Keeping current

To stay in touch with current and developing trends in the design world, we worked to compile and compose research papers on topics of our choosing. From my work as Design Team Manager to the Quaintance-Weaver design team, I was drawn to use my experience in LEED Platinum Proximity Hotel and further explore the developing role of sustainability in hospitality design. Here is a snippet of my work:

The Emergence of Sustainable Materials, Construction and Operations in

Hospitality Environments

The UN defined sustainability at the 1987 Brundtland Commission as “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This definition was later expanded to include a balance in the dimensions of environmental protection, social development and economic growth, at the 1992 Conference on Environment and Development. With the rapid emergence and heavy influence of sustainability in design, it is key that we recognize the burden that industry places on the environment, and our responsibility to apply the weight of this influence to our consideration of sustainability, in practice. As one of the largest trades in the world, the Hospitality industry stands as the largest consumer of energy and water, and a leading threat to the environment. True to its nature, the hospitality industry operates to meet the “needs of the present”- the guests. As such, it is vital that this industry gain leverage on the frontier of sustainable design through standardized systems of sustainable practice. This must begin with their principal machines of operation, the buildings, and extend through the veins of hospitality functions.

...The saturation of sustainability into present society and culture generates a need for consideration of major players in the today’s industry. The hospitality industry places a heavy stain on the environment, as one the world’s most prominent consumers of energy electricity, and materials. With buildings producing the most pollution of anything else on the planet, and this pollution so directly affecting its users, it is vital that we consider ways of implementing sustainable design into Hotels. These “green” buildings will not only offer enhanced living and working environments, but will provide influence for the hospitality industry across the world, promoting sustainability as a basic building block in future design. Materials, both in production and implementation, are ideal contenders for “green” substitutions, as new options are constantly filtering into the “green” market.” Sustainable construction methods are continually changing and developing to reduce costs and ensure efficiency in green construction. Although sustainable solutions come with a cost, green technology is becoming more affordable every year. Such a cohesive cultural trend enables “green buildings” to be far more marketable. They boast far more efficient consumption of energy and water, and therefore maintain minimal operating costs, contributing to a short-term pay off to otherwise costly alternatives. Hospitality offers a tangible means of connecting sustainability to individuals across the globe, promoting sustainable design for all through consideration at the industry’s source.