http://www.athensdowntownhotel.com
Hotel Indigo Athens has achieved LEED Gold certification for its cutting-edge green development strategies, including an energy conserving regenerative elevator, a high efficiency heating and air conditioning system and a water efficiency program, which cut water use almost 40 percent.
Co-developed by Savannah-based Melaver, Inc, and Atlanta based Rialto Partners, the unique hotel located at 500 College Avenue is among the first six hotels in the world to achieve LEED Gold status given by the U.S. Green Building Council. The hotel is also the first privately owned development in Athens to achieve LEED certification.
Melaver Sustainability Consulting provided the guidance on green strategies and oversaw the LEED certification process.
"Our starting goal was LEED Silver. Being one of only a handful of LEED Gold hotels in the country is a testament to the owner’s and our entire team’s commitment to sustainability" said Tommy Linstroth, the Director of Sustainability for Melaver, Inc.
The design of the 80,0000-square-foot Hotel Indigo incorporates green technology such as a regenerative elevator from Otis Elevators, keycard activated room lighting, and a variable-refrigerant-flow-zoning heating and air conditioning system from Mitsubishi Electric. Improved indoor air quality is achieved through the use of low VOC paints, adhesives, and sealants, as well as filtered fresh air provided through an energy recovery ventilator. Low flow plumbing fixtures are used throughout the building, which reduce consumption by nearly 40 percent and an outdoor water cistern collects condensation from air conditioning and supplies the exterior water feature. Priority parking is available for hybrids and carpool vehicles.
Each of the 130 guest rooms features hardwood floors, oversized beds, plush furniture, and spa-inspired showers. Locally printed and framed concert posters featuring bands and musicians from Athens appear in each room with frames constructed from reclaimed barn wood.
About Melaver Inc.
Melaver, Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned business based in Savannah, Georgia. The sustainable real estate developer currently has ten LEED certified projects in their portfolio and is developing Sustainable Fellwood, one of the largest green affordable housing projects in the country.
Contact: 912-236-0781
Melaver, Inc.
Melaver Consulting
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. 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