Monday, November 28, 2011

Uniquely organic

What say you on the issue below?

A resort in Koh Samui is a wonderful example of organic architecture, promoting harmony between human habitation and nature

koh samui

As the limousine turns off the main road into a small side road flanked by modest fishermen’s wooden hovels on one side and larger housing constructions on the other, I start to wonder whether the driver has lost his way.

We are on our way to Akatsuki Resort, the newest luxury property on the scenic western side of Thailand’s Koh Samui and I have envisaged a grander route into the driveway.

But I suspend any further thoughts as the car eventually grinds to a halt in front of the entrance to a property that resembles someone’s home. Of course, it’s not just any home. Classy and unostentatious, you really have to look closely to find the name of the resort which is etched rather discreetly on one side of the wall. This is to be the first of many signs of the owner’s vision to make guests feel like they’ve come home rather than arrive at some impersonal hotel.

My bags are whisked away by the friendly staff and I am led into the folds of the resort, hand clutching a glass of ice cold citrus concoction. Having heard so much about the unique architecture of Akatsuki, hailed by Conde Naste Traveler as one of the island’s newest “five star, super stylish, private places”, I was definitely looking forward to losing myself in its embrace.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Tucked away on the secluded and picturesque Lipa Noi Beach, the gentle beauty of Akatsuki resort hits you as potently as that of Cupid’s arrow.

I walk in to the striking view of discrete buildings crowned by a double-height, vaulted main pavilion with a dramatic atrium. Just ahead, I spot a series of cascading infinity pools flanked on both sides by amenity pavilions and five individually-styled, self-contained suites, each with its own unique design features. At the end of it all is a tranquil stretch of white sandy beach that extends out to the ocean. Breathtaking in their majesty are five rock islands sitting in the distance, commanding the vista.

LIVING WITH NATURE

“The key is to integrate the villa with nature. Wherever you go in the resort, I want to make sure you’ll enjoy the beauty of nature, be it the garden or the ocean,” says architect Riccardo Tossani.

Akatsuki is the mastermind of Tossani of the Tokyo-based Riccardo Tossani Architecture firm. Led by a bold and unique vision, Akatsuki Resort, says Tossani, is designed on the wisdom of two cultures: The smiling heart of Thailand and the gracious heart of Japan.

Its basic concept is intuitive to the site’s local culture, climate and locality — holistically integrating structures with nature and resulting in design that’s stylish and functional yet luxurious with minimal dependence on artificial energy. The villas here are built almost entirely from recycled wood, with natural ventilation and shade used for optimum guest comfort.

INITIAL BRIEF

When Tossani and his team came onboard for the project, the client gave them a very specific brief. The architect recalls that he had very definite ideas about how many guests he wished to accommodate in his resort and the level of quality that he was looking for. “He also wanted an aesthetic that was Thai in character but inflected with Japanese spirit in anticipation of hosting

VIP guests from Japan. Aside from this, we were given a free hand in the design and conceptualisation. The trust he invested in us has clearly been rewarding.”

THE SPACE BEFORE
Tossani found himself face to face with a vacant piece of land covered in grass, debris and several dead and dying palm trees. Somehow, from this, he had to weave his magic. The beach, he recalls, was rather unkempt and everything seemed to be calling out for restoration and protection.
“We tried to keep as many of the viable palm trees as we could and designed the resort structures around them. Vacant lots also bounded the site but several high end villas existed further down the street.”

MAIN CHALLENGES

One of the main challenges, says Tossani, was to retain as much of the landform and trees as they could, with minimal disturbance to the site’s natural assets. These included the outstanding sea views.

“Koh Samui’s tropical climate provided another challenge with regards to providing comfort without any reliance on artificial energy, and to dealing with heavy rains and drainage in a non-intrusive manner,” he says.

An additional planning challenge was in the brief. Tossani and his team had to create a resort that could be used by either separate unrelated guests, or a single extended family, while maintaining intimacy and cosiness without sacrificing privacy. “Also of concern were the state of the beach and the image of the approach driveway, which we felt needed upgrading.”

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES

“By breaking the project up into several discrete pavilions, we were able to better respect the natural levels of the land and accommodate as many existing trees as we could,” says Tossani.

