DESIGN
TENTS , not tepees
With the Navajo Nation Reservation situated alongside Amagiri , Luxury Frontiers ’ initial inclination was to honor Native American culture by designing luxury tepees for Camp Sarika . However , research revealed that Navajo tribes don ’ t build tepees , says Graeme Labe , principal and managing director , Luxury Frontiers . “ Their traditional housing is called a hogan , a structure made from sticks and branches that are covered with animal skins and then rocks or stones ,” he says . Because these dwellings feel more like caves , replicating them would create a visual barrier to viewing the expansive panorama . The team opted to build tents that allow maximum immersion into the environment without sacrificing comfort .
An exterior view of Tent 10 at Camp Sarika , located about a five-minute drive — or 30-minute hike — from Amangiri in the desert of southern Utah
Camp Sarika ’ s restaurant invisibly with the sandstone mesas .
Each pavilion is formed from inner and outer coverings stretched across a timber frame with concrete as a foundation . The fabric for the exterior tent and overhangs is a UV-rated , high-tensile PVC membrane that can withstand 115 mph wind gusts and two feet of snow . The tent fabric is created within a closed-loop system , using recycled content that can be returned for recycling .
Insulation sandwiched between the two tents , as well as each pavilion ’ s independent HVAC system , regulates temperature extremes . Applying the principles of ancient Bedouin tents , the interiors are divided into “ rooms ” with windows onto the landscape , even in the bathroom . All tents are oriented towards a mesa , a grounding effect so that guests don ’ t feel adrift in the desert . With nature the star of the show , ornamentation is nearly nil : a striped cushion , a belt buckle and a headboard etched with a scene
42 hotelsmag . com September / October 2020