Monday, May 14, 2012

Ozone - The Best Friend You Didn't Know You Had


Upton Sinclair would find working conditions in today’s Architecture industry repulsive and inhumane. Shackled to our collective desks, toiling for so many hours that one might think FDR never rammed through the Fair Labor Standards Act in ’38. One certainly wonders aloud to no one in particular why we embark on such ugly permutations of masochism…we’re educated persons are we not?
An abstract soliloquy aside there is, in point of fact, a reason for breaking my long absence to once again bring some sliver of delight to the one or two individuals that read our blog (and its direct translation in Tagalog for our vast Philippine audience, or course). The reason is to have yet another fireside chat to discuss the merits of using ozone as a disinfectant in semi-public/commercial swimming pool applications. Those of you yearning for a diatribe centering on the merits of offensive realism in international relations will simply have to wait.
To wit, there are two predominate means with which to produce ozone for use in swimming pool filtration and disinfection systems. The most common is that which uses an ultraviolet light source and is relatively simple to operate and maintain, namely because it works effectively in both dry, and humid environments. The problem with this form of ozone generation is that it produces a small amount of ozone (relative to the corona discharge method) with which to use as a disinfectant in swimming pool water.
The second, more effective means with which to generate ozone is through the corona discharge method (CD). This is also known as a “hot spark” method which applies high voltage to a metallic grid located between two dielectrics. Think of creating artificial lightning. The result is a much more efficient production of ozone in greater quantities than an ultraviolet light. The drawback is that CD ozone generators require a cool, dry place. As a result, in the design process the aquatic consultant must quickly notify the Architect and MEP consultant of the need for specific electrical loads as well as a separate, climate controlled equipment room where the ozone generator can be located alongside an air dryer, and contact chamber before it is injected into the pressure-side of the recirculation system.
Surely with all the planning and cost associated with a corona discharge ozone generator many Architects, Hotel/Resort Owners and Operators may ask why they should bother with the preparation and expense. The reason is three-fold: effective sanitation, measurable sanitation, and bather comfort. 
In the first instance, ozone is 200 times more effective than chlorine at eliminating organic and inorganic waste in the swimming pool. In the second instance, a basic chemistry control device measures the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of the water; in other words, the same device measuring the level of a halogen chemical (bromine or chlorine) also measures the amount of ozone in the water. Finally, in the third instance, because ozone is both effective and measurable, it is possible to use substantially less bromine or chlorine in the water, the result of which dramatically improves the comfort of the bather. Think reduced wear and tear on bathing suits, less dry skin, and fewer irritated eyes.
Admittedly this is an overly simplified, abridged explanation for the merits of using ozone on semi-public and commercial pools, but hopefully it brings some clarity as to the reason this type of sanitation is so pervasive.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Readers Choice Award

Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain has been awarded “top three” Arizona resorts by Conde’ Nast Traveler magazine.  Aqua Design thanks Dove Mountain Resort Properties for allowing us to work with you on this project.  Aqua Design International, anything with water, anywhere in the world. 


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Ken Paulson vs. Gary Busey

Many throughout Aqua Design's history have wondered why the decline in Gary Busey's coincindentally mirrored the emergence of Ken Paulson, resident Landscape Architect and Vice President at Aqua Design. Are they, in point of fact, one in the same?

Sunday picnic

Aqua Design employee unwinding at Sunday picnic with Four Loko

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Suspended Pool-Sheraton Tucson Convention Center

We spent a great deal of time collaborating with the DLR Group's Phoenix office in an effort to produce the hospitality gem of Tucson's downtown revitalization efforts. Unfortunately the project and its suspended pool was never constructed, however, the design remains one the more positive, memorable collaborative design efforts we engaged in with the DLR Group.



Thursday, March 29, 2012

Hilton Garden Inn - West End, Washington D.C. nears completion

Hilton Garden Inn - West End, Washington D.C. pricing set is nearing completion today. Though incomplete, a taste of drafting magnificence to satiate the most discriminating of palates.


