Kitchen & Bath Sustainable

The hotbed of sustainable hospitality design, Hospitality Design Green Day (HD Green Day, if you’re into the whole brevity thing) is headed back to Las Vegas at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, and Venetian Conference Center on Tuesday, May 18. The event takes place prior to the Hospitality Design Show, which runs from May 19-21.

 A neat event all by itself, this year’s HD Green Day features a USGBC project sure to wow. From the press release:

“One of the major highlights during HD Green Day will be unveiling the winning design from the inaugural Sustainable Suite Design Competition, presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in conjunction with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and NEWH, Inc.-The Hospitality Industry Network. Selected by a jury of industry experts from 65 entries, design firms WATG and IDEO will present their inventive suite, Haptik, a Greek term meaning to experience interactions based on sense of touch. The presentation will be made by WATG’s Raj Chandnani and Rhonda Rasmussen which precedes the inaugural exhibit of the winning entry at HD Expo, on display May 19-21, 2010.“

Great stuff.  For more information on HD Green Day and other events going on surrounding the Hospitality Design show, visit the event Web site here.

LED luminaires are the next big thing; clean light that beats the pants off compact fluorescents for longevity.  GE, the company that made the soon-to-be-outlawed incandescent what it is today, is innovating as fast as it can and is garnering some serious recognition for its efforts.

Everything you ever wanted to know about GE’s advancements in the world of light emitting diodes, after the jump.

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Whew, in the flurry of post-Greenbuild activity, I neglected to let you know that the NAHB is now accepting applications for the 2009 National Green Building Awards!

Apologies! Click “read the rest” to read the whole press release.

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This is the growing season for the NKBA Design Competition, it seems, because for the second time in two weeks, the NKBA has announced a new category to its annual Design Competition. The Association announced this week that it will be partnering with GE to add “Best Sustainable Kitchen” to the annual competition, officials at the NKBA said in a statement released on Tuesday.

As with other categories, entrants into this new category have to meet the five criteria (visual appeal, creativity, elements and principles of design, presentation, and safety and ergonomics) to be considered, but additionally will have to show what steps were taken to lessen the kitchen’s overall environmental impact.

“Sustainable products and design practices are of paramount importance to the National Kitchen & Bath Association,” says 2008 NKBA President Sara Ann Busby, CKD. “Well aware of the problems caused by the excessive use of natural resources - from landfill expansion to global warming - the NKBA is thrilled to work with GE Monogram in creating this new award, which will recognize NKBA designers who comprehensively implement energy, water, and materials conservation into their kitchen designs.”

So, there you have it. The call for entries is expected to be announced next month.

The NKBA has announced a new category for the 2009 NKBA Design Competition, “Best Sustainable Bath.”  Rheem Manufacturing, the maker of tankless water heaters and other aqua-related products is partnering with the NKBA to sponsor the new award, which was previously called “Smartest Hot Water Award,” in the 2008 edition of the NKBA Design Competition.  The award is expected to have expanded appeal to those entering the competition in the traditional bath categories.

To be considered, designers will be judged on the five key criteria of the standard Design Competition categories: visual appeal, creativity, elements and principles of design, presentation, and safety and ergonomics.  Additionally, competitors in this new category must submit information demonstrating how the included sustainable solutions in the bath maximize both comfort and efficiency.

Winners of the NKBA Design Competition will be announced, as usual, at next year’s K/BIS in Atlanta. The winner of the Best Sustainable Bath category will receive $5,000 and be recognized during the NKBA Design Competition ceremony.

The call for entries for the 2009 competition is expected to be announced later this summer—I’ll keep you posted!