Kingsgate Marriott Takes a Second-Look®
Recycled vinyl wallcovering adds green dimension to Marriott renovation
Situated on the campus of the University of Cincinnati, the
Kingsgate Marriott accentuates its interiors with the red and black
colors of the school’s fighting Bearcats. But the 206-room IACC
certified Conference Hotel has gone green with its latest renovation
of corridors and elevator lobbies. Through a first-of-its kind
program called Second-Look®, the hotel reclaimed 2,100 yards of
wallcovering and purchased 3,000 yards of recycled wallcovering.
“Recycling wallcovering was just the right thing to do,” said
Susan Graves, Kingsgate Marriott general manager. “It’s part
of Green Marriott, our program that looks for ways to reduce,
reuse and recycle.”
The hotel removed vinyl wallcoverings from six floors using typical procedures, but placed the material in reclamation bins rather than dumpsters. These were shipped to the Second-Look program to be recycled into new wallcoverings by Louisville-based LSI Wallcovering. Marriott also worked with their distributor, D.L. Couch of New Castle, Indiana, to facilitate the process. Introduced in early 2007, Second-Look won sustainability awards at three international design shows and received Editor’s Choice awards from Architectural Record and Interiors & Sources magazines.
“The Second-Look program gave us everything we needed,”
Graves added. “We needed vinyl wallcovering for its durability and
performance. We wanted to recycle for its green benefits.”
Marriott specified new vinyl wallcovering from the Second-
Look program that includes 20% recycled content and 10%
post-consumer. The textured pattern is standard to the recycled
program, but was custom-colored to coordinate with the new wool
carpeting. The Type II, 20-ounce wallcovering is expected to last for
10 years or longer and can be recycled again through the Second-
Look program.
“We pride ourselves on providing the ultimate learning
environment,” Graves explained. “Located on a college campus,
we provide an educational experience for school, business and
community events. But this renovation has been a learning
experience for us. It taught us that doing the right thing for the
environment doesn’t have to be hard.”