Imagine a luxury eco-resort that provides the highest levels of international comfort, extraordinary views, great sports facilities and excellent local cuisine, but emits virtually no carbon dioxide emissions. Imagine if that resort could pack up in a matter of days and move from one extraordinary location to another providing guests with a completely different experience, but leaving no permanent footprint on the site.
Using mobile architecture, structural fabrics and state of the art tensile membrane technology combined with innovations in renewable energy technology and waste water treatment systems this is now possible.
Nomadic Resorts has recently developed a new eco-resort concept for the adventure tourism market which would leave the lightest possible physical footprint on the site- the nomadic resorts goal was to use über-light, pre-fabricated tensile structures to create pop up resorts that can be removed in a matter of days leaving no trace…. Mobilis in Mobili…mobile in the moving element.
In recent years tourist expectations have changed…the traditional sea, sun and sand holiday enjoyed by European and American markets is no longer the sole focus for most holiday makers. Seasoned western travelers, who have visited exotic, island destinations like the Maldives or Seychelles are increasingly looking for exciting, local experiences in each destination they visit, be they cultural, intellectual or physical whilst travelers from the new emerging emitter markets are much less beach focused and tend to enjoy site seeing, wellness and gastronomic experiences. The increasing number of wilderness camps, yoga retreats and safari lodges specialized in outward bounds activities bear witness to the experiential travel trend. Conventional hotels are ill adapted to this new trend – the large capital investment required for the infrastructure and facilities leaves limited funds for bespoke activities and experiences. It is becoming more and more difficult for traditional hotels to cater to these new guest expectations so they tent to outsource their guests to hotels near the attractions.
“Our pod concept is extremely versatile – the design can meet the requirements of a surf resort next to great break on an isolated beach in eastern Sri Lanka, a wilderness camp for hikers perched up on an inaccessible plateau in the Ethiopian Highlands or a luxury wine camp overlooking the vineyards in a Bordeaux Chateau. Our focus is on the local experience, the joy of travel and the local environment rather than the conventional concept of luxury.
Using sophisticated thermal models combined with local meteorological data we can modify the pods to meet the climatic requirements and topography of the area where the camp will be assembled. Our aim is to create comfortable, healthy resorts with a very low carbon footprint and low operating costs whether our clients want to build a mountain biking lodge in the Californian desert or an Ayurvedic yoga retreat in the forests of Kerala" .
The first structure developed by Nomadic resorts concept is The Looper, a luxury pod inspired by the form of a caterpillar. The pod provides the highest level of luxury but leaves the smallest possible environmental impact. The 45m2 tensile structure meets all the needs of an international traveler – each pod includes a fully functioning en-suite bathroom, a generously proportioned changing room, an air-conditioned sleeping area, a desk area with wireless internet and audio visual entertainment and an indoor/outdoor lounge which can be opened and closed at the flick of a switch. The pods can be configured for a range of environments and situations – constructed on rafts to create floating villas on a lake, perched on the edge of a cliff or hillside or mounted on stilts to transform the Looper into a tree house. A plunge pool can be easily added to the deck area to transform the unit into a pool villa.
The Looper units can provide the backbone of the tented camp or retreat or be a simple guest bedroom in the garden of a private residence. Resort developers can add restaurants, spas and sports facilities depending on the context and the attractions in the area….kayaks and mooring facilities for a river camp, skis and snowboards in the mountains, surfboards and sun loungers for a beach concept.
The design is focused on effective use of resources and self-sufficiency – it includes LED lighting and an extremely efficient air conditioned sleeping space as well as incorporating a thin film solar canopy, a rainwater harvesting tank, a constructed wetland sewage treatment system and a solar hot water heater. The biomorphic form provides good cross ventilation and insulation with vents along the ridge of the roof to release the warm air in the top of the space by convection.
The orthogonal, biomimetic structure uses a small volume of structural material to enclose a large internal volume in translucent fabric. The recyclable membrane flysheet lasts for decades, withstands the harshest environmental conditions, emits no volatile organic compounds and with appropriate lighting glows like a firefly at night.
Lakeside Retreat
Beach front surf camp
At the Oasis
Each pre-fabricated pod is designed for disassembly so that the units can be taken to pieces, packed into containers and shipped to a different location as and when required allowing resorts to morph to suit occupancy or trends. As a result resorts and camps can change places to provide new, exciting experiences in destinations where conventional construction would be impossible.
Nomadic Resorts is an ecological design cooperative founded in 2011 featuring a core team of an architect, tent technician, interior designer and an MEP engineer who have worked on numerous award winning eco-resort projects across the world. The company’s main focus is creating modular tented camps, edible landscapes and unique treetop experiences.
For more information visit www.nomadicresorts.com or contact the CEO Louis Thompson regarding any press or investment enquiries: email@nomadicresorts.com (GSM +94711952728).
