Until recent years, the words ‘luxury’ and ‘sustainability’ rarely appeared together. The former was synonymous with excess and indulgence, with little regard for what it cost both the traveller and the environment. But, according to a 2021 survey by Virtuoso, 82% of travellers are now prioritising the environment when booking trips and sustainability is becoming widely viewed as the key to a successful modern hotel. Indeed, amid the climate crisis, it’s more important than ever for hotels and resorts to minimise their carbon footprint and be mindful of their surroundings – all without compromising the luxury experience for guests.
In northern Sweden, deforestation has dramatically reduced the number of trees that hold bird nests, resulting in the dramatic decline of different avian populations in the area. This was a primary concern for the team behind Swedish Lapland’s Treehotel – lauded for its variety of distinct eco-conscious cabins – when looking to add an eighth guestroom to their portfolio. Together with the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), they consulted the ornithologist Ulf Öhman to explore how they could strengthen the environment Treehotel exists in with their new design. The result was the Biosphere: a suite set high above the expansive Harads pine forest that features 350 birdhouses nestled in its facade.
“Sustainability is fundamental for the global environment, but it’s also about introducing new ways of understanding design, where we have the opportunity to discover innovative processes to give form to the future,” says Angel Barreno, the associate and senior architect at BIG who led the biosphere project. “By providing bird habitats, we can possibly change the spread and survival of the species. The biosphere provides 350 homes for birds, but it will also naturally house bees, bats and butterflies, which increases biodiversity.”
Barreno says that the starting point in the design process was to carry out extensive research on how they could encourage the coexistence of different species within the biosphere, followed by careful consideration of how they could minimise the impact that construction would have on the environment. “Strong climatic contrasts through the seasons in northern Sweden required us to use highly-resilient architectural types. This, of course, creates natural limitations, but a tenet of good design is that it works well within its confinement,” he says. “We chose to incorporate strong local materials such as wood and stone; we also included a pellet chimney to reduce energy consumption.”
Suspended between two trees and accessed via a bridge that slopes from the ground to the treetops, the hotel room is contained in a triple-glazed, 34m2 cube surrounded by a metal grid that supports the birdhouses. These are varied in size and expand outwards, encouraging many different species to nest while simultaneously letting light inside the room. Being wrapped in an ecological habitat, the room enables guests to observe native birdlife in close proximity – it also has a roof terrace with panoramic views of the forest, which acts as a vantage point for bird-spotting. “Biosphere creates an immersive coexistence with nature, allowing guests to enjoy its beauty but also reminding them of the importance of our environment and the necessity of a good balance with our surroundings,” explains Barreno, who adds that the hope is for the design to also inspire visitors to introduce birds’ nests to their own homes when they return to them.
The interior is simple and pragmatic, with dark furnishings that invite your gaze outwards through the large windows. A double bed is accessed from the living space using a stepladder, as is the case with all the other rooms at Treehotel. The biosphere has an incinerating toilet and makes use of the sustainable Rukkamoinika water system that provides three litres of clean water for washing hands. There is also a shower, drinkable tap water and a sauna. “Treehotel’s design is traditionally based in sustainability principles: a low-energy consumption structure with very simple and smart construction systems and self-sustainable solutions,” Barreno describes.
Systemic sustainability
On the other side of the globe, some 6,500 miles away from Sweden, is Bawah Reserve in Indonesia. A private island that is home to a number of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, as well as surrounding coral reefs, it was built in 2017 with sustainability at its heart. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the resort has only been open for two years, but it has already made great strides in the industry with its eco practices.
No heavy machinery was used in Bawah’s construction; instead, it was formed using traditional methods and materials such as fast-growing bamboo and locally quarried stone. Furthermore, furnishings such as mirrors, sinks and baths were fashioned by local artisans using recycled copper, and the island’s boat moorings were put in place with the help of specialist divers to ensure that anchors would not damage the coral reefs beneath.
“From the very first concept, everything we’ve done has been about protecting and preserving what we’ve got,” says Paul Robinson, Bawah Reserve’s chief operating officer. “We set up to protect the local islands – of which we have six – and really to be a beacon for what sustainable tourism can be.” Indeed, from providing reef-friendly sun cream to giving guests the option to use towels that require less energy to wash than thicker plush styles, Robinson says it is important not to force their ethos onto others, instead encouraging guests to adopt it instinctively. “It’s about giving people a choice; but I do hope the way we do things inspires everybody to think a little bit more.”
Water is a precious resource on the island, so rain is collected from the roofs and stored for later use, while seawater is put through a desalination plant to remove salt and impurities in order to provide every room of the reserve with drinkable tap water. “We give each guest a refillable water bottle to avoid using plastic,” says Robinson. “Plastic is such a nightmare for any resort in the world, particularly island resorts because of the movement of currents, where you’re constantly getting plastic washing up. We have already collected tonnes and tonnes of it.”
Not just recycling
Another significant threat to the Earth’s oceans has been the release of raw sewage and the mixture of chemicals that comes with it. But, at Bawah, waste is pumped into a sewage-treatment plant. “Nothing goes into the sea and all solid waste generated on the island is sorted and sent for recycling,” Robinson says. Tropical storms can make the reliable provision of electricity challenging, necessitating the use of a diesel generator, but the reserve has conducted a series of tests for implementing solar energy and panels are due to be installed soon. “It’s about striving to be better,” says Robinson. “There’s so much greenwashing going on in the industry, and a lot of hotels are clamouring now to say that they are environmentally sustainable when they aren’t. No hotel is perfect, but what you can do is aspire to be the best.”
In order to offset the impact of such imperfections, Bawah has an ongoing reforestation project to grow trees where the canopy has become depleted and preserve those that have stood on the island for more than 2,000 years. In addition, Bawah’s remote location (the next island is 30 nautical miles away) means it has its own ecosystem and protecting its mangroves, which shelter young fish, is key for supporting marine life. “We’ve had scientists and researchers come from several prestigious universities in Singapore and here in Indonesia, who have told us that the amount of land that’s been preserved and the amount of mangrove swamp could be considered as a carbon offset,” Robinson explains. As a marine reserve, the islands also provide nesting beaches for vulnerable sea turtles and works with marine biologists to relocate turtle eggs to safe locations to improve the rate of successful hatching. Similarly, the resort is focused on rehabilitating coral, with reefs facing increasing threats and has seen a 20% increase in coral in just two years as a result.
It’s important to both Robinson and Barreno that they create a fascinating experience for guests, who can learn about an ecological way of living simply by being immersed in it. To them, luxury means something other than expense: it is about a feeling of space and an authentic atmosphere that allows you to connect with your surrounds. “It’s a sense of belonging when you go somewhere,” says Robinson. “As caretakers of a pristine natural reserve, we can offer guests the opportunity to feel restored in a faraway paradise.” Barreno adds: “Sustainability and luxury shouldn’t have to be understood as opposites; they should and must coexist.”
