NATURAL
NATURALLY SUSTAINABLE
How can we integrate sustainability into a project whilst embracing natural beauty? Adrian Pye, International Director at Kebony discusses.
The flooring industry in recent years has exhibited trends that reflect a curious paradox; in order to move forward towards a sustainable future, a step backwards to pre- industrial materials is increasingly becoming the norm. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, industrial processes are responsible for releasing 15% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere each year. In large, this statistic is the result of producing and consuming building materials such as steel, iron and cement. The first step to reducing emissions in the construction sector is adopting the use of renewable, sustainably sourced materials — like wood.
Dramatic advances in technology and a paradigm shift towards a more refined approach in the deployment of materials like wood have enabled engineered timbers to replace tropical hardwoods, typically used in construction for its hardwearing strength. It is a move that is not only necessary, but is as popular with the modern, environmentally-discerning global citizen as it is with the specifier on the construction site and designers; it creates more beautiful buildings.
A recent example of this kind of use can be found in a remote part of the Masai Mara, Kenya. Kebony wood was used for the flooring of an eco-award winning safari lodge located in the
twitter.com/TomoFlooring
Mara Naboisho Conservancy. Selected for its durability and natural beauty, Kebony was the obvious choice for the architects, Hitesh Mehta Design, who strove to integrate sustainability into all aspects of the building whilst remaining in keeping with the natural beauty of the area. The eco lodge is a prime example of a burgeoning ethical travel culture; one which means that those seeking adventure off the beaten track in the African bush need no longer choose between high-end accommodation and a guilt-free green conscience.
Set on a spectacular escarpment in a remote and undeveloped part of the Masai Mara, the lodge provides a base from which guests can enjoy bush activities such as safari walks and drives, night time excursions and engage with the local Masai community. Guests at Eagle View stay in one of the nine spacious tented suites with en suite bathrooms and terrace overlooking the savannah. The tents are pitched on raised platforms constructed from recycled steel and Kebony’s certified wooden flooring. Over the course of Kebony’s lifespan, it will acquire a silver-grey patina that will beautifully complement the warm colours of the surrounding landscape.
Sustainability is a top consideration throughout the site. Contained within the vicinity of the lodge is a large open air restaurant and bar & lounge area, both also decked in warm Kebony
timber, which has the added advantage of being resistant to microorganisms that can damage the wood. The electricity at the site is generated entirely by solar power making it 100% sustainable. This combined with the use of recycled steel and Kebony’s sustainably treated timber, have earned Eagle View a silver Award for Ecotravel. Eagle View was also recently included in the top 25 eco lodges in the world by National Geographic (one of only three to make the list in Africa) and has welcomed over 5,000 guests since its launch in 2012.
Basecamp Explorer, the company behind Eagle View, is a Norwegian company who now operate three camps in Kenya. Basecamp support 500 families in the local Masai community and 92% of their staff are local.
What we are seeing here is the cohesion of sustainability and tourism in a way that is mutually beneficial. Where an environmental conscience was once a something that travellers with luxurious tastes would guiltily shun, it is now a fundamental part of the optimum holiday experience. Similarly, the ready-availability of eco-tourism options, made possible in part by materials like Kebony, has pushed sustainability up the agendas of decision makers worldwide. Products like Kebony are rebuilding the world, one plank at a time.
www.kebony.com 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66