Environmentally conscious approaches in various sectors have become steadfast practices in these trying times. These approaches and practices are not limited to the hospitality sector and architecture. The architecture of hospitality projects plays a significant role in accentuating the value of touristic places. It is important to consider the environmental impact of hospitality architecture to create a sustainable tourism industry. The architecture of an area is the reflection of the local nuances and, hospitality actively flaunts these cultural and regional insinuations to its visitors. Designing and constructing tangible systems that satisfy the needs of guests through environmentally-conscious approaches is a vital component of hospitality architecture and thus, can aid in encouraging eco-conscious tourism in a region.
Travellers and tourists have become conscious of the environmental repercussions caused due to tourism. Several tourist and vacation destinations have begun to opt for eco-tourism and other sustainable approaches to preserve the natural ecosystems and avoid disturbing the ecological balance. The concept of eco-conscious tourism, or ecotourism, aims to protect the natural resources and the biological diversity in a place so that tourists can benefit from a sustainable ecological travel experience. Hotels, lodges, and other hospitality projects taking ecologically feasible advances — from employing local materials with smart technology from the construction stage to the final detail — to cater to the desires of their visitors significantly add value to the idea of eco-tourism in regions. Designers and architects have actively tried to inculcate alternative and viable strategies in developing forms and functions that are green. The incorporation of natural building materials, passive heating and cooling techniques, and local construction methods in the designs of hospital projects are subtle advancements toward green buildings.
Designers Group thrives in the field of hospitality. Their expansive range of creating ingenious designs which are region-influenced and highly cultural has allowed them to explore the concept of eco-conscious buildings in distinct ways. Every project undertaken by Designers Group is responsive and sensitive to its surroundings. Their projects oscillate from the renovation and transformation of an ancestral home into a hotel in Haridwar to the erection of a hotel heavily influenced by its contextual setting, that not only acknowledges the sustainable aspects but also highlights the area’s cultural identity.
Amoravida, a hotel sitting on the backwaters of Goa, is a highly contextual project by Designers Group. The forms of the design cascade down the terrain which meet the backwaters, without disturbing the natural topography of the area. The entire flow of the design is oriented towards the backwaters, giving clear, unobstructed views of the waterbody. Apart from being sensitive to the surrounding environment, Amoravida also incorporates a multitude of local nuances of Goa, in the form of murals, lattice works, construction techniques, colour schemes, textures, and decor elements, parading the artistry and antiquities of the place to its visitors.
The ancestral home turned hotel, The Philibit House, nestled on the banks of the holy river Ganga in Haridwar, actively preserves the heritage of the ancestral home while tackling the complexities related to the health of the adjacent river. For curing river water and regulating air pollution, several options were explored. In an effort to give back to society, hotel officials clean and maintain the ghats on the banks of the sacred Ganga river. Putting these practices in place in tandem with spaces that reflect the heritage of Haridwar lends a sense of timelessness to the project. Through the execution of the design, sensitive thought processes were synthesized into distinct functional spaces adorned with local elements and decor, and different strategies that were implemented in the maintenance of the project were brought to light.
Architecture shaped by echoing the identity and uniqueness of a destination while being responsive to the natural conditions of the milieu not only encourages the concept of eco-tourism in the region but also makes a conscious effort to highlight the idiosyncrasy of distinct spaces, as exhibited by the two projects.