I’ve been convinced for years that to be green does not mean you have to fit any “granola” stereotype (although there is nothing wrong with Birks and bio-diesel). This hotel is just one more feather in the green-is-for-everyone cap. I’ve been seeing it in our clients’ requests for green luxury flooring and, as a LEED AP, am heartened by it.
But this is downright dreamy!
Pardon me whilst I swoon…
Here is a short breakdown of the credits achieved by the Montage team that led them to the project’s Gold certification:
Each project certified under LEED for New Construction V2.2 rating system earns credits for factors that are assessed by the USGBC against desired performance goals in six environmental categories.
Montage Beverly Hills earned a total of 39 credits in these environmental categories:
8 credits for Sustainable Sites, including offering public transportation access, bicycle storage and carpooling van parking for employees
1 credit for Water Efficient Landscape, installing an irrigation system that reduces potable water consumption by 54%
12 credits for Energy & Atmosphere, including selection of highly efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems that minimize or eliminate emission of compounds that deplete ozone or contribute to global warming
5 credits for Materials & Resources, including effective construction waste management, use of recycled building materials and use of materials from within 500 miles of the project site
8 credits for Indoor Environmental Quality, including use of eco-friendly and low-VOC paints, sealants and adhesives; efficient lighting systems, and specific seasonal temperature and humidity controls that ensure personal comfort
5 credits for Innovation in Design, including adopting an Environmentally Preferred Purchasing Plan, locating all parking underground and developing a Green Housekeeping Program
And when you look at their website, the LEED information is quietly tucked away under the “Hotel Overview” tab. It’s not in-your-face, it’s quite classy as one would expect.
Christopher Moline, LEED AP
Residential Group Manager
Commercial Carpets of America
703-370-0000 EmailBlogFacebookTwitter
The following points give a glimpse as to why this may be the fiber to watch in the near future. Click here to learn more about the LEED rating system.
- The production of Sorona® polymer requires 30 percent less energy than the production of an equal amount of nylon.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from the production of Sorona® are 63 percent lower than nylon manufacturing.
- Every seven yards of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona saves enough energy and resources to equal one gallon of gasoline—that’s ten million gallons of gasoline a year!
At Alexandria Carpet One Floor & Home we have had great success with this newest of fibers. In fact, it is installed in our showroom and gets more use than your average residential application… and it is holding up beautifully. The softness itself is reason alone to spark interest. But it is the cleanability that customers have shown to be the biggest draw.
Following is a testimonial from a rarely-heard segment of our industry, the independent testing agency:
Independent Textile Testing Service, Inc.
“Over the past 10 years we have been involved in extensive testing of the PTT fiber pertaining to carpet usage. Testing has included everything from pedestrian traffic, soiling, staining, static, colorfastness to atmospheric contaminants, flammability and many others. Based on our experience with the PTT fiber, it would seem that the test results consistently show a marked difference when compared to PET in regards to performance…It is of our opinion that the differences shown do indeed indicate that a need for a separate classification is a good idea. It would be very difficult to continue to try and let the marketplace separate these on its own. PTT indeed performs much better in general than PET in traffic ratings and it would benefit the consumer to know that there were distinct differences, thereby eliminating PET from being confused with PTT. We think a separate class of fiber generic name would be in good order and an overall benefit to end users.”
We look forward to seeing this fiber gain in popularity as it has over the past 4 years. I believe that if it were going to fail, it would have fallen by the wayside quickly. It looks like that just isn’t the case and as a LEED Accredited Professional dedicated to sustainability in the flooring industry I couldn’t be more satisfied.
Here is more information straight from Mohawk’s website regarding specific results:
Wear (Walk test)
SmartStrand fibers bend easily, rebound quickly and are amazingly durable. A test with over 20,000 foot traffics proved SmartStrand’s superior resiliency and crush resistance. In durability comparisons, nylon performed well, but SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona Polymer performed better.
Wear (Hexapod Test)
SmartStrand also underwent rigorous mechanical testing designed to simulate actual walk tests, but in a much shorter time period. Results confirmed…SmartStrand is the best.
Stain Protection
This is where Mohawk SmartStrand really excels. The SmartStrand fiber has engineered-in stain protection. Most stains (even the really stubborn ones such as hot coffee, mustard, red wine, tea, juice, shoe polish and more) are easily lifted with water and mild detergent or Floor Care Essentials. Even more impressive, SmartStrand fiber is resistant to discoloration from bleach. The leading nylon brands contain topically applied protection on the surface of the fiber that can wash and wear off. SmartStrand stain protection does not contain any topically applied protection (it’s built-in) and it will never wash or wear off. NEVER!
