JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. - Build an eco-friendly, beachside hotel using sustainable
practices to help preserve one of the eastern seaboard�s few remaining
true maritime forest and dune eco-systems. The developers of the new Hampton
Inn & Suites on Georgia�s Jekyll Island did just that when building
the barrier island�s first new hotel in 35 years.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel ownership and development
company and third-party manager, and co-developers Jekyll Ocean Oaks, LLC,
an affiliate of the ownership group of the island�s existing Jekyll Island
Club Hotel, followed an extensive set of guidelines, adopted by the Jekyll
Island Authority, that require development respect and preserve the unique
natural environment and historic character of the island. Developers applied
a range of conservation practices throughout the building process, and
incorporated sustainability practices into the hotel�s operation, including:
-
Building the new hotel on the existing footprint of an older motel in order
to avoid cutting old growth trees on the 5-acre site.
-
Detailed mapping of tree locations and evaluation of their health and relative
importance by a certified arborist.
-
Planting of new live oak trees to replace a dozen trees removed to accommodate
redevelopment of the site, and more than two dozen trees that were in poor
health.
-
Recycling materials like steel, copper, concrete and aluminum from the
demolition of the older motel.
-
Mounting elevated exterior downlighting on existing trees to avoid the
cost and energy use related to manufacturing and installing aluminum poles
for parking areas.
Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island
|
Beach Boardwalk
|
To provide hotel guests with beach access and still preserve the forest
and dune area, developers built an elevated wooden walkway. Hotel operations
employ a host of sustainable practices, including:
-
Rainwater is collected from the 25,000-square-foot roof and stored in a
cistern for irrigating landscaping.
-
The hotel�s laundry system recaptures final rinse water moisture from the
dryers for reuse as wash water, conserving both water and energy. The system
also scavenges waste heat from the dryers and reuses it to preheat water
for the washing machines, recovering up to 90 percent of the waste heat
and reducing overall energy consumption in the laundry by more than 50
percent.
-
Use of solar thermal panels on the south-facing roof to preheat water for
hot water systems that service guestrooms, restrooms and kitchens. The
system reduces the burning of propane, a fossil fuel, to produce heat,
thus reducing the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
produced by the property.
-
Thorough insulation and cladding with cement board, as well as the four-story
design, require less energy for HVAC systems. Motion sensors control bathroom
ventilation fans, and ENERGY STAR rated appliances and equipment further
reduce overall energy consumption.
The 138-room Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island opened in January 2010,
the first new hotel to be built on the island in 35 years. Among Georgia�s
14 barrier islands, Jekyll Island(www.jekyllisland.com)is one of just four
accessible by causeway. |
