We just completed a great case study about achieving urban style while using durable, sustainable products. We hope this inspires your own design aspirations in the new year.

Built in 1925 as a warehouse for the Santa Fe Railway, what is now the Aloft building stood empty for decades before architect, owner and developer Ajay Kothari of Dallas-based Sava Holdings LTD found the right brand for the downtown hotel he envisioned. He says, “Aloft has an inherent vibe and aesthetic that we felt was perfect for this space. And the name itself calls to mind loft apartments, which are generally residences in open spaces that have a warehouse kind of structure.”

After convincing Starwood that their chic brand could work in a refashioned building (Dallas is the first), Ajay and his team went to work. They visited Alofts that were already operational – all of which were relatively new. One thing they immediately noticed was that the light blue broadloom carpet was already showing signs of age. He says that prompted them to look for options. “I’d used InterfaceFLOR carpet tile on other projects and in another hotel. Two of the reasons I considered InterfaceFLOR for this project were the inherent flexibility of carpet tile and the environmental attributes that would help us achieve LEED Gold certification.”

Melynda Mannix, director of global brand design for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, adds, “Modular carpet makes even more sense for guest rooms. Their footprints really vary so the waste was much less than it would have been with broadloom.”

But can an environmentally responsible carpet tile also be beautiful and soft enough to live up to Aloft standards?

Yes. For the guest rooms Starwood chose one of InterfaceFLOR’s Convert^TM styles, which contain post-consumer content nylon fiber and backing. Depending on style and color, Convert products offer 61-70% total recycled content of which at least 27% is post-consumer.

And the installation is beautiful. “The rooms came together in a vivid blue that, juxtaposed with the concrete ceilings and brick walls, gives the space a richness overall,” says Ajay.

Hospitality Design magazine features InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles in Dallas Aloft hotel.