ABOUT

INTRODUCING ALKIRA

THE PROPERTY

Alkira Resort House and Rainforest Retreat is an award-winning luxury property located in the heart of the pristine Daintree Rainforest at Cape Tribulation in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is exquisitely nestled within 30 hectares of the world’s oldest and unspoilt rainforest landscape, and features a breathtaking 600 metre stretch of private ocean beach along The Great Barrier Reef. Designed by multi award-winning architect Charles Wright, Alkira is a groundbreaking off-grid and carbon neutral architectural masterpiece.

DESIGNING ALKIRA

CONCEPT & DESIGN

Alkira is a true haven to purveyors of great architecture and design. Completed in 2013, Alkira is the fusion of the original owner’s unique story and architect Charles Wright’s creative and site-responsive vision.

The original owner ⎯⎯an avid stamp collector and property developer⎯⎯ inspired many of the property’s most distinguishing features. The unusual swimming pool shape and surrounding roofline is based on the silhouette of the head on the “One Pound Jimmy” postage stamp issued in Australia in the 1950s. The stamp was chosen to acknowledge the Aboriginal heritage of the region and to acknowledge the owners’ appreciation for the stamp as a collector.

The artful indentations on Alkira’s concrete facade reflect the perforation lines between postage stamps, as do the property’s porthole windows that cast beams of light deep inside. Rich in concept as it is in unique aesthetics, Alkira wholeheartedly lives up to its name which in Aboriginal means ‘bright and sunny’.

Comprised of prefabricated concrete, steel and glass, the property’s materials are designed to become a part of the surrounding environment over time and to deal with the harsh, corrosive wet tropical environment.

Akira is composed of six massive cantilevered wings that emerge from the lake and appear to almost float on its surface. The wings rest on deep underground foundations are designed to reduce the impact of the vibrant tropical weather. Alkira is Category 5 cyclone-proof and therefore classes as a cyclone shelter.

The property’s different spaces oscillate around the silhouette pool, which acts as a focal point and anchors the rest of the property. Alkira’s open design allows for a range of functions ⎯⎯including living, entertaining and recreation⎯⎯ in a secure but flexible setting that captures spectacular views of the property’s lake, the surrounding rainforest and mountains.

SUSTAINABLE ALKIRA

SUSTAINABILITY

Alkira’s ‘green’ design paves the way for in sustainable rainforest architecture.

Alkira is entirely off-grid and carbon neutral in operation and is powered by renewable energy. The property generates solar energy via solar panels that cover the entire surface of the roof. Alkira truly exists in harmony with the surrounding environment, integrating elements of the native wetland surrounds into its design through its newly engineered water ecosystem. The entire roof area is used to harvest rainwater into a 250,000-litre in-ground tank integrated with all hydraulic systems. The man-made wetland is filled with water pumped via solar energy from a nearby on-site creek.

Alkira also exudes sustainable comfort. ‘Green’ cooling has been integrated into its design where each of its spaces are completely naturally ventilated and capture delightful ocean breezes, while the property’s multiple cascading water features give off evaporative cooling effects in the drier months. The property’s concrete structure has also been specifically engineered and insulated to avoid retaining heat, resulting in a cooler and more comfortable ambient temperature year-round. Alkira also hosts an Advanced Tertiary Sewerage treatment plant and the capacity for grey water recycling and irrigation.

WORLD HERITAGE RAINFOREST

LOCATION

Alkira is nestled within the pristine Daintree Rainforest, 40kms north of Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia. The site occupies a generous 40 hectares of land that is the only place on earth covered by two World Heritage Listings – The Great Barrier Reef and The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Alkira is located on natural low wet-land with 1.2kms of private beach and is close to necessary amenities yet concealed and secluded for absolute relaxation. Access to Alkira’s exclusive beach is a pleasant stroll along timber boardwalks and trails through the rainforest, much of it the rarest type found in The Daintree Rainforest.

The Daintree is of vast value to the wider scientific community due to its astounding biodiversity and high concentration of plant and animal species that are found nowhere else on the planet. Alkira is located within a Cassowary corridor, providing the perfect vantage point to observe these exquisite native land-dwelling birds in their natural environment.