CELEBRATING GREEN DESIGN THIS EARTH MONTH
During this Earth Month, as architects and designers, we reflect on the importance of sustainability as it relates to the built environment. From studies showing that consumers are more likely to buy from businesses that are environmentally friendly, to the commitment we all share to reduce our carbon footprint, it’s clear that sustainable design is more than a trend. It’s a necessity.
At JNS, our entire leadership team is LEED-certified, and our people share a commitment to delivering projects for our clients that respect both the environment and surrounding community.
The recently opened City Park Golf Course clubhouse is LEED Gold certified and incorporates multiple sustainability strategies with energy conservation and photovoltaic solar panels. Additionally, locally sourced materials were used to blend in with the natural landscape and minimize carbon footprint. This project was recently honored with an Engineering News-Record award in the “Best Water/Environment” category.
Our design for Hilton Garden Inn Denver Union Station allows the building to operate 30% more efficiently than ASHRAE 90.1 requirements, a standard for building energy efficiency. To discourage the use of single-use plastics, the hotel also offers motion-activated water-bottle-filling stations.
In many ways, the pandemic has reinforced the importance of connection to nature and open-air environments, which has been proven to promote both mental and physical health. Many of our JNS-designed hotels create opportunities to bring the outside in or maximize engagement with the surrounding natural environment.
For example, JNS designed the Perry Hotel Key West to create strong connections with the waterfront location. Our design team blended sharp, rugged elements with warm, ocean-inspired touches throughout the hotel. We utilized floor-to-ceiling windows that put on display the nearby marina and the many outdoor activities guests can enjoy.
The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block blends the indoor/outdoor experience with floor-to-ceiling windows at the visual terminus of each guest corridor, which lets natural light fill the space. The hotel embraces greenery with over 6,000 succulent plants featured throughout the hotel, all of which are grown locally in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
We are also excited to see prominent operators in the hospitality industry taking action to drive positive change. In late 2019, Marriott announced plans to eliminate single-use shower toiletry products, which is predicted to save 1.7 million pounds of plastic and reduce its annual plastic usage on amenities by 30%. In 2020, the company also switched to more eco-friendly cleaning solutions, rolling out EPA-approved electrostatic sprayers, as well as UV light technology to clean keys and other items.
With each and every one of our projects, our goal is to give the community something they can be proud of for years to come – and sustainable design is a vital component of creating long-term value in the built environment.