LITERATURE STUDY

1. KEEMALA RESORT
PHUKET,THAILAND
GROUP – B
(MOUNTAIN)
KULDEEP
NIKHAR
DHARVI
NEELAKSHI

2. INTRODUCTION
Location: Phuket, Thailand
Architects: Architect Space
Interior design: Pisud Design Company
Client: Keemala Phuket
Year: 2015

3. CONCEPT
• The focus is on the concept of ‘life’ and ‘village’ design that provides
simple and peaceful vicinity which leading to healthy environment.
• Design concepts focus on the tales of 4 fictitious different tribes that
united to form a village called Keemala.
• The overall design leverages on two major components: nature and
culture.

4. WANDERERS EARTH
SKY
NEST

5. M
A
S
T
E
R
P
L
A
N

6. KEY FEATURES
• The design is environmentally sustainable and the construction
complements the surrounding ecosystem rather than demolish
and create a man made surrounding.
• Layout of the project in overall is designed to be a valley village
that provides privacy in zoning arrangement.
• Plantations are mainly food plants such as fruits, vegetables and
local herbs in which there are no chemical involved in growing
process.
• The tribes culture can be found everywhere in hardscape design
to reflect the concept of ‘life’.
• Present nature, existing topography and trees are kept to their
original conditions.

7. DETAILED SITE MAP

8. ECO-DESIGN THEME
• The resort’s 38 pool villas are designed in four different styles.
Earth, wanderers, sky and nest each represent a clan of fictitious early
Phuket settlers.
• Every villa has its own waste management system.
• The designers of the hotel have reduced usage of natural materials, for
example wood, by using environmentally friendly synthetic material
instead to protect further deforestation and other environmental
impact including transportation.
• The pods, villas and tree houses have been carefully designed so that
they appropriately fit into its natural environment.
• Therefore heavy machines were avoided as much as possible, so
construction was a challenge. Everything from beginning to end of this
project had to reflect the hotel’s ambition to reflect Keemala’s culture
and stay environmentally friendly.

9. ACCOMMODATION
• Categorised into four different tribes
• Bird Nest Pool Villa
• Clay Pool Cottage – it is believed that people of this tribe excel in
agriculture and have a strong bond to earth. Interiorly these are
made of clay and dirt. The furniture is made from carved wood and
clever patterns are imprinted to tell the tale of the tribe’s art and
culture.
• Tree Pool House – Living life in a high place, the people of this tribe
can be found in trees. Therefore, the interior includes hanging
furniture with embedded patterns throughout.
• Tent Pool Villa – Seeking adventure through the art of hunting has
been inspired in the design of this style of property. This reflects the
tribe that is a born wanderer. The fabrics reveal ease of mobility
while dark leather represents stalking instincts.

10. • The resort’s 1,500-square-foot Tent Pool Villas are constructed of a
dual-skin material: The opaque layer provides rain protection while a
second, transparent skin allows for cooling breezes to pass through.
• The design is made of fabrics and canvasses that reflects ease of
mobility and their nomadic instincts
• Inside the Tent Pool Villas the forms of wildlife and textures have
inspired the interiors, materials were also chosen to highlight their
pursuant lifestyle.

11. • The ‘Rung-Nok’ community enjoyed an opulent way of life compared
to other clans. They excel in reading the movement of the stars and
they are into luxurious lifestyle. The interior design reflects this belief
by introducing multi-color and luxurious design together.
• The elevated, free-form Bird’s Nest Pool Villas are hewn of a rubber-
based roofing material reinforced with steel and clad in an
environmentally friendly skin of woven wood and plastic.
• A handcrafted mosaic floor sits below the rain shower. The sinks and
tub are both carved of stone

12. • It is believed that people of this tribe excel in agriculture and have a
strong bond to earth. This inspires the design such that the interior is
made of clay and dirt, the furniture are made of wood and other natural
materials
• Unique pattern is imprinted to tell the tale of this art and culture of the
‘Pa-Ta-Pea’ clan.
• The 1,356-square-foot Clay Pool Cottages feature trapezoidal and
pyramidal forms clad in clay-like cement and topped with synthetic
thatch. Their private pools are made with a locally sourced green stone.

13. • The seven two-storey ‘Tree Pool Houses’ are built to represent the
‘We-Ha’ people who worshipped the universe and chose to live
suspended from the trees to be nearer to the sky.
• The interior design reflects this belief and therefore, hanging furniture
with embedded unique pattern can be found in this house and are
complete with a private pool.
• The resort’s 1,500-square-foot Tent Pool Villas are constructed of a
dual-skin material: The opaque layer provides rain protection while a
second, transparent skin allows for cooling breezes to pass through.

14. MALA SPA
• The Mala spa features eight treatment rooms connected by a bridge
and water feature. There are two treatment-room types: round pods
made of synthetic thatch and square rooms made of clay and
cement slab.
• Interiors were inspired by local fishing tools and feature neutral
tones uplifted by a splash of blue. Furniture is made of bamboo,
carved wood, bronze, and steel. Many treatment rooms feature
outdoor showers and shell terrazzo plunge pools.

15. KEEMALA PODS

16. MEDITATION