“i resort” - in contact with nature and its methods

Since January the city of Nha Trang, the capital of tourism in Vietnam with its natural beauty (long sandy beaches and rich sea beds) and cultural attractions (including the Cham towers), now has a new luxury resort offering mud baths.As in their other projects, the architects of a21 sought to combine traditional Vietnamese architecture with innovative use of spaces and structures.Local building materials such as wood, stone and coconut palm leaves significantly reduce the building’s environmental impact, promoting harmonious inclusion in its setting in the tropical hills just outside the city centre.

The architects maintained a strong focus on the sustainability of their design solutions, such as, for example, the concept of the courtyards, which play an important role in controlling the climate in the building. These compositional elements were introduced but not overdone, to make sure that there was not too much light inside, where mud treatments require a certain calm and a relaxing atmosphere.

Alternatives to courtyards, such as internal gardens, the roofing materials and the arrangement of the windows ensure perfect climatic comfort without technological installations.

It is worth noting the use of mortise and tenon joints in the wooden structures, a technique requiring good manual skill as neither nails nor glue are used to hold the pieces of wood together, ensuring that the resort will be reversible and flexible to permit further “green” expansions in the future, in line with the type of body treatment it offers.

Design: a21 studio, http://www.a21studio.com.vn/
Location: Nha Trang, Vietnam
Year: 2012
Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki

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