The Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa

 Breyanna Brisbine

            The Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa was created with you in mind. This hotel offers some of the best services around yet most of what they do is green! Even being a member of the Green Hotels Association, they made sure to do their research and pick sustainable, eco-friendly products to use in their space. Although not all products were “green”, they are still playing a huge roll in helping our environment as well as setting expectations for future hotels being built and/or restored. With this hotel being one of which was restored, they made a lot of changes to modernize the look as well as the technology. They could have gone the easier route and used random, varies products that may not do their best in helping the earth, but they did. Taking their time to go through the necessary steps to a greener facility, Casa Madrona is worth visiting!

            Many of the products they used such as the Toto dual-flush toilets use less water as they flush, the sensory lights aren’t ever left on, and you can’t forget that heir paint contains low VOC as well as the carpet. They are making sure that we are wasting less, and staying healthy! Concerned for their guests, they also are concerned for the environment. They want to make sure your stay is as comfortable as they can make it as well as clean and efficient.

            A few other renovation changes they made in order to become more eco-friendly were the use of natural quartz counter tops and some granite that can be reused when the hotel is no longer in service. These products will last a long lifetime, rarely stain and are the most durable out of many stones they could have chosen.  No matter when this hotel calls it quits, many of their products will be used for other buildings or they too will be restored with the next renovation.

            Along with durable products and ones that use less energy, this hotel also used recycled glass for their shelving and tried to refurbish all that they could, such as the original bamboo flooring that they removed and renewed. They use reusable bottles in their spa and always recycle.  They don’t ever use any products that aren’t biodegradable, recyclable or give back to the community. They even used local artist’s art to hang up in the hallways rather than buying paintings or photos from any other vendors. Giving back to the community as well as the earth.

        Although this hotel does a lot to help with sustainability, renewability, and the ability to reuse products, the most interesting aspects of their contributions to the environment are their public transport and laundry systems. Regarding the transport system, the company employees use commutercheck.com/Home.aspx to carpool to work rather than each individually take a car. Also as a guest you are offered online packages that include ferry tickets and bicycle rentals so you don’t have to drive around when exploring the beautiful city! This means a lot less fumes from the cars people aren’t using!

            Lastly, what I believe to be the best aspect of how this hotel is contributing to a healthier earth is the use of their ozone friendly laundry system which kills germs without bleach and instead of chemicals leaving residue, this biodegradable, germ killing product that turns right into oxygen! Using only a third of the water they originally used and not using harsh products such as detergents or bleach. Plus, drying time is nearly cut in half, which in fact uses a lot less energy! And the best part is you gain back all the money spent on the system, in just 6 months!

 

            Casa Madrona is one of the most beautiful hotels in Northern California and has gone through some of the best eco-friendly renovations to help with our environment. Thinking of all aspects including renewable, reusable and recyclable materials I believe they did a great job. It is incredible to me that one hotel can make that much of an impact. Just think, how can our world possibly change its fate with the intelligence and awareness that we are now equipped with. If every commercial building went through the steps and procedures that Casa Madrona has, the difference would be astonishing. Help save the earth and give back as well as reuse, renew and recycle!

  

Member Hotels. (1995, January 1). Retrieved November 13, 2014, from http://www.greenhotels.com/members.php

 Terra, M. (2014, January 1). Sustainability. Retrieved November 13, 2014, from http://casamadrona.com/explore-hotel/hotel/sustainability/

 Greening Newsletter. (2012, September 1). Retrieved November 13, 2014.

http://greenhotels.com/images_2/pdf/news1205lh.pdf

 Call Toll Free (855) 249-1926 (Ozone Laundry Support Systems, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL)

http://www.nutekinternational.com/

Gallery - Casa Madrona (Casa Madrona)

http://casamadrona.com/gallery/

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Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Interior Renovation

Elise Kunihiro

 photo #1: photo credit: www.hotels.com

        Located on one of the most premiere white sand beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Hapuna Prince Hotel began their interior renovation project in phases, starting in 2011 and finishing in the fall of 2013.  While the open-air architecture of the hotel remained untouched, a local Oahu-based interior design firm Philpotts and Associates was hired to update the lobby, guest rooms, pool area, and restaurants.  The colors, artwork, fabrics, and furnishings were inspired by the natural setting and history of the hotel’s location on the Kohala Coast.
   
