hospitalitystyle.com

(September 2008) posted on Thu Sep 11, 2008 EDT

A Himalayan eco-retreat showcases the dharma of nature as design.

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Some are born green. Some achieve green-ness. And some have green-ness thrust upon them. Shakti's 360° Leti falls into the latter category.

Shakti's owner Jamshyd Sethna created a destination resort that lets its surroundings take center stage. But to do so, his team was forced to work with the daunting environment, making this getaway an eco-retreat by, well, nature.

Built in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, 360° Leti borrows construction practices from India's mountain-dwelling people, who understand that the Himalayas' harsh conditions require cooperation with the location. Evolved from what once was a tented camp, 360° Leti's four cottages and main building offer travelers an elegant, indigenous experience near the roof of the world.

Leti's remote setting needed some eco-tweaks to earn "luxury" status. The cottages are solar-powered and draw mountain spring water to provide guests with the comforts of electricity and running water. Shakti also trains locals as field guides, cooks and resort staff to ensure the property is integrated into its setting culturally as well as aesthetically.

Sethna believes his remote village has something to offer a populace starved for a natural sanctuary outfitted with creature comforts. "The concept of luxury is changing all the time," Sethna says. "Privacy, design, great food and unobtrusive service are their own luxury. What I'm trying to do is replicate a really nice home up in the mountains."

The cottages and adjoining main building tread nearly as lightly on the Earth as the tented camp that preceded them. But a canvas retreat isn't the same as a room with a view-or one with an en suite bath. Sethna opted for a more structural solution.

Floor-to-ceiling windows display the scenery that drives 360° Leti's design. Slate floors, stone walls, wood trim and a neutral color palette wipe out any visual distraction that might divert guests from their personal encounter with one of Earth's highest mountain ranges. Well-contoured furnishings with textured throws and white sheepskin rugs echo local design. Even the simple, clean lines of the teak window panes do their part to support the cottage's uncomplicated ambiance.

While the views at 8,000 feet can be magnificent, building a space to enjoy them from is not an easy task. Strong winds and soaking rains forced builders to work with the elements. "There was lots of seepage from the monsoons. We had to rework the drainage in the landscaping," Sethna recalls.

Architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai Architects in Mumbai, India, and teams of local workers collected stones and used a building technique called "dry stacking" to make the walls of the cottages. But heavy rains, landslides, drafty rooms and insect invasions required fine-tuning to improve the traditional method. Modifications such as wooden reinforcements and insulation were made to keep the outdoors outside while maintaining the "natural" façade.

But extreme elements ultimately mean the village also has to have mobile capabilities. "The dry stacking and lack of cement in construction creates a very light footprint on its surroundings. We could dismantle 360° Leti and move it somewhere else and you wouldn't know that we'd been here," Sethna says.

Now that's luxury reincarnated.