in this guise beetus ill, are white This is pure fundamentalism. and that’s this cozy hotel Mediterranean air What’s open now in Menorca is much more than an agro-tourism accommodation. it is conceived as A hostel that stands on its own in every way with little environmental impact, “It was about being self-sufficient in energy, food and water, that our footprint was minimal – explains Benedicta Linares, owner and ideologue with her husband, Benoît Pellegrini-. We spent five years making choices at all levels and defining protocols spent doing. , what we sow, what we reap… we’ve always had a ecological awareness Important; All the food we serve is now local and seasonal produce, either our own or from trusted island producers.”
Looking for these other substantialities, he examined the building materials installed geothermal well for air conditioning and photovoltaic panels with batteries for electricity and hot water, and has a pool natural rocks and salt water; Chemistry does not interfere.
not without them
Benedicta, from Menorca with an English mother, and Benoît, from the south of France, have taken on this ambitious project with little previous experience. they also own It’s Bec D’Aguila, a traditional country house that they rent out as a whole. “We improved it without experience, but very carefully, as if it was for us, but we had bought this other farm and we wanted to make this eco-hotel. Benoit used to work at an investment fund, but he Wanted to give another message and go closer to nature,” he says. Benedicta. “It infected me with your love for Menorca from the very first day I set foot on the island,” says Benoit.
They are not alone in this project, with them engineers and French architects from Atelier du Pont and the Menorcan ARU to design the technical and agricultural systems. With the former, led by Anne-Cécile Comar, they had already collaborated on the work of Es Bec. Studio founded by Nando Ponce, located in Mahón, who is a fine connoisseur vernacular architecture And administrative complications paved the way for his execution.
Jisco and Josep, two farmers working the field, on a terrace in front of the house Photo: Karel Ballas
Son Blanc is also a renovated traditional construction located in a 120 hectares farm between Allaire and South Shore, and has only 14 rooms. It has been restored using the methods of bioclimatic architecture: Inert materials such as stone and cork for insulation and traditional techniques such as lime painting are accomplished by the use of sustainable systems such as thermal roofing and geothermal heat pumps. The outdoor lighting has been reduced to avoid wastage of energy.
Son Blanc aims to produce its own energy and use its own resources Measure Your Carbon Footprint Annually, Balance the consumption of resources and energy and reduce their emissions. The goal is to achieve complete energy, hydraulic and food self-sufficiency by 2030. “It’s gotten very complicated because the island is very conservationist but not modern, and getting permits to do such an unconventional thing requires more effort than you imagine,” says the owner.
make it beautiful
For the decor, she has also got the help of the French Office without stepping out. durable line pre planned. “We made almost everything to measure and by hand with local craftsmen and materials or, best of all, with European ones, in a long but very beautiful process.” The couple, who live in London although they met on the island, have partnered with Laura and Alejo, owners of the Quitapenas restaurant, for the gastronomic management, always with the premise of making the food production one hundred percent friendly reduce waste,
The rural suite’s bathtub carved from a single block of travertine by Fuguet from Menorca Photo: Karel Balas
“There will be an act of education with the guests, to explain why they will find some things and the absence of others. Sea and land will decide what is eaten.” Much will come from olive trees, almond trees, sheep and edible gardens of medicinal, aromatic and fruit plants, which are cultivated in permaculture to reduce carbon emissions and promote biodiversity. Son Blanc merges into the landscape with a traditional image under which a radical point of view is hidden.
