Breaking Ground: Point Reyes Hostel to get bigger, greener
Posted by Sarah on May 19, 2010
Hostelling International’s Northern California network will get even greener this year — in June, the National Park Service will break ground on a LEED-registered building at the Point Reyes Hostel. The expansion will add four private family rooms to the hostel, which is the only non-camping accommodation within Point Reyes National Seashore.
Upon completion later this year, the addition will be the first American hostel building to earn LEED certification.
Hanna Morris, general manager of the Point Reyes Hostel, said she’s excited for the addition, because it means more couples and families with children will be able to stay in and enjoy the park without having to hike to a campsite.
Getting the facility LEED-certified, she said, "is testimony to the commitment of both Point Reyes National Seashore and Hostelling International USA to promoting environmental stewardship."
The Point Reyes Hostel addition will include four private family rooms — one being wheelchair accessible — and housing for three staff. Currently, the hostel has just one private room, which is normally booked far in advance. The new building will also have a fully equipped kitchen, a common room with living and dining space, and a sundeck with views of the park.
Green features of the new building will include:
- Three sets of photovoltaic solar panels
- Cork, ceramic tile, and Marmoleum flooring
- A fiber-cement exterior designed to look like wood paneling
- Recycled glass countertops
- Water and energy-saving fixtures, appliances, and lights
- Copper pipes and a metal roofing system
- Overall design to maximize natural light and heat efficiency
- An environmentally friendly paved walkway
- Landscaping using native, drought-resistant plants
As designed, the new building meets requirements for LEED Silver certification. The internationally recognized LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system is based on points earned for meeting various sustainable building standards and ideals. Categories include site selection, water and energy usage, building materials, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.
The expansion will cost an estimated $900,000, which is being funded primarily by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant.
In a separate project this summer, the National Park Service is installing a new roof with solar panels on the existing hostel building, a few hundred yards away from the new building site.
Beyond LEED
These aren’t the first green initiatives at the Point Reyes Hostel — in 2007, it was certified through the Bay Area Green Business Program.
Each of the eight hostels operated by the Golden Gate Council strive to meet the goals of the Council’s Green Hostels Project. The initiative aims to decrease hostel and administrative waste, conserve water and energy, use environmentally friendly products and services, and provide community programming and outreach to locals and travelers about low-impact living and traveling.
Outside of the Golden Gate Council, HI-USA has plans to build a LEED-certified hostel in Boston. The HI-Girdwood Alaska Backpackers Inn was renovated in 2009 following LEED standards and was aiming for Gold certification, but according to co-owner Lilly Nyborg, it has not yet gone through the certification process.