“We even designed one pavilion around an existing palm that now rises up through a central, glass-encased courtyard. These individual structures, which include separate dining and living pavilions for example, allow for an abundance of additional tropical gardens, which also assist in controlling views and privacy.”

They felt it necessary to treat the beachfront edge with a low rockwork wall to match nearby villa landscaping, and as adjacent lots were developed, they could finally have a unified beachfront with lush lawns and landscaped gardens.

Adds Tossani: “We also designed a rock-faced street wall with abundant street-side landscaping that was compatible in height and form with the attractive walls of the neighbouring villas for some harmony. The approach parkway began to look so much better.”

MATERIALS USED

The selection of materials reflects the contemporary interpretation of traditional design languages. “We used local materials, including fabrics, rattan and wood as much as possible for vernacular relevance and sustainability,” says Tossani. “The louvre partitions and wrapping however are a reconstituted wood, which is both more environmentally-friendly and virtually maintenance-free.”

Meanwhile, Corten-finish steel columns and sandwash-finish walkways all help minimise the environmental impact of the construction, while red wood floors, black granite pool borders and terrazzo fixtures express the luxury nature of the resort.

DESIGN FACETS

Fusing the traditions of the Thai family unit with Kyoto-style houses of Japan, the property shows off multiple design facets. The pavilions, in the tradition of local vernacular, rely heavily on natural ventilation and shade for comfort, while the vertical louvre sliding screens, which wrap around every building volume are derived from Japanese architecture, giving you privacy while retaining views at the same time. The strong lines are combined with lush gardens and capped by the steep Thai double-pitched shingle roofs.

In the manner of Japanese shoji screens, sliding partitions, says Tossani, give versatility to the resort’s living spaces. It helps to alter the size and shape of the rooms according to usage.

Meanwhile, the resort takes on the traditions of Thai architecture with its stilted elevation and the 45-degree pitched roof, a homegrown style among local Thai artisans.

“There are also some small elements of European style, which are visible such as the axial geometry creating views and aesthetic experiences found around the pools and in the grand atrium of the main pavilion,” adds Tossani. The quintessentially Italian material, terrazzo, is also used throughout the resort’s interior, for example, in the sculpting of the writing desks, the bathroom floors, the walls and countertops. The night lighting too seems to have a distinctive European flavour in the way the walkways are up-lit like cloisters.

ECO-DESIGN FEATURES
The whole design of Akatsuki is largely driven by a desire to capture the forces of nature and utilise them to enhance comfort and life-support. The resort stores and reuses rainwater, and also gets its supply from spring water through a bore.

The extensive use of natural ventilation, says Tossani, inspired the architectural treatment of the building facades, which are wrapped by louvred partitions that can be operated to provide various degrees of privacy. These iconic vertical louvres create a striking geometry in form, light and shadows, and recall facade treatments in vernacular Japanese architecture, which coincidentally perform the same function.

“The deep eaves on all the pavilion structures, particularly the main pavilion atrium, also provide extensive shade without inhibiting air motion,” explains Tossani. “Allowing the sea breeze to circulate unimpeded generates comfort in shaded areas without reliance on air conditioners.”

While each room has air-conditioning, the natural ventilation supplemented by the use of low energy ceiling fans almost makes it redundant.

For lighting, LED lights are used wherever possible together with dimmers that allow for significant reduction in electrical energy. Light fixture numbers were for this reason also kept to a minimum, thus reducing “light pollution”, a particular concern in such natural landscapes, says Tossani.

Good architectural design

The role of good architectural design, he explains, is to provide a meaningful dialogue about culture and environment, and communicate aspirations that are relevant to the clients’ and the designers’ mission.

“It goes without saying that good architecture fulfills the functional and commercial objectives established by the client — this is a minimum requirement. But what makes architecture great is when it transcends the technical and becomes an emotional and intellectual force, which like great art elevates the spirit and touches the soul.”

Details at www.akatsuki-resort.com

Fast eco-friendly facts
•Villas are built almost entirely from recycled wood with natural ventilation and shade for optimum comfort.
• LED lights are used wherever possible with dimmers that save energy.
• Local materials such as fabrics, rattan and wood are used as much as possible for vernacular relevance and sustainability.


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