NEWH - March 2008 - (Page 24)

sustainability point of view Want to learn more? Head to Green Day. Hospitality Design magazine announces its inaugural green hospitality conference, Green Day. Designed to spark creativity, solutions, and action, the full-day conference will be held in Las Vegas on May 14 (in conjunction with HD Expo and Conference 2008). Moderated by HD’s managing editor and resident green advocate, Tara Mastrelli, highlights include Defining Standards for Hospitality, a two-hour interactive session with representatives from top owners, purchasers, designers, and the USGBC, that will get real about the unique demands of the hospitality industry—attendee input will be considered by the USGBC in creation of the new LEED for Hospitality Standards; keynote speaker Danny Seo, whose bestselling books, television programs, magazine columns, and how-to lifestyle lectures, have made him America’s leading lifestyle authority on modern, eco-friendly living; GreenSCENE, cocktails and conversation with a purpose; and HD’s annual Green Luncheon, where NEWH will present its second annual NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Student Design competition winner(s), underwritten by JL Furnishings/lone meadow, Designtex, and HD. The luncheon will also feature the winners of the inaugural Earth-Minded Awards, sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and HD. For more: hdmag.com/greenday or E: tmastrelli@hdmag.com T: 646.654.7468. A rendering of the lobby of Hampshire’s Upper West Side hotel. Navigating LEED Designers sound off on the challenges of obtaining certification By Tara Mastrelli HOSPITALITY IS FINALLY CATCHING ON, and more hotel projects are lighting,” says Suomi. “So we’re doing seven model rooms, slowly coming on line that are seeking Leadership in each will have a different lighting system, using combinations Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification from of incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent, with a lot of LED, so the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). But is it we can hit our energy requirement for LEED and also get a feel as difficult and cumbersome as people say it is? NEWH asked for what the lighting will look like.” a few interior designers who are currently navigating the process. ForrestPerkins senior vice president Cliff Tuttle’s advice to make the process run smoothly? Make the decision to apply “One of the biggest challenges is just identifying product for LEED certification as early as possible. “It’s really critical that can be used toward LEED credit of recycled content or that you have a full team on-board early on and that there’s a locally sourced materials,” says Mike Suomi, vice president of buy-in from everyone at the table. The team has to design for New York City-based Stonehill & Taylor Architects, continually meet throughout the process to make sure every- PC. “We can’t make heads or tails of it. So we’re actually one is on the same track,” he says, adding that he’s currently having second meetings with every single vendor that has working with Portland-based SERA Architects on the Nines, a binders in our library. We’re having straightforward LEED Starwood Luxury property in Seattle seeking LEED meetings with them, so they can help us understand, yes your certification. “We have some projects where it was not a con- product will help us meet LEED criteria or no it won’t.” sideration at the start, and now they’re coming back, wanting Billie Thorne, principal of CMMI, agrees: “It has been a big to do the application [for certification] and it’s going to be a lot learning process. I’ve been reading as much as I can, attending more difficult. There was no clear understanding of who was seminars, but I learn the most from talking to the vendors.” responsible for what credits. So it’s kind of all over the map.” Suomi and his team are currently working on three LEED Suomi suggests working with a LEED consultant. (Viridian certified hotels, for three different owners, in Manhattan: a yet- Energy & Environmental, LLC is working on all three projects to-be-named luxury property; one for Hampshire Hotels & with his team.) “LEED is not consistently credited, nor is it Resorts (owners of Dream and Night); and one in Chelsea for even legal, district by district, area by area,” he says. “Working GFI Capital Resources, which hopes to claim the title as New with a company like Veridian has made it very easy for us, but York City’s first carbon neutral hotel. And each has presented trying to do this on our own would be like navigating blind unique challenges, as he’s working with new and old versions through a maze.” of LEED criteria. “With [one of the properties] one of our An expensive and timely one at that. “For some owners it biggest challenges is with new LEED, which calls for 1.1 watts isn’t about meeting the requirements, it’s about the additional per square foot of lighting for the guestrooms, which is not costs for certification—the paperwork, consultants, and time achievable in any realistic way using traditional incandescent to make sure all the systems run clean,” Thorne says. I 24 march 2008 www.newh.org tel 800.593.NEWH http://www.hdmag.com/greenday http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - March 2008

NEWH - March 2008
Contents
Network Leaders
News
Have you Seen?
Product Know-How
On the Scene
Sustainability: Point of View
Scholarship: Future’s So Bright
Design 101: Hotel Renovations
Cover Story: Friendly Fabrics
Project: Jazzed Up
Project: Presidential Redo
New Members
Save the Date
Partner Profiles

NEWH - March 2008