Hospitality Style - Spring 2012 - 30

TREND / NEW RULES FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway, Bangalore, India Purchasing company: PMI

required, most clients want to do it in an aesthetically pleasing way. So it’s a win-win.” But the regulatory environment has its downside. For example, the phase-out of incandescent lighting is drawing fire. “We are challenged to provide the same lighting output and experiences but use less energy. Most of the time this happens by specifying either fluorescents, which still don’t render quite as beautifully as incandescents, or LEDs, which the clients are having a hard time opening their pocketbook for,” says Talleux. Fabrice Knoll, co-founder of Paris-based Didier & Fabrice Knoll, reports similar concerns on his side of the Atlantic. “Hotel chains ask us for energy-efficient lighting, but working within the allowable output wattage, it’s hard to produce a nice level of lighting with the right ambiance. We manage,

but we hope to see progress from the light manufacturers to square this circle,” says Knoll. There’s also the problem that global suppliers aren’t always on the same environmental page. “Decorative lighting is still primarily manufactured overseas and other than lamping options, there are few sustainable components or recycled materials available,” says Benjamin West’s Starck. And the long haul is becoming a problem because of long lead times as well as increased carbon footprints. “Delivery of products from overseas is still slow and projects are taking six to 12 months longer than estimated,” says Debra Duneier, creator of New Yorkbased EcoChi (a design philosophy that melds sustainability and feng shui). PMI’s Langmade is seeing more demand for domestically produced products as a result.

But that still doesn’t get at the core issue: cost. “It seems every time I turn around, a manufacturer is telling me that there’s going to be a price increase due to the rise in cost of foam (oil), copper, steel, etc. It’s definitely affecting our prices,” says Talleux. Adds Knoll, “I just don’t see prices plateauing anytime soon.” Still, manufacturers are doing their part, says Talleux. “More and more, they’re asking for feedback on their products and how they could be better. They’re really listening to designers and using our opinions to develop their product,” she says. But in the end, it’s the designers who are moving the needle, says Langmade. “The demand for sustainable products comes from the design community. Vendors simply cannot get specified by most designers if they don’t have some sustainable components to their products,” he says.

It’s not just about what the federal regulations demand, either. Guests’ green expectations are high. In a 2012 study of 5,000 U.S. Expedia consumers by MindClick, 80 percent of guests surveyed were aware of hotel sustainability efforts, primarily energy reduction, water conservation and recycling. Ninety percent of consumers surveyed could identify one or more guest room products they believe help hotels provide rooms that are both healthier (reduce allergies, minimize toxins, improve indoor air quality) and better for the planet. In addition, 90 percent said they would choose a hotel that implements and promotes sustainable purchasing, as opposed to a hotel that is focused solely on sustainable operations. And that’s sending up some very green shoots throughout hotel design. HS

HOSPITALITYSTYLE.COM / SPRING 2012

IAN F.GIBB PHOTOGRAPHY, SINGAPORE

Hospitality Style - Spring 2012

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