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Daylight harvesting is a very simple way to efficiently manage energy use within buildings. Last year, daylight harvesting gained popularity among green building designers seeking to utilize natural sunshine. Now, "daylight harvesting" has become a standard term in the fields of green architecture and lighting. Daylight harvesting reduces overhead lighting use by taking advantage of [...]

Wellness centers demand a certain aesthetics of design and architecture. The ambiance must set a tranquil mood to allow clients respite from the hectic energies of today's modern world. A synthetic thatch roof is among the easiest, most beautiful ways to help set the mood. Just seeing a thatched roof helps people relax and get [...]

Historically, thatched roofs in Thailand were virtually entirely made of nipa palm (Nypa fruticans Wurmb) leaves. These tropical palm leaves were once one of the prominent materials used in traditional Thai houses as a roofing material throughout history. Nipa palms grow along mangroves, deltas, tidal areas and swampy coastal lowland areas. Nipa Palm's Unique Qualities [...]

New findings reported by experts at the University of Florida saw that caterpillars have not been found on living or dead leaves attached to sabal palms as of late. Instead, they're hatching from their eggs on top of the natural thatched roofs of Tiki huts in the state! Both Hypsopygia nostralis and Simplicia cornicalis have been damaging the [...]

Heavy monsoons, hot summers and mild winters call for resource-efficient materials and building practices appropriately called "Tropical Green Building." When aligned with Tropical Green Building Principle practices, structures are comfortable to live in and energy-efficient all year. Rising costs of materials and energy and a scarcity of natural resources bring these practices to the spotlight [...]

Is it worth it for hotel designers and architects to jump through hoops in order to achieve LEED Certification on new hotel construction? Yes, absolutely... Though perhaps not for the reasons people think. Obviously, as hotels move towards energy conservation, the result is a reduction in operating costs. That's a no-brainer. When all of your [...]

Natural thatch might be one of the most eco-friendly green roofing materials if the growing, harvesting, and maintenance of it hadn't changed so drastically over time. The natural thatching industry was forced to change to meet consumer demand, modern fire codes and modern building codes. The fact is many of us no longer view natural [...]

Patrons greatly prefer thatched tiki huts to umbrellas for shade while outside enjoying the fresh air and sun. Hotels, zoos, resorts and parks can offer unparalleled ambiance by setting the mood with a tiki hut as opposed to with umbrellas or any other form of cover. A Better Shade Did you know that the higher [...]

This week, the International Joint Commission just released recommendations to limit the impacts of flame retardant chemicals on the Great Lakes ecosystem. One of the recommendations in the IJC letter suggested exploring ways to address newer flame retardant products and assess their actual environmental impacts. As some older flame retardants were phased out in the U.S. [...]