By Marlene Ridgway

In just two years, the first fully carbon-neutral and emission-free resort, Six Senses Svart will welcome guests to stay and explore, all while combating the pollution that the travel industry typically generates.

The 94-room resort will offer adventure and conscientious travelers an incredible way to experience and preserve the unique environment of the Svartisen glacier in Norway. The revolutionized resort plans to take sustainability and energy efficiency to a new level by not only eliminating negative impacts on the surrounding environment from start to finish, but also generating its own energy through solar panels and geothermal wells.

Guests will get an immersive experience where they can enjoy the surrounding landscape guilt-free. “Six Senses Svart aims to become a prototype for the future of sustainable hospitality,” says Jeff Smith, vice president of sustainability for Six Senses.

The eye-catching, ring-shaped resort will combine a futuristic design and technological innovation with earthy, organic materials that use the least embedded energy. The circular green form is tactile, creating a feeling of openness and perpetual consciousness of nature as it gives the building a transparent appearance. The happy side effect is its ability to collect energy from the roof and offer panoramic views and privacy with the expanded distance between rooms.

Preserving and Generating Energy

The resort will be poised above the water and landscape to minimize the impact on the environment, a notion that has influenced every decision about the project along the way. Six Senses Svart aims to demonstrate that carbon neutrality can be not only feasible in a sophisticated development at an eco-sensitive site, but can also be profitable.

The resort will also funnel solar energy back into the running of the hotel, boat shuttle, and energy needed for building, making it possible for the resort to function entirely off the power grid. Such energy-positive buildings could deliver 89 percent of the 45 percent decrease in emissions required to reach the scenario where global warming is limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

To create a self-sustaining travel destination, the resort will employ its own waste and water management, recycling, and renewable infrastructure. The team will work with existing sustainable fishing and farming operations and engage like-minded local suppliers for the restaurants and bars. All of this will make the zero waste dining venue possible where everything from food storage, prep, and dining will be a proactive, sustainable decision. For example, “whatever isn’t eaten fresh from the farm may get pickled or utilized in some other way,” according to Smith.

Health and Wellness

The resort will not simply have a positive impact on the area, but will also prove restorative for guests looking for an authentic and unplugged experience. Outdoor adventures, such as biking, hiking, and horseback riding will entertain guests while the spa and fitness center will encourage even more rest and rejuvenation.

Six Senses Svart will cover the full gambit of integrated wellness, with state-of-the-art equipment and wearable technology assimilation, integrating a specially developed Svart Touch concept that will further elevate the brand’s pioneering wellness approach.