The Residence Maldives
Island nations like the Maldives are particularly susceptible to external shocks and disasters that may disrupt supply chains, which makes food security extremely important for resorts. A multi-faceted, on-site farm with a focus on herbs and vegetables suitable for the humid coastal environment doubles as a unique experiential offering for guests, and a culinary playground for the resort’s talented F&B team. The farm also functions as a site to absorb waste streams such as food waste for composting and carpentry waste for mulch.
The food forest was previously inundated by seasonal monsoon rains. An integrated series of permeable retention channels in the form of 7 banana circles and swales was created to slow down the flow of water and also act as storage chamber for excess water, successfully eradicating future flooding scenarios in the area. Now, the food forest requires minimal maintenance and provides a constant harvest of fruits and local herbs for the resort, while also functioning as an experiential shaded area for guests to walk through during daily farm tours.
In a second area, a successional agroforestry system was started to allow for a continual harvest of annuals (banana, pineapple, tapioca) until the climax trees (jackfruit, mango) can be harvested from. We utilised existing waste streams from the resort on site, such as coconut husks to border no-dig raised beds, chipped down woody material for mulch, and food waste in a hot composting system to generate fertility in Maldive’s sandy soils.