Where Everything is Different and Sustainability and Reverence Abound.
While the world was amid the pandemic, an exclusive project began in the heart of the rainforest in Costa Rica. A resort-like no other that will be the role model for revolutionising the standards set for sustainable project development, energy consumption, and building techniques. A place where everything is different, and quality is unwavering. Welcome to El Lugar, created and curated by Gary Douglas and his team of architects, this is the place where nature, space and sustainability meet in communion with the earth.
El Lugar, scheduled to open in March 2023, possesses a rare and different way of doing things. It invites guests to experience the elixir of the land, soak up the space, and enjoy the nourishment of nature.
“What if you worked with the land to create something greater?
That is the essence of El Lugar Resort.”
– Gary Douglas
One of the chief drivers of this project for Douglas was to work with the land and the earth and allow a different possibility for people to visit. For example, during the initial construction phase, Douglas was told they would have to scrape the top 3 metres of the earth to get to bedrocks so they could cement the foundation and he was emphatic about not sealing the ground with concrete.
Due to the prevalence of earthquakes and volcanoes in Costa Rica, he knew that building the resort infrastructure and casitas on pylons would allow the buildings to be repaired, whereas slab foundations would bend and not be repairable.
In addition, it would not alter the natural habitats of the surrounding wildlife. Backing up to a national park, El Lugar is bustling with wildlife. Many varieties of animals abound on the resort farmland including, tapers, monkeys, lecars and toucans. The resort is the third most prevalent place to see toucans in all of Costa Rica.
Douglas become aware of how the earth was interconnected through the tree systems and he made an accord that no tree would ever be cut down during the build-out of the resort. Even trees that were considered unhealthy were left unaltered and in goodwill with the earth.
Further differentiators at the El Lugar resort include the immersion of the local community to be a part of the creation process. The resort is employing 270 locals from a nearby village, who have been instrumental throughout the creation process. Supporting family businesses and artisans creating the handmade tiles constructing the on-site buildings, working as on-site staff at the resort, to receiving English lessons multiple times a week, this development has altered the livelihood of local families. Douglas’ aim is for this to live on for generations to come.
To honour space and privacy, all 85 casitas on the 1125-acre resort have substantial distance in between. Unlike its counterparts, El Lugar has not to sacrifice luxury to achieve a fully sustainable model. It is fully operational with air conditioning, and no limitations on light, water, or hot water use. They have created one of the most elegant electronic systems in existence.
Developed by energy consultants William and Chloe Bramley, they have reduced the cost to run the whole resort to 1/10th of what is normal. There is sufficient everything – from lighting to electricity to hot water and air conditioning but the energy used to create these things is minimal without compromising on quality or eliminating anything.
Furthermore, they dug wells and have some of the purest water in existence in Costa Rica and they are doing everything they can to maintain it. To preserve the earth for future generations, the resort is made up of only gravel roads so as not to disrupt the flow of water. They will allow for electrical
ATVs, but no cars are allowed on the resort. Its septic system was created with the use of plants to process the use it without using any chemicals.
When you visit, you will be captivated by this fully sustainable resort, where old-style Costa Rica as ox and buggy transport your luggage to your casita, where throngs of horses grace the land, where you can have admiration the antique furnishings brought to the resort from all over the world, while enjoying the plunge pool and the sounds and sights of nature, and where each casita was built to take full advantage of the naturally occurring breezes.
If you’re wondering, the answer is yes, your casita does have a television. Think of El Lugar as a place where the past and the present intertwine in a beautiful space, where time seems to stand still and yet bustle with energy and possibilities.
