Solar-powered hotel on Grand Cayman features turtle-friendly lighting

Thankfully, the world is coming around to the fact that eco-friendly travel doesn’t have to mean sacrificing comfort or luxury. As one of Kimpton’s latest sustainable properties, Kimpton’s Seafire Resort + Spa is leading the way for travelers who want to enjoy gorgeous locations while doing their part to protect the environment. Located on the beautiful Grand Cayman, the eco-resort was built with several green features, including solar power, LED lighting, recycled building materials, native plants and even turtle-friendly lighting.

Located on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, the green hotel is the first of the Kimpton hotels built beyond the continental U.S. Perched on a slope overlooking the crystal-blue sea, the luxury property features 264 guestrooms, three distinct dining destinations, an 8,500-square-foot spa and two seaside pools all surrounded by gorgeous gardens.

Related: Solar-powered eco hotel in Portugal offers surfers ocean views from green-roofed bungalows

Although the aesthetics and the amenities of the beautiful hotel are sure to delight guests during their stay, it is really the hotel’s sustainable profile that makes the property stand out. While it is still considered a challenge to equip large hotel properties with proper eco-friendly features, the Seafire Resort manages to pack a punch when it comes to sustainability.

In addition to using a 100,000-watt solar array to generate electricity, the hotel was built with several eco-friendly materials meant to reduce its impact. For example, guests walking or riding along the eco-resort’s many biking and walking trails will be happy to know that they are treading on a path made entirely out of recycled glass, which, according to the hotel, has diverted millions of glass bottles from local landfills.

Additionally, the ample green spaces were planted with 32,000 individual plants, all native to the island and sourced from a local nursery. The gardens are irrigated through the hotel’s integral rainwater harvesting system. As part of its dedication to local wildlife, the hotel also boasts turtle-friendly lighting to prevent disrupting sea turtles’ journeys from land to sea during nesting season.

The common areas and the guests rooms are all equipped with LED lighting. Additionally, small but effective measures have been put in place to help guests share in the responsibility of being more energy-efficient. Most of the guest rooms include private balconies, but as soon as the doors are opened, the geothermal air conditioning automatically shuts down, avoiding energy loss.

+ SB Architects

Via Interior Design

Images via Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa

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A light-filled home in India embraces indoor-outdoor living

A constant connection to nature pervades the Home by the Park, a newly completed single-family residence that faces a park in the South Indian city of Hubballi. Bangalore-based practice 4site architects designed the house to engage views of the adjacent park from multiple floors and vantage points, while bringing the lush greenery indoors with the creation of a rain courtyard and landscaped terraces. The abundant plantings not only give the house a sense of tranquility but also create a cooling microclimate to counteract the region’s tropical climate.

Commissioned by a nature-loving family, the Home by the Park adheres to the teachings of Vastu Shastra, a traditional Indian system of architecture that champions the integration of architecture with nature and recommends spatial arrangements to improve the flow of positive energy. Located on a linear east-facing plot, the Vastu-compliant home spans 7,050 square feet across three floors, with the bottom-most floor partly buried into the earth because of the 3-foot change in elevation between the east and west sides.

Related: Recycled shipping container cafe utilizes passive cooling in India

To visually connect the home to the adjacent park to the east, the architects inserted three gardens — the elevated front garden, the central rain courtyard and the rear private garden — so that all of the main rooms in the home enjoy access to nature. The centrally located rain courtyard is a double-height space open to the sky that serves as a light well and connects to the living areas on all floors. In addition to a variety of seasonal plants that provide year-round interest, the rain courtyard also features a sculptural fountain with a waterfall feature and has become haven for birds that nest in the trees and shrubs.

The driveway, garage, storage room and home theater are located on the lowest floor. The next floor comprises the main living areas, including an expansive kitchen split into wet and dry sections; a guest en suite with a living room that connects to the rear garden; dining area; the master en suite bedroom; and the prayer room located opposite the rain courtyard. The top floor houses three additional bedrooms, a family living room, an outdoor terrace and a U-shaped walkway that provides views into the rain courtyard. 