Friday, March 23, 2012

The Importance of Drafting 3D Equipment Rooms

As the design capabilities throughout the industry continue to evolve it is important to realize the benefits that can be derived from the aforementioned evolution. Below is an in-progress color image of an equipment room for a 50 meter municipal pool in Oro Valley. Creating an accurately produced equipment room allows us to take a flat shot image of any zoom, at any angle, from any place in an equipment room to then keynote so as to provide the most accurate and detailed drawing sets for our clients and the contractors tasked with building our designs.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

H,O + K Circa 1956...all that's needed is Shelby Foote

We love images like these, they are an astute reminder of not merely the longevity of an organization, but the colorful, circuitous path an organization travels as it grows. Special thanks to the bloggers at H, O + K for posting this one about two weeks ago. Now, if only the we could marry the syrupy timbre of Shelby Foote's Mississippi drawl to this picture; we would then have a first-rate PBS documentary!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Eight-Year-Old Impresses with Detailed Model

We found this post last week on Cannon Design's blog pretty interesting. Granted, it features the Richmond Olympic Oval that Cannon Design produced; however, we can't help but find the quality of this eight-year-old's modeling efforts anything but amazing!  Thanks to Cannon Design for this one.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Marketing Your Resort – It’s Still All About the Pool: Look No Further than Conde Nast Traveler

Marketing Your Resort – It’s Still All About the Pool: Look No Further than Conde Nast Traveler

For those who have perused our blog since its inception shortly after the Jazz Age, and just prior to the Black Tuesday stock market implosion of '29 you will well remember an earlier post extolling the necessity and virtue of getting the aquatic element of your property right, the first time. At some point in the midst of a peyote soaked delirium astride a wild vision quest in the high desert with our Yaquis guides our head of marketing stumbled into the brilliance of a timeless catch phrase specific to our niche market: It’s All About the Pool. 

The impetus behind this moment of creative brilliance rests with the simple fact that any marketing effort made with a full service hotel or luxury resort property is done with the pool area in mind.  No greater image captures the imaginative, calming warmth of serenity, escape, and sublime comfort than that of the resort swimming pool. It has been, and remains the marketing jewel of any property.  While my quiver is full of penetrating syntax to captivate and convince the reader of the importance of getting the pool right, I can instead preserve my literary energies and leave you with a veritable plethora of covers from Conde Nast Traveler, the most esteemed travel magazine in print.  

The irony of the montage is that despite the magnificence of the photography, the pools themselves are far from transcendental.  In closing, to leave the design not only of the pools, spas, and water features but they’re accompanying mechanical filtration and sanitation systems to a flock of drunken orangutans would be the paragon of insanity.  Whether you’re an architect, landscape architect, resort developer, hospitality brand executive, or hotel management company, we sincerely believe you’ll find our services valuable.






















Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Hilton N'Djamena Pictures from the High Mayan Priest of Aquatics

Like a benevolent High Mayan Priest of Aquatics standing above on the altar of the El Castillo pyramid of Chichen Itza I bring you, loyal denizens of this swimming pool-filled dominion, the architectural renderings so demanded the last two weeks featuring the aquatic element of the Hilton N'Djamena. We sincerely hope this will placate the demands of so many; not only for quality pool renderings, but for Salinger-esq run-on sentences as well. Special thanks to the Salim Group for providing these images.



Friday, March 2, 2012

Aqua Design International - Random Thoughts


Surely dear reader(s) you clamber desperately for another delectable morsel of industry specific knowledge and insight that only be found in the tomes of the Aqua Design International blog.  We briefly toyed with the idea of articulating a desperately long synopsis centering on the importance of the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of the swimming pool water. Instead we spent an inordinate amount of time deliberating on the validity and credentials of specific collegiate basketball teams sitting on the bubble. Sadly there is little to report so we ask you, dear reader(s), to remain in a holding pattern until something substantive manifests itself in the near future.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Aqua Design International has come into agreement with the Salim Group out of Irvine, California to design the aquatic elements of the first Hilton property in the Republic of Chad, the Hilton N'Djamena. We're thankful and excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the Salim Group and to have yet another Hilton property in our resume!

