Weekly briefing: sustainability standards, awards countdown & biophilic design 2.0

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Weekly briefing: sustainability standards, awards countdown & biophilic design 2.0

Only got a minute? As we prepare to host The Brit List Awards 2020 next week, we have have compiled our top stories that have been published over the last five days, including a haunted check-in, a hotel that sets new standards in sustainability and how we begin to engage with the post-corona consumer…

We are days away from unveiling the winners of the The Brit List Awards 2020. On November 12, starting at 14:00 (GMT), the industry will pause momentarily to tune in to attend our virtual awards ceremony. It will be an afternoon of celebration as we not only reflect on what has no-doubt been a challenging year for designers, architects, hoteliers and suppliers but also champion those who are driving change. As well as crowning this year’s individual winners, the awards ceremony will also include the official unveiling of The Brit List 2020, which will profile the top 25 designers, top 25 architects and top 25 hoteliers who are operating in Britain.

Want to attend The Brit List Awards 2020 free of charge? Designers, architect, hoteliers and developers: click here to secure your places in the audience. Suppliers: click here to secure you places in the audience.

Before the awards, though, here are this week’s top stories, brought to you by editor Hamish Kilburn…

 Biophilic design 2.0 – from living walls to living hotels

Large hotel atrium with living walls

Image credit: Pixabay

For article three in the Hotel Designs LAB series, Hotel Designs and Arigami explore wellbeing through the lens of biophilic design. Founder of Arigami Ari Peralta compiles the thoughts of biophilic design expert Oliver Heath and environmental psychology researcher Nigel Oseland to explore the science of nature in design.

Biophilic design is much more than adding plants to a space, it is a strategy for developing a multi-sensory relationship with the world around us…

Read more. 

(In video) Hotel Designs LIVE: Reassuring the post-corona consumer

In the third session of Hotel Designs LIVE, we were joined by hoteliers from around the world in St Lucia, France, Zimbabwe and the UK to ask how we will reassure tomorrow’s travellers in a post-pandemic world.

On the panel: 

Watch the panel discussion.

Checking in to The Bull Inn, Totnes – a new standard in eco hospitality

Wooden furniture inside the pub of The Bull Inn in Totnes

It is time we erase the myth that sustainable hotels are a compromise on luxury. No longer should it be culturally acceptable to greenwash your way into the headlines by simply replacing miniatures and enforcing a ban disposable plastic – this should now be common practice. Instead, hotels and hospitality businesses should be conjuring up new, innovative ways to make a difference, not only environmentally, but also locally within the community.

Cue the arrival of The Bull Inn, an eight-key British bolthole located in Totnes. This deliberately rough round-the-edges pub/hotel is the fourth brainchild of visionary Geetie Singh-Watson, who worked with local architect Jackie Gillespie to ensure that, from concept through to completion, that every nook and cranny – from the pastel-coloured, untouched rooms right down to the innovative heating system – is sustainable.

Read the full review. 

In the HIX Seat: the journey back to ‘in real life’

An image of Joel Butler and HIX Event animations

Joel Butler, Co-Founder of HIX Event, has become a monthly columnist for Hotel Designs. In his first published opinion piece, Butler contemplates challenging times and asks ‘what’s next’ for the industry and its much-loved series of trade events.

Read Joel’s debut column here. 

One&Only Mandarina arrives in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean with dramatic vistas and an awe-inspiring beachfront rainforest setting, One&Only Mandarina is a hidden retreat complete with secluded eco-designed treehouses and clifftop villas, swimmable shores, destination dining from Chef Enrique Olvera, active and mindful experiences, and an environment crafted for reconnection.

Read more.

5 Minutes With: Karen Richards, co-founder and designer, The Idle Rocks

Image of Karen Richards and various interior shots inside The Idle Rocks Hotels

During a laid-back luxury experience at The Idle Rocks, we caught up with co-founder and designer Karen Richards to understand the hotel’s design narrative, and how it has adapted since lockdown.

Read the interview here.

Hamish Kilburn / 06.11.2020

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During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
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