Cedars Mount View offers an immersive and environmentally regenerative tourist accommodation experience in the Hunter Valley region, with Villa Stella serving as the flagship of this sustainable approach. Constructed as the first newly built accommodation at Cedars, Villa Stella is designed according to Passivhaus and solar passive principles, deeply integrating with the natural surroundings. For the clients, Villa Stella is just one piece of a broader commitment to environmental sustainability, which has been extended to the retrofitting of the four other existing villas on the property.

Three of the existing villas have already undergone significant thermal upgrades, with plans in place for the fourth, ensuring that all accommodations at Cedars are refined, environmentally conscious, and regenerative. The application of Passivhaus principles across the property has resulted in thermally comfortable, healthy, and low-impact accommodations that set a new standard for sustainable tourism in the region.

The villas’ low operational energy needs are further supported by substantial infrastructure upgrades, including the installation of solar panel arrays and batteries, the conversion from gas to electricity, and rainwater harvesting systems. These enhancements have transformed some of the villas from full grid energy consumers to being 79% off-grid, with only 21% of their power sourced from the grid.

Beyond the buildings themselves, Cedars Mount View is committed to enhancing the local environment through extensive planting of endemic tree species and bush regeneration efforts. These initiatives not only improve the biodiversity of the area but also encourage visitors to engage more deeply with the natural world, making Cedars a model of sustainable and regenerative tourism.

Photography by Alexander McIntyre