St. Orres was "green" before green was even a concept. The original cabins on the property were either kept intact and remodeled or torn down to use as building materials for the new structures. Every possible stick of wood, piece of panelling or outdoor siding has been recycled into what is here today. The Main Hotel building was constructed using materials from the original Seaside Hotel and heavy beams and larger timbers came from a 100 year old logging mill near Philo, CA.which was carefully taken apart and hauled to the coast on an old logging truck.

Builder and designer, Eric Black, makes it a point to use and re-use all the resources at his disposal. The wainscoating in Pine Haven, for example, comes from the old, 1920's wood panelling from some of the original fishermen's cabins and the copper roofing on the domes is from reject circuit boards. Even the firewood for the wood stoves and fireplaces is split from dead trees on the property. Nothing is wasted.