Sustainable Suite: Unveiled

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in conjunction with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and NEWH is pleased to announce the winner of the first-ever Sustainable Suite Design Competition -- a competition for interior designers to showcase the best hospitality design strategies that boast environmental responsibility while enhancing guest experience. Because the hospitality industry is a large consumer of energy and water use, this competition aims to motivate sustainable practices industry-wide among newly built and existing hotels.

Submissions from 65 professional designers and aspiring young professionals were received, each one redefining how a high-performance, energy-and-resource-efficient hotel suite should look and function. The winning design came from the team of WATG, a destination design firm, who led the creative design and specification process, in conjunction with IDEO, an innovation and design firm who brought expertise on human-centered sustainability. Their suite, Haptik, a Greek term meaning to experience interactions based on sense of touch, created a juxtaposition between sustainability and luxury by redefining the guest experience without sacrificing either ideal. The nuanced subtleties of the design were choreographed around individual moments that engage the senses, allowing the guest to discover how environmental responsibility can be achieved personally and collectively.

Among the innovative winning strategies were the many energy-reducing features such as an "all-off " switch to ensure lights are automatically turned-off based on passive infrared sensors (PIS) and room conditioning equipped by a four-pipe horizontal fan-coil system. Additionally, water use was also key in reducing environmental impact as the Haptik suite includes a Trombe wall in the shower that captures solar heat to warm the shower water and a graywater irrigation system that filters and recycles shower water to outdoor gardens and landscaping.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Sustainable Suite
• Design Competition
• USGBC
• ASID
• NEWH
• Hospitality
• Hotels
• WATG
• IDEO
• LEED