the eco villa
The Eco Villa at Soneva Kiri is a world benchmark zero
carbon emissions hotel suite. It showcases a range
of environmental technologies incorporated into a
bio-climatically designed luxury pool villa. Built from
locally sourced materials by craftsmen such as mud
brick experts, terracotta potters, master carpenters
and stonemasons, the construction, landscaping and
operation are based on permaculture design principals
to ensure that waste is minimized or reused.
The
building’s excellent insulating properties are provided
by recycled cellulose together with an external green
roof covering, which helps control water runoff whilst
also providing an excellent habitat for native flora and
fauna. A central skylight gives light during the day and
stargazing access at night.
Cooling is augmented by
a passive system incorporated into the thermal mass
of the building. The natural swimming pool acts as a
rainwater storage system, a wildlife magnet and a
swimming pond. A reed bed receives all waste water
and effluence, and when treated, the water is reused
for landscape irrigation to build the bamboo privacy
hedges with nutrient rich water, thereby providing
food such as bamboo shoots plus rapidly renewable
construction timber.