World Renowned Green Architect & Landscape Architect Hitesh Mehta For Community Event on Sustainable Building at Caneel & Elsewhere Thursday, May 20 at Gifft Hill School, 5:30 – 7 pm
St. John, USVI – May 13, 2021 – On Thursday, May 20, the St. John community will have the rare opportunity to learn about sustainable refurbishment and building in harmony with nature from award-winning green architect and landscape architect Hitesh Mehta FRIBA FASLA FAAK. The event, hosted by Island Green Living and open for in-person and virtual attendance, will educate on this critical green issue and provide examples that could be incorporated at Caneel Bay Resort and into other projects. Mehta has for many years led teams in the design and development of some of the most iconic eco-friendly resorts globally including Nihi Resort in Indonesia, identified as the Top Hotel in the World by Travel and Leisure for two consecutive years, and the highly anticipated Six Senses Galapagos Eco-Resort and Spa.
Mehta will provide valuable tips for building using indigenous materials and indigenous landscaping, incorporating recycled & repurposed materials, clean energy & water conservation and more to reduce the carbon footprint without sacrificing quality, beauty, comfort or utility. Insights on rebuilding hurricane damaged properties in a more ecologically responsible manner, such as Caneel Bay Resort, will also be explored. A Q&A will follow the presentation.
“One of the missions of Island Green is to ensure that green building practices are part of all projects, including the reimagined Caneel Bay Resort. Hitesh Mehta is one of the foremost experts in this area. We are honored to have his perspective and invite the community to learn more,” explained Harith Wickrema, President of Island Green.
The event will take place in person and will also be available via Zoom. To register, please contact Island Green Executive Director Kelly McKinney-Lawson at kelly@islandgreenliving.org or by phone at 340-998-4446.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
The Gifft Hill School, Upper Campus
From 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Please register for in-person or Zoom attendance as noted above.
To ensure the health and safety of in-person attendees, social distancing and the wearing of masks will be strictly enforced per local law/restrictions.
In 2015, Mehta was the recipient of United Nations (UNEP/GFHS) “Outstanding Achievement Award” for his work with alleviating poverty and protecting sensitive ecosystems. He is considered by his peers as the world’s leading authority, practitioner and researcher on sustainable tourism/ecotourism physical planning and both the landscape architectural and architectural aspects of eco-lodges. Hitesh has over 33 years’ experience, having worked and consulted in 66 countries on six continents. He is probably the only design professional in the world to be inducted as a Fellow on three different continents – American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), England and Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), Kenya – and in two different professions – Landscape Architecture and Architecture.
Established in 2004, Island Green Living Association is a registered 501 (c)(3) not for profit organization on St. John dedicated to sustainability throughout the USVI. www.islandgreenliving.org.