Architect and designer Bill Bensley is no stranger to the unorthodox. Pairing his discerning eye for style and all things luxe with a keen awareness of the fragility and intrinsic value of the wild has placed him on the cutting edge of high-end, environmental experiences.
Pioneering a “disruptive” mindset when it comes to designing around the needs of the environment, Bensley has not only encouraged developers to rethink their approach to building, he has also put his passion to work helping local communities in Cambodia through the Shinta Mani Foundation.
We were able to catch up with Bensley to get an in-depth look at his design process, and why he thinks everyone needs a bit of the wild in their life.
Why have you made conservation and sustainability a major focus in your career? Was there a particular moment or place that spoke to you?
I grew up in the National Parks of the USA. I learned at an early age an appreciation and respect for wilderness. As a family we would backpack deep into the woods, or high into the mountains where often we would not see another person. I learned survival skills before the age of ten. Later, I trained as a landscape architect, which teaches the patronage of mother earth, and how to respect her. My love for nature is not a new hobby—it is my passion of 60 years.
You’ve mentioned working on projects in which you didn’t cut down a single tree. As a designer, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to conserve the environment of a new project?
I can manage to build respectfully in almost any wild place. It is my clients’ programs of what they want to build that are the biggest challenge. Nine times out of ten, the programs that I am handed are too aggressive—it’s too much for site. I often refer to what I call the “Low impact (on the environment), high yield (charge a lot of money)” solution, which often proves to be a more profitable, win-win situation.
On the Bensley website, “Disruption” is the first thing people see. What does “disruption” in the design and resort industry mean to you?
In the simplest of explanations, I think we are designing hotels differently than others—and thus causing “disruption” in our industry. By way of hospitality, I insist on including at least one of the E’s—Education, Experience or Environmental enhancement.
For my latest venture, Shinta Mani Wild Bensley Collection, I purchased a piece of the Cardamon National Forest—about the size of Central Park in NYC—at a logging auction. Not being of the lumberjack ilk, I set out to educate Cambodians that conservation is smarter than extraction. We built a low impact, high yield 15-tent camp with the intention of creating amazing, life-changing experiences, like our zip line and patrols with the Wildlife Alliance rangers. Finally, our camp is deemed a safe place now, free of wildlife poaching, and Wildlife Alliance is now releasing captured animals onto our concession. It’s an environmental triumph. And 70 percent of our camp employees are from the village next to us. A social win is that they have alternative employment to their tradition of extracting from the forest.
You’ve also been quoted as saying “Luxury is dead.” What do you mean by that? What are your projects, if not luxurious?
Sure, our projects are as devilishly luxurious as one can find anywhere in the world. My point is that luxury alone does not make the high-end traveler even get out of bed! The discerning are now looking for bragging rights to the wildest, wickedest, most wonderful experiences we can muster. Shinta Mani Wild serves up experiences in abundance. Our activities menu can keep our guests hopping for 10 days without repeating an adventure. That is why we have a minimum three-night stay. We are not about heads on beds, but experiences.
How has the work of the Shinta Mani Foundation impacted the Cambodian community? Are there plans to further expand the work of the foundation?
Gosh, over the years we have shifted the emphasis of our work according to the needs of the Siem Reap community. We started by building wells and homes. After building some 2000+ wells and a similar number of homes, the need is decreasing. The need for cleaner water from those wells is now surfacing. We are currently working with Kohler to distribute water filters.
The education of less fortunate, young Cambodians at our hospitality school remains popular, but the number of applicants each year has decreased significantly. This a sign of a healthier economy. A newer program now is children’s dental health. This program reaches thousands of kids and often provides them with their very first toothbrush. Our farm school continues the distribution of plants to local farmers help them to diversify their crops and eat better. Our small loans programs have helped many villagers start their own businesses. Should we expand? If we see a need arising that we can afford, sure, why not?
What do you hope guests will get out of their experience at Shinta Mani Wild?
I want to push guests comfortably out of their comfort zone. When someone takes a leap of faith off a 10-story tower and flies, alone, for 400m dangling precariously on a harness over a dense rainforest for the first time, one, I think, will have bragging rights for the rest of their life.
I want guests to be able to feel the pride and joy that I feel in being involved on the real, honest-to-God front line of protecting the Cardamon National Park from the onslaught of illegal poachers and loggers.
And I want guests to be comfortable enough to fully enjoy the beauty of this true wilderness. I have learned through a lifetime of exploring the wilderness in over 50 countries that if one has to be fully occupied with survival, or just making oneself comfortable, the beauty of a place becomes foggy. At Wild, comfort is a given.
