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Strict ecologists have said that the ultimate ecological residence would be a hammock tied to two existing trees. Since this option would not realistically fit the needs of the contemporary societies, developers and builders, that are committed to saving the environment, must find appealing solutions for potential buyers that have a minimum negative impact on the environment. It is not acceptable to go with what’s “hip” and focus on appearing to help the ecology instead of actually doing something ecological. The founder of Panama Gardens made a commitment to preserving the ecosystem long before “going green” became a worldwide trend. Panama Gardens shows buildings and a landscape proving that they are not simply riding the coattails of the trend but have gone to great lengths in implementing and offering simple and effective ecological solutions.

1. Location of the community: The residents of a community, located within close proximity to as many services and amenities as possible, will conserve energy and minimize their emissions through less travel time. Panama Gardens is ideally situated to have a positive impact on two distinctly separate communities: the foreign residents and business people that will be living, working or visiting within the Complex and the residents of the nearby communities of locals that would have a chance to find employment near their homes.

   The town of Lidice is located less than 1 km from Panama Gardens. Over two thousand of the town’s inhabitants currently have to commute for their job in Panama City. With a car, this would be an easy 40 minute ride each way, but the bulk of the local workers that use public transportation must take a bus at 4:30am to get to the Pan-American Hwy, where they then wait to catch the 5:00am bus all the way to the capital city. The journey doesn’t end there; most citizens then have to make at least two more bus connections without any lag time if they hope to get to work by 7:00am. At the end of their work day, they reverse their Odyssey to return to their homes on time, have dinner and go to sleep so they can get up early for work the next day. One can imagine the impact of a local ecotourism development in this community in terms of providing employment close to home and also saving the resources that are affected by the daily commuting.

