Gensler’s Shore Hotel on the Santa Monica beachfront has achieved a LEED Gold Certification for its green credentials, sporting the first Southern California Edison Auto Demand Response system in a new build hotel. This ingenious system automatically conserves energy during high-demand periods and dramatically lowers the carbon footprint of the complex, meaning that the Shore Hotel has a carbon footprint 43% less than that of the average hotel.

Selection of buildings materials was a key decision in this build, with 10% of all building materials sourced from within a 500 mile radius and 50% of all construction waste recycled post-build. The 90 sq ft scheme incorporates two hotel volumes linked by a bridge across a mid-block alley, and offers 164 rooms throughout the contemporary complex. Gensler’s Design Director on the scheme, Kap Malik, details: “Most people think that beauty and sustainability are mutually exclusive, but the Shore Hotel achieves just the right balance of these qualities, providing an overall experience that guests truly appreciate.”