​It sits symbolically above a Druze and a Christian village in the heart of Lebanon's age-old Chouf region, and the choice of location is no accident. Welcome to Bkerzay, a unique eco-destination built from traditional Lebanese stone architecture and furnished with upcycled furniture. There is much more to Bkerzay though than its stone guest houses. It's found in the centre of a region which encompasses river valleys and forested mountains and was once the seat and homeland of Lebanon's emirates.

​I spoke to founder Ramzi Salman, who oversees the project, and his son Kareem who manages Bkerzay day to day. What struck me most is the ideology at the core of Bkerzay: it's not simply a resort built to attract crowds and make profit. "The community had lost faith in the land and no longer believed in its value and that they could live from it," explains Ramzi. The project grew organically to preserve both the beautiful Lebanese nature as well as the local people and their talents.

The 200,000 square metre plot is covered with lush woods, olive groves, endangered flora and wildlife. It opened to the public in September 2017, with 34 guest houses, a pool, Turkish baths, a massage room, hiking trails and a pottery studio. There's also a restaurant that serves high-end, locally grown produce.

The ethos behind Bkerzay

Ramzi begins by telling me that Bkerzay began with his search for a family home in a green village of Lebanon. When he came across the agricultural land the eco-village sits on, he realised that the local people needed something to stimulate them. The Chouf is traditionally an agricultural area, with olive trees and vegetable plantations. The first year at Bkerzay began by developing the local crafts and products, such as olive oil, natural soaps, honey, and growing various herbs.

At the same time, Ramzi found a master potter to start a pottery workshop. The region has a rich history of ceramics, with pottery traditions dating back to the Roman times. Much of what Bkerzay is about is helping local artisans preserve and evolve their traditional crafts. Only a handful of potteries still exist across Lebanon, and even these are dwindling. "We started by hosting events for potters annually and helping make the area a pottery destination," explains Ramzi. It took off nicely, but he realised that he needed more to sustain the project.

Combined with the idea of preserving the environment, Ramzi decided to develop the project with a commercial piazza, and the intent of adding more crafts. "This is the pulse of the project, it's not just an empty touristic destination; it's a place that has an engine," he says.

Sustainability and a vision for the future

One of the first things you see upon arriving at Bkerzay, besides the vast green mountains and the views across to the Med, is the large number of solar panels. Bkerzay gets two thirds of its energy from solar, and it aims to be fully solar powered in the future. "It would not have been right to create a polluting project which depletes natural resources and generates waste," explains Ramzi. The Salmans also installed a sewage treatment plant which allows waste water to be used for irrigation.

The lodges and main piazza are built to conserve energy, with thick walls using local stone, high insulation, and sound proofing. Every last detail has been thought about, with special attention given to maintaining a low level of noise and a zero-waste programme for the rubbish. As Kareem explains, it was nature that dictated the urban layout and architecture, and they didn't remove a single tree on the site. They made an active choice to limit the number of electronics in the rooms. "There are no heavy electric appliances like TVs or washing machines," he notes. There is a TV in the common room, and Wi-Fi is available across the site.

The Salmans wanted Bkerzay to have a clear ethos. "It wasn't built by copying projects that already exist. It came about by what was there, through the nature and the people of the region. Bkerzay uses rules which have stood the tests of time and of aesthetics and functionalism. We tried to be selective in the technology we choose to use here: again, it's a reaction against too many electronics and today's focus on virtual rather than natural pleasures," says Ramzi.

Bkerzay attracts people who are drawn by the raw beauty of Lebanon, and who are looking for authenticity. In terms of future plans, the Salmans don't give away much. They don't rule out franchising but would prefer to keep Bkerzay as a family business to preserve their ideology.

Ramzi Salman is an architect, a builder and a visionary. He has high hopes for projects like Bkerzay. He explains: "I feel that this kind of initiative can save the country. The Lebanese are very good at private initiatives and there are some hidden gems in Lebanon. I hope that these projects connect in the future and create a positive force for the country." Rather than founding political parties, or as he describes, "some other superficial ideas, it's better to do something that has a foundation and long-term aim, in the hopes it will get the country somewhere." 

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​Bkerzay