We’ve been talking about it for a long time now — mainly because it’s been held up due to legal and environmental reviews — but now it appears that Marlon Brando’s eco-resort is finally going to become a reality.

Construction on the French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa — a 13-island chain circled by a coral reef picked up Brando in 1965 — is underway. Called ‘The Brando’, the resort will feature 47 deluxe bungalow villas, a spa, fitness center, community pool, and other standard tropical activities and amenities. During development, great attention will be paid to reducing the impact of construction on the island.

From the article,

Brando had many ideas for how to create an eco-friendly resort, and Bailey is working with the Brando estate to implement these visions. The hotel will operate with a “sea water air conditioning” system (SWAC), which draws on an inexhaustible supply of completely renewable clean energy and has zero impact on the environment. Bailey plans to use a deep-sea pipe to pump cold water from the depths of the ocean, which will then be used to chill the air in the hotel — the same system he developed and is successfully in place at InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa.

As we mentioned previously, the resort will also make extensive use out of wind and solar technologies — as well as a clever system for creating biofuel from Coconut oil. According to one commenter late last year, the presence of a resort will also help protect sea turtles on the island from on-going slaughter.

To learn more, check out the official website for the project here.

Maxim Magazine has a good article on the proverbial circle-jerk that was the aftermath of Marlon Brando’s passing — particularly how his island paradise of Tetiaroa became slated for development amidst a flurry of lawsuits and accusations.

Even before his passing, Brando had always envisioned an eco-friendly, sustainable resort that would leave much of the region’s natural beauty untouched. Developer Dick Bailey has promised to remain true to that vision, even though naming the hotel “The Brando” would make the actor “roll over in his grave”, according to one source. From the article,

“The developer says he is pursuing Brando’s dreams of an ecological utopia, with plans to make use of wind and solar power as well as biofuels derived from coconuts.”

Apparently, there will also be a research lab in addition to the residential lots — so perhaps preservation of the area will be an on-going affair. Either way, despite opposition from local activists over the construction’s impact on delicate fauna, bulldozers are expected to start building “The Brando” this month. Hopefully, we’ll see something true to both the late actor’s wishes and the environment rise up on Tetiaroa. It’s a shame anything has to be built in the first place.

It’s no secret that the late great Marlon Brando was ahead of his time when it came to renewable energy. The actor, who passed away in 2004, intended for the twelve island atoll he owned in Tahiti (called Tetiaroa) to be “part environmental laboratory, part resort.”

Unfortunately, those dreams were never fully realized before his death — but considerably time was paid to coming up with designs and ideas for the resort. One of the men involved was architect Harry Gesner — and he recently opened up to Architecture Design magazine about Brando’s eccentric desires, as well as his ecological visions. From the article,

“Brando had some odd requests. He explains, ‘Brando wanted to have-foot sharks and moral eels swimming through the tank.’ Gesner, who was also hired to help Brando re-model his Beverly Hills home, was impressed with the actor’s conservation and environmental ideas: ‘Brando was very into ecology. We talked a long time about how to incorporate elements like indigenous materials, solar voltaic cells, windmills and so on.’”

A new resort is currently being built on Tetiaroa with expectations that it could open sometime this year. In an article written in 2005, developer Dick Bailey said he plans to honor Brando’s green wishes. The reef will remain intact, solar panels will produce power, a high-tech “micro-treatment” plant will handle sewage, and desalination technology will provide drinking water. All very expensive, but, says Bailey, all “in keeping with Marlon’s vision.”

via tetiaroa

Buried in an article over on Huffington Post regarding carbon-free fuel is an interesting reveal that actor Johnny Depp is planning on converting his island home to run on solar hydrogen technology.

Back in 2005, Depp bought the the 35-acre island (which he affectionately calls “F*ck Off Island”) in the Bahamas for around $3m after being inspired by what friend Marlon Brando had done with his own Tahitian paradise. In an interview with the Guardian, the actor recalled his conversation with the late Brando,

“Depp said, ‘Hey, man, I found this thing, this island!’ Brando said, ‘Well, what’s the elevation? Do you have a water system there? What about the electricity?’

Several years later, it appears that Depp is finally getting serious about emulating Brando’s earth-friendly tech elements. According to Peter Hoffmann, the Pirates of the Carribean star is third in line to receive a grid-independent solar hydrogen system from Mike Strizki. The inventor created the nation’s first solar-hydrogen house in New Jersey — without sacrificing any of the amenities included in his 3,500 square-foot home. You can check out a video of his system here.

Depending on the size of Depp’s home on the island, the cost is expected to run between $250,000-$500,000 — which, for someone with an island, isn’t a bad deal for unlimited, clean energy.