Abstract:
Architecture is the reflection of the society. In other words it reflects needs, desires,
aspirations, customs and attitude of the society. Yet, in our field of architecture, we could be
contributing to the environmental problems facing the planet more than others. Does it mean
the society lets itself gets away with paying no heed to the environment or architects should
be paying greater attention to the way we design and construct, thus leaving the resultant
impact on the environment minimal. Having known for a fact that building is an irreversible
activity, leaving a permanent mark on Earth, both directly and indirectly, yet we find
ourselves choosing the simpler solution to bigger and complex problems letting the economic
imperative overrule our conscience of the negative impacts our design may generate. With the
rising awareness of the world that we are gaining through rigorous scientific studies, we have
a duty to understand the implications of what we are doing.
There are then a number of reasons for which eco-tourism resorts should display an
environment friendly attitude. Today there are tourists who want to get closer to the nature
and culture of the region whilst at the same time being conscious of the need to preserve what
is left of it. And it was this desire that gave rise to the Eco-Tourism movement which makes
it the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. It is an expression of the trend where
our environmental concerns are more often reflected in choices that we make about the way
we wish to spend our holidays. In turn, this has also shifted the focus of tourism development
on previously untouched or undeveloped areas. It must also be agreed upon that in all
sensitive environments, tourist development would be stopped or prevented, which would be
followed by unavoidable impacts on the environment. The challenge is to find a balance
between the aesthetic and environmental needs of a project, as well as between tangible and
intangible threats and opportunities, to secure increasingly scarce resources for future
generations.