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Photography by Petrichor Image Labs via 4site architects

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This recycled metal jewelry is inspired by our world

Raised in the countryside of South West England, creative artist Emma Aitchison has developed a jewelry line inspired by and respectful to nature. Furthermore, Aitchison wanted her unique designs to act as a symbol for environmental awareness and to provoke conversations about protecting vital resources on the planet.

While Aitchison offers a line of handmade classics, she excels at giving old jewelry new life. This often means turning an antiquated family heirloom into something modern and personal or redesigning a broken piece into something striking. Each product is inspired by and named after our world, from the Current ring and Wave necklace to the popular Polluted bracelet and Magma earrings.

Related: This jewelry is made with upcycled gold from Dell computers

Sustainable practices have always been at the heart of the company. Emma Aitchison is based in the U.K. and has made a concentrated effort to partner only with other local businesses. This keeps transportation costs for materials and production low and reduces emissions. All items are packaged using eco-friendly filler that is reusable and recyclable.

Perhaps the most notable nod to the planet is the company’s dedication to using only recycled gems. That means no virgin gems are mined or created in a lab for these necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. Instead, Emma Aitchison uses gems from old jewelry, including pieces already owned by customers. All silver necklaces are also made from 100% recycled metal. The company maintained carbon neutrality throughout 2018 and 2019 with these decisions plus its commitment to carbon offsetting.

Every successful business looks to the future, but Emma Aitchison’s list of company goals looks different than most. It aims to continue streamlining supply, production and delivery in an eco-friendly way. For example, although the current gold-plating is done in London at a sustainable company, Ella Aitchison hopes to improve this practice by transitioning to solid gold that can be Fair Trade-certified and recycled. The company hopes to become zero-waste, too. In addition to eco-friendly packaging, delivery will employ bike couriers in the local area and carbon-neutral shipping companies elsewhere. A future studio update even includes recycled materials, solar panels and wind power to further reduce Emma Aitchison’s overall impact on the planet.

During the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the company has vowed to remain loyal to suppliers who are unable to provide products at this time. Instead, Emma Aitchison is continuing sales with the inventory it has in stock and is taking pre-orders for shipments once it can restock. It is also offering a 25% discount during this time.

+ Emma Aitchison

Images via Emma Aitchison

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New net-zero LivingHomes capture the future of sustainable living

Koto Design has teamed up with Plant Prefab to create two new incredible net-zero energy homes. Koto LivingHome 1 and Koto LivingHome 2 are modular homes that incorporate sustainable living systems of the future. Under the ethos of creating great architecture that is more sustainable, the dwellings are powerhouses of energy-efficiency, with passive elements to reduce energy demand and active systems that allow homeowners to reduce electricity consumption through an app.

Ranging in cost from $419,000 to $830,400, the new homes are available in two modular models, Koto LivingHome 1 and Koto LivingHome 2. Both homes are designed with a Scandinavian aesthetic. With clean lines and solid materials, they are built to have strong connections with the natural world through a variety of passive and active features that also keep energy needs to a minimum.

Related: A prefabricated timber facade envelops a gorgeous glass home on a Norwegian island

The larger of the two homes, nicknamed Piha (Finnish for “courtyard”), spans 2,184 square feet and features a spacious courtyard that melds the interior and exterior. The second home, dubbed Yksi (Finnish for “first”), is a smaller, two-bedroom residence. Designed to be ultra-resilient to various climates, the homes can be built in virtually any landscape, from frigid mountainous regions to warm beachfront properties.

Both designs count on using an abundance of natural light and air ventilation to keep the interior spaces cool and cozy without the need for artificial systems. Although most prefab homes already feature a relatively small carbon footprint, the Koto homes meet net-zero energy targets and are built with eco-friendly materials, such as recycled insulation. The designs also incorporate efficient heating and cooling systems, low-flow water fixtures and LED lighting. Koto LivingHome 1 and Koto LivingHome 2 have monitoring systems accessible via smartphone to ensure all systems are operating at maximum efficiency.