2. Land movements and rain water runoff: A typical land developer sees land movements as a necessary yet expensive part of creating a new community. From an economic point of view, it makes sense for them to look for flat land, thus minimizing the financial burden. There is little argument that land movement costs are an economic burden, but the management challenged the assumption that they are always necessary. This opened up a whole new way of thinking that broke the outdated subdivision design rules. They recognized that it is possible to eliminate land movements altogether and still manage the pluvial waters if, instead of looking for land that is as flat as possible, they focused on finding a terrain with an existing ecosystem of moderate slopes and a set of creeks offering a natural drainage line to an unobstructed river. The next problem to overcome was the management of waters that is displaced by the roads and the residential areas. They used the following combination of solutions to deal with the serious problem of runoff waters from roads and buildings:
   1. Building Density: Avoiding land movements and the expensive water management infrastructure makes it economically feasible to allow for more space in each individual lot and the common areas. In the case of Panama Gardens, less than 60% of the terrain is allotted to lots while the remaining 40% is controlled by the developer to maintain the canopy (the aboveground portion of the ecosystem) in its original geomorphic conditions. The remaining 60% of the area allotted to lots for sale, have been designed to have building structures in less than 20% of each property and it is not allowed for this percentage to exceed a 30% coverage of each lot. Thus, buildings causing water runoff cover less than 18% (60% of the area sold multiplied by the 30% maximum permissible building area) of the total terrain making it relatively simple to manage heavy rainfalls without the risk of flooding.
   2. Master Plan Design: The design of the lot plan started by positioning the roads adjacent to the creeks in order to maintain the existing inclination of the terrain and always direct the waters to the existing system of creeks and the river.
   3. Percolation: The soil percolation properties of the terrain were tested and only pervious surfaces will be used for the roads, parking, terraces, trails and other uncovered areas.
   4. Vegetation: The rich existing vegetation with its extensive underground network of roots has been left intact thus impeding the free movements of rain waters. When possible, during the building process it is avoided to use heavy equipment thus preventing soil compaction and maintaining the flora and fauna undisturbed. When the use of heavy equipment is unavoidable, the top soil is relocated for later transfer to its original location.
3. Passive Energy Conservation: Based on meteorological data, the homes were positioned according to the movements of the sun and the wind to reduce energy consumption and increase the well being of the residents. Maximum exposure to the sun will reduce use of lighting and the wind will minimize the necessity for air conditioning.
4. Efficient use of Construction Areas: The spacious homes were designed to occupy the minimum area by optimizing the allocation of the available space. The high ceiling homes with open concept living, dining and kitchen areas make the areas feel much larger and coller. Since a lot of the time will be spent outdoors, the residents will feel as if they live in a home with twice their square footage but without the additional energy consumption, footprint, building materials and other costs.
5. Choice of Green Building materials: Particular attention has been paid to the selection of the building materials. Use of toxic substances is always avoided. The management has developed many of their own building systems including Ecoplac ceramic walls, organic sealants, non cementitious composites, natural polymer compounds and mineral-based paints.
6. Organic Gardening: The central concept of the project is a huge garden maintained with organic fertilization and all-natural pest control methods. Nourishing the soil naturally, experiencing the scent of flowers and growing organic vegetables at home is the best way to live with respect to nature and minimize the negative impact on the environment. Each residence will have a flower and an organic fruit garden providing a tasty, healthy and cost effective source of wholesome foods.
7. Micro-climatic Controls: Everything else held equal, there is as much as a of 4 degree difference between a subdivision constructed around asphalt and cement versus one immersed in green with plants and trees. Because of such significant temperature difference, the energy requirements at Panama Gardens are much lower than the traditional residential developments. Trying to walk barefoot on the asphalt pavement during a sunny day will convince anyone of the amount of heat that is attracted by asphalt pavement and its high thermal storage capacity.
8. Management of Potable Water: Panama Gardens is situated in a savannah in the midst of a valley with huge underground deposits of clean, rich mineral water. They don’t rely on the chlorinated municipal water supplies thanks to their own well system, which allows them to drink and bathe in mineral water. They can also maintain a year-round flourishing garden with ample irrigation and a pure water aquatic park.
9. Processing of Service Waters: Abundance of high quality water has not caused the management of Panama Gardens to overlook conservation. This precious natural resource is cherished and recycled for irrigation through a triple plumbing system, low flush toilets and a carefully planned “direct to soil” ditch network. The black waters are not channelled to the subsoil or the river where they will contaminate the environment. They are directed to water loving plants that thrive on their nutrients and fill the air with oxygen. Bamboo, for example, is the fastest growing plant on this planet and a critical element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. By directing service waters to the bamboo beds, contaminants and unpleasant odours are totally eliminated while securing a good supply of an enduring natural resource that is an excellent viable replacement for wood to be used in decorations and making furniture.
10. Design of Common Areas: A lot of the common areas were designed by Nature herself. The walking trails will go naturally next to the river banks and creeks and the aquatic park will fit perfectly in the part of the property that was already hollow. Along the river banks about 100 large trees can be found and some of them appear to be especially designed by Nature to host tree houses with an adventurous network of zip lines.
11. Outdoor Luminosity: Modern science the vibrational effects of stars on human disposition while, at night, a lot of people rarely stare at the immensity of the universe. The option of taking a break from the stars on their TV screen and spending quality time gazing at the starry night sky has great appeal for many nature lovers. In urban areas bright lamp posts make it nearly impossible to properly see the stars, but Panama Gardens will have particular areas with specially designed security lights that are optimal for stargazing.
12. Healthy Lifestyle: Respect for nature goes hand in hand with a holistic philosophy and a healthy lifestyle. The notion that everyone is somehow connected has been known to sages throughout time but it is now becoming more and more recognized by ordinary people. A harmonious existence close to nature leads to a stress free lifestyle that is conducive to good health. Panama Gardens has planned programs for intercultural community involvement between the foreign residents and the locals that have a long heritage of growing their own food in the yard. Non judgmental human interaction can be a quietening, healthy and informative form of entertainment. For many, exposure to nature’s elements gives a sense of vibrant health and well being. Research shows that gardening improves longevity. During the recent past, it has become common sense that eating organic food promotes good health.