How technology transforms sustainability

Sustainability and the environment are central to The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, and we’re committed to green initiatives that support our surroundings, minimise waste and reduce our carbon footprint. Going green is our immediate priority—and fortunately, modern technology is making that transition easier. From architectural innovations that maximise energy efficiency to app-based platforms that help to reduce individual impact, here we explore the extensive ways technological advancements are revolutionising sustainable practices. All the while, we profile how we’re using the latest in technology and sustainable practice to minimise our environmental impact. The greenest architecture Green design is increasingly defining the field of architecture, influencing not only how building materials are sourced but also how a project is designed. Over the past 40 years, world-renowned architects have applied energy-saving features to several high-profile projects. Most famous is perhaps Renzo Piano, the celebrated designer of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In the States, The New York Times Building was designed by him from the ground up to preserve heat and afford as much natural light as possible. It combines an interior glass-walled garden to trap warmth, with a façade of more than 100,000 ceramic tubes to regulate external light and heat as necessary throughout the year. Over a decade after its completion, it still ranks amongst the city’s most energy-efficient buildings. More recently, Piano’s California Academy of Sciences incorporated a so-called “green roof,” which is layered with soil and vegetation to assist in temperature regulation and ventilation control. Piano’s living roof is a successful example of landscaping in which the maintenance of natural vegetation bolsters a building’s sustainability and offsets its carbon footprint. At The Rubens at the Palace, we’ve applied a similar concept to our exterior southern face in the form of our “living wall.” Here, over 10,000 plants bloom throughout the year, providing homes for birds and nutrition for pollinating insects while filtering the emissions from the streets of Victoria. In addition, the living wall helps with temperature regulation in the hotel. In the summer, the green blanket absorbs sun rays, cooling interiors by up to 30 degrees; while in winter, the plants trap in the warmth, reducing the energy wasted on heating. To minimise water use, we’ve combined the plants with a dynamic water irrigation system that stores collected rainfall and distributes it evenly across the wall.