Hotel Spec looks at how US based architects, Bull Stockwell Allen, designed a 5-star eco-resort nestled in the coastal terrain of Monterey Bay, California.
In addition to its panoramic coastal views and ocean front setting, a full appreciation of the Monterey Bay Shores site requires the belief in an ability to create an organic destination in harmony with its natural surroundings. A truly ecological friendly resort is one that: sets the highest standards in sustainable design; enhances the human experience; values community and serves as a steward of the environment. This is the future of resort design world-wide. The Monterey Bay Shores Eco-resort, Wellness Spa, and Residences embrace innovation. Through a celebration of the site’s indigenous characteristics of place and unique landforms, San Francisco based company, Bull Stockwell Allen is setting new standards in state-of-the-art hospitality architecture. The project is designed to become a model for regional green building and new resorts around the world.
Working with nature to improve the environment is the guiding principle of Monterey Bay Shores. The resort has been designed to exceed the requirements of the U.S. Green Building council’s LEED Platinum rating. The resort’s 5-star facilities include 231 hotel rooms, 85 private residences, a wellness centre and yoga pavilion, health and fitness amenities and a variety of restaurants serving local, sustainable fare. The facilities complement the site while providing a luxurious experience for guests and residents that integrates human experience. The resort’s design will educate and engage its visitors and residents about the local coastal habitat and marine environments.
Key sustainability initiatives within the design include the following:
Optimised energy performance:
The project will be in the top one per cent of new construction in terms of energy efficiency and will reduce fossil-based energy use and CO2 emissions by 53 per cent.
Renewable energy:
The resort will produce 30 per cent of the energy it needs from a combination of harvesting wind power, capturing solar energy and utilising the earth to provide geothermal heating and cooling.
Day-lighting & natural ventilation:
Strategic use of glazing and corridors systems engineered to passively induce fresh air to the resort combine to provide a high-quality interior environment while reducing the energy needs.
Water savings:
No potable water will be used for irrigation or landscaping. All storm water is slowed, captured and dispersed to recharge the aquifer. The project will use far less water than a comparable facility of its size and will use 55 per cent less water than its entitlement.
Habitat and dune restoration:
Extensive building setbacks and extensive dune re-vegetation will contribute to improve dune stability; more than 90 per cent of the site will provide habitat for native flora and fauna.
Living roofs:
Expansive ‘green roofs’ vegetated with selected native vegetation will contribute to the total restored habitat, while increasing the amount of pervious coverage on the site.
Low emitting materials:
Low and no VOC emitting materials. Bio-filtration with interior living walls will further reduce VOC levels in the interior environment by more than 50 per cent.
The Monterey Bay Shores resort is respectful of the place and in harmony with the land. The resulting design creates a spiritual link at the convergence of land and sea. Thoughtful placement of the building masses utilise the existing contours to minimise excavation and allow the resort’s living roofs and tiered terraces to integrate within a fully restored site.
The resort’s hotel rooms and residences radiate from a central atria surrounded by a series of indoor/outdoor courtyards containing water features and the resort’s water treatment system. The building wings curl and taper into the site following its natural contours. The resort’s courtyards provide shelter from the westerly winds to maximise outdoor activity.
At Monterey Bay Shores, the resort experience is defined by the site’s specific ecological values and processes. Bull Stockwell Allen’s architecture works in concert with the site’s natural attributes. As a result, buildings sit “in” rather than “on” the landscape. Site restoration and environmental education is built into its very essence. The future is here. At Monterey Bay Shores, the destination resort becomes the specifics of place, rather than an abstract notion of place devoid of meaning and authenticity.
The Monterey Bay Shores Eco-resort
Architect: Bull Stockwell Allen Full Hotel Spec listing: Bull Stockwell Allen