Green Hotels: Benefits for Developers
By Robert L. Noble and Greg Mueller
Hotels are not simply a home away from home. They highlight and introduce new techniques in structure, architecture and interior design to the masses. With cost advantages and flexible design, the hospitality industry is beginning to embrace this growing trend of sustainable design. Green hotels have opened in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America and the United States to glowing reviews from guests and investors.
Comfort and style always have been cornerstones of the hospitality business, but, with green design, environmental responsibility and health also are at the forefront. Developers can address natural-resource depletion, energy consumption, threatened ecology patterns and global warming while placing greater focus on the comfort and health of hotel guests and employees. Green design is the accepted new concept for hospitality projects, and it is important today's builders and developers join the trend.
Better Experiences
Green design enhances the aesthetic experience of hotel guests, and, with values shifting toward concern for the environment, different types of beauty are appreciated. In some cases, guests' desires to see photovoltaic systems on the roof of a hotel outweigh their desires for granite floors. Guests have seen what money can buy and now they care what intelligence, good design and responsibility can provide. Also, many of the most beautiful materials have become the most environmentally responsible, such as reclaimed hardwood, reclaimed railroad ties and bamboo flooring. There also is a whole array of wonderful woven carpets made of recyclable materials.
In addition to appealing to guests' aesthetic desires, applying green design embraces healthfulness for guests and employees. For example, an abundance of windows brings natural light inside. Common sense says that natural light enhances a sense of well being, and studies confirm the use of natural light improves health and productivity.
This type of design also dictates non- and low-toxic materials are used in the building and maintenance processes. Nongreen-designed buildings have a history of using materials that offgas toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde. These are, at best, damaging to respiratory systems and, at worst, carcinogenic. Using green design virtually eliminates harmful offgasing.
Increasing long-term value of green hotels is energy-efficient design, which typically goes hand in hand with green design. Floors, ceilings, walls, windows, doors, glass and mechanical systems are designed to be as energy efficient as possible, upping the financial value. Infrastructure loads also are lessened with reduced water usage. The landscaping used for a green-designed hotel also increases value as vegetation is selected not only for aesthetics but also for its environmental benefits.
The demand for green design has increased, and people often are paying a premium to know that they are staying in a green hotel. Hotel developers need to look closely at their target markets and possibly poll their guests to obtain the full scope of their interests and concerns. It is imperative to have a clear understanding of what guests want and for what they'll pay a premium. Significant marketing and positioning of a green hotel also increases the long-term value.
Profits and Beyond
Progressive developers are not sitting back and waiting for the green trend to come to them. They know how important it is to commit to responsible design now and into the future. However, they must be realistic about the bottom line. Good business balances operating expenditures. Developers must commit to being responsible to current clients' needs and determine what future needs will be. In a few years, green design will not be considered an option but rather a requirement for a large percentage of the market.
In addition to financial considerations, hotel developers have responsibility beyond profits. They need to be responsible to their workers, clients and neighbors. Developers should check into their support manufacturers and ensure they are not burdening their workers with toxins. In addition, developers need to learn about the products they use in construction. Are they toxic? Are they energy efficient?
All new, young talent in design firms is focused on sustainable design, and the best new materials are environmentally responsible. This change is leading to a unique time in history. We now are witnessing a phase transition in hotel and building design. It behooves developers to take note.
About the Author
Robert L. Noble is chief executive officer and design principal of San Diego-based Tucker Sadler, an architectural design firm established in 1956. Greg Mueller is planning and design principal of Tucker Sadler and has worked on more than 20 major hotels nationwide. Noble and Mueller can be contacted through the firm's website, www.tuckersadler.com.
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Reprinted with permission from eco-structure's March 2006 issue. Visit www.eco-structure.com for your free subscription to eco-structure.