Energy of the City

 

At first glance, Nusta Spa seems like any other high-end day spa—hushed tones, a clean color palette and soft music playing in the background. But this spa, located just south of Dupont Circle, has a secret: It’s totally green, from the locally quarried slate on its floors to the LED mood lighting in its treatment rooms.

Constructed in 2004 on the site of a former bank, Nusta Spa was the first day spa in the U.S. to receive a coveted LEED Gold Certification, and it’s still the only spa in D.C. to claim that honor. Spa founder Elizabeth Snowdon prioritized green design from day one, sifting through the demolition rubble from the bank to find recyclable items and tracking down wood reclaimed from a Pennsylvania barn to use on the walls. Every material that adorns the spa has been chosen with eco-friendliness in mind: recycled glass tile, custom-made bark-cloth banquettes, bamboo ceiling panels—even the plants. “We try to use natural plants wherever we can,” said Brad Drummer, the spa’s co-owner, adding that any faux plants in the spa are made from recycled materials.

Nusta’s commitment to the environment goes beyond materials, though. Saving energy and reducing waste are top day-to-day priorities. The temperature for each treatment room is individually controlled, allowing Nusta to tailor to guest preferences while keeping energy use in check. “By heating rooms individually,” explained Drummer, “we don’t have to keep the temperature of the entire spa at 75 degrees F.” Nusta also recycles all cardboard, paper, glass and plastic waste, and gets a portion of its electricity from wind-generated sources.

Healthy products and finishes are another major concern. Low-VOC paints were used on the walls, and all-natural products are the standard during treatments. You won’t even find acrylic nails at the manicure stations. “If we can’t have it in the paint, I figured we probably shouldn’t have it in the nails,” said Drummer.

Although being green is a top priority for Nusta, creating a luxurious experience for each guest is paramount. Nusta’s name means “royalty” in the Quechuan language (a dialect spoken by the indigenous people living in the Andes mountains of South America), and the sumptuous space reflects it, with plush lounges and generously sized treatment rooms. “If someone’s just looking for a fantastic, pampering treatment, whether they’re saving a tree or not isn’t their primary concern,” Drummer pointed out.

Drummer recognizes that Nusta’s green-living pedigree isn’t quite perfect yet, and plans are in the works to make the spa even more environmentally friendly. He’s in the process of developing a 100-percent certified organic line of skin-care products, and he’s also looking into implementing a gray-water system that would recycle and filter runoff from the showers for use in the building’s toilets. He even wants to install a bike rack outside to give patrons another car-less alternative for getting to the spa.

In the meantime, he’s working on upholding the spa’s quest to prove that green and luxury aren’t mutually exclusive. “There’s still a stigma; people associate eco-friendly with cardboard taste,” Drummer noted. Consistently ranked as one of D.C.’s top spas, Nusta is determined to change that perception—one eco-friendly massage at a time.