Friday, February 17, 2012

WATG in Shanghai...Echos of an Aqua Design Trip

It's obvious that I am not yet over a recent head cold that's making the rounds through the Aqua Design office when I am unabashedly co-opting great blog posts from WATG in lieu of challenging my fragile imaginative qualities to produce a blog post of substance and style.  That being said, Ryan Langlois' post concerning his recent trip to Shanghai with Zia Hansen left a smile and fond memory in the mind of Aqua Design Intl. President Dave Acklin. In 2010 Dave took a whirlwind trip through Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei with the help of the Department of Commerce. While in Shanghai Dave decided the best way to absorb all that the city had to offer was from the side-car of a vintage, 1940's BMW motorcycle. Thanks to the company Shanghai Sideways his dream became a reality.  Without further ado, the blog post from WATG:
http://www.watg.com/index.cfm/view/blog/author/1/search/Ryan-Langlois/


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

ACI Certified Nozzleman: All Commercial Pools Require One

Good morning fair readers. As we collectively emerge from our wistful slumbers, shake the sleep from our eyes and wonder aloud to no one in particular why there is glitter on the left side of our face I bring to you an unpleasant Wednesday photo detailing the importance of requiring an ACI Certified Nozzleman from your swimming pool contractor on all commercial projects. In this image we illustrate the results associated with poor craftsmanship used in a shotcrete application technique.  When not using a nozzleman that carries a certification from the American Concrete Institute there is a likelihood that air cavities will be created in the pool shell significantly weakening the structural integrity of the pool. The results can be catastrophic and prohibitively expensive in and of themselves, independent of the construction delays created through such poor craftsmanship.
In this example the pool contractor did not follow the written specification provided by Aqua Design International (or the permitted structural engineering for that matter) to employ an ACI Cert. Nozzelman when "shooting" the structure of the pool for this hotel and casino.  Because of this effort to cut corners and reduce construction costs on the part of the pool contractor the project had to be delayed to allow for enough time to tear out the entire pool, and re-shoot the shotcrete shell subsequently delaying the hotel opening for over two months.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Town of Oro Valley Selects Aqua Design & Swaim & Associates

Aqua Design International is pleased to announce that in collaboration with Swaim & Associates we were awarded the contract for the Town of Oro Valley Aquatic Center Enhancement project. The project is to include a new six lane by 75' warm-up pool as well as a new splash pad, in addition to a renovation and reconfiguration of an existing 50 meter pool. A special thanks to Swaim & Associates for including Aqua Design on their team as well as BWS for their efforts.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Hospitality Sector: A Value Proposition, Part 3


Value Proposition: Sustainable Design
There are a number of sustainable energy practices available to the hospitality sector specific to aquatics that can help achieve LEED-Gold and LEED-Silver ratings. Such design practices include designing pools and spas with variable frequency drives (VFD), employing high efficiency heaters as well as designing flat-plate and evacuated tube solar thermal systems.  These systems function not only to augment the high efficiency pool and spa heater but also to provide hot water for the hotel laundry, kitchen, and bathrooms.
Incorporating a simple VFD into the swimming pool design allows the hotel operator to reduce the RPM of the circulation pump along a linear curve of flow reduction while taking advantage of an electricity use reduction along an exponential curve. In layman’s terms, the operator can reduce the RPM’s by half while simultaneously reducing electricity use by 87.5%.
Additionally, using a high-efficiency condensing, or noncondensing, hydronic water heater for the pool and spa achieves an efficiency rating of 98%, which is well above the accepted “high efficiency” standard of 88% in today’s marketplace. Moreover, the client can achieve installation cost reduction because the exhaust flume construction of a hydronic water heater is Sch. 80 PVC as opposed to costly stainless steel power vent applications.
Last, employing photovoltaic (PV) solar panels is common for the creation of electricity for residential and commercial use; however, few architects are aware that a PV solar array produces less than 14% of the energy as a flat plate/evacuated tube solar thermal configuration. The solar thermal energy collection method allows the hotel operator to augment the gas and electric costs associated with heating not only the pool and spa but also the hot water used in hotel kitchens and bathrooms as well as the re-heat required in central HVAC units. With a useful life between 20 and 25 years coupled with a multitude of state and federal tax incentives a hotel/resort owner can realize a 500-800% ROI over a 15-year period. It is clear that increasingly consumers are demanding sustainable practices in the hospitality sector. Moreover, the energy savings, LEED Certification, and marketing cache generated from these design/renovation practices substantially improve the hotel brand’s positioning in the marketplace while achieving long-term, sustainable operating savings.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Hospitality Sector: A Value Proposition, Part Two


