Facilities and Design Donna Webb

Question: Discuss about theFacilities and Designfor Donna Webb. Answer: The following are the approaches that TAHL will use to adhere to its commitment of environmental sustainability with all its properties. Project Design The design of the hotel is a major factor that will determine the capability of TAHL to adhere to its commitment to environmental sustainability. Therefore sustainability will be among the key factors that the design team will consider during the design process. There are several project design approaches that will be used to achieve the sustainability goal. The design of the hotel will incorporate a wide range of green features, aimed at improving sustainability without compromising the comfort of the hotel personnel and customers. First, the hotel will be oriented in a manner that minimizes absorption of heat and maximizes the quantity of daylight received (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2016). Second, the layout of facility rooms and corridors will facilitate optimization of day lighting and natural ventilation so as to reduce the amount of energy needed for ventilation and lighting during the day. This will facilitate easy entry, circulation and exhaust of air into the hotel rooms. Third, the windows of the hotel will be oversized or very wide so as to boost use of natural lighting (Lavinia, 2013). Fourth, all external walls will be thicker external so as to reduce the total amount of heat that enters the hotel (Kang, 2013). Fifth, the roof of the building will be designed to allow installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels so as to increase the amount of solar energy harvested and will also be made of reflective materials. Sixth, the hotel will have a food garden and rooftop greenery for growing some f oods and also improve aesthetics. Last but not least, the hotel will be constructed using reclaimed and natural building materials that will be sourced locally (Green Hotelier, 2011). The benefits of project design are that it will improve the overall comfort and health of hotel occupants, reduce the total cost of operating the hotel, and reduce negative impacts (carbon footprint) of the hotel on the environment (U.S. General Services Administration, 2016). Waste Management TAHL aims at maximizing use of materials and minimizing waste generated. Some of the techniques that will be used for waste management include: using grey water for irrigating garden beds, composting toilets so as to minimize waste, placing recycle bags or bins in all guest rooms for waste collection, using electronic and water-efficient faucets (including shower heads and sinks), installing vacuum toilets, using reusable or refillable room amenities, donating unconsumed foods, toiletries and soaps to local charities, providing guest amenities, such as soap, in dispensers instead of giving them in single-service packages, buying supplies in bulk so as to reduce packaging (CalRecycle, 2015), purchasing items that use minimal or no packaging or those with recycled packages, purchasing reusable materials, composting or mulching landscape wastes, and installing water bottle refilling stations on every floor of the hotel (Bullard, 2016). Proper waste management practices have numerous benefits. They improve air quality in the hotel, they minimize costs associated with collecting, transporting, disposing and recycling wastes, they save money, and they reduce negative environmental impacts. Recycling A large percentage of wastes generated by hotels are recyclable. TAHL will encourage recycling and reusing most of its products. It will work in collaboration with all suppliers so as to reduce use on unrecyclable materials; it will put recycling container or bags in all guest rooms so as to collect all recyclable products; and it will recycle all recyclable materials such as plastics, cardboards, cans, glass, beverage containers, paint, motor oils, printer and copier cartridges, bond and computer papers, etc. When holding expos, conferences and meetings, all wastes will be collected and recycled. The hotel will have its own compactors for recycling materials that do not require extensive recycling or processing. Greywater will also be recycled and used for on-site activities such as landscape and/or garden irrigation, cleaning, and in toilets. Besides reducing bills for portable water, this will also reduce the amount of energy resources used for treating, pumping and transporting water to the hotel (Whole Building Design Guide, 2016). Recycling has several benefits. It will reduce the cost of purchasing new products and/or materials, reduce the quantity of products to be disposed to landfills, reduce the amount of energy and water that would have been used to manufacture new products, prevent depletion of natural resources (Recycling Revolution, 2005), conserve natural and limited resources (Arms, 2008), minimize global warming, and protect the environment as a whole (Conserve Energy Future, 2016). Energy Energy efficiency is among the essential factors in sustainable buildings. Some of the approaches that TAHL will use to increase energy efficiency of the hotel are as follows: carefully select the hotels windows (double-glazed windows and triple-glazed roof windows), use appropriate envelope air sealing, ensure proper duct sealing, use of renewable energy-powered cooling/heating systems, and appropriate placement of vapor and air barriers (Zafar, 2016). All or most of the lighting fixtures used in the hotel will be of high efficiency such as LEDs. Motion sensors will also be installed in the hotel for lighting control (Zafar, 2016). Most importantly is that all electronic equipment and appliances installed and used in the hotel will be energy-efficient and purchased from suppliers who operate their businesses sustainably with an aim of enhancing energy efficiency. The ultimate energy goal of TAHL is to ensure that the hotel fully runs on renewable energy. The company will install bot h solar panels and wind turbines on the hotel site. Some PV panels will be mounted on the roof of the hotel whereas others on roof of the parking facility. The key benefits of these strategies are that they will help TAHL reduce its electricity bills, improve air quality in the hotel, reduce negative environmental impacts, meet its energy needs and attain high green building rating. It is also worth noting that TAHL will make some efforts to encourage and educate its visitors about sustainability. For instance, there will be a rewarding program for visitors who reuse bedsheets and towels. Televisions in all guest rooms will also be programmed with educational presentations featuring green features of the hotel, giving details on the efforts made by the hotel to minimize carbon footprint, and reassuring guests that sustainability does not compromise their comfort. Works Cited Arms Mike. (2008). What is recycling 7 benefits of recycling. Retrieved from https://www.pacebutler.com/blog/what-is-recycling-7-reasons-why-we-should/ Bullard Chris. (2016). Sustainable building features. Retrieved from https://www.pdx.edu/recreation/sustainable-building-features California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). (2015). Waste reduction in hotels and motels. Retrieved from https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Business/FactSheets/Hotels.htm Conserve Energy Future. (2016). Advantages and disadvantages of recycling. Retrieved from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-recycling.php Green Hotelier. (2011). Sustainable interior design. Retrieved from https://www.greenhotelier.org/our-themes/sustainable-interior-design/ Kang Mint. (2013). W hotel Singapore: combining sustainability and comfort. Retrieved from https://www.eco-business.com/news/W-hotel-singapore-combining-sustainability-comfort/ Lavinia. (2013). The 11 fastest growing trends in hotel interior design. Retrieved from Freshome website https://freshome.com/2013/08/20/the-11-fastest-growing-trends-in-hotel-interior-design/ National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2016). Sustainability: energy efficiency. Retrieved from https://www.nrel.gov/education/pdfs/educational_resources/middle_school/lesson_plan_buildings.pdf Recycling Revolution. (2015). Recycling benefits: the many reasons why. Retrieved from https://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-benefits.html U.S. General Services Administration. (2016). Sustainable design. Retrieved from https://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104462 Whole Building Design Guide. (2016). Sustainable. Retrieved from https://www.wbdg.org/design-objectives/sustainable Zafar Salman. (2016). Features of a green building. Retrieved from https://www.ecomena.org/salient-features-of-a-green-building/