Located on the Kenyan coast, Medina Palms is an exclusive collection of luxury properties all with direct access to the powder white beaches of the Watamu National Marine Park and the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Carefully designed with strong environmental and conservation principles, the village is around a two-hour journey from Tsavo National Park, one of Kenya’s largest wildlife reserves.

• zero-carbon

Optimum orientation and design - balconies and roof terraces - ensures natural cooling by taking advantage of prevailing breezes. Energy from renewables includes solar hot water and LED lighting for communal buildings, gardens and walkways. Low energy light bulbs will be used in the properties. A wind generator is proposed for pumping pool water and providing some community lighting. A plant nursery onsite is propagating indigenous trees and plants that will complement the existing flora and offset carbon dioxide emissions.

• zero-waste

Kitchens will be fitted with separate recycling bins. Recycled glass products will be used onsite where possible. Offsite composting is undertaken. Construction material waste will be recycled and reused. Plastic flipflops will be collected from the tidal debris and given to The Flipflop Recycling Company who recycle them into craft items. Medina Palms have instigated ‘Keep Watamu Clean - No Plastics’ which launches in October 2008. The project aims to rid Watamu of plastic carrier bags by supplying the local supermarket with reusable woven carrier bags.

• sustainable water

Two Bio Digesters will minimise water consumption and generate water for irrigation purposes. Showers rather than baths and dual flush WCs will conserve water. 120,000 litre storage tanks will hold rainwater, and the use of terracing and construction on sand will reduce ‘run off’. The planting of indigenous trees and shrubs will complement soil stability.

• local and sustainable building materials

The properties are to be built from stone block - locally sourced from a quarry for consistency of structural strength - concrete and steel, with local casurina and palm thatch roofs. Local plaster craftsman will be employed for the fine decoration of the walls; an estimated 40 new jobs will be created long-term and 150 short-term.

• sustainable transport

Two staffed solar electric golf buggies will transport owners/guests and goods around the site, and a collection of bicycles will be available for use. Each owner has one parking space, which will be used on average 10% of the year. Guests tend not to hire cars and instead use the local ‘tuk-tuks’ or taxis, which supports the local community.

Facing the spectacular Atlas Mountains, Domaine Royal Palm is an eco-friendly residential and hotel resort that will be home to sport and leisure facilities, a small shopping centre, and two luxury hotels - Beachcomer Hotels Royal Palm Golf and Spa (Clarins) and a Marriot Hotel - where the conceptual philosophy is one of the sensible use of and respect for natural resources, heritage, Morocco and traditional values.

• zero-carbon

No fossil fuels are being used - renewable energy is from solar and ground source heat for the villas and swimming pools. The villas’ orientation is designed to optimise natural temperature regulation, exploiting shaded areas while facilitating air circulation. The use of terracotta bricks in cavity walls ensures optimal insulation. More than 200,000 olive trees and indigenous dense shrub hedges will be planted across the resort.

• zero-waste

The developer says recycling is a new issue in Morocco, and a civic pre-treatment station for waste/packaging is due in two years. Prior to its implementation a planned system of selective sorting of the garbage will be practised at the resort. Similarly, the treatment of organic waste is planned.

• sustainable water

Rainwater will be collected and recycled. The golf course will be watered using recovered water that has been treated in the resort’s used water purification station, which is being built specifically for the development. Low flush toilets and air-flow taps will be installed in all villas. The swimming pools’ waters will be treated naturally with electrolysis or UV filter. The planting of local fauna will alleviate rainwater runoff.

• local and sustainable building materials

All of the villas are built using local terracotta. Earth used for walls and plaster is taken directly from the site to ensure complete harmony between the colours of the building and the land. The resort’s fencing and land divisions are made of traditional rammed earth or dense shrub hedges. A minimum of 2,500 locals will be employed to work on construction and operationally to run the resort overseen by an environment director.

• sustainable transport

Owners and their guests’ motor vehicles are permitted onsite. Electric buggies will be provided onsite. Site security and maintenance will be undertaken on a non-motorised vehicle. A shuttle bus service will be operated to the airport and to Marrakech city centre to obviate the need for owners to use their own vehicles or to hire cars.

Sambala Developments is creating luxury properties within an integrated resort scheme, and adopts a rigid environmental code of practice and social integrity. Environmentally sound building techniques are practised with recycled construction materials and FSC certified furniture packs. Wind power and biodiesel are being investigated to reduce CO2 emissions.

• zero-carbon

Discussions are underway with a number of manufacturers of solar panels and alternative power sources, including the largest wind farm developer in Latin America to produce a wind farm on Sambala land to reduce guests' carbon footprint when the resort opens.

• zero-waste

A recycling programme is being implemented and limited amounts of non-compostable materials are being used onsite. Black waste is treated and reused as compost. An initiative to create an alternative to plastic water bottles for use in the resort is being explored.

• sustainable water

Sambala re-cycles and re-uses 800,000 litres (80%) of water daily. The water can be used for irrigation of planting areas and the biodiesel plantations. An advanced American system to avoid evaporation by locking the moisture beneath the soil has been implemented.

• local and sustainable building materials

Local basaltic rock has been utilised this extensively in the building of walls, roads and most of the paving, which is all hand cobbled by solely local workers. A recycled steel frame is used to mitigate the depletion of sand for construction. Furniture is from reclaimed and salvaged sources.

• sustainable transport

Sambala is in discussions with a company that manufactures solar powered golf buggies with a view to using them around the resort and golf course.