Yuj Eco Resort

How can tourism on the slopes of Aldeia de Álvaro promote the sustainable development of the territory, defending the environmental health and well-being of local communities?

In a region heavily battered by the 2017 fires, this new hotel dedicated to the practice of yoga and well-being embraces Álvaro’s historical roots and material culture.

The village of Álvaro extends along the slope overlooking the River Zêzere, nestled in the Cabril reservoir. Rich in religious heritage, the village was once an important settlement for the religious orders, which left numerous testimonies of their presence.
The landscape and environmental integration were the starting points of this new hotel unit. The project responds to the atmospheric and morphological conditions of the land and great care has been taken to provide guests with ideal thermal comfort during their stay. Temperature, precipitation, wind and solar incidence were taken into account for the use of cooling and passive heating strategies in the winter and summer seasons.

The materiality of the buildings allows guests to connect with the environment, where the endemic vegetation, the structure of wood and schist make reference to the heritage of an intangible and environmental cultural heritage. The aim is to replace the native tree species that were decimated by fires, these being the main hosts on the routes that will be provided to guests, from the central house to a group of villages where guests stayed during their stay. Each accommodation unit is designed to promote intimate and social living. They will consist of a bedroom, sanitary installation, living area, dining room, kitchen and terrace; Buildings are configured to maximize efficiency, ensuring a constant dialogue between the interior space and the surrounding landscape. The result is to make a building permeable where the boundaries between the interior and the exterior fade away, where the walls of wood and schist merge with the landscape.

The future unit intends to provide a full experience, an architecture that merges with its surroundings. Encourage and promote being with people, with oneself, visiting the area and understanding the culture, provoking thought and not taking it.
This project embraces this initiative so that together we can build a future that is not only sustainable and inclusive, but also truly beautiful, both for our eyes and for our minds and souls.