Hasta La Ideas

Recent winner of a 2009 Green Good Design Award, Bali’s Alila Villas Uluwatu sets a soaring example of what it currently means to be a luxurious green resort. Stylish clifftop villas, designed and constructed according to a strict Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) framework, earn the posh destination the highest level of sustainable certification—a first for any Balinese resort.

Perched high up on the southern coastline of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, not far from the area’s famous surf break, the spa resort expertly champions the concept of creating a modern yet unimposing locale that seamlessly blends in with its natural surroundings.

The Singapore-based architecture firm Woha, a company known for its sustainable housing projects, modeled the Balinese-inspired villas on open-air structures. Guests can adjust the flow of natural breezes via sliding glass doors, while airy wooden cabanas and relaxation pavilions jutting out over the Indian Ocean resemble cubic Bauhaus nests.

To help sustain local bird and animal populations, indigenous plants are cultivated at an on-site nursery. Other ESD measures include the use of local construction materials such as teak, lava rock and bamboo as well as water conservation through the use of salt water pools and gray water systems help recycle laundry, dishwashing and bathing water for landscape irrigation.

Villas begin at $800 per night, to book visit Mr and Mrs Smith.