Here are some photos of the first completed refurbished chalets. The general idea of the refurbishment was to improve the environmental performance of the buildings and to raise the standard of comfort and facilities available to guests. The layout of bedrooms has been modified to enhance the feeling of privacy and provide a better view of the rainforest, ensuite bathrooms are now more spacious and luxurious and selected chalets feature a private spa bath on the veranda with uninterrupted views of the Danum River. To maintain...

I have had a number of air-conditioning related comments to my last blog post, so I feel the need to try to explain myself a bit better. The following critique could be aimed at any country and discusses cultural aspirations for the built environment.In many cases these aspirations lead to inappropriate use of materials and technology with scant regard for sense of place or community. This is represented in Sabah by gridiron rows of concrete air conditioned boxes with mirrored glass windows and faux stone columns. Often the stylistic...

This is Borneo Rainforest Lodge, otherwise known as BRL to the cognoscenti. It’s marketed as ‘An exclusive facility for natural history tourism’. It is exclusive because it is relatively small, relatively expensive and difficult to get to. Size is a key issue when talking about eco-tourism. The Danum Valley Conservation Area is virgin lowland rainforest, far too fragile to put up with hordes of tourists trampling through the undergrowth. Besides, the uncomfortable two and a half hour 4WD journey should be enough to dissuade...

Previous posts describe the challenge of designing buildings for an untouched and fragile area of outstanding natural beauty. It is impossible to work in this environment without being aware of the threats to it's exisitence, hence posts have often digressed into related subjects such as reforestation, ecosystem services and palm oil plantations. This post will come back to the point and show you some design proposals. Some of these camps may get built in the next couple of years, the Seraya Camp and Maliau Falls observation...