Monday, March 14, 2011

Proximity Hotel

     Last week, in my Intro to Interior Design class, we took a field trip to tour the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC. We started off the trip by dining at the Print Works Bistro which is connected to the hotel. After a delicious lunch and a dessert, we met our tour guide Stephen, who energetically told us all about the Proximity.
     The tour began looking down at the Social Lobby which is an area directly behind the Reception Lobby where guests check in or out. Stephen then lead us into the Revolution Room where special events are held, such as lunches or dinners. Next we entered into the Weaver Room which is another special events room. This room was one of my favorites because it consisted of many doors that could open up, turning the room into a "breezeway". This room is very suitable for wedding receptions and things like that.
     After that we were taken into some of the suites. These rooms were incredible. The large, wall-sized windows, let in so much natural light that during the day it isn't necessary to turn on any lights in the room. Even though so much natural light is let in, the privacy is not compromised.
    Another interesting place that we were able to visit was the roof. The roof is not a place where guests go, but since we were there for a tour, they allowed us to go. The reason we went up to the roof was to see the 100 solar panels. These solar panels are used to heat 60% of the water for the hotel and the restaurant.
     The thing that makes this hotel so special is that it is the first hotel to earn the LEED Platinum certification. LEED is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. To earn a LEED certification, a building project must meet certain prerequisites and performance credits within each category. They are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum depending on the number of credits they achieve.
     Overall, I really enjoyed the tour of the Proximity Hotel, it is somewhere I would definitely love to stay if I ever get the chance.

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