Value Proposition: No More “Design Build” (aka: low bidder)
Value is not defined merely as the cheapest product or service.  The need for cost conscious design and construction from limited service to luxury resort applications is a necessary, often paramount consideration for any architectural professional. Unfortunately, the design as well as construction of the aquatic elements is left in the hands of a local swimming pool contractor, often a residential pool contractor with no knowledge of local, state, and federal commercial codes governing construction.
Because a plan set often does not include an effective design for the aquatic elements as well as their mechanical filtration and sanitation systems the entire project falls to the “low bidder” who will not only fail to recognize applicable code restrictions but also will submit inferior and noncompliant equipment.  Subsequently the general contractor and architect receive these plans who will -of course- approve the swimming pool submittals.  Approval of the submittal documents is done despite being incomplete and highlighting inferior products because the architect and general contractor possess little insight or training regarding what constitutes an inferior swimming pool product, or a design riddled with liabilities. Employing a professional firm not only to design the aquatic element but also to permit the project as well as review submittals throughout the construction administration process.  This will ensure the client receives NSF Certified commercially rated equipment, an ADA compliant pathway, deck design, and lift specifications as well as mechanical filtration design compliant with ANSI/ASME regulations.
To put it more succinctly, if the pool and spa on the property is not a complete part of the design plan set it is impossible to realize the client’s expectations.  Because the plan set and specifications fail to illustrate the client’s expectations it is impossible to relay expectations to the contractors bidding the project.  An aquatic consultant who will act as the client’s advocate through the design and construction of the property ensures the realization of the client’s expectations. 

Monday, February 6, 2012

Hospitality Sector: A Value Proposition, Part One


Value Proposition: No More Gaps in Coordination (aka: “pool by others” on plan sets)
Our first value proposition is specific to a knowledge and coordination gap usually missing in an Architect and Landscape Architect’s scope of work.  This is specific to the aesthetic nature of aquatic design as well as the highly technical coordination and design of mechanical filtration and sanitation systems; in addition to local, state, and federal code compliance.  Execution is achieved in collaboration with the Architect, Landscape Architect, MEP Consultant, Structural Engineer, Civil Engineer, and Risk Management Professionals either procured in the private sector, or through (brand name) own internal design team.
Typically the architect does not provided adequate space for the swimming pool, spa, or water feature equipment.  Moreover, the electrical engineer fails to provide a sufficient panel design and one-line diagram and the mechanical engineer fails to include a gas line to the pool/spa heater. In some cases the basic layout of the pool does not meet even the most rudimentary local health code requirements. The exacerbation of the aforementioned concerns includes a wholesale lack of information regarding deck drainage, safety signage, ADA access, emergency exits, hand rails, ladders, etc…  Retaining an effective, knowledgeable aquatics consultant on the architectural design team will effectively ameliorate these concerns and ensure that there are never gaps in the design, permitting, and construction of a hotel, regardless of size.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Hotel Branding by Design from WATG

Dear reader (dare I say readers?), we apologize for the absence, some of our staff took some much deserved time off and meandered off to the tropics a la Lord Jim.  That being said, I would like to attach a link to a fascinating blog post from WATG's Howard Wolff detailing the role of design in brand positioning in the hospitality sector, coupled with an intriguing chart detailing the occupancies, ADR, and RevPAR of properties design by WATG and those of a control group.  This is interesting from Aqua Design's perspective because we firmly believe design of the swimming pools, spas, and water features of anything from focused service, to full service, and ultimately luxury properties can vastly improve the same figures when a balance of functionality, quality, and impact of design coalesce for the benefit of the client.
http://www.watg.com/index.cfm?view=blog&search=Branding+by+Design


