Vegas. Sustainability, including social equity and fiscal
responsibility, paired with environmental stewardship, is a key component, and is included in everything from chapter
meeting Green Housekeeping guidelines, sustainable event planning, and the crown jewel: NEWH Green Voice sessions.
The Green Voice initiative plays an important role in providing free, sustainably oriented, quality education relevant to
our community at each of our partner tradeshows. Session content varies, with past sessions emphasizing scientific
discoveries, materials transparency, evolving technology, third-party rating system case studies, and the latest trends in
sustainable hospitality design.

BDwest
BDwest arrived in full force this year, with free Green Voice sessions
generously sponsored by JLF lone meadow, Florida Seating, and
Valley Forge Fabrics.
Sessions included Savings Realized: Integrated Building and
Technology, moderated by Mary Ann Thornam, academic director
of the interior design program at the Art Institute of Colorado, and
presented by Brian Ensign, vice president of Superior Essex, and
Lisa Isaacson, co-founder of NuLEDs. The group discussed the
environmental and financial benefits of utilizing a Power over Ethernet
(PoE) electrical system to fully integrate building with technology,
with the Sinclair, Autograph Collection hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, as
an illustrative case study.
The next session, Making LEED Easy: A Materials and Resources
Discussion, addressed recent evolution of the LEED rating system,
as well as strategies to reduce the burden of back-up documentation
required. Moderator Stacey Olson, Gensler, gave a thorough overview
of requirements and differences compared to LEED v3, and panelist
Tommy Linstroth, author at Green Badger, shared an exciting new
online platform that streamlines documentation gathering and
removes the gobbledygook associated with LEED v4 spreadsheets.
The final 2018 session, led by Cara Rude, associate principal at
McCool Carlson Green, featured Gensler associate Michael Hill, who
shared his dissertation and ongoing research findings relating to sea
level rise and the impact on waterfront building design. A Rising Tide:
Designing Luxury Space Resistant to Future Climate Change
sparked of innovation to mitigate damage in the event of a tidal event
or coastal erosion, as well as proposed smart thinking for preventative
planning.

32 www.newh.org

HD Expo
HD Expo's education sessions provided more than 30 credit hours,
including the four free Green Voice sessions held at the HD Social
Hub, courtesy of sponsors JLF lone meadow, Florida Seating, and
Valley Forge Fabrics.
Green Voice sessions included Agritopia: A Farm to Fork Culture,
where Katie Critchley, Agritopia director of operations, shared details
of the walkable, agriculturally focused, multi-family community
centered around a working organic farm in Gilbert, Arizona, with LEED
certification reviewer Alison Bane of USGBC providing the sustainable
perspective of local farming.
Fitwel: A Health, Wellbeing and Amenities Experience was
presented by Alexandria Real Estate Equities director of design
and construction Jessica King, in conversation with sustainability
strategist Stacey Olson of Gensler. Together they explored Alexandria
Real Estate's extensive focus on health and wellbeing strategies,
including Fitwel certification and its perceived benefits.
David Mahood, co-principal of Olive Hospitality Consulting, led the
session entitled Addressing Sustainability: A Las Vegas Executive
Chef Perspective with Susan Wolfla, executive chef at Mandalay Bay
Resort and Casino, who champions community and education.
Green Voice's A Personal Conversation with UNLV's Hospitality
Design Concentration Coordinator featured Art Institute of
Colorado's Mary Ann Thornam talking in-depth with Glenn NP Nowak,
associate professor, UNLV School of Architecture.

Next up: Join us at BDNY 2018 for new tradeshow finds and a
continuation of the NEWH Green Voice series! ❙❘❚
http://www.newh.org
NEWH - Fall 2018

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