Principal at Architectural Concepts, Inc. and President of Resort ProSource Fully Accredited in Green Building Design

Architectural Concepts, Inc. (ACI) has announced that Margit Whitlock, AIA has been officially designated as a LEED® Accredited Professional.  The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.  Its system offers project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.

Margit is now fully accredited in what is commonly called “green” building design. LEED® emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Margit Whitlock, AIA who also chairs the ARDA Design and Construction Committee, said “Sustainability is not a way of designing, it is a way of life.  As a design professional I look at all aspects of a project from site configuration to operations and that is why LEED is so important, as the program is comprehensive.  Soon USGBC will distribute new Hospitality LEED Guidelines and certifications and I look forward to implementing this into all of our future projects.”

Architectural Concepts, Inc. (ACI) a San Diego firm regarded as one of the top hospitality-oriented architectural and interior design firms has been honored with numerous awards including the American Resort Development Association’s ARDY for Resort Design for Cibola Vista Resort and Spa (Peoria, Arizona) and Club Regina Resorts (Cancun and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) for Interior Design. Last year the firm received a Silver Award for New Resort Unit Design for The Island Empress on Santa Rosa Island, Pensacola, Florida. In 2008, the firm received the prestigious ARDA ACE Community Service Award for its benefit for San Diego’s Habitat for Humanity.

In addition to being at the helm of both ACI and Resort ProSource (RPS), Margit designs an exclusive line of linen and terry (www.LaNotteLinenCollection.com) for the hospitality industry.

Architectural Concepts, Inc. is a full service planning, architectural and interior design firm located in San Diego, CA.  Some of the firm’s architectural and interior designs include Raintree Vacation Club’s Club Regina renovations in Mexico, Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans), The Golden Door, (Escondido) Cibola Vista Resort, (Peoria, Arizona) and The Bond, a vacation ownership project, (Las Vegas).  ACI primarily focuses on the hospitality and commercial markets in the US and Mexico.    ACI’s Principal, Margit Whitlock AIA, is a licensed architect in California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The design firm is located at 3015 St. Charles Street, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92110.  For more information about Architectural Concepts call 619-531-0110.

San Diego Firm Honored for The Island Empress Resort

Architectural Concepts, Inc. (ACI) a San Diego firm has been awarded a Silver Award in the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Awards Program.    Selected from a field of international entries, ACI’s work on The Island Empress Resort (Santa Rosa Island, Florida) was selected as a silver finalist in the Resort Architecture and Interior Design (New Resort Unit) category. The top award (ARDY) winner will be announced at a Gala held in conjunction with the America Resort Development Association annual convention in Orlando Florida on Wednesday, April 1.

The Island Empress is a five-star luxury hotel and fractional development on Pensacola Beach developed by Gulfwind Management LLC.  The high-end prototype unit created for the fractional development’s sales center is light, airy and elegantly tropical, utilizing a palate of soft white and silver, accented with turquoise and coral hues.  According to Margit Whitlock AIA, principal of the San Diego-based firm says she and her team “were focused on producing a luxurious as well as functional environment, using custom furniture and textures to reflect the ambiance of the casual elegance found throughout the Gulf Coast.

“We began our conceptual outlook for The Island Empress from what we refer to as the ‘Concentric Design Process’.  The implication being that we design from a common center–The Guest Experience—and built a method for development that is structured concentrically and supports marketing, sales, management and ultimately the owners and guests. We are pleased that this three-bedroom resort suite is a tribute to that approach,” she explained.

ACI has been honored with numerous awards including the ARDY for Resort Design for Cibola Vista Resort and Spa (Peoria, Arizona) and Club Regina Resorts (Cancun and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) for Resort Design — Refurbishment. The independently judged ARDY is one of the trade association’s top awards. Last year the firm was also the recipient of the prestigious ARDA ACE Community Service Award for its benefit for San Diego’s Habitat for Humanity.

Architectural Concepts, Inc. is a full service planning, architectural and interior design firm located in San Diego, CA.  ACI’s Principal, Margit Whitlock-Espinosa, AIA, is a licensed architect in Florida, California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. She chairs the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Design and Construction Committee.  The design firm is located at 3015 St. Charles Street, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92110.  www.4designs.com   For more information about Architectural Concepts call 619-531-0110.