Benoy’s landscape architecture sister business, Uncommon Land attend the PhilHOST 2023 Conference
Rayvees Goh, Director of Uncommon Land, Benoy’s landscape architecture sister business, attended the PhilHOST 2023 Conference on June 23rd at Ascott BGC, Taguig City.
The premier hospitality event unites industry leaders to address sustainability challenges, exchange best practices, and explore opportunities. It aims to uncover strategies driving positive environmental and social impact while improving business performance.
Rayvees spoke at the panel session “Sustainable Hospitality Development” alongside Adrian Marsden, Associate Director at ARUP, and Jan-Willem Nell, Technical Manager Land Reclamation & Digital Engineering at Royal Haskoning DHV Philippines. The session was moderated by Sylvester Wong, Business Lead at AECOM Asia ESG Services.
Furthermore, Rayvees outlined three ways of going the extra mile to deliver the guest experience through design:
· Strategizing for Future Demands: Sustainable resort developments needs to anticipate future demands for at least 50 years by considering the environment, climate, biodiversity, social aspects, cultural preservation, heritage, and economic sustainability.
· Comprehensive Site Understanding: Conducting a meticulous analysis of the site, including its current and historical context, to establish a baseline assessment and ensure a site-specific and sensitive approach to the design.
· Embracing a Holistic Approach: Integrating sustainable design comprehensively and maintaining unwavering commitment from concept to construction for successful guest-centric and sustainable resort developments are realized.
Rayvees Goh highlighted, “In sustainable hospitality development, strategic master planning and holistic design approach are essential components that establish the foundation for optimising operational efficiencies, minimising environmental impact, and preserving biodiversity. As landscape architects, we have the extraordinary opportunity to seamlessly blend nature’s beauty, local craftsmanship, and architectural heritage into the fabric of our built environment.”
“By creating spaces that inspire, rejuvenate, and foster connections between people and the diverse ecosystems, we strengthen the sustainable principles of our projects — to promote a harmonious coexistence and preserving both heritage and biodiversity for the future of resort developments.”
Rayvees emphasised sustainable landscape strategies through best practices from three projects: Boracay, Philippines; Yangshuo in Guilin, China; and Sanya in Hainan, China. He stressed the importance of close collaboration among landscape architects, sustainability consultants, architects, and developers to ensure the success of these projects.
PhilHOST (Philippine Hospitality on Sustainable Tourism) is an annual event that gathers the hospitality industry in the Philippines to discuss destination situations, challenges, opportunities, and best practices in sustainability. With participation from around 200 hotel owners, developers, operators, and regional experts from the public and private sectors, including tourism and hospitality organizations, it serves as a platform to merge global and local expertise. This transformative event is co-organized by Greenview, and co-chaired by TAJARA HOSPITALITY and ULI Philippines.
