Ukrainian designers find work in the U.S., net-zero hotels set a new standard, and NBBJ reveals a spiraling tower design for Amazon’s second headquarters in Virginia. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
ICYMI: See what happened at HD Expo + Conference
HD Expo + Conference wrapped up yesterday at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where thousands of attendees experienced new products, engaging conversation, and networking. Activation spaces included HD Park (sponsored by Williams-Sonoma Business to Business and Shaw Contract), the DesignWell Pavilion (designed by INC Architecture & Design), and the Social Hub (conceived by 21c Museum Hotels). Quality & Company received Best Booth top honors, while the Oak Eye Dining Chair by Alain Van Havre for Ethnicraft received the Eric Engstrom Best of Competition prize in the 25th annual IIDA/HD Expo Product Design Awards. The final day closed out with a wide-ranging conversation with Todd-Avery Lenahan, president and chief creative officer for Wynn. Read our recaps of Day 1 and Day 2.
Ukrainian designers find work in the U.S.
Istetyka in Kyiv, designed by locally based Yakusha Studio
As an authoritarian invasion ravages Ukraine, economic despair has threatened the livelihood of those still based in the war-torn country and those who have fled. To provide temporary or fulltime work to the nation’s design community, U.S. architecture, planning, and urban design studio SWA has launched Support by Design. Fast Company reports that so far dozens of Ukrainian designers have found remote work opportunities with U.S. firms through the program. In addition to SWA, the Landscape Architecture Foundation and the American Society of Landscape Architects has amplified awareness of the initiative. Practices like Gensler, Sasaki, Olin, and EDSA are among those exploring ways to hire through the database.
Net-zero hotels set a new standard
Hotel Marcel in New Haven, Connecticut, with interiors by Dutch East Design
As green construction outpaces traditional building techniques and major hotel brands have committed to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, a few properties are showing travelers and industry leaders what net-zero carbon emissions looks like. According to The New York Times, hotels like the Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton stand out among competitors with an abundance of solar panels to control lighting, heating, cooling, and hot water systems. Original concrete walls and triple-glazed windows will also help stabilize indoor temperatures. Out West, SCP Hotels reduces waste by 90 percent compared to standard hotel operations through means like email and digital messages, refillable glass jars and coffee mugs in lieu of water bottles and paper cups, and refuse containers divided into three sections. Room2 Chiswick in London is 89 percent more energy efficient than the average hotel in Britain, thanks to geothermal and heating and cooling systems, onsite gardens and beehives, and rainwater harvesting technology equipped to hold 50,000 liters.
Camping makes a comeback
A Getaway Cabin nestled in the woods
Despite shirking health and safety measures in the face of COVID-19, one pandemic trend remains as popular as ever. According to Skift, a new study by Kampgrounds of America shows that camping and its variations—glamping, RVing—is experiencing unprecedented popularity among leisure-seekers. In the past two years, the camping industry saw a 36 percent uptick, with more than 9.1 million first-time campers joining the scene. Studies also indicated that camping accounted for 40 percent of all leisure trips in the U.S. More than half of the travelers polled claimed camping accounted for some or all of their overall travel.
New Amazon HQ2 planned to be built in Arlington, Virginia
A spiral-shaped glass tower designed by architecture studio NBBJ will mark Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Called the Helix, the tower will be one of three office buildings in the country that will make up Amazon’s second headquarters, writes Dezeen. Promoting a healthy work environment, the Helix will include tree-covered walking trails that spiral around its outside for employees to walk on. Despite the design, there have been a few naysayers who have compared the structure to soft-serve ice cream and a Christmas tree.
