Greenroofs.com Projects

Hotel Remota

Project Name: Hotel Remota
Year: 2005
Owner: Inmobiliaria Mares del Sur Ltda.
Location: Puerto Natales, Chile
Building Type: Commercial
Type: Intensive
System: Custom
Size: 18700 sq.ft.
Slope: 14.5%
Access: Inaccessible, Private
Submitted by: Greenroofs.com

Designers/Manufacturers of Record:
Architect: Germ?n del Sol, Arquitecto
Structural Engineer: Pedro Bartolom
Collaborating Architects: Jos? Luis Iba?ez & Francisca Sch?ler
Construction: SALFACORP S.A.
Photography: Guy Wemborne, Camus, and Turek

All Photos Courtesy Germ?n del Sol Architects

All Photos Courtesy Germ?n del Sol Architects, Photography by Guy Wemborne

The 4-star eco Hotel Remota (Remote Hotel) is located in the town of Puerto Natales, in the Seno de Ultima Esperanza province, the best place to begin a visit to the Patagonia area. It has a privileged location by the ocean at the starting point of the amazing mountains, lakes and glaciers of the Chilean Patagonia, and all of the rooms have a view of Ultima Esperanza Bay, the Balmaceda Glacier and the Paine Mountain Range. The Hotel Remota is located only 158 miles from Punta Arenas and 93 miles from the Torres del Paine national park. Each room has 344 square feet and has a private bath, direct dial phone and safe; and two meeting halls as well as a restaurant and bar. There is an additional complex with a heated indoor pool, Finnish sauna and Jacuzzi.

Inspired by Patagonian sheep farm buildings, architect (and professor at the Universidad de Chile) Germ?n del Sol designed the 72-room hotel to blend into the surrounding vistas and offer unparalleled luxury. It has two areas covered in gravel and native grasses; the maximum slope of the hotel greenroof is 14.5%, and the maximum slope of the guest rooms is 7%. The hotel is set on 4.31 Ha; built area encompasses 5,213 m2; and construction started in 2004 - 2005.

According to ArchitectureWeek (see below), "Saving energy was an important consideration in Hotel Remota's design. The orientation to the sun ensures passive solar energy absorption, and the yellow-shaded electric lights are of low-wattage. The bathrooms and laundry systems boast low-consumption water fittings. The spare interior is uncluttered by anything unnecessary, del Sol says. This not only conserves resources but contributes to the feeling of serenity.

"The natural grass of the Patagonian plain is left to grow wild all around Hotel Remota. This landscape also covers the roofs. In fact, the roof's asphalt-coated concrete slabs are planted with a two-foot- (60 centimeter-) high carpet of wild grasses."

Additional thumbnail photos:

All Photos Courtesy Germ?n del Sol Architects, Photography by Camus

All Photos Courtesy Germ?n del Sol Architects, Photography by Turek

Visit the Hotel Remota website, and download their beautiful, informative travel brochure here . Visit the website of the architect, Germ?n del Sol and see their Hotel Remota project description , and download a PDF describing architectural features here. Read more about this eco hotel in the April 5, 2006 ArchitectureWeek article by Jennifer LeClaire entitled "Patagonian Luxuries." Hotel Remota was featured in the Greenroofs.com 2010 Greenroofs of the World Calendar?.

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