Exclusive Holiday Resort in the South Pacific...

[back2b]

Hi,
I thought it is about time to start posting some of my work as well after just 'consuming' what you guys have done so far.

The project I was working on until now is a small exclusive Holiday-Resort on Samoa.

The brief was to create two units with 3-bedrooms. The target group was mainly families who want to spend a decent holiday in 'paradise'.

Here are the final presentation renderings done with Sketchup and Photoshop.

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The site is right next to the ocean for an astonishing view...

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The idea behind the layout is to include the traditional 'Fale'-house in the design. The special feauture of these traditional houses are, that they do not have any interior walls - it as all open space without any privacy.

Therefore we put the open living area in there and attach modern units to them.
To give the client more flexibility in renting out the units, all bedrooms have their own entrance door. By this it is possible to either rent out the whole unit or rent just the bedrooms out as seperate hotel rooms.

If a family wants to rent the whole unit, the seperate entrances are locked and the main access is from the fale.

[back2b]

The 3rd bedroom is located one storey below.
These rooms will have the best view over the ocean as there is no deck in front of them to block the view.

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The front view... looking from the Ocean.

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The section through the bedrooms...

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The photomontage of the new units on the site.
Unfortunatelly the initial photo was a bit blured already...
(There are no helicopers on Samoa)

[back2b]

Yeah, a animation has yet to be done.

Unfortunatlly I have a problem with the flightpath.rb.
If anybody knows how to set the target point on the model it is very appreciated.
My flightpath - e.g. a circle - just produces a slideshow that is looking out not to the inside, where the model is located...
:(


Thanks...

[back2b]

That's it for now...

Some kind of a different project for a change...
(I liked it, even though it gave me little sleep quite recently...)

Your comments and critics are welcome...
Start shooting!
:)

[back2b]

Thank you guys for the palm trees, that I used in the plans...
CHEERS!

[Richard]

I'll hit off first then.

I like it generally though I'm never one for symetry in anything, so I won't bag you out on that one! Ha

I like the internal spaces and that use would be well suited to two couples away for the weekend for this point though I question if a second car space for each unit had been considered?

I like the pool being shared though I'm not sure I would appreciate the loss of privacy to each unit resulting from it being at the same level as the upper floor.

The stairs leading to the beach also raise the question of connectivity to the ground level on the elevation, I feel lowering the pool half a level as a secondary terrace may have helped with both internal privacy (your away for the weekend so you know that you're going to do what the bunnies do) and the provision of an interim level or terrace before the beach providing better connectivity between levels.

I can fully understand the want for some traditional element to the roof but not sure IMHO that it is tying in well to the rest of the structure / roof elements. I might have considered a roof using traditional materials but in a more contemporary style.

I love your presentation all round generally though for me I'd tone down the colours outside of the builing footprint as that are really hogging the attention from the design.

Good job and look forward to your further explanation of your intent as other comments roll in!

Thanks for posting! Richard

[back2b]

Thanks for your quick first reply...

01
For the car-park:
We considered it but the client (advised by the quantity survayor decided to get rid of it). And actually I think the design as it is now is still too expensive for them...


02
Loss of privacy:
One of my big concerns as well. But my boss decided that sealing each unit off is not the way to go. (And I think he's got a point there).


03
Good remark regarding the pool.
I have not thought of that yet, but I think that would definity improve it.
you also get a better view towards the ocean by having the pool out of (first) sight.


04
Roof shape
I am not sure what the final materials will be in the end, so the tie might improve on that level.
On the other hand my intension was not to fake the old look but rather have the contrast between the two.
(A great high space in the 'fale' but the modern commodities in a more modern design).
The client also wants to give some work to the local villagers next to the site to do the traditional roof + carvings.


05
Colours
Good point. I understand what you are aiming at.
But then again we wanted to give it a fresh look - full of live.
We are trying to sell the paradise.


Thank you for your time and ideas.
CHEERS!
(I don't like the smily as I don't drink beer)
:)

[ReD]

I like the scheme but ditto Richards comments & I also have concerns over the flat roof as shown (looks a little incongruous to me) .. I think you could have more fun with it .. also the roof spaces themselves could be utilised & incorporated into the design... adding to the experience.
Enhance the leisure & experience as much as possible. Have more fun.

