A body dryer instead of towels? When Julien Veyron, Architect and CEO of atelier arcau, responded to my request for additional information on the Light Human Hotel concept (see article and column from last week), he mentioned the use of body dryers in the hotels as one step in helping to reduce environmental impact. Yes, all Light Human Hotel bathrooms will include body dryers. (Google “body dryer” and you will find just a few examples of companies that make them.) The use of body dryers is one example of the brand developers’ willingness to innovate and create a guest experience unlike any other. Would your guests give up their towels in exchange for air drying?
In case you missed it, the Light Human Hotel, a new eco-friendly brand and concept created by two France-based entrepreneurs—Jean-Pierre Bandeira, CEO of Light Human Hotel and Veyron—will make its first appearance in the United States later this year in Miami. That 80-room hotel on Collins Ave. will be the first of now eight Light Human Hotel properties to open. Additional hotels are planned in the next few years for Miami, San Antonio, Los Angeles, New York, Sao Paulo, Antibes, Rio de Janeiro and London.
What more did I learn this past week about Light Human Hotels? “Light Human Hotel is not a generic brand of hotel,” Veyron told me. “Our vision is that Light Human Hotels are shaped for people to live, to share, to work and to have fun together. Light Human Hotels are designed for people and that’s the reason why they are sustainable places with well-being as a key factor not only for guests, but for the staff and for the local community in the neighborhood also. In that sense, as human beings are at the heart of the design process, Light Human Hotels are bioclimatic places to live. It means that even if all technology and significant innovation can be considered for the operation, each of the buildings is also shaped with the common sense of elders.”
Each Hotel Built for Its Environment
A Light Human Hotel in New York will not be the same as another one in Miami. Veyron says: “Why? Because the first one will be in a particular context with a continental climate and the second one will be into another context influenced by tropical. It means that in a hot climate, a Light Human Hotel will ideally be built with very thick walls, with few windows and naturally ventilated and in a colder climate, it will be better to use a dry process framework with big windows to use the advantage of passive solar gains.”
Designed with Millennials in mind, Light Human Hotels will provide healthy food and atmosphere, and visual and acoustic comfort. “Light Human Hotels are vibrant and breathing buildings connected with nature,” Veyron says.
When asked what exactly will make Light Human Hotels energy efficient, Veyron offered the following response: “The best way to be energy efficient and low carbon producing is to have lower needs of energy. The bioclimatic process including orientation of the building, nature of the skin, size of the windows, choice of solar protection, natural ventilation…is the first fundamental option for each hotel and it has to be adapted to each specific context (new building, existing building, climate…). We use natural local resources to optimize and produce less carbon. In Florida for instance, we will use the natural wind to ventilate. Less technology and more common sense.”
Geothermal Solutions Could be Used
Veyron says Light Human Hotels will use natural options instead of mechanical systems. “For instance, in a hot climate, thermal chimneys evacuate naturally hot air from down to top of the building and guarantee a good comfort without any mechanical system,” he says. “In some particular cases, geothermal solutions will be the best option. Every particular project will get the optimal answer depending on local natural resources.”
A generous supply of plants and trees will be used in the inside and outside of the building. As often as possible, rainwater will be recovered and stored in water tanks for plant watering.
Light Human Hotels will use as much local and eco-friendly materials as possible. For the operation, everything has been developed with waste reduction in mind. Hotels will serve food in traditional “Kilner style” preserving jars. In French these are called “bocaux.” Hence the name of restaurants will be “BOCO.” The jars are totally recyclable. Spa amenities will have minimal packaging and staff will be trained to recycle.
When asked to what degree the choice of materials will be driven by the need to maintain superior indoor air quality, Veyron says, “All Light Human Hotels will be customized in order to be built with local stuff. As we are looking for authenticity, all kinds of materials that were used by the pioneers of the local territory will be used and transcended: stone, local timber without chemical treatment, solvent-free paints…We still have a lot to learn through Pachamama (Mother Nature) and centuries of know-how from our ancestors.”
Keep following Green Lodging News for additional information on Light Human Hotels.
Green Lodging News Adds Hartdean Ltd. as Directory Partner
Green Lodging News has added Hartdean Ltd. to its Green Product & Service Directory in the “Linens & Towels” category. The company’s EcoKnit Terry Towels are luxury hospitality cotton towels with two to three time’s longer lifespan and provide energy and water savings which recover the cost of the product. EcoKnit Towels are snag free, dry up to 40 percent quicker than standard terry towels, reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, and use 15 percent less water with every laundering cycle. EcoKnit Towels also require less detergent. E-mail enquiries@hartdean.com, or go to http://www.ecoknit.co.uk/ for more information.
Green Lodging Survey
The Green Lodging Survey, a joint effort of Green Lodging News and Greenview, is now ‘live’ and open through August 31. Be sure to complete the survey and have others do the same. The survey is geared toward those who own and operate lodging establishments anywhere in the world. Click here to access the survey.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2016?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2016. Many excellent spots are available on the website, in the weekly e-mail newsletter, and just-announced Green Lodging Survey. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2016 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 4,928. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There is a “subscribe” form in the upper left area of the Green Lodging News home page.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
Green Lodging News now has 1,692 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 764 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
