The
mission of GAIA is to increase the awareness and practice of sustainability
within the hotel industry through an integrated and focused approach to environmental assessment, strategic planning, monitored
implementation and subsequent promotion, both internal and external. We have developed a practical, flexible and cost-effective
program to help developers, owners and managers build a culture of sustainability and provide a maximization of benefits for
stakeholders, guests, employees and society.
GAIA assists
the property owners and managers in the process of implementing LEED® in either the design, development
and construction of a new property (LEED-NC) or the renovation of an existing property (LEED-EB). Our LEED®
Acccredited Professionals can assist in the implementation, documentation and application for certification.
For existing buildings, the total costs of improvement projects are considerably less than when starting from scratch yet
the lifecycle O&M savings can be just as substantial. For older buildings, as much as $1/sq. ft in annual savings
has been realized; as much as $0.60/sq. ft of annual savings has been documented for relatively new and well-maintained buildings.
A California Sustainable Building Task Force determined that it costs nearly 2% more on average ($3-$5/sq. ft) to
construct a "green" building compared to one using conventional methods. However, that cost premium yields
savings close to 15 times the initial investment ($50-$75/sq. ft) during the life of the building, conservatively assumed
to be 20 years.
Find out more About Us, then look at our Services to make your possibilities a reality.