INTRODUCTION
SAIRU Hill Resort is set against the spectacular greenery-covered-hill-range of Bandarban in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, renowned for its natural beauty and considered as the heart of Buddhist culture within Bangladesh. Bandarban is a district in the South-Eastern part of Bangladesh and regarded as one of the most attractive travel places in the country. Bandarban (meaning the dam of monkeys) is the home of the Bohmong Chief (currently King, also called Raja, Aung Shwe Prue Chowdhury. He is the head of the Marma population). Sairu is located 18 km away from Bandarban Town on the hill slopes at the Y – junction of the road from Bandarban to Chimbuk. It takes approximately 40 – 45 minutes to drive through this interesting hilly terrain on a road that ascends and descends along the curves of the hills. The 12-Acre Site of Sairu has a 360º panoramic view with low drifting clouds from March to September thus creating an ambience of cohabitation with the clouds. One can touch and feel the clouds, experience an awesome feeling of being caressed by the warm & cold mist. Sairu Resort overlooks the Shangu River, the Bay of Bengal and the hilly range along the Myanmar border. On a clear sunny day, the Bay of Bengal is visible on the horizon which is just about 40 km crow-flight-distance away. Designed and executed by DOMUS, the concept was to design a contemporary resort following the ‘Less is More’ principle. The masterplan was conceived by being sensitive towards the site and surroundings. Most of the structures have been built on steel stilts to minimize any change in thenatural contours. The existing trees have been left untouched and more plants were added when shaping the landscape of the resort. The spaces were designed to obtain maximum panoramic views taking full advantage of the topography while including the luxuries of a modern-day-resort. Local materials were used to achieve the rustic-look which blends with nature.

BACKGROUND
Mr. Ranglai Mro, a Headman from the Mro Tribe is the owner of this beautiful land. He approached certain individuals with the idea of utilizing this land for a viable project with his partnership. These individuals interested to explore the potential and possibilities visited the site and fell for it. The idea of Sairu Resort was conceived. One of the partners of Sairu Resort, Mr. Mustafa Ameen the Architect-Proprietor of DOMUS, initiated the concept design & execution of the project that would promote tourism along with the Culture & Crafts of the local people thus contributing to the economic emancipation of the community.

VISION
The aim of the project was to put Bandarban on the map for the whole world to take notice. Promote the culture of the local tribes of Bandarban and thus encourage the possibility of generating employment for them. The tourism industry has been growing since the last decade. Tourists from abroad are also forthcoming into Bangladesh to see its natural beauty. As a result, a lot of resorts are being constructed in parts of Cox’s Bazaar, Sylhet, Chittagong etc. But, unfortunately good resorts or hotels are scarce in Bandarban and it is falling behind in the tourism sector. Its lush green land is still a mystery for young travelers and tourists.

DESIGN PROCESS AND CHALLENGES
Designing the resort has been a mammoth task. The topography of the site itself made construction merely impossible, but after tedious site surveys, analyzing the soil condition, understanding the wind flow patterns the design and implementation process began through a trial and error process. Even so, addressing Bandarban’s climate and weather was a nightmare. The site experienced rainfall quite frequently and during the monsoon season it would rain more than 3 weeks straight, this made construction even more difficult. In order to keep the contours intact, the building blocks were placed on stilts. In order to protect from heavy rainfall and sun roof-overhangs were introduced. The water from the rains were harvested and reused. The aid of gravity was taken when designing the plumbing system of the resort, by following the hill slopes. There was concern that construction could damage the pristine beauty of Nature unless it blended with the topography keeping the contours intact. Sairu was constructed, to the delight of the partners with utmost sensitivity, the only exception being the driveway which had to be scrapped and curved out of the hill. Water had to be sourced from a spring almost 1200 feet below the Resort Site which proved to be a colossal task. The materials used in the course of construction were all collected locally such as wood, bamboo, traditional fabrics etc. All the floors were kept in neat cement finish in order to reduce the use of commercial tiles. We tried to reduce the use of commercial products as much as possible and focused on using local resources and hand crafted materials.

We gave back to nature ten folds; new plants were added to recuperate the greens which were lost or damaged during the course of construction and becoming a major threat to the ecosystem. The fruits of which could be experienced when spring came by bringing birds and butterflies to our site along with the bees that came to gather honey from the freshly blossomed flowers. A lot of research and painful exercises were undertaken by the team to achieve the perfect building placement, harmony with nature and orientation which not only ensured maximum views but also achieved natural ventilation. Large balconies were designed to reduce the heat from the west and green roofs were added to keep the flow of air into the rooms cool.

RESPONSIBLE HOSPITALITY
FAIR TRADE (TWO WAY)/ LOCAL ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT (INVOLVEMENT)
Here at Sairu Hill Resort we follow the principles of Fair Trade which is a vehicle to supporting and respecting workers’ rights and assures a business that maintains strict labor, environmental and development standards. Emphasis is given on the following: Company Management & Human Resource Workplace Practices to ensure fair wages, health and safety for workers. Avoid Child labor. Community Practice Fair share of Local Recruitment, Procurement of essentials from Local Area and giving back into the community. Cultural Heritage Respecting Local Culture, minimizing negative impacts and maximizing benefits. Environment Consumption of Resources, Disposal of wastes and Protection of bio-diversity.

SUSTAINABILITY (TOURISM/ECOTOURISM/ARCHITECTURE)
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY/ CONSERVATION
We are committed to conserving and protecting the natural landscape and heritage of the area. Utmost time and effort has been invested in setting up the Resort by integrating the natural contours and existing vegetation into the contemporary design architecture that blends well with the surroundings. Much effort has also gone into reducing energy usage by proper/functional design of lighting and ventilation. Solar Power will be used as much as possible along with other energy sources. Some other ‘green’ features of the Resort are as follows:

– Rain Water collection and Gray Water recycling.

– Composting.

– Food prepared from organically grown herbs & vegetables grown on Site and procured from locals.

-Landscaping with local plants and edible herbs.

-Environmental education programs for local schools.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Providing a Base for Tourists to explore Nature and Heritage of the Area besides relaxing is our prime Social Responsibility. The locals have been included in the creation of the Resort in the form of laborers, gardeners, artisans and Tour Guides. Sairu pledges to promote local culture, arts and crafts by keeping Weekly Cultural Programs performed by local artists and a Crafts Kiosk catering for local crafts. This will provide the Visitors with authentic cultural experience. Since the Tribals are poor and a wee bit backward in contrast to the rest of the population of the country, the Resort will employ maximum locals for providing service to guests and maintenance of the area thus upgrading the living standards of their families. We also have plans to set up Donation Boxes so that Visitors will be able to contribute and take part in the education of the local tribal children; we have already made contacts with schools of the area with a mind to assist them in their education process.

VOLUNTOURISM/ APPRENTICESHIP EXPERIENCE/ EXCHANGE PROGRAM
We shall promote ‘voluntourism’. Visitors will be able to volunteer as teachers in local schools and may help villagers in building homes. Voluntourism activities will vary from week to week, so visitors will be required to check back to see what opportunities are available during their stay at the Resort.