Stonehill and Taylor designs eco-friendly hotels in New York

(10/03/2009)

New York's hotel scene is finally going "green" with eco-friendly hotels in various stages of design and construction across the city. Stonehill & Taylor, the Manhattan-based architecture and design firm, is working on a greater number of "green" hotels than any other in the city, with no less than four LEED-certified hotel projects on the boards.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system for eco-friendly design and practices. Stonehill & Taylor's specialty is incorporating state-of-the-art technologies, materials, and techniques into its fashion-forward hotel designs. From the guest's point of view, these "green" elements will only enhance the overall luxury experience.

With a a team of LEED-accredited architects and interior designers, and an extensive "green" materials library, the firm had positioned itself to be on the forefront of this hotel boom well before these projects broke ground. Stonehill & Taylor is at work on the following LEED-seeking or LEED-certified hospitality projects in New York:
- The NoMad Hotel (fall 2009)
- Crosby Street Hotel (fall 2009)
- The 94th Street Hotel (fall 2010)
- Fifteenth Street Hotel (2011)

"It is gratifying for us to bring together two of our specialties, hotel design and eco-friendly architecture," said Paul Taylor, president of Stonehill & Taylor. "What's most exciting right now is this tremendous momentum - with so many projects on the go, we have an opportunity to help shape New York's new hospitality landscape and, we hope, have some impact on its environment."

Considering the ecology of each building as a whole, the team weighs every decision against its impact on its environment. "Green" techniques include: planting self-sustaining rooftops, which have enormous environmental benefits in addition to their aesthetic and social values; incorporating energy-saving mechanical systems; using locally-made materials/products made through sustainable processes; reclaiming building sites and materials; and implementing sophisticated recycling systems for water, waste, and energy. All of this is done at the highest end of the market from an aesthetics and amenities standpoint - all of the firm's "green" hotels will receive four- or five-star ratings.

Michael Suomi, principal, said, "These hotels are some of the most elegant we have designed. We are not only meeting LEED standards but exceeding them, developing new systems - and sometimes even new products - to take hotel ratings to the next level in terms of eco-friendliness, style, comfort and service."

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