Historic Hotel Receives The Green Treatment
Efficient, aluminum-clad wood windows play a large role in saving energy in a New Mexico boutique hotel.
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| Opened in 1939, the hotel was Conrad Hilton's first in New Mexico. The newly renovated property uses Pella's Architect series windows, selected for their historically correct appearance. |
The Hotel Andaluz is an architectural icon of downtown Albuquerque, NM. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 70-year-old hotel (formerly La Posada de Albuquerque) has undergone a $30 million green renovation. It is said to be one of the first historic remodels in the United States to conform to the energy-efficiency and sustainability standards of the U.S. Green Building Council's, Washington, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
Goodman Realty Group, Albuquerque, the hotel owner and developer, is pursuing LEED Gold certification, as well as historic preservation and sustainable-building tax credits. The property closed Dec. 31, 2005 and reopened Oct. 1, 2009. Gemstone Resorts International, Park City, UT, is the hotel operator.
Refurbishing the 10-story building preserved the best of the property's historic character while infusing it with modern technology and amenities, with an emphasis on environmental consciousness. The architectural firm was Kells + Craig Architects, Albuquerque. Along with new energy-efficient windows, the renovation included a 73-panel solar thermal system that will generate 60% of the water used for guest room hot water, dual-flush toilets, other water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and an energy-management system that lights, heats, or cools rooms depending upon guest occupancy. The expected energy savings are 21.8%, based on cost.
A major part of the renovation included replacing 192 historic windows with aluminum-clad, wood double-hung windows from Pella Corp., Pella, IA. The company's Architect series windows have a historically correct appearance, with a finely detailed sash profile and authentic spoon hardware. The windows' energy-saving insulating glass helped contribute LEED points in the Energy and Atmosphere category. Pella installed the windows in T-subframes with applied brickmould.
The finished result achieved the developer's design vision: to marry energy savings and sustainability with the original personality of the historic boutique hotel.
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