Blue-Sky Thinking the Luxurious Alila Villas Uluwatu Eco-Resort Was Built with a Philosophy That Says Sustainability Need Not Be Overly Complex, Writes Matt Dillon

COVER FEATURE Sustainable outcomes for the Alila Villas Uluwatu were achieved through design rather than bolt-on technology. Blue-sky thinking The luxurious Alila Villas Uluwatu eco-resort was built with a philosophy that says sustainability need not be overly complex, writes Matt Dillon. The Uluwatu region on the Southern Bukit Bukit Uluwatu Villa) and the operator president of development for Alila Hotels Peninsula is a dry and rocky savannah area. (Alila) to achieve third-party certification and Resorts, which is based in Singapore. It’s not the type of place usually associated of the project’s environmental “Overhanging roof eaves, roof-screen with a luxury resort. But then again, the credentials. systems and deep ledges were also Alila Villas Uluwatu represents a new Subsequently, the project applied for employed to reduce heat from direct type of holiday destination – one that is and exceeded Green Globe 21 standards, sunlight. Through building codes that committed as much to sustainability as it is which are administered by Australia- comply with energy-efficiency needs, to sumptuousness (well, perhaps not quite based firm EC3 Global. these are aimed at ensuring walls and that much). windows are shaded and cool. With the After all, it is a luxury resort we are natural cooling and fresh air circulation talking about here – and one where guests THE PROJEct in the rooms maximised, the use of air “rediscover the joy of pure relaxation Comprised of 56 one-bedroom hotel conditioning systems is thus minimised.” in unparallel comfort and space”. Yet it villas and 26 three or four-bedroom happens to be one whose owners, Alila residential villas, the complex is EcOTOURISM, ESD Hotels and Resorts, is pretty serious about structured in such a way that each unit ecotourism. Now about that term. In has a clear view of the cliffs and ocean. INITIatIVES AND ALILA the past it might have meant a standard The sustainability on offer here was VILLAS ULUwatU hotel, but one with rattan furniture, yoga drawn as much as possible from simple classes in the morning, jungle walks and a Ecologically sustainable design was a low-cost solutions rather than expensive vegetarian menu. guiding principle for the Alila Villas imported kit. So while the villas have Uluwatu project from its initiation. In recent times, however, far more rigour split-system air conditioners, all areas of “The architects, WOHA Designs, sought is being applied as to what constitutes the resort have been designed to function to include a comprehensive approach a “sustainable” resort, with projects passively, with roof overhangs, ocean to ESD to optimise the sustainable required to meet benchmarks around breezes and natural ventilation providing outcomes of the project through design design, construction, materials and cooling. rather than by just bolting on technology energy use. “Throughout the design period, buildings to improve the development’s efficiency To set this project apart from other were orientated in a way to facilitate in operation,” says Jane Toner from the “green” resorts and hotels in Bali, its the passing of filtered natural light Melbourne office of Sustainable Built architect, Singapore-based WOHA while minimising heat gain during the Environments (SBE), the sustainability Designs, advocated to the developer (PT daytime,” says Arjan De Boer, vice- consultants for the project. 40 EcOLIBRIUm • SEPTEMBER 2011 COVER FEATURE From the start, WOHA stressed that the “WOHA had already based their Based on the preliminary work, project was not high-budget, and that design on a sympathetic response SBE developed an ESD scoping study sustainability initiatives should have an to the site location, climate and predicated on the Green Globe Design emphasis on simple strategic moves rather culture,” Toner says. “And their & Construct Standard. than high-tech imported solutions, which design embraced passive design might be outside the affordability and solutions that were cost-effective maintainability constraints in Indonesia. and easily maintained.” PASSIVE DESIGN The architectural design and lay-out of the site, villas and hotel have optimised the potential for natural ventilation and daylighting to all habitable spaces. A major design strategy to reduce energy use takes advantage of the relatively benign climate by creating habitable spaces that can be fully opened to the outside air. All living areas, bedrooms and bathrooms in the hotel, cliffside and hillside villas have natural ventilation and daylight. It is expected that the villas are to be opened up during the day, with air conditioning used in the bedrooms only at night to prevent mosquitoes and maintain thermal comfort on hotter nights. Operable