DESIGN
Dreaming In Green
AC Hotel Savannah Historic District opened in Spring 2025 on the former site of the headquarters of the Savannah Electric Power Company.
A PIECE OF SAVANNAH HISTORY IS REIMAGINED AS A STYLISH AND SUPER- SUSTAINABLE HOTEL.
By DEREK HERSCOVICI
Savannah, Ga., is a place that tolerates change with a wary eye. The nearly 300-year-old city prides itself on evolving at its own pace, free to preserve its culture and character as a way of life.
It’ s why there was some trepidation when it was announced that a piece of old Savannah would be demolished for a new hotel. But the AC Hotel Savannah Historic District, created through a partnership with North Point Hospitality and GMShay Architects, isn’ t a throwback— it’ s a glimpse of the future.
The hotel was awarded the LEED Platinum certification for new construction, the highest recognition from the U. S. Green Building Council( USGBC) for leadership in energy efficiency and sustainable building practices.
“ We’ ve worked with North Point for over 20 years, and this one, in many ways, was the pinnacle,” said Pat Shay, president and senior principal of GMShay Architects.“ This was a quantum leap, and we’ re thankful we were able to achieve LEED certification, which is very difficult to get.”
With beautiful interiors, cost-efficient operations and an innovative outdoor section along the Savannah Riverwalk, AC Hotel Savannah Historic District is a jolt of energy in a place seldom known for it.
“ We tend to get trapped by our own rules that you’ ve got to build something that is a caricature of some other historic building, so I was very excited to see a more modern building,” said North Point Hospitality COO Whip Triplett.“ It’ s the architecture of today, not an idea of what the architecture of the past used to be.”
A GREEN DREAM Shay and Triplett have both lived and worked together in Savannah for decades; they know the area well. GMShay Architects and North Point Hospitality had just completed the first of four scheduled Savannah hotel projects, a Homewood Suites by Hilton, that nearly qualified for LEED certification. For environmentally conscious design firm GMShay, their next project, the AC Hotel Savanah Historic District, was an
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