After defining environmentally friendly and sustainable in a recent article, we have taken the time to look at our own four pillars of sustainability that guide our management, business and guest services decision.
The four pillars that internationally define sustainable development are human, environmental, economic and societal/cultural components.
Casa de las Olas takes this even one step further to reflect what each and how each of these four pillars contribute to your vacation experience in Tulum, our daily operations, our international experiences, design choices, and concierge services.
4 pillars of sustainability at Casa de las Olas
Protect, preserve, embrace and educate. In addition to the 4 pillars that define sustainability; human, environmental, economic and societal/cultural pillars, we have created yet another defining level that guides us in our daily operations and guest decisions.
Protect – Casa de las Olas, since the initial construction plan over 15 years ago, was based on a protection principle for the environment, the local economy, human experiences and the local societal/cultural influences that have defined Tulum. With more guests coming from international locations each year, the societal/cultural influences reflect a multicultural framework not just a local cultural focus. Our solar power, grey water system, respect for the ocean, cenote, palm trees and native plant species, combined with local hiring, use of local building materials, and requests to our guests to amend some typical hotel practices (daily towel washing by request only, use of biodegrable cleaners, biodegrable guest amenities, eco-sunscreens and bug replenant) and wanting to bring international guests to Tulum, Mexico to help the economy all lie within the framework of protecting our surroundings.
Preserve – Casa de las Olas not only manages its property to preserve the local environment, but also preserve the ocean and fresh water cenote that is directly on the property. If this is not preserved, then the effect is direct harm to the ecosystems that are attached to these vast water bodies. The ocean in front of Casa de las Olas is connected to over 75% of the planet. The cenote, though only visible on land for a few hundred meters, is connected to over 700 kms of cave system that lies beneath the lime stone. We also want to assist in preserving the spirit and soul of our guests with a peaceful, unintrusive home for the length of their stay. For us, a vacation is sacred and requires time to preserve and regenerate the human spirit and soul. Additionally, we also wish to preserve the local languages, Spanish and Mayan including the customs and history that has formed Tulum.
Embrace – From the moment we first visited Tulum to the moment we woke this moring, we embrace all of Tulum; the residents, the visitors, the culture, the norms, the landscape, the food, the gifts and the challenges that this area provides us. We accept ‘manana’ as a cultural way of life and plan accordingly. We embrace what we have learned and continue to learn from our international living experience. We embrace the international experiences of our guests and appreciate when our guests embrace our multicultural experiences. We embrace stories and the power they have. We embrace the gifts that the wind, the sun, the rain and the waves provide us throughout the year. We are thankful that we are in a position to be open to embrace the environmental, cultural, human and economic gifts that we receive and give out every day.
Educate – Our guests are our best educational forces, and we know that life is an ongoing educational journey. As beach villa hosts and owners, our education is more than we could ask for and truly we thank our guests for this. Our staff also continues this cycle of education and it is their gracious teaching that makes us laugh and learn each day in Tulum. Our mission is also to open our guests to educational experiences whether it be through a local dish, a unique ruin, a book, a website, a discussion about our grey water or building practices. We are inspired to grow with Casa de las Olas, and we hope that our guests will also grow with us.
Casa de las Olas will continue to define multiple levels of sustainability
Sustainability is about development and as we continue to develop the beach villa, our guest services, and local education, we know that our 4 pillars of sustainability, starting with human, environmental, societal/cultural and economics will develop deeper than our second level of guiding pillars; protect, preserve, embrace and educate.
Follow us on Facebook to see how our sustainable development projects both physically and philosophically develop throughout 2012, and beyond. Check out the Casa de las Olas sustainable travel page to understand how your vacation is enhanced by our sustainable development practices.
excelent information and website, congratulations.