The Symmetry is not a problem for me

Pool first thoughts are it looks a bit straitlaced in shape but I feel also retaining that water is going to cost a lot more money, so I would on cost grounds consider lowering it maybe in tiers.
If I were lucky to stay there with kids speaking as a parent I also would have palpitations about them falling out so I would look at a surround balcony deck set lower than the front of pool giving access to lower gardens & beach

[primocordara]

Here an exaple of a tennis club in Montevideo (La Caleta). Nice design with "traditional" materials.
I like the way the roof pitches conect in a more fluid way...

[nicholas]

Have a look at the Aman resorts as a reference to traditional materials. They do a good job though I am still sceptical ... very difficult to get right

[DanConnolly]

nice project. that aerial view is really nice. how can i get a job in samoa? hahaha

[naught101]

I agree with ReD, the flat roof looks out of place. did you try covering the whole thing in thatch? dunno how you'd do that, it'd be worth a try though. otherwise, whatabout just sloping the roofs?

there are two problems with symmetry:
2) symmetry seems to unbalance projects, perhaps because even though the building is symmetrical, it's surroundings aren't, and it's climate isn't.
1) it can't be used responsibly for ESD purposes. this is a place in the tropics, it needs serious cross ventilation, and also probably shading on the west. it's hard to do that symmetrically. I really hope you aren't considering putting Air Con in the tropics, for one, there's rarely a time when it should be needed, unless a place is badly deisgned (flatroof problem?), and it also makes going from inside to outside and vice versa VERY uncomfortable, and not particularly healthy either, I would think.

why do you say the lower level has better views? surely the deck doesn't block much, and the lower levels have a pool in the way.

on that, why put the pool upstairs, it looks really heavy and clunky in elevation and 3D, and blocks the flow of the bottom level. infact, why does it need a pool? it's about 5 meters from the ocean...

[feigetl]

I quite like this and the symmetry isn't problematic for me either.

Though in the South Elevation especially, the roofs look a little bit awkward, almost as if two hats were just placed on top as an after thought, maybe they could be incorporated better.

Otherwise, nice work!

[drummond]

I think the plans are successful from a potential users point of view...lots of flexibility and even privacy if used by couples not too familiar with each other, separate entrances and the like, but I struggle, as it would appear others do, with the roof form, it just looks out of place and not wanting to be there.I would also worry about the bedroom under the swimming pool deck. Keeping that flat deck roof waterproof and easily maintained in a hot and tropical climate is going to be a real challenge.
i think the plan could generate some really interesting elevations and consequently sections tho'. Right now it just looks a little mixed up or confused.

[back2b]

Thank you for the critics.

We just handed the plans over to the client and he is over the moon...
That's good news for a start.

Now it's about selling the project to his partners and the Samoan community involved. So there will be serveral changes coming up as well...
When the design gets into the next stage I will definetly consider your remarks.

Especially the flat roofs do bother most of you.
The reason behind it was to design something that does not compete with the fale roof - which is meant to be the main feature of the units.
But I will try a slightly sloped alternative.


For the pool you're right, there is not so much of an idea behind it...
- I don't even know why I was told to put a paddling pool in there as children under 12 won't be allowed. (Apparently, this is quite a common insurance thing there.)


Thank you for your opinions.

[koos]

I simply dont like this scheme, the plan is not 'sexy'. Those 45deg splayed corners are so 80's.

The roof shape is a difficult element to deal with in a contemporary building...

The symmetry is just so boring, there needs to be this dynamic tension between the 2 buidings.

Look at the attached pics...


Good architecture is damn hard to do.....

[koos]

another ...

[back2b]

Hey koon,

you are pointing out some interesting aspects:

[1]
"Those 45deg splayed corners are so 80's."

Yeah, that's right. I wasn't happy about them as well, but because of costs my round facade was rejected.


[2]
"The roof shape is a difficult element to deal with in a contemporary building..."

Yeah, I agree again, but that was the task. The client insisted on a traditional fale roof. Which is fair enough - if you are going to Samoa you are expecting something like it.
In terms of the tropical climate the high fale roof is a good thing to do - I rather think that the flat roof has to change to a higher one.


[3]
"The symmetry is just so boring, there needs to be this dynamic tension between the 2 buidings."

I am not so sure about that. Initally I was thinking about some other schemes as well, but ended up with this symmetric solution because it worked best.

The example you were showing is symmetric as well.


But thank you anyway for your time to comment on it.
Unfortunatelly I am not working for that practice anymore, so I am not in charge of it anymore at all.
I don't know how its going to end up.