BALTIMORE-- Baltimore's Green Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott--blocks from the Inner Harbor--will receive a Special Accomplishment Award from the United States Green Building Council, Maryland Chapter at the group's 5th annual awards ceremony this week.
In November, Maryland Governor O'Malley presented the Green Fairfield Inn & Suites with a sustainable tourism award as part of his announcement of the state's Green Travel Program, noting "Baltimore's first LEED certified hotel has made green practices an integral part of its operation. It has implemented a variety of procedures that promote sustainability, especially for energy efficiency, waste and pollution minimization and environmental purchasing." The hotel also recently received a WaveMaker Award from the Baltimore Chapter of the Urban Land Institute and was named a 2009 Innovator of the Year.
The USGBC Maryland award recognizes building projects that focus on sustainability, particularly those that emphasize energy and water conservation, re-use, access to public transportation, and building or material re-use.
Opened in July 2009, the Green Fairfield Inn & Suites, to be Baltimore's first USGBC LEED® certified hotel, is being singled out for sleek, eco-friendly design and innovations including a re-purposed grain silo from the Baltimore Brewing Company that once operated on the site. The silo has been recycled as a rain barrel; rainwater collected serves the property's landscaping irrigation needs.