         The Hapuna Prince has been a favorite family destination since I was young, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit again this week for a friend’s wedding and share firsthand the transformation of the hotel interior by updating the furnishings and materials.  The building itself sits on the bluffs above the white sand crescent beach, and the massive structure features enormous columns, open-air lobby, curved staircases, and skylights.  All of the rooms are ocean-facing, capitalizing on the beautiful ocean views and breezes.  The melding of indoor-outdoor space in the public areas is connected even more with the surrounding environment in the selection of natural dark slate flagstone floors, glass railings to optimize unobstructed views, stained wood paneling, lava rock walls, and a selection of native plants.     

 photo #2: photo credit: www.hotels.com

  In need of the most attention were the guest rooms, which had not been majorly updated since the hotel was built in 1994 and were certainly outdated.  The previous decor resembled more of a kitschy beach cottage vibe as opposed to a modern tropical luxury destination that the hotel was aiming to achieve in their renovation project.  Philpotts and Associates incorporated more elements of Hawaiian culture in the design by including traditional motifs.  The new floor treatment included replacing the older carpet with a custom woven beige boucle decorated with an olive colored palm print, bringing a more graphic element to the room.  The Polynesian theme continues with the addition of a neutral, but vibrantly patterned wallpaper on the wall behind the beds, giving that particular wall an animated pop.  The wallpaper is a kapa print, a traditional Hawaiian paper made from bast fibers and printed with geometrical shapes that are bold and direct.  The other walls remain painted in a calming off white to balance the combination of patterns on the floor, fabric, and walls. 
 

( photo #3)
photos clockwise: new materials including the carpet, lamps, wallpaper, light wood furniture, fabrics, and bedding.

         Previously white washed furniture has been replaced with more contemporary light hardwood.  The bed frames and one of the side tables both have bamboo incorporated into their design, playing on the tropical theme.  The rooms used to have wicker sitting chairs, but have since been replaced with dark rattan chairs with seating cushions and pillows upholstered in a canvas fabric decorated with a colorful tropical plant design.  Traditional colonial style floor and table lamps have been replaced with more contemporary pieces that are just as beautiful as they are functional.  Wide drum off-white linen lampshades sit on artisan clear glass bases as well as tall Japanese inspired ceramic lamp bases, adding a more visually striking and exotic element to the room than the previous traditional colonial style fixtures.  The old pale watercolor printed quilts have been replaced with plush new bedding in simple white and the beds now tailored with linen bedskirts.  To give the room a pop of color, bright orange blankets are folded at the base of the bed adding a dimension of modern style, matching the orange flowers found in the seating cushion fabric.  Sliding glass doors open to a wide lanai with updated modern patio furniture.  One of the nicest features of the room renovations include the addition of white wooden shutters that slide on a track parallel to the sliding glass doors so they can not only be adjusted to filter light, but also slide completely out of the way to each side to reveal an unobstructed ocean view.  The easiest change to give the room a modern, updated feel was one of the most obvious solutions — replacing the old boxy televisions with a 55” high-definition television.  

(Photo #4)

        This renovation project also included enhancements to Hapuna’s pool area by adding a new stone pool deck and updating the lanai furniture. The lobby and three restaurants, Ocean Terrace, Reef Lounge and Beach Bar, have been refreshed and updated with posh gathering areas and modern furnishings.  Having seen the hotel before and after, the materials the hotel and Philpotts and Associates have chosen have made the resort feel more modernized and sophisticated and work really well in the architectural space.  The updated design has given consideration to the surrounding tropical location and incorporated elements of culture and history.  The redesign has successfully accomplished creating a place of relaxation where I could relax and enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian beach, living up to it's award winning status. 

