A Blueprint for Sustainable Design

A Blueprint for Sustainable Design PART 2

A sustainable business is one that looks after both people and planet says Juliet Kinsman, as she addresses the need to consider the socio-economic impact of every decision made.

Sustainability isn’t merely about the construction or the hardware of a hotel, or simply to do with scrutinising environmental impact; it’s about the hotel’s effect on the welfare of human beings, today and tomorrow. It concerns how we employ, from whom we source furnishings, the way the design benefits community. Being ‘eco’ is often focused on mitigating negative physical impact rather than actively striving for positive social impact, whether through cultural preservation, artistic enrichment, or through a strategy that aims for longlasting health benefits for guests, team or the wider community. Simply put, sustainability is a hospitality business looking after all of its human stakeholders and considering the socio-economic impact of every single decision made.

Using interiors to educate is powerful. “In the leisure travel sector we have a great opportunity to shape how our clients experience a destination,” says Bob Shevlin of Uxua in Brazil. At this cluster of re-fashioned 16 th century homes in Trancoso, the ex-pat hosts have always had it front-of-mind for guests making meaningful connections with local culture, nature, crafts, while giving back to the former fishing village. “In our case, applying to local social and environmental challenges the same mix of creativity and professional competence, we’ve lent to other industries such as fashion, which has driven surprising, results.” Uxua had the bold ambition of wanting to save the traditional craft industry from extinction, where they felt it was heading when Shevlin and exDiesel Creative Director Wilbert Das arrived in 2004. Over the years their collaborations have made cover stars of the work of local artisans, giving a new relevance to the traditional rustic style. And as Shevlin acknowledges, nothing persuades other businesses to emulate a competitor’s practices more than seeing they are profitable. They have always aimed to educate and empower as many of their village’s residents as they can through their business beyond employment, from setting up a Capoeira Academy to sponsoring numerous students to further their education.

In Mozambique, a compelling tale of how a design hotel can do good is being written with the creation of Kisawa Sanctuary. The 3D design aspect of this high-end low-impact intimate resort opening imminently in a WWF National Marine Park was what first grabbed press interest. But it’s about much more than the innovative technology that involves printing tiling by alchemising sand and seawater (replenishable natural materials). It’s about the nurturing of the islanders and shaping a new cultural narrative for this super-low-GDP civil

war-ravaged African country. What’s exciting when you speak to Nina Flohr, the creator of this collection of one-bedroom bungalows, isn’t simply hearing about the next-level utterly personalised guest experiences that await, but how this thoughtfully, slowly manifested project has been cultivating creative talents in the young generation of Mozambicans every step of the way, when possibly previous prospects might have been limited to fishing. Spotlighting local weaving talents has been an excellent example of how commissioning hundreds of woven panels from a humble village material, a hotel can have a significant socio-economic impact. Culturally, Mozambique’s traditional weaving technique is something that’s done by women. Framed as a design feature in Kisawa’s contemporary designs has instilled pride and generated a much-needed income.

Nurturing talents in our neighbours, rather than defaulting to the easier option of looking further afield for quick solutions, is an investment that often pays off. Contractors building Cempedak in the Riau Islands, a less well-off part of Indonesia near Singapore, were keen to bring alang-alang grass from Bali for the roofs. “We introduced the Bali team members to our local thatcher and they spent some time helping improve his technique,” explains Andrew Dixon, who also created sustainable private-island resort Nikoi in the South China Sea. “The local technique is more laborious and uses more grass; as a result our Riau artisan trebled his price and we ended up with a better product. In the end, the contractors were so impressed with the quality, saying it is better than what they get in Bali. Sudirman’s business is thriving, he now employs 25 staff and has set them up so they can work at home, which is a rare opportunity in their culture.”

On the other side of the world, Fogo Island Inn in Canada is a hotel that has won praise thanks to its architectural good looks and beautifully designed interiors. But it’s the human aspect of the story of this hotel that’s extraordinary. Zita Cobb didn’t simply set up a nice-looking hotel powered by a social enterprise that talks to luxury travellers, she created a business in a tiny far-flung island that reinvigorated an entire economy, having previously been an ailing fishing community. Unemployed boat builders were redeployed as furniture-makers, creating pieces that have become talking points in hallowed design halls such as the V&A Museum. “We are hyper-conscious about reducing externalities, and we demonstrate our impact via our Economic Nutrition Certification Mark, which transparently shows where all money goes when a stay at the Inn is purchased,” explains Cobb. What’s notable in

Sustainability Speak

ACCESSIBILITY Sustainability is as much about inclusivity as equity and equality. Hospitality services should aim to invite everyone to have the fullest experiences, regardless of ability or age. Mindful hosts ensure people with differing needs – whether physical or mental – are not only catered for, but well-served. In the UK, Blue Badge Awards and Blue Badge Style showcase the most welcoming venues.