windows and relatively narrow floor plates allow for maximum cross- ventilation and daylight penetration, reducing the need for air conditioning and artificial lighting usage during the day. This strategy is used for the villas and the hotel public areas. The arrangement of the habitable spaces around pools and courtyards, some with water features, encourages natural air movement of cooler air from shaded courtyards to pass through the rooms Each unit has a clear view of the cliffs and ocean. and improve comfort levels. SEPTEMBER 2011 • EcOLIBRIUM 41 COVER FEATURE EcOTOURISM “Ecologically sustainable of ecologically sustainable design. tourism with a primary focus on Ecotourism facilities integrate “There has been and still is a experiencing natural areas that best- practice ESD strategies great deal of confusion about ‘ foster environmental and cultural but also incorporates: green’ hotels and ‘ecotourism’,” understanding, appreciation and says Jane Toner from Sustainable conservation.” • Education Built Environments. “There are a • Interpretation of number of rating schemes used Ecotourism resorts are those that the natural environment to rate ‘green’ hotels but these encourage guests to interact with are often self-assessed.” and gain an understanding of the • Consideration for environment and culture of the local cultural issues The International Ecotourism natural areas adjacent to them. Standard, developed by Ecotourism They are designed, constructed • Consideration for Australia, defines ecotourism as: and operated using the principles the local community. Circulation spaces for the public areas “Actually achieving the certification For hot water supply various technologies of the hotel and the villas are partially was magnificent, as the project was the were explored. Air-source heat pumps were or fully open to the outside air, and so first in Bali to do so for that particular chosen, as they were thought to provide are neither heated nor cooled. They do Green Globe standard,” Toner says. better efficiency over a 10-year period. not require lighting during daylight “Working with the international project Other energy-related issues were explored hours. Public areas of the hotel are fully team was also satisfying as much as and considered, but ultimately did not openable to the outside air. it was challenging. On the whole, the pan out. At one point a wind farm was team was very dedicated to achieving The site and buildings have been proposed to be located within 2km of good outcomes for this project. Also planned to encourage infiltration the resort, but in the end was put on gratifying was working with the team to of cooling sea breezes. hold. Alila has kept open the possibility source items and systems that met with of investing in this initiative once it’s Daylight is filtered through the the ideals for the project – particularly if established. courtyards and vegetation to reduce these were from Indonesia.” harsh glare of the equatorial sun and So just how sustainable is this project? reflected heat gain. Light colours used in And though it was sometimes beguiling the interiors act to enhance and spread and confusing given the considerable “I don’t think we exceeded a traditional the light. literature available and imprecise Balinese house, inhabited in the nature of the nascent field, Toner found traditional way,” architect Richard satisfaction in working through the Hassell told Green Source. “But for a ChaLLENGES AND multitude of considerations involved highly serviced top-tier resort, we have achIEVEMENTS in meeting with the definitions of set a new standard in Bali.” ❚ Toner says achieving the benchmarks set “ecotourism”. by the Green Globe Design & Construct Standard was bundled with some ENERGY BENchmaRKS GREEN GLOBE inherent challenges. Gaining an understanding of the DESIGN & For instance, the international project predicted energy use was difficult. team possessed varying degrees of CONSTRUct experience in ESD projects, and for many, “Defining potential energy use for the StaNdaRD facility provided some challenges,” Toner very little experience in third-party The Green Globe Design certification programs. says. “It was difficult to convince the local & Construct standard service engineers that we needed detailed was used as a framework “The Green Globe D&C Standard information on the energy requirements on the project to guide was not particularly clear about what for each space to determine whether design decisions, to collect evidence and information was required we were meeting with the best-practice evidence, and ultimately to to prove the project met with the criteria benchmark.” apply for certification and for ecotourism,” Toner says. “Both the gain recognition as being an ‘design’ and ‘construct’ aspects of the After weighing up

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