The Proximity hotel and Print Works Bistro (www.proximityhotel.com/) in Greensboro, NC has become the first ever hotel and restaurant to be awarded LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Proximity has been built and is being operated by Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels.
Among the 60+ green practices implemented at the hotel are the first regenerative drive elevators in North America, which generate electricity on the descent for the ascent. During the construction phase, they recycled 87% of the construction debris, and the hotel has 100 rooftop solar panels which supply the enregy to heat the water.
“When we started the design process four years ago, I would have never believed that we could use 41% less energy and 33% less water without one iota of compromise in comfort or luxury and with minimal additional construction costs,” says Dennis Quaintance, CEO of Quaintance-Weaver. “It just goes to show what a determined team can accomplish if they use common sense and get a little bit of help from the sun.”
“Proximity Hotel is especially to be commended for achieving LEED Platinum. This facility is one that both the community and its guests can be proud of,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President & CEO of the USGBC, in a press statement. “Proximity is a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy environment, and an inspiration for others.”
Officials from the USGBC will present the LEED Platinum plaque to the Proximity and Print Works Bistro at a ceremony at the hotel on November 10. On that same day, Proximity will hold its second Sustainable Practices Symposium, a three-hour discussion and tour about the design and building process using the LEED criteria.
Since we’re talking sustainability, take a look at this article in Bloomberg News which says that Chicago is ‘out-greening’ New York and LA in terms of green roofs. It took the lead in North America with 517,633 square feet (48,090 square meters) in 2007, industry group Green Roofs for Healthy Cities says. The city expects to have more than 4 million square feet of gardens on 400 buildings under construction or completed this year.
And its not just about being green. There are other monetary benefits too, like a 1 year tax abatement for constructing a green roof in any city in New York with a population of over 1 million . Plus, it reduces the building’s cooling bill by anywhere between 5 to 35%.
And since we’re now talking about the ‘Green Apple’, Huffington Post has the dope on the battle to convert New York’s 13,087 taxis into hybrids and alt fuel vehicles.