A panel of leading designers and brands discussed how sustainability is shaping hospitality design at the Hotel Interiors Experience (HIX) in London this week. Here are some of the key highlights from the event.
November 27-28, London – The role hotels and resorts can play in driving sustainable building was a key talking point for a panel of design experts at the Hotel Interiors Experience (HIX) exhibition held at the Business Design Centre in Islington this week.
The Leave No Trace: Hotel Design and the Rise of Responsible Tourism featured panellists Anomien Smith, creative director and principal of Luxury Frontiers, Jerry Tate, founder of Tate & Co, and Louis Thompson, founder and CEO of Nomadic Resorts, and moderator Sophie Harper, editor of Hotel Designs.
Building Responsibly and Managing Natural Environments
The panel examined a host of issues, ranging from the challenges of designing and building hotels in sensitive, protected or culturally significant natural environments to how they can give back more than they take, preserve the integrity of a locale, and ensure a sustainable relationship between people and the place.
“Sustainable design is all about being considerate of your surroundings and conscious about the decisions you are making, as well as educating your guests about the impact on the environment,” said Anomien. “That means looking at the size and scope of the place where you are going to build, the resources you have available and the materials you are going to use, and the design you are going to go with.”
Rather than being “extractive and exploitative” regarding the resources it uses, Thompson said that the hospitality industry had the potential to be a force for good moving forward by responsibly building in and managing the natural environments where they are located. Given that sustainability is a key trend among travellers now, he said it was a prime opportunity for hotels and resorts to lead the way.
“The hospitality industry could establish itself as an icon for sustainable building,” said Thompson. “We just need the trailblazers and pioneers who are going to push the envelope.”
Anomien added that designers must also tap into people’s desire to switch off and connect with nature. Often that means they are willing to forego mod-cons such as air conditioning if they are getting that experience, she said.
“We need to create places which can allow people to renew these inherent links with their environment and it’s really important for mental health. The hospitality industry is aspirational, people dream of going to some of the places we create, and that gives us an important role of ensuring that there’s some kind of enriching educational dimension to the building that we design.”
Sustainability was a key theme throughout the event. Among the latest offerings on show was everything from sustainable mattresses to eco-friendly fragrances.
Green Bed: The Eden Project Harmony Mattress
Comfort and sustainability are the focus of Hypnos’ first contract specification mattress, launched in collaboration with the Eden Project. The Eden Project Harmony mattress is a high-quality and durable handcrafted mattress made with natural and sustainable materials.
The turntable 29cm high mattress is built with 1200 ReActiveProä pocket springs and Hypnos’ edge protection for total edge-to-edge support. It’s also crafted in Britain to be sustainably and responsibly made using fibres from banana, orange and pineapple plants, as well as ethically sourced cotton and Responsible Wool Standard British wool, and is 100% recyclable at end-of-life through the brand’s recycling scheme.
“We’ve been handcrafting luxury beds in Britain for 120 years and we’re proud to be making over 140,000 beds here in Britain annually using sustainably and responsibly sourced materials,” said David Baldry, group managing director of Hypnos, in an interview with ArchiExpo e-Magazine.
“The launch of the Eden Project Harmony mattress is another mark of our commitment to doing things better, for people and the planet.”
Circular Economy Solutions: Grohe
Resource-friendly building is the motivation behind Grohe’s Cradle to Cradle Certified (C2C Certified) product portfolio. The range includes six sustainable solutions, with the Grohe Tempesta two-spray hand shower and the Grohe Blue filters from supplier BWT newly certified at Bronze level.
In the course of the filter’s lifecycle, Grohe collects the used filters and passes them on to BWT, where 99% of the materials are recycled. The addition of C2C certification for the filters provides the Grohe Blue water system, which offers chilled, filtered, and sparkling water directly from the kitchen tap, with yet another sustainability benefit.
“With the growth of our Cradle to Cradle Certified product portfolio, we are reaching, step by step, the next, logical level in utilising the potential of the circular economy,” said Jonas Brennwald, leader LIXIL EMENA, in an interview with ArchiExpo e-Magazine.
“With the growing C2C Certified range and our new environmental product declarations, which enable informed and transparent statements on the environmental impact of buildings, we help our customers and partners choose solutions with an environmentally positive outcome for their projects.”
Eco Fabric, Reducing Light Pollution, and Sustainable Scents
Versatility is the central theme for Sunbury Design’s new Bernard Collection. The range features EcoPerform+, a series of fabric innovations that allow for the creation of recycled, environmentally friendly products suitable for hospitality, senior living and healthcare settings.
A mixture of woven and printed fabrics, the collection includes the vibrant, multicoloured Spencer design alongside the more subtle hues of Kew and Regent, as well as the botanic-inspired Longwood. EcoPerform+ products incorporate a waterproof barrier which exceeds hydrostatic head tests of one meter and are woven using GRS-certified recycled fibres, making them tough and durable, while retaining a soft touch.
Cutting light pollution is the main concept of Danish lighting brand Nordlux’s Pontio bollard light. Coming in four different designs – black, white, sanded and galvanised, the light, which also has matching wall lights, complies with the Dark-Sky Movement – a global campaign to reduce light pollution.
This versatile illumination can be used in a range of settings, including in planters to light up decorative plants, fountains and driveway bollards. The wall lights can be used in stairways, corridors, pathways and walls.
As its name suggests, EcoScent offers a range of eco-friendly fragrance diffusers. Two new additions are the EcoScent Wireless Bluetooth Barrel and the EcoScent Europa Pro+, both of which use essential oil-based fragrances.
The Wireless Bluetooth Barrel is controlled via an app and can cover an area of 1,000 square feet with fragrance. The Europa Pro+ uses HVAC systems to spread fragrances to larger areas and can hold 100ml of fragrance, which lasts, on average, up to two months.
![Image [Urban Planning] Q&A: Designing Resilient and Walkable Futures](/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/Middletown-Riverfront-master-plan_21006_00_N7_digital-320x213.jpg)
