Twice this year, I had the fortune to work with @dutcheastdesign and Becker and Becker architects, the team behind the restoration and reimagining of Marcel Breuer’s Pirelli Tire building. This late 60’s icon of brutalist architecture is now @hotel_marcel_newhaven — and it is the first net zero hotel in the United States. Hotel Marcel is entirely powered by its own solar array. Every electrical and HVAC element is powered by the sun, and if you roll up in a Tesla, it’ll power that too. This “net zero” rating is the first of its kind in the USA, and it is a ground-breaking achievement for the hospitality industry. The executive level of the old Pirelli building has been transformed by Dutch East Design into the suite rooms of Hotel Marcel. The suites feature the original wood paneled walls from the offices, plus softer design and furnishing touches in contrast to the building’s brutal facade. Before Bruce and Kramer Becker of Becker and Becker purchased the building, it’s fate was unclear. Hotel Marcel has effectively saved this work of Marcel Breuer for another generation. It is now a design destination for creative travelers, and a key touch point for the modern architecture of New England.