From above, the Kudadoo Maldives Private Resort looks like it is floating in a calm blue-green sea.
The three hectare resort is located on Kudadoo Island, in the Lhaviyani Atoll in the Maldives
The main building of the luxury resort, located on one of the tiny tropical islands of the Maldives, has a roof made of photovoltaics arranged on stairs.
New York Yuji Yamazaki Architecture (YYA) designed the luxury resort, offering a luxurious and ecological getaway. On one side of the island a bow of bungalows on the water, wrapped around the shore. On the other side is the main building whose photovoltaic roof generates enough energy to power the entire resort.
YAA wanted to celebrate technology – instead of covering the photovoltaic panels, they put them in front and in the center as a design feature that helps visitors understand how the resort is powered. “At a glance, visitors can appreciate the size of the solar roof and then understand the relationship to the scale of the resort it serves,” the architects explain.
According to the designers, the shape and angle of the building were explicitly designed to capture sunlight and produce the maximum amount of energy. Meanwhile, the gaps between the rows of panels allow air and natural light to circulate, further reducing electricity costs.
Some interesting facts to note about this project:
• The resort is powered exclusively by the photovoltaic system which includes 984 photovoltaic panels.
• The power of the photovoltaic system is 320 kWp and can produce 575 MWh per year, which is enough to run the whole island without diesel.
• The photovoltaic system produces enough power to serve 50 visitors and 100 staff living on the island at any time.
• On the island, sustainable, biodegradable materials are used instead of plastics and utensils to help protect the environment from waste and microplastics that could harm the planet.