+ Koto Design

+ Plant Prefab

Images via Koto Design

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Sweden and Austria close their last coal plants

Europe just gained its second and third coal-free countries. Sweden and Austria have both shut their last coal-fired plants in late April, joining Belgium in going coal-free in favor of renewable energy sources.

“With Sweden going coal-free in the same week as Austria, the downward trajectory of coal in Europe is clear,” Kathrin Gutmann, campaign director for Europe Beyond Coal, told PV Magazine. “Against the backdrop of the serious health challenges we are currently facing, leaving coal behind in exchange for renewables is the right decision and will repay us in kind with improved health, climate protection and more resilient economies.”

Related: Britain celebrates first week without coal power since 1882

Sweden had originally planned on going coal-free in 2022, but it was able to achieve this goal two years early. A mild Swedish winter meant that energy utility Stockholm Exergi’s last coal-fired plant, located in Hjorthagen, eastern Stockholm, didn’t need to be used this year. The plant opened in 1989.

In addition to environmental awareness that decreased the popularity of coal, market forces have driven the operational costs up. Statistics from the U.K.-based think-tank Carbon Tracker show that 40% of EU coal plants ran at a loss in 2017. In 2019, it cost almost 100% more to run a coal plant than to rely on renewable options.

More European countries plan to join the coal-free future: France is aiming to be coal-free by 2022; Slovakia and Portugal by 2023; the U.K. by 2024; and Ireland and Italy by 2025.

Stockholm Exergi CEO Anders Egelrud told PV Magazine he hopes the utility will eventually go carbon-negative. “Today we know that we must stop using all fossil fuels, therefore the coal needs to be phased out and we do so several years before the original plan,” Egelrud said, according to TheMayor.eu. “Since Stockholm was almost totally fossil-dependent 30-40 years ago, we have made enormous changes and now we are taking the step away from carbon dependence and continuing the journey towards an energy system entirely based on renewable and recycled energy.”

Image via Steve Buissinne

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Research center sits lightly near turtle nesting grounds in Australia

When architect Richard Kirk was tapped to lead the design for the Mon Repos Turtle Centre, he knew that his team at the international architecture firm KIRK would need to tread lightly. The project’s coastal site, located in Bargara, Queensland, is home to one of the most significant seasonal nesting grounds for the loggerhead turtle. To minimize landscape impact, the architects designed the center with a prefabricated glulam timber frame that is wrapped in low-maintenance copper and wood to visually blend the building into the surroundings.

As one of Australia’s most important turtle nesting grounds, the Mon Repos beach and environs have been used as a key turtle research center for over 40 years. Starting in 2017, KIRK masterplanned the entire beachside in addition to the redevelopment of the Mon Repos Turtle Centre to fulfill the center’s two main roles: an interpretative center during the day and a briefing center at night during the turtle nesting season. As a result, the landscape needed to be reconfigured with a set of pathways and boardwalks to provide safe and non-intrusive access to the beach after dark.

Related: Sea turtle rescue center mimics the natural ecosystems in Turkey

The structure was also designed for minimal site impact. The center is constructed from prefabricated and locally sourced glulam timber. The external folded copper cladding was selected for its ability to withstand the corrosive sea air and seasonal cyclones for a lifespan of over 40 years. The copper as well as recycled tallowwood cladding and screens will develop a patina over time to blend in with the dune landscape. The building houses a large gathering area, an interpretative space with an immersive theater and research office spaces that all have access to natural ventilation and daylighting.

“The superstructure is a 9.6m x 9.6m diagrid,” the architects explained. “This was found to be the most efficient structural design to reduce the overall material use and increase spans between glulam ‘tree’ columns. The diagrid also informed the plan shape, creating a multifaceted series of triangular folds for protected openings to limit light spill while enhancing the mystery of the arrival experience. The diagrid pattern is celebrated throughout the interior and implies the intricate patterns of the turtle carapace.”

