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Proximity Is the First LEED® Platinum Hotel

Named the highest rated “Green” hotel and restaurant in America

The Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro have been awarded LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the USGBC’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. Opened in late 2007, the Proximity is the first hotel to obtain the USGBC’s top level of certification.

Dennis Quaintance, the CEO and CDO (Chief Design Officer) of Quaintance-Weaver, is obviously delighted. “When we started the design process four years ago, I would have never believed that we could use 41% less energy and 33% less water without one iota of compromise in comfort or luxury and with minimal additional construction costs,” says Quaintance. “It just goes to show what a determined team can accomplish if they use common sense and get a little bit of help from the sun.”

His “sun” comment refers to the 100 solar rooftop panels that heat water for the AAA Four Diamond hotel. To illustrate how the hotel and bistro save energy without negatively affecting guests, he asks, “How is it a compromise for a guest to shower with water that is heated by the sun? Or, how is it a compromise for a bistro guest if their dishes are washed with solar heated water?”

Quaintance collaborated with his subcontractors on every little detail and personally tested most products. “We tested so many different commodes at home that our children were anxious to see what they called the ‘commode du jour’,” he says. “We finally found one that works wonderfully and uses a third of a gallon less with each flush, and it did cost one cent more than a conventional toilet.” 

The rigorous testing for a variety of water saving products is paying off. The hotel and restaurant is on track to use two million gallons less water during the first year, saving more than $13,000 by spending less than $7,000 in additional construction costs. 

“I've come to believe that it is an urban legend that employing sustainable practices with new construction is too expensive,” concludes Quaintance. “We are very happy with the results, including the costs and returns, of everything that we did.  It’s not easy -- but it’s not hard.  And it’s definitely worth it.”

Proximity and Print Works did not attain this milestone by just using less energy and water. They also:
•    Recycled 87% of the construction debris (1,535 tons)
•    Sourced over 40% of the building materials locally
•    Used over 20% recycled content 
•    Restored 700 feet of an adjacent stream
•    Installed the first regenerative drive elevators in North America, generating electricity on the descent
•    Provided natural lighting (day-lighting) to 97% of the occupied space
•    Used elaborate energy recovery systems so as to provide large amounts of fresh air to all guests
•    Sourced 90% of the furniture locally
•    Commissioned local artists and craftspeople for original art in every guestroom, a cantilevered reception desk, spiral staircases in the lobby, furniture and accessories
•    Plus more than 60 other sustainable practices

LEED certification covers energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design & construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.

“Proximity Hotel is especially to be commended for achieving LEED Platinum. This facility is one that both the community and its guests can be proud of,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “Proximity is a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy environment, and an inspiration for others.”

Built and operated by Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels, the Proximity is just a stone’s throw away from its sister businesses, Lucky 32 Kitchen and Wine Bar, Green Valley Grill and the Four Diamond O.Henry Hotel. For more information about Proximity Hotel, call 336-379-8200 or visit www.proximityhotel.com. 

About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About LEED®
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities. LEED for Healthcare is currently under development and is expected to be released in early 2008.

Incentives for LEED are available at the state and local level and LEED has also been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED.

More About Sustainable Practices at Proximity
Here is a sampling of the 70+ sustainable practices at Proximity Hotel & Print Works Bistro:
•    Uses 41% less energy than a conventional hotel by using ultra efficient materials and the latest construction technology.
•    Utilizes the sun’s energy to heat hot water with 100 solar panels covering the 4,000 square feet of rooftop (enough hot water for a hundred homes). This heats around 60% of the water for both the hotel and restaurant.
•    Restored 700 linear feet of stream by reducing erosion, planting local, adaptable plant species and rebuilding the buffers and banks. Approximately 700 cubic yards of soil was removed to create a floodplain bench. Also, 376 tons of boulders and 18 logs were used to maintain grade control, dissipate energy and assist in the creation and maintenance of riffles and pools. 
•    Installed North America's first Regenerative Drive model of the Otis' Gen2 elevator which reduces net energy usage by capturing the system’s energy and feeds it back into the building’s internal electrical grid.
•    Takes advantage of abundant natural lighting with large energy-efficient “operable” windows (7’4” square windows in guest rooms).
•    Connects guests to the outdoors by achieving a direct line of sight to the outdoor environment for more than 97% of all regularly occupied spaces.
•    Uses building materials with recycled content. For example, reinforced steel contains 90% post consumer recycled content, sheetrock 100%, asphalt 25% and staircase steel 50%. Concrete contains 4% fly ash (72,578 pounds), the mineral residue left after the combustion of coal that is diverted from landfills.
•    Recycled 87% of construction waste, diverting 1,535 tons of debris from landfills.
•    Reduces water usage by 33% by installing high-efficiency Kohler plumbing fixtures.
•    Improves air quality by circulating large amounts of outside air into guestrooms (60 cubic feet per minute) and doing so in an energy efficient way by employing “energy recovery” technology where the outside air is tempered by the air being exhausted from the hotel.
•    Uses regional vendors and artists for materials to reduce transportation and packaging.
•    Utilizes low-emitting volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, adhesives, carpets, etc to reduce indoor air contamination.
•    Uses guest-room shelving made of walnut SkyBlend, particleboard made from 100% post-industrial recycled wood pulp with no added formaldehyde.
•    Offers bicycles for guests to ride on the nearby five-mile greenway.
•    Uses tabletops in the Bistro made of salvaged, solid walnut trees that came down through sickness or storm and room service trays made of Plyboo (bamboo plywood).
•    Installed newly-engineered variable speed hoods in the restaurant that use a series of sensors to set the power according to the kitchen's needs and adjusts to a lower level of operation (typically 25% of their full capacity). The sensors also detect heat, smoke or other effluents and increase the fan speed to keep the air fresh.
•    Uses geothermal energy for the restaurant’s refrigeration equipment, instead of a standard water-cooled system, saving significant amounts of water.
•    Will plant a green, vegetated rooftop on the restaurant to reduce the “urban heat island effect.” In other words, the green roof reflects the heat, thus reducing the amount of energy needed for refrigeration and/or air conditioning. It also slows the rain runoff and insulates the rooftop, keeping the building cooler overall.
•    Has become an “Education Center” for sustainable practices with tours of our "green" hotel for more than 6,000 people so far, including programs for students of all ages.

added: January 2, 2009

updated: January 2, 2009