NEWS - Construction & Building

SBJ Staff Report

Aug 1, 10 2011 - Journeyman Austin/Hutchinson Hotel Holdings, the designated developer for the proposed new Trade Center Hotel on Hutchinson Island in Savannah, announced last week that Tommy Linstroth of Trident Sustainability Group will serve as a LEED consultant on the proposed convention center hotel.

Trident Sustainability will join with CMMI Architects as part of the firm’s local design team.

Trident Sustainability Group is a full-service sustainability and green building consulting firm based in Savannah, and owned by Linstroth. The company provides sustainability consulting services in the areas of LEED consulting and green building, as well as systemic organizational sustainability and comprehensive green municipal solutions. Under Linstroth's guidance, the company has completed work on two dozen LEED projects around the country and in the Savannah area in the past two years, including the LEED Gold Hotel Indigo in Athens, the LEED Platinum Georgia Power building in Savannah and the Sustainable Fellwood residential project in Savannah.

"It's an exciting opportunity, and the commitment of the development team to create a truly green project is great to see," said Linstroth. "Journeyman is planning on incorporating some cutting-edge green strategies into the hotel, as well as working with local historic architectural materials experts to incorporate true historic elements into the design, and I'm looking forward to working with them to continue to showcase sustainable development in Savannah and Chatham County."

According to Bill Cox, principal with CMMI, headquartered in Atlanta, "Our team is committed to sustainable design and is working with firms such as Trident and local reclaimed materials experts, exploring building systems and features that will allow us to incorporate Savannah's rich history in our project with the use of salvaged materials and unique, one-of-a-kind items. We are reviewing these options to not only enhance the Hutchinson Island masterplan development but also to enrich the urban fabric of Savannah."

Atlanta-based CMMI has 20 years experience in hotel architecture, interior design and consultant team coordination. They will guide the A/E team in selecting sustainable design systems and features that apply toward LEED credits. The firm's LEED experience includes Georgia's first LEED Gold project - the Suwannee River Visitor Center in Fargo, Georgia - and the Primland Lodge in Meadows of Dan, Virginia.

The proposed convention center hotel on Hutchinson Island is slated to be built adjacent to the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. The proposed hotel will encompass approx. 382,000 sq. ft. of space composed of guestrooms and suites, restaurants, retail space, public areas and meeting facilities. Construction materials will be used from local sources whenever possible to reduce transportation mileage and emissions, and the hotel will be the first LEED Silver hotel in Savannah.