Resources:
1.  http://www.hotels.com/ho108652/hapuna-beach-prince-hotel-kamuela-united-states/
2.  http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/hawaii/big-island/review-55238.html
3.  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hbph-room-refresh.php
4.  http://www.mcneilwilson.com/client-news/201303/3401
5.  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hapuna-beach-prince-hotel/press/mauna-kea-beach-hotel-and-hapuna-beach-prince-hotel-complete-multi-million-dollar-refresh
6.  http://www.scientificsymposiums.com/store/store_files/HBP_Renovation-12.pdf

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Getty Center

Chieh-Ling Yang

            Getty Center is perhaps the most important architecture in the Santa Monica Mountains. It is a unique attraction; the Getty Center incorporates the elegant design by architecture Richard Meier. It has beautiful gardens, open spaces, and spectacular views of Los Angeles. There are six building in the museum. They all built with marble. When people enter to the Museum, they can see the museum displays with curvilinear design element that made with travertine squares. The stone-travertine is one of the most remarkable materials. This beige-colored, rift, textured, travertine can best reflect the bright Southern California light, the stone reflecting sharply during morning, and emitting a warmth in the afternoon. According to the architecture Meier said why he choose the travertine for this project because it is often associated with public architecture and expresses qualities the Getty Center celebrates: permanence, solidity, simplicity, warmth, and craftsmanship. This choice of travertine is successful in the Getty Museum; light color marble magnifies the temperament of the museum. Travertine can often see on many commercial architecture due to itself natural design and color.         

The lobby of the museum is a glass-encased rotunda with deep-brown honed travertine floors and a circular travertine-clad stairway. Getty center used crude marble for the stairway because crude marble can have slip resistant. It can prevent children slip on the floor.

           

         Inside the Getty Center there are a lot of unique flooring. One of flooring is “mosaic floor with Medusa”, According to the Getty Museum website, Mosaic floors executed in only black and white were favored in Italy in the 100s A.D. This floor combines this Italian black and white style used for the shield with the polychrome mosaic style of other parts of the Roman Empire used here for Medusa. The Mosaic glass tile flooring has many advantages. It can imbue the interior with a sense of lavish luxury, and these tiles can elevate the style of any space. The biggest benefit is using mosaic flooring is you can arranged the complex pattern and multicolored tiles. Mosaic is a durable and resistant material; however, they can be a costly material and difficult to maintenance. 

     

Mosaic Floor with Medus

            Getty center also use travertine for the flooring; they install holes in the travertine floor, fixture on top and bottom of marble column. According to a Journal: Anew installation of 18^th-Century Terracottas and marbles” They mentioned the two elegant marble columns on which Minerva and Hope Nourishes Love stand look like they were created on purpose to support these exquisite marble statuettes. The purpose of deep-color travertine flooring is to make contract with white statuettes. However, travertine tile floorings have disadvantages of not resistant to damage. If people have young child and pets in the museum, the flooring could very easily become scratched or stained.                                     

Glass Wall

Natural light is one of the Getty Center's most important architectural elements. The exterior wall of Getty Center are made of glass, the walls of glass allow sunshine to illumine the interiors. They use louvers to adjust the light inside; the paintings galleries on the Museum's upper level are all naturally lit. Lighting is really important for how to choose the interior material, natural light can make the inside of the building look more clear and serene. 

Travertine building

                                

            Getty center use the hard Italian limestone for the wall and the bases of all the building. The director of the operations of Getty Center think the stone gives a sense of permanence and beauty. That's why they spend 14 years of design and construction. Travertine used a lot in the construction of the Getty center. According to the “The Getty Center’s stone seduces” Travertine also serves as paving for the exterior arrival plaza and museum courtyard and is used on interior walls and floors, such as the transitional spaces between galleries.

            There are some exhibition hall in Getty have wood floor. They are usually install where shows the paintings with bright color, it can make contrast with the wood floor, so the paintings can present clearly. It is a successful choice of wood floor because hardwood floor is very easy to maintain and clean, stains and dirt does not stick to it. Moreover, the color in the hardwood floor will remain the same for a long time. It also good for people with allergies, hardwood floors do not hold stuff that can aggravate their allergies like carpet.