Soiling
SmartStrand’s unbeatable built-in stain protection also works against soiling, providing significantly better resistance and removal compared to nylon.
Static
For eliminating uncomfortable static, SmartStrand gets another “excellent” rating versus nylon’s “poor” rating. SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona Polymer is the clear choice in static protection.
Colorfastness
Customers that choose beautiful SmartStrand carpets in any style or color will be pleased by the long-term protection from fading, UV light and ozone discolorations. Color fastness is just one more “excellent” rating for SmartStrand.
Exceptional Comfort & Confidence
Every day, SmartStrand carpet pass another important test for consumers; the softness test. SmartStrand carpets are installed in thousands of homes and Mohawk customers have praised the elegant looks, gentle feel and supreme comfort. Free of harsh topically applied chemicals, SmartStrand’s fresh, pure and soft fibers provide a cleaner, healthier interior environment for consumers.
by Chris Moline, LEED AP
If you’ve worked on a project with LEED certification as the goal, you know how hard it can be to navigate the requirements for the USGBC rating system. I’ve heard people in the my industry (flooring) say, “Our product will get you LEED points” or “This is a LEED-certified product.” Well, as a LEED Accredited Professional, I can tell you that it’s just not that easy.
In other words: They are full of hooey! (to put it politely.)
In fact, the US Green Building Council does not endorse any product. It is the attributes of products, how they are made, and where they are made, among other factors, that can contribute to the achievement of points under the different paths available to building owners and tenants (Certified = 21-26 points; Silver = 27-31 points , Gold = 32-41 points, Platinum = 42-57 points). With such a low number of points, so much to gain in their achievement, and so many variables in the achievement of each, it’s understandable why a mis-guided novice would throw the “p” word around so loosely. Just thinking about it makes me shudder.
I’ll give you an example:
Let’s say you are moving into an existing space and are going to gut the interior finishings and start over. You should be aware of the following (this is not in any sense an exhaustive list):
–Watch what you send to a landfill:
If you divert 50% or more of your construction waste from a landfill by weight or volume, you get a point… Materials and Resources 2.1, Divert 50% from Landfill. Make that 75% diverted and you get 2 points… go to 95% and you get a whopping 3 points for Exemplary Performance.
–You can donate items left on-site by previous tenants and count them towards goals for the same credit (donating used furnishings, carpet, etc… to Habitat For Humanity is one way of diverting waste from a landfill).
What types of finish materials can help you achieve various credits?
–Low VOC paints (good for your tenants and the environment are accounted for under Indoor Environmental Quality credit 4.2 Paints and Coatings)
–Use carpet (or anything else) manufactured within 500 miles of the project (MR5.1 Regional Materials.) If it’s CRI Green Label Plus, you’re even better off – EQ4.3, not to mention if it’s made of a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content MR4.1)
Go even further by specifying 20% of your materials that have been extracted and manufactured within 500 miles and you get another coveted point.
–Use only adhesives on-site that abide by SCAQMD 1168 standards.
–Baaa… excuse me… specify wool carpet (wool is a renewable resource and can be counted under MR6 Rapidly Renewable Materials along with linoleum, bamboo, cork and more.)
–How much it would cost to buy goods you intend to reuse or purchased used (MR3.1 Resource Reuse).
And so much more. But the materials in and of themselves do not get you the credit. It is given based of the percentage of your job total either by weight, volume, cost or replacement value relative to the job as a whole.
And some issues are non-negotiable such as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) control, having a collection and storage area for recyclables, and meeting IAQ and certain energy standards. You could earn 41 points and not achieve certification if you fail to meet any of the 6 pre-requisites:
-Fundamental Commisioning
-Minimum Energy Performance
-CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment
-Storage and Collection of Recyclables
-Minimum IAQ Performance
-Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
In fact, trying to figure this out without the assistance of someone who has experience and accreditation can be mind-numbing. I’ll speak from experience that learning materials and passing the required certification exam was one of the most daunting exercises I’ve undertaken.
Stay tuned to this blog because it will fill up with advice for owners and tenants, as well as advice for folks studying for the amazingly-difficult exam.
Until then, all the best!
Christopher Moline, LEED AP
Residential Group Manager
Commercial Carpets of America
703-370-0000 EmailBlogFacebookTwitter
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Whatever your flooring needs, give us a call at 703-370-0000 or send an email. You’ll be glad you did!
Contact Chris Moline, LEED AP, our Residential Group Manager, for any flooring-related questions. Email
703-856-4929
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