+ KIRK

Photography by Scott Burrows via KIRK

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Indonesian Microlibrary uses prefab FSC-certified timber

In the Indonesian city of Semarang, international architecture firm SHAU has completed Microlibrary Warak Kayu, an inspiring new public space that raises the bar for community design and sustainable architecture. Prefabricated with only FSC-certified timber, the new neighborhood icon is the fifth built project in the Microlibrary series, an initiative to encourage reading in low-income areas by creating “socially performative multifunctional community spaces with environmentally conscious designs and materials.” In addition to the exclusive use of sustainably grown and logged timbers, the project is the first library in Indonesia made entirely of FSC-certified wood. The Microlibrary Warak Kayu is also designed around passive solar principles so that no air conditioning is needed.

Built for approximately $75,000, the Microlibrary Warak Kayu was made possible through a collaborative community, private sector and government partnership. As a gift from the Arkatama Isvara Foundation to the City of Semarang, the Microlibrary is free and open for public use. Inspired by traditional Indonesian architecture, the architects modeled the building after the ‘rumah panggung’ (house on stilts) and elevated the structure to create various spatial configurations. The diamond-shaped brise soleil that wraps around the building evokes the scales of the local mythical creature ‘Warak Ngendog.’ That likeness gave rise to the building’s name, Warak Kayu, which means Wooden Warak. 

In addition to celebrating elements of local culture and architecture, the microlibrary serves as a living educational showcase for Indonesian engineered wood products and manufacturing capabilities. All the wooden materials were sustainably logged in Central Kalimantan and then shipped from Sampit over the Java Sea to the nearby Semarang factory, where PT Kayu Lapis Indonesia handled the prefabrication process. A variety of timbers were used, from the tropical hardwood Bangkirai for the main structural frame to different Meranti-based plywoods for the decking and the brise soleil. 

Related: Microlibrary built with 2,000 recycled ice cream buckets tackles illiteracy in Indonesia

Although temperatures in Semarang can rise into the 90s, the Microlibrary Warak Kayu stays naturally cool thanks to the implementation of passive climate principles. The brise soleil and deep roof overhangs protect the interior from unwanted solar gain, while openings promote cross ventilation to cool the building. The natural breezes also help protect books from moisture damage caused by humidity. 

+ SHAU

Images by KIE

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Recycled wind turbine blades proposed as a playscape for Burning Man

Washington-based architect and designer Michael Mannhard has unveiled designs for BladeYARD, a proposal for a Burning Man 2021 installation built from recycled wind turbine blades. Created as a visual warning of the effects of climate change and shortsighted solutions, the installation mimics a large-scale ruin with parts of the blades submerged in the sands of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

Part of Mannhard’s inspiration for the project stems from a recent Bloomberg News article that says wind turbine blades can’t be recycled, and as a result, they are piling up in landfills at a rate of nearly 8,000 blades a year. “What does it mean when this symbol of hope fails us so greatly?” asks Mannhard, who recalls growing up in the Midwest and marveling at sights of the massive turbines. “How is it that the most prominent symbol of our sustainable future was designed in such a way as to simply be buried in the ground at the end of its working life as a blade? These objects are now layered in new meaning as symbols of our shortsightedness in how we approach our built world and the incredible challenge of designing for the whole life cycle of products.”

Related: Windwords proposal turns wind turbines into public art

The BladeYARD project would explore those questions by bringing people up close with a “graveyard” of wind turbine blades. The massive blades — some of which can reach 100 meters in length — would be arranged like the bleached bones of an animal carcass, with some elements lying flat and partly buried in the sand while others stick straight up. Burning Man participants would be able to climb atop of, seek shelter under and wander through the sculptural installation.

If it is accepted as an installation at Burning Man 2021, Mannhard plans to have BladeYARD dismantled and moved to a more permanent home after the event. Burning Man is scheduled to take place every year at the end of the summer in Northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

+ Michael Mannhard

Images by Michael Mannhard

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