  Wood floor

                      

           The furniture in the Getty Museum is fancy and classical, there is an old cabinet that named “ Furiture Fit for a King” made by French artist Andre-Charles Boulle in about 1675-1680. This cabinet is made of ivory, brass, bronze, wood and pewter. According to the article on the Getty website, this cabinet was made more than 300 years ago in France. These materials such as wood and ivory, and of the cabinet have advantages of persistent and durable, so this artwork can be appreciate by everyone after 300 years later.

                    

  Cabinet

        There is a elegant table that made with Rosso di Verona marble, this marble is a beautiful reddish-colored marble. This table is inspire on a classical roman design and use in refectories. This marble was carved that it can also be a decoration material in the house.

In a conclusion, the use of materials and product in Getty Center is successful because they are durable and beautiful. From visiting the Getty Center I learned that every material in a building is important, interior designers have to understand the chrematistics of different materials so that they can create a sustainable design.

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The Bradbury Building

My Nguyen

        The Bradbury Building is an architectural landmark located at 304 Broadway at West 3rd Street in downtown Los Angeles, California. Built in 1893, the building was commissioned by Los Angeles gold-mining millionaire Lewis L. Bradbury and constructed by draftsman George Wyman . From the outside, the appearance doesn't look like it was an old architecture but the Bradbury was one of the oldest building in the city. It is one of Southern California's most remarkable architectural achievements and on its way to becoming most prestigious office address. Also this building appears in many television shoots, music videos and movies " Blade Runner" in 1982  " 500 days of Summer" , one of the place that you should visit while it still there.

photo 1 by High smith, Carol M., 1946

         The style of the building was influence by Italian Renaissance Revival style, round arches entrance and lots of  windows with facade of brown bricks , highlight by cast stones and terra cotta detailing. These materials are very durable, they will keep the building stay the same for a long period of time. As we can see, the exterior building didn't change from the day it was build. Overall, the Bradbury building doesn't seem to be interesting from the outside until you walk inside , you will be amaze of the interior of the building.  According to Bradbury Building History by  Publicatina " To find beauty, Wyman turned the building inward upon itself. Except for the uncharacteristic restraint in ornamentation, there is nothing unusual about the Italian Renaissance exterior façade of brown brick and sandstone terra cotta. It is the beauty of the dazzling center court of its interior that has given the building its fame "

photo 2 by © Jim Shoemake

         Since Wyman want to turn the building inward, so the inside of the court will amaze you, make you  feel like you just went back hundred of years. The interior is the most significant part of the building. The narrow entrance lobby, with lot ceiling and minimal light, it make you fell like you walk into an alley with arched windows on the side that open to the light inspiring by the Cathedral.  After  you reach to the center court. There are five-story court with glaze and unglazed yellow and pink bricks, once again, bricks are very durable. The combination of the color remind me of the Renaissance building very casual , all the materials they use are long-lasting, because it didn't look worn out yet. On the top, there was polished wood with glass roof that allows the sunlight in to the court, so the space will fill with pure-natural light, also you can enjoy the sky and sun during the day. I think it was a brilliant idea, because you don't have to use artificial light, which will save a lots of energy. Glass and wood are reusable. This building using almost all the durable and sustainable materials

photo 3 by Kriskrob

        The building is fill with black ornamental cast iron, geometric patterned staircases and wrought-iron and polished oak railings are used  throughout the place. "The wrought iron decoration was made in France and first displayed at the Chicago World's Fair before installation in the Building. Even the mail chutes are tall poles of metal not supported by any wall. The walls are pale brick and the floors are Mexican tile with imported Belgian marble used in the staircases. Such was Bradbury's desire for quality that the rich wood paneling is even carried out in the basement." According to publicartinla. Since they make the rooftop with glass, so when the light come in, the court will bright up , you can see almost  every details in the wall or the black ornamental. Everything details in the building are so neat, that make you want to look at it all day. Also there are unique open-cage elevators which seem to be really interesting since you can watch the entire building as you move up and down. The elevator rise toward the roof and offices open onto the balconies surrounding the court.

