ST. JOHN, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS—Stanley Selengut, founder of the eco-resorts Maho Bay Camps, Harmony Studios and Concordia Eco-Tents and Studios has added a new multi-use green building at Estate Concordia Preserve. Concordia and its sister resort, Maho Bay Camps, have been innovators in the design and operation of ecologically sensitive resorts since 1976 when it first opened the canvas doors of its eco-tents. Selengut’s latest addition at Concordia includes a store, café offering alfresco dining, event pavilion and large open space with a 280-degree panoramic view.
The pavilion and open space dining area provide a stunning setting for functions from yoga classes and retreats to island weddings. The Concordia Pavilion and Café features a 1,500-square-foot greenhouse roof covered deck and an open-air restaurant overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Drunk Bay, Ram Head Point and Salt Pond Bay.
St. John architect Glenn Speer used green building techniques throughout. To reuse existing materials, the Pavilion deck has been built entirely of rock-filled gabion baskets excavated from the site. The baskets are planted with native vines and hanging plants to blend into the natural landscape. Water is collected from the roof and processed to potable standards on site. Glass blocks admit natural light and lighting fixtures and decorative touches were made at Maho Bay Camps’ recycled arts center.
Estate Concordia Preserve, situated on the less traveled southeast corner of St. John, abuts the Virgin Islands National Park’s Salt Pond and Ram Head areas. All structures on the property provide unparalleled views. To the east are the British Virgin Islands. St. Croix can be seen at a distance of about 40 miles to the south.
Scenic, Historic Site
Salt Pond Bay’s white sand and calm water is an easy 15-minute walk along a trail connecting the National Park service road to Estate Concordia Preserve. The hike takes the walker past a fresh water pond frequented by wildlife and up over a rise where ruins from the plantation era are visible.
Each of the 25 Concordia Eco-tents is completely solar-powered and includes a sleeping loft in addition to a first-level bedroom area. Comfort and style are naturally blended to offer guests the conveniences of a private solar heated shower and composting toilet. Photovoltaic cells power the lights, refrigerators and electric fans. Fully furnished studios are also available. There is a fresh water pool on property easily accessible from all eco-tents and studios.
Concordia’s 51-acres, Selengut explains, “Are designed to grow into a model sustainable community.” The hillside above the eco-resort has been subdivided into one-acre lots. There, future vacation residences will be linked to a villa management plan that would rent the houses when their owners are absent. The next building phase will accommodate guests requiring a greater level of comfort, offering air-conditioned studio apartments, each with its own bathroom and kitchen.
“It is now possible for green travelers to enjoy intimacy with nature while staying in dwellings constructed almost entirely of recycled materials, powered by the sun, and built with site-sensitive techniques that preserve and protect the fragile eco-system of the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Selengut says. “In others words, creature comforts for all creatures.”
Go to Estate Concordia Preserve.
