Eco & Sustainable House

love and respect for Nature

Our beginning

Casa Cuadrau is an eco-friendly Yoga, Art and Nature retreat house in the heart of the Pyrenees.

The construction of the house was created on an old ruin, following bioconstruction methods, and fulfilling the dream of giving life to a Pyrenean house.

The planning, design and renovation of the house has followed bioclimatic principles using ecological and sustainable materials and practices. The house was designed based on a meticulous respect for local architecture, supporting with its construction the conservation of the tradition of the area.

Our impact

As founders of Casa Cuadrau, we are continually training ourselves and expanding our knowledge of cultural and natural heritage. We promote transparent and impactful practices, such as promoting fair trade and protecting the environment, as these are a fundamental pillar of the project.

Some of our most significant practices

Our dream has always been to turn Casa Cuadrau into an ecological retreat center with local and sustainable development, offering activities to promote physical and spiritual well-being, the arts and connection with the natural environment.

SUSTAINABLE AND ECOLOGICAL TOURISM

- We are a collaborating entity with the Sobrarbe-Pirineos Geopark.
- We are part of the Ecotourism Association in Spain - Soy Ecoturista Club.

RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE

We organise meditative walks that include information stops, where we explain the history of the Pyrenees, their formation and geological and natural value. We also share about the ancestral habits and customs and the cultural value that lies in these lands.

During these activities, explanations are included about the consequences and risks of the depopulation of the Pyrenees and the Vio valley with the aim of raising awareness about this problem.

LOCAL INITIATIVES

- We offer free workshops and courses on yoga, mindfulness and ecology for students and teachers at the school in Aínsa, capital of the Sobrarbe region.
- We organize open days for the population of Sobrabe, among the activities, we offer meditative walks with interpretation of nature.
- We collaborated with local mountain guides, organizing historical tours along routes used during the Spanish civil war, donating the funds to local or international NGOs to support refugees in Ukraine.

LIBRARY

Participants, volunteers and staff have access to the Casa Cuadrau library, which has several reference books specialising in the natural and cultural heritage of the area.

LOCAL PARTNERS

We partner with local professionals for various activities and services offered such as mountain guides and massage therapists that improve and help the local economy in various ways.

ORGANIC AND VEGETARIAN FOOD

We offer a vegetarian diet, with very little use of organic dairy and eggs. We know that such a diet reduces the environmental impact. All our meals are made with fresh, organic, local and seasonal products. However, we have chosen to use certain ingredients that come from far away because we appreciate their nutritional value.

SUPPORTING LOCAL AND ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTS

We give priority to local fair trade projects and initiatives, buying fresh, local, organic and seasonal products from small businesses, producers and cooperatives that support social and circular economies. In this way, we minimise the negative impact by reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

MINDFUL CONSUMTION

We make environmentally friendly purchasing decisions whenever possible, and avoid generating waste throughout the entire process.

In the purchasing process of disposable and perishable products, we make a careful selection of suppliers based on their level of awareness regarding sustainability. We ensure that returnable packaging is used in our purchasing decisions, and we avoid single-use plastics as much as possible.
Some of our suppliers: La Grana, Gumendi, Caj Chai, Josenea Bio, Jaume Renobell, the local market, local farmers, Detergentes Solyeco, La Zaera, Abella Biocosmética among others.

ORGANIC GARDEN

Since our beginnings we have small organic garden where we explore and learn about permaculture. In addition, our garden is full of aromatic and medicinal plants that we use in our cooking and herbal teas.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Casa Cuadrau is part of an institutional project called “Sobrarbe Composta” with the aim of managing organic waste. The town hall offers a composter and conducts follow-up sessions to advise on the responsible management of this type of waste.

We have developed a written plan so that workers, volunteers and participants of the retreats are informed about the project, become part of it, and help carry out these practices.

We also do selective separation for recycling waste and we have containers available to clients.

RENEWABLE ENERGY AND REUSE OF RESOURCES

- The house is designed and built in a bioclimatic way and optimizes energy resources. We have contracted electricity exclusively from renewable sources. In addition, the light bulbs are LED or low consumption throughout the facilities.
- We promote renewable energy with the installation of solar panels.
- We collect and store rainwater, and use water filters to avoid generating waste.
- We use reusable picnic utensils for excursions.

INTELLIGENT HEATING

The house was built with a surround system with 20cm thick stone walls, and with thermal insulation made from cellulose obtained from recycled paper. We have triple-glazed windows and two air chambers that help maintain the heat provided by the sun. The boiler is pellet-fired, with underfloor heating and radiators.

BIO CLEANING AND CARE

- We use biodegradable scrubbers and organic soap in bulk.
- We offer biodegradable and organic soap and shampoo in bulk.
- Bed linen is not ironed to reduce energy consumption and we change personal towels only upon request.
- We recommend using both sun creams and biodegradable insect repellent products to avoid polluting the river.

ORGANIC AND FAIR TRADE BOUTIQUE

We have a small boutique, offering carefully selected products, which have been developed by small entrepreneurs, thus supporting their activities and the local economy.

We have developed a written plan so that workers, volunteers and participants of the retreats are informed about the project, become part of it, and help carry out these practices.

We also do selective separation for recycling waste and we have containers available to clients.

CARPOOLING = LESS CO2

- We support and coordinate carpooling among participants to minimize the carbon footprint of their travels.