Branding by Design

Design is a critical aspect of any brand's positioning.
I recently had the honor of presenting some insights on the subject at the Cornell Brand Management Roundtable, hosted by Professor Chekitan Dev, PH.D. and The Center for Hospitality Research.
When it comes to branding hotels and resorts, both art and science are involved. Under the category of art comes stunning photography, which is one way to showcase a property and communicate its "wow" factor.
The science comes from understanding the elements of good design – functionality, quality, and impact.
Where functionality can be assessed (Is the building well designed for its purpose?) andquality can be evaluated (Will the building and materials last?), impact (Does the building lift people's spirits?) is harder to measure ... but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
Using a tool called DQI (Design Quality Indicator) to gauge the impact of 99 design-related variables, Hyatt administered a questionnaire to 2,000 guests and employees at 24 of their hotels. They were able to correlate high DQI scores with strong guest and employee satisfaction as well as with individual properties' RevPAR index.
In a longitudinal study conducted over 20 years, WATG engaged Smith Travel Research to examine the effect of design on a property's top and bottom line by comparing 27 hotels that the firm designed in four separate geographic areas against competitive sets in the same markets managed by the same operators. The WATG hotels outperformed the control group in occupancy, ADR and RevPAR.
These studies, coupled with owner/operator interviews as well as comments from guests and employees, provide quantifiable evidence that good design adds value. And it can do so in three measureable areas:
- Asset value: higher valuation as well as lower operating and maintenance costs;
- Quality of environment: improved productivity and better guest experience; and
- Brand identity: recognition, visibility and media exposure.
A summary of the entire proceedings, called "Fresh Thinking Outside the Box," can be obtained from Cornell for free in exchange for your email address here.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Jahra School Campus Kuwait Project Awarded to Aqua Design International

Aqua Design International would like to thank Langdon Wilson Architects in Los Angeles.  We are teaming up with LWA on a major project in Kuwait for the Ministry of Education. The project consists of 45 pools and water features spread between three campuses.  The project is designed for special needs children and will accommodate grades K-12. We are excited to be a part of this project. http://www.langdonwilson.com/

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A little relaxation for some of the Aqua Design Staff

A little relaxation for some of the Aqua Design International staff as they take in an Arizona Diamondbacks game during the D-Backs NL West title run!

Monday, January 9, 2012

A Hotel Case Study-Jason Van Bruaene, WATG


A Hotel Case Study-Jason Van Bruaene, WATG
The other day I was perusing the wonderful blog WATG maintains and stumbled upon a post from Jason Van Bruaene that struck me immediately as possessing unflattering pictures...which is rather uncommon for those of us in the business of producing thoughtful, aesthetically pleasing, functional designs that allow for clean ease of construction. Having sufficiently piqued my interested I was delightfully surprised to see that Jason was using the aforementioned unflattering images as a conduit through which to discuss -surprise!- the importance of thoughtful, aesthetically pleasing, functional designs. His blog post can be found at:
http://www.watg.com/index.cfm/view/blog/author/1/search/Jason-Van-Bruaene/
While this particular case study focuses exclusively on an unnamed resort property in Vietnam the lessons of this case study could easily be replicated throughout the Pacific Rim as well as Middle East.  A few years ago two of our partners traveled to Dubai for a design charrette and came back nearly as astonished at the poor planning and craftsmanship as Jason on his recent trip to Vietnam. Even the most elementary concepts seemed foreign, including field cutting deck pavers to line-up with and architectural detail -like stairs- illustrated in the second image; or having an aquatics consultant to ensure 300 grade stainless steel handrails are used in the pool so rusting won't occur, as shown in the first image (see escutcheon plate where anchor and rail meet).


Friday, January 6, 2012


A relatively short video extolling the myriad of virtues associated with hiring Aqua Design International. Additionally, there are nice images, calm music, and a soothing feminine voice to tickle even the most fickle of tympanic membranes.

Can You Name the Top 10 Destinations in the U.S.? - From WATG SVP Howard Wolff

We thought this was a fun, somewhat informative post from Howard Wolff of WATG back in February. Apparently Orbitz complied their U.S. booking data to determine the most popular cities to travel to in the United States.  Naturally, WATG is going to plug a couple of their great designs throughout the Hawaiian Islands, but the properties are worth looking at so why not?  Besides, a couple of members of the leadership team are heading off to Hawaii in about a week, so it seemed a fitting post today! http://www.watg.com/index.cfm/view/blog/author/1/search/Howard-J-Wolff/

Holiday Wishes from BRW Architects in Dallas, TX

We're pretty big fans of Christmas wishes and group shots so we decided to post this and give a shout to BRW Architects out in Dallas, TX. Their blog can be seen at: http://creative.brwarch.com/2011/12/14/happy-holidays/

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Investing in Good Design: Ritz Carlton Dubai, from Jose Sirera of Gensler