         The building seem to stay very well by it self's, I believe that the materials they choose are very successful. Even though, the building was build in the 1800s, but the building remains it beauty, unique, enchanting and very long lasting. 

  

SOURCE

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Bradbury_Building.html

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/01/business/fi-coversidetour1

http://www.dahp.wa.gov/styles/italian-renissance-revival

http://www.publicartinla.com/Downtown/Broadway/Bradbury/brad_hist.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradbury_Building#cite_note-jewel-12

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Studio Alexander Fehre

By Tiffany Le

(ArchDaily)

Location: Schorndorf, GermanyArea: 400.0 sqmYear: 2014Photographs: Zooey Braun

(ArchDaily)

"My idea was to put the showroom and conference table right into the heart of the office – the so-called Movet Workshop. The result is a generous room for the team and a down-to-earth and hands on showroom for the clients," said Fehre (Dezeen).

(Dezeen)

"This repetition, paired with an easy to handle surface material, makes the units cost-efficient, while resonating with the theme of industrial production," said the designer. (Dezeen)

"It is important that they feel comfortable and related to the industry they are working in," he said. (Dezeen)

        Studio Alexander Fehre was chosen to complete the most prestige representative office space that the company can adjoin that along with the warehouse. A savvy way to combine the different areas by still dividing the range of requirements in a limited space while retaining an open spacious feel. (ArchDaily) The company is based on an online website where they mainly promote and sell their products, the space was created for the employers but includes a showroom with conveyor-belt elements displayed on white shelves around the room to emphasis relations with the clients making them feel as if they are a part of the action.

         A long table with an oak-veneer top and coral lacquered legs sits in the middle of the space with copper and plaster lighting fixtures. Across the way with two rows of workstations are positioned at right angles to the window located at the very rear is the executive office behind a glass dividing wall that gives an allusion of open space feel.  It contains triangular furniture oak-veneered plywood and linoleum a complex way to not take away from the space as the storage cabinets with oak coated in a ceramic-laquer that combines the joints together to give a seamless finish to perceive an open plan space as a whole. The eyes shift from the carpet surface below the individual desk and storage areas with their unusual triangular shape as it moves up into the ceiling while acoustic foam baffles are used in between the wooden ceiling beams creating a pattern that portrays the furniture and metal mesh. Keeping with the industrial aesthetic design using metal lights dangling upon the conference table as guest are immediately integrated into the office with engagement within the whole area. While using a mesh metal sheet separating the space while embarking to still feel open. It’s used in the most efficient way although it isn't completely solid it’s a genius way to separate the space without closing it in. 

          The carpeting is made from carpet tiles, which can be returned to the manufacturer to be completely recycled after being use a great use of sustainable feature (Dezeen). The choice of wooden furniture tones down the ridged industrial look when it combines with the triangular desk placed in the working area with clean contemporary lines. A mirrored wall at the end of the corridor conceals a storage space to tricking the eye with a reflection of believing the space is bigger than it appears. Along with using things that were inexpensive Fehre takes it to a way that you wouldn't be able to tell with the great design aesthetic that was put into his work. The idea of the space is its constant eye shifting moments from when you first enter and the moment you leave as its unique design is hard to forget. The contemporary furniture designs with ecstatic use of multi-use of metal work gives the space the perfect about of industrial without going overboard.

Work Cited:

“How We Work” AlexanderFehre. Acessed 02 Nov 2014. www.alexanderfehre.de/INFO

"Movet Office Loft Interior Design / Studio Alexander Fehre" 05 Nov 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed 05 Nov 2014. http://www.archdaily.com/?p=560519

“Alexander Fehre designs Industrial-Style Office for a German Conveyor-Belt Manufacturer” 18 Oct 2014. DeZeen. Jessica Mairs. Accessed 02 Nov 2014.

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Kirk Kapital A/S’ Building

By  Zhiyi Liu

  

  

Artist Olafur Eliasson has designed fort-like headquarters to rise out of the sea for a Danish investment company.