ECONOMIC NUTRITION CERTIFICATION MARK In the same way that labelling on food packaging represents calories or carbon footprints, this concept created by Fogo Island Inn provides transparency around where every penny spent on the cost of a room night or the price of a piece of their furniture goes.

ESG Investors are increasingly prioritising socially responsible and ethical businesses, using a measurement of environmental, social and governance criteria to weigh up potential beneficiaries. This considers how a business performs in terms of its impact on nature, what its relationships are like with employees, suppliers, customers, community, and assesses the governance by looking at the diversity of the board, executive and tax pay-outs and shareholder rights.

PROVENANCE The dictionary definition is tracing the source of goods, best known in relation to the history of the arts, now popularised by our scrutiny of the supply of food, fashion and furniture. Sustainable ingredients and interior items are those that have not been industrially-farmed or mass-produced, but have honourable origins and are handmade, locally sourced, organic – from textiles to toiletries.

their spreadsheet, is Fogo’s proud investment in labour – in other words, people.

Dee Gibson, who created four-bedroom boutique hotel Kalukanda House in Sri Lanka, is a professional interior designer. Founder of Velvet Orange consultancy, she measures the success of her designs by how they make her clients feel. “A space should work functionally, but it needs to spark all the senses,” says the first-time hotelier. The approach Gibson takes with all of her design projects is what she calls emotional design. “I believe that understanding the why behind a space is what’s most powerful. The process of emotional design can be slower because of the layers of work behind the scenes. Overcomplicated technology, throwaway fixtures and faddish design aesthetics result in quicklyforgotten buzzes, reflecting an unconscious lack of respect for the environment.” Playing a role in the human aspect is not only recognising emotions, but Gibson’s appreciation of handmade materials that tell the story of the people behind that crafts that she features. She prioritises commissioning a lampshade from a local artisan, or sourcing quality unique pieces that are a genuine legacy from the local landscape. “With an import or mass-produced cheap alternative, no-one in the community benefits financially or emotionally – including the guests,” asserts Gibson.

When talking about positive impact and humans in the context of sustainability, it’s also important to consider the inclusivity of all environments and the importance of being able to accommodate every type of guest. Robin Sheppard, founder of Bespoke Hotels, has long been pushing for good design to be a better bedfellow with disability-friendly facilities in hospitality. It’s not just about ticking the right DDA (Disability Discrimination Act 1995) boxes and delivering the statutory number of accessibility-compliant rooms. It’s about creating beautiful abodes so that those living with compromise can enjoy the same standard of aesthetics. With almost a quarter of the world’s population living with a disability, it’s a wonder that the hotel operators haven’t better cottoned on to this huge glaring gap in the market. Those with physical limitations want to have a holiday somewhere beautifully designed as much as the next person.

If you’re of a glass-full mindset, you’ll appreciate that one of the silver linings to 2020 has been a shift in narrative around social impact. Sustainability has become the theme of more conversations, and people quite simply care more about how businesses impact on all citizens. We’re understanding better the nuance and complexity of how creating a more sensitive hotel is good for your ESG ranking, making it more appealing to potential investors and conscious consumers. Sustainability in hospitality requires deep thinking around long-term solutions. Tourism can help shine a light on social issues at a micro-level – and hospitality can communicate these seemingly stories to project a bigger-picture solution to all. We’re waking up to the need to highlight these issues through hotels and tell these in a compelling and heart-tugging way beyond bragging about whether guestrooms have a flatscreen TV or Egyptian cotton sheets. Hotels that communicate on a deeper level have been grabbing the attention of the new generation of more considerate travel experts.

“At Wa Ale in Myanmar, every single decision revolves around sustainability and the hotel protects a marine park, which has been transformative for the surrounding communities,” says Henry Comyn, co-founder of Joro Experiences, and now The Conscious Travel Foundation. It’s a hotel created by Chris Kingsley and his wife Farina, who are behind a California-based family-run furniture business. They wanted to create a lodge that was as green as possible using mostly reclaimed materials and built by hand by local craftsman. “Every guest contributes towards this movement and comes away educated and inspired about how informed travel decisions can make an impact on the world,” says Kingsley.

Sure, a new hotel will grab the attention of a recently launched collective of travel agents with excellent design, but it’s their support of grass-roots socio-economic initiatives that will take those bookings over the line. Juliet Kinsman is a sustainability editor and founder of Bouteco. Her new book, The Green Edit: Travel (Easy Tips for the Eco-Friendly Traveller), published by Ebury, is out now.