NESTLED INSIDE THE SOUTHWEST ALENTEJANO AND COSTA VICENTINA NATURAL PARK, OUR HOTEL EMBODIES A DESIGN PHILOSOPHY ROOTED IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND A HARMONIOUS INTEGRATION WITH THE LOCAL SURROUNDINGS. OUR GOAL WAS TO SEAMLESSLY MERGE TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS WITH CONTEMPORARY DESIGN, CREATING A SPACE THAT EMBRACED MODERN LIVING WHILE RESPECTING THE RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE AREA.
ORIGINALLY PART OF A LARGER HERDADE, OUR LAND HAS A LONG HISTORY OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THAT STRETCH BACK FOR DECADES, IF NOT CENTURIES. UPON DISCOVERING THE PROPERTY, WE FOUND REMNANTS OF AN OLD VINEYARD, VEGETABLE GARDEN, ORCHARD, AND POND, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN PRESERVED AND RESTORED. SPANNING ACROSS 10 HECTARES, OUR EXPANSIVE GROUNDS BOAST A DIVERSE RANGE OF PLANTS, TREES, WILDLIFE, AND A VIBRANT ARRAY OF FLORA AND FAUNA.
THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, GREAT CARE WAS TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT OUR HOTEL SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATED WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, MINIMIZING OUR IMPACT ON THE LAND. BY UTILIZING VERNACULAR MATERIALS AND ADHERING TO TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURAL VALUES, WE HAVE ENSURED THE PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS. OUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY STRIVED TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN EMBRACING THE IDENTITY OF THE PLACE AND ADAPTING IT TO CONTEMPORARY LIVING. THIS APPROACH OPTIMIZES VIEWS, MAXIMIZES SUN EXPOSURE, AND ESTABLISHES A COHESIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT.
THE DESIGN ALSO TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF OUR GUESTS, ACCOMMODATING TRADITIONAL TYPOLOGIES, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIVING, AND TOPOGRAPHIC CONSTRAINTS. THE REINTERPRETATION OF KEY ELEMENTS FROM THE ORIGINAL BUILDING, SUCH AS THE WALLS AND BUTTRESS, PLAYED A CENTRAL CONCEPTUAL ROLE IN THE PROJECT. THIS CAN BE SEEN IN THE GABLE TERMINATIONS AND THE SEPARATE EAST-FACING ACCOMMODATION UNIT WITH INCLINED PLANES. THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTRAST BETWEEN THE SOLID AND ENCLOSED EXTERIOR AND THE LIGHT AND OPEN INTERIOR BEAUTIFULLY ENCAPSULATES THE HARMONIOUS BLEND OF TRADITION AND CONTEMPORARY AESTHETICS.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY WAS A TOP PRIORITY THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, WITH A FOCUS ON REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND INCORPORATING MODERN TECHNOLOGIES. OUR COMMITMENT TO RESPONSIBLE DESIGN IS EVIDENT IN OUR CHOICE OF MATERIALS, INCLUDING A+ CERTIFIED WINDOW FRAMES AND GLASS FOR OPTIMAL THERMAL AND ACOUSTIC INSULATION. WE REPURPOSED THE OLD TAIPA WALLS BY FILLING THEM WITH THERMALLY EFFICIENT BRICK BLOCKS, WHILE UTILIZING CORK INSULATION, NATURAL MINERAL PAINTS, AND REGIONAL WOOD. SOLAR PANELS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED FOR WATER HEATING, AND WE HAVE PLANS FOR FURTHER EXPANSION TO ACHIEVE COMPLETE ELECTRICAL ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. ADDITIONALLY, ALL OUR LIGHTING FIXTURES EXCLUSIVELY USE LED TECHNOLOGY.
BEYOND OUR ARCHITECTURAL ENDEAVORS, WE ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE RESTORATION AND EVOLUTION OF OUR SITE. WE HAVE ALREADY PLANTED OVER 400 INDIGENOUS TREES AND 3500 LOW-MAINTENANCE OR DROUGHT-TOLERANT PLANTS, DILIGENTLY REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES TO MAKE SPACE FOR THE GROWTH OF LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA. OUR VINEYARD, ESTABLISHED IN 2017, IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A TRANSITION TO BIOLOGICAL AND ORGANIC PRACTICES. TO ENSURE RESPONSIBLE WATER USAGE, WE RELY ON RESTORED WELLS WHICH FEED A DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM, OPERATING WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE “PERIMETRO DE REGA DO MIRA.” WE HAVE ALSO IMPLEMENTED WATER-SAVING MEASURES THROUGHOUT OUR ESTABLISHMENT, INCLUDING THE USE OF LOW FLOW TAPS AND TOILETS.
RESPECTING AND PRESERVING LOCAL WILDLIFE IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO US. THE REGION IS RENOWNED FOR ITS DIVERSE WILDLIFE, WITH SPECIES SUCH AS EAGLES, HAWKS, RABBITS, FOXES, WILD BOARS, OTTERS, STORKS, TURTLES, AND MANY MORE. WE MAINTAIN WATER LINES AND PONDS ON OUR PROPERTY TO ACCOMMODATE OUR COHABITANTS, WHILE ENSURING THAT THE PLANTS AND TREES WE INTRODUCE ARE NATIVE AND PROVIDE FOOD AND SHELTER RESOURCES FOR THE LOCAL WILDLIFE.
AT AMARIA, OUR ULTIMATE AIM IS TO OFFER OUR GUESTS AN UPSCALE, COMFORTABLE, AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE THAT REFLECTS THE ESSENCE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT SURROUNDS THE PROPERTY. WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND FOSTERING CONNECTIONS WITH THE LAND, NATURE, AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