Back in May Jose Sirera of Gensler created an interesting blog post profiling there recent completion of the design of the Ritz Carlton Dubai made profoundly more significant considering the design was executed in the midst of a significant recession both here in the United States as well as the United Arab Emirates. This is a great post, not least as a result of the quality of work (illustrated below in an image from George O'Leary) but for the considerations in the design Jose so eloquently identifies. http://www.gensleron.com/lifestyle/2011/5/26/investing-in-good-design-ritz-carlton-dubai.html
Perhaps no other sentence epitomizes these considerations than "As in other regions, a long-term vision with an emphasis on quality will go a long way in this region, resulting in success that is both aesthetic and financial."  Throughout the piece Jose summarizes the need to synthesize a number of client considerations in the project, these include -but are by no means limited to- a long-term vision, interior and exterior spaces specific to the Ritz Carlton Brand as well as an homage to regional tastes, budgetary considerations, and finally the need for sustainable design.  All three of the aforementioned factors speak directly to the necessity of listen to the client's needs so that the aesthetic and financial needs of the client are met.  This is true not only for a prime architect like Gensler, but for sub-consultants like Aqua Design International.  Thank you to Jose and the Gensler team for this enlightening thread!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Rethinking Sustainable Hotel Design-Tom Ito, Gensler

Another well-crafted blog synopsis of sustainable hotel design in the hospitality sector prepared by Tom Ito of Gensler takes a brief look at the demand, benefits, and importance of intelligent, sustainable design. Despite the fact that Tom posted this blog in 2010, the content of the post is prescient to this day, if not more so. The blog post is thought provoking and worth having a look at so we here at Aqua Design International have attached a link to his article. In addition to the myriad of sustainable practices mentioned in Tom’s post, we immediately recognize a number of sustainable energy practices available to the hospitality sector in our niche field of aquatics that can help achieve LEED-Gold and LEED-Silver ratings. Such design practices include designing all pools and spas with variable frequency drives (VFD), utilizing high efficiency heaters as well as designing flat-plate and/or evacuated tube solar thermal systems to not only augment the high efficiency pool and spa heater, but to provide hot water for the hotel laundry, kitchen, and bathrooms. Incorporating a simple VFD into the swimming pool design allows the hotel operator to reduce the RPM of the circulation pump along a linear curve of flow reduction while taking advantage of an electricity use reduction along an exponential curve. In layman’s terms, the operator can reduce the RPM’s by half while simultaneously reducing electricity usage by 87.5%. Additionally, using a high-efficiency condensing, or non-condensing, hydronic water heater for the pool and spa achieves an efficiency rating of 98%, which is well above the accepted “high efficiency” standard of 88% in today’s marketplace. Moreover, the cost of installation is substantially reduced because the exhaust flume of a hydronic water heater can be constructed of Sch. 80 PVC as opposed to a costly stainless steel power vent application. Last, much has been made of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to create electricity for residential and commercial use; however, few architects are aware that that a PV solar array produces less than 14% of the energy as a flat plate/evacuated tube solar thermal configuration. The solar thermal energy collection method allows the hotel operator to augment the gas and electric costs associated with heating not only the pool and spa, but the hot water used in hotel kitchens and bathrooms as well as the re-heat required in central HVAC units. With a useful life between 20 and 25 years coupled with a multitude of State and Federal tax incentives a hotel/resort operator can realize a 500-800% ROI over a 15 year period. It is clear, as Tom Ito elucidated in his blog post, that increasingly consumers are demanding sustainable practices in the hospitality sector. Moreover, the energy savings, LEED Certification, and marketing cache generated from these design/renovation practices substantially improve the hotel brand’s positioning in the marketplace while achieving long-term, sustainable operating savings. These, and many other advantages, come with the successful collaboration between an architect, PE, and a knowledgeable and conscientious aquatics consultant like Aqua Design Intl. On behalf of Aqua Design Intl. we extend a warm thanks to Tom Ito and the Gensler staff for bringing forth the issue of sustainable building practices in the hospitality sector.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Welcome Change: Reinvesting in Hotels (By: Tom Ito, Gensler)

This blog post from Tom Ito is of particular interest it has taken us here at Aqua Design Intl. a few months to get this re-posted to our blog, but are happy to do so after the delay. Tom does an excellent job presenting a quandary endemic to the hospitality industry in 2011 (Penny Pinching versus Capital Expenditures) before distilling his own thoughts on the question to a relevant, anecdotal synopsis specific to the collaborative efforts of various hotel brands in concert with Gensler. Thank you for the great blog post Tom! http://www.gensleron.com/lifestyle/2011/6/20/welcome-change-reinvesting-in-hotels.html