What it is and it's application for Aroha

“Permaculture” is a term that was first coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in their 1978 book Permaculture One – a publication that has paved the way for the groundbreaking developments of sustainability and more recently, permaculture itself.

You may have already heard of the term, but do you actually know what it means? In our minds, the best way to properly define the term is to use the definition from the creators themselves.

Permaculture is:

“The conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.” – Bill Mollison

Simply put, permaculture is a design philosophy that provides a way for people to live harmoniously with the natural environment. It is a way of thinking, living and working as one with nature, as opposed to against it. So why is permaculture so important to the BELIEVE HOTEL GROUP?

To illustrate how our wellness retreats will apply these principles. Let’s take a closer look at one of our permaculture petals; “Building”:

In building our retreat, we have adopted the principles of green architecture; safeguarding air, water and earth by choosing eco-friendly materials and construction practices. Our tented accommodation will follow the natural course of the landscape with as little impact on the natural vegetation as possible. The platforms will be constructed utilising bamboo, with incredibly high sustainability credentials. All of our structures will be designed and located to get the very best from the natural environment – maximising sunlight, breezes and natural shelter, capturing solar energy and removing the requirement for cooling. We will also adhere to sustainable water conservation and management processes by following waste management practices like rainwater harvesting and the use of natural filtration processes in our swimming pools.

This is just one example of Permaculture that we have integrated into our retreat planning and design. Over the course of the next few months we will continue to share other elements, ideas and proposed initiatives with you.

As Bill Mollison said,

“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”