Human Health - Building Health - Environmental Health

The following letter is an example sent to an ideal client, Hotel X, who is a luxury hotel corporation with multiple locations worldwide.  

 

Dear client,

We are thrilled to partner with you on your next adventure.  As we moved forward with the new design and "2020-GO", the new branding initiative, we would like to take the opportunity to revisit building and sustainability strategies. 

As we begin, let us look at a few statistics.  Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, people were spending more time than ever indoors.  That includes hotels and other non-residences.  Corporations, design professionals, and others are more aware than ever for providing healthy environments, being accountable to the user, and responsible to the environment. According to Katie Brandt, a sustainability officer at Google, we only have 12 years (as of 2018) before facing irreversible damage to our planet.  We have a real opportunity to be a part of creating a sustainable future.  So, what can we do now that will make a better future?  According to William McDonough (TED Talk 2005), "we see that companies acting ethically in this world are already outperforming those that don't. As we start a new decade, we encourage you to consider 100% sustainability.  It is so much bigger than just keeping things out of the landfill.  It is about to provide a space, service, and product that is generational. 

How can we do that?  One way is to dive into the cradle-to-cradle design approach, which has been around for decades.  According to its website, "cradle to cradle is a design framework for going beyond sustainability and designing for abundance in a circular economy."  So, what is a circular economy?  In short, it is a fully functioning economy with no waste.  Items (large and small) are not just recycled, but also reduced.  Renting appliances, using solar panels for energy, and waste systems for fertilizer are just a few ways to achieve a circular economy.  Cradle to cradle forces us to look beyond the product, building, or technology at hand. There are extraordinary ways to accomplish this. 

Accountability will play a pivotal role in our success.  Ensuring your suppliers are producing sustainable projects through eco-friendly processes is vital.  While you are not responsible for how they operate or the products they provide, you are accountable to your customers by associating with companies that care about our planet's future.  No exceptions.  

As we dive deep into this discussion, we will partner with you and guide the vision of your new branding strategy, "2020-GO".  As we develop this strategy, eco-friendly, sustainability, and beyond will be front and center like never before.  

100% sustainability is the only way to move forward.   We are thrilled you are 100% committed to the betterment of our communities' macro and micro health.

We look forward to continuing our joint research strategies at the next visioning session.

Cheers,

Erin Reinker

President & CEO