Located in the harbor-side town of Vejle, the building  have a curved brick facade with sliced oval recesses. It is accessed from the marina via a new footbridge.

  

  

 

Kirk Kapital A/S’s offices occupy the upper floors of the building, while a publically accessible cafe and gallery are situated on the ground floor. Studio Olafur Eliasson is also collaborating with architects Lundgaard & Tranberg and landscape architects Vogt on a masterplan for the entire marina, which will be complete by 2016.

The building is asymmetric. The outside is covered by dark brown bricks. By contrary, the windows are all curving glass without frames.

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Aria Resort and Casino 

Las Vegas, NV

By Julie Sarantapoulas

                The Aria Resort and Casino is one of the newest hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, opening in 2009 as part of CityCenter.  Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, it spans 6.1 million square feet and reaches 600 feet tall.  CityCenter was carefully designed with sustainability in mind and Aria is the largest hotel to ever accomplish a Leed Gold rating.   

                                                                     

                I have had the opportunity to stay at the Aria on two occasions and experience its cutting edge design firsthand.  As a guest, your first view is the expansive lobby.  This is when you realize that this hotel is unlike most other Las Vegas hotels.  The ceiling is made up of wood beams and glass windows, allowing sunlight to flood the room and minimizing the need for artificial light during the day.  Real trees line the lobby, which add to the naturalistic design aesthetic.  Air vents are cleverly hidden under benches so you don’t have to see them on the wall or floor.  This also reduces energy consumption because cool air toward the ceiling is wasted.  The guest rooms are just as airy.  The entire façade is glass, which lets a lot of light into the room.  When you first open your door, the window shade automatically opens by moving along an electronic track.  My favorite feature is that you can set the shade as an alarm clock and wake up to the sun. 

                                                                      

                This is the entrance to the Aria Café Vettro.  The designers have done an impressive job of making ordinary, sustainable materials look modern and trendy.  Glass is considered renewable because it is usually made with recycled material.  Rocks are used in the display and if you look closely, you can see that the stepped wall behind the glass cylinders also contain rocks.  Behind the frosted glass, they take on a polished look.  The rocks were actually taken from the remnants of the Boardwalk Hotel, the previous occupant of this site.    

                                                                       

                This is from the Crystals shopping center which is attached to the hotel.  Upstairs on the way to the tram station, there are lights in several different colors illuminating the area.  The play of colored light against the geometric shapes of the architecture is stunning.  As you walk through the area, the lights and angles continually change, creating a different view in every direction. 

                                                                       

                Here is a view of the Crystals mall from the top.  It is an upscale shopping center with designer stores such as Cartier and Versace.   The building is just as stylish as the brands within it.  The floor is an intricate pattern with inlaid wood.  All of the wood used in the building is FSC certified, which ensures that forests are not depleted as a result of construction.  When you look closer, you can see small stones and quartz embedded in the floor and staircase.  Each storefront is unique and adds to the overall design of the building.  There are stores with colored glass, metal, backlit displays, and decorative lighting.  This all adds up to make sightseeing just as fun as the shopping itself. 

                                                                

                This last picture displays some of the original and quirky design that can be found throughout Aria.  This is called “Glacia” and the pillars are made of ice.  According to a sign accompanying the fountain, the core of each pillar is kept at negative 5 degrees Fahrenheit.  The columns re-freeze after about 36 hours and then water jets sculpt the pillars. 

                A few more words about the sustainable features involved in the Aria.  It is the first hotel on the strip to generate some of its own electricity through natural gas.  About 40 percent of water in the building is conserved, which equates to about 50 million gallons per year.  The showers are pressurized, which allow them to use less water without a noticeable difference.  It has its own stretch limos which run on clean-burning compressed natural gas.  The list goes on and on.  More information can be found at the following sites:

               

http://pcparch.com/project/aria-resort-and-casino/detail

http://aria.hyatt.com/en/hotel/news-and-events/awards/leed-gold-certification.html

                The Aria Hotel and Casino is an inspiration to designers who want to build for the future.  The environment was considered in every aspect of its construction all while maintaining the highest level of comfort and aesthetics.  

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