Alila Villas Bintan
The brief was conceived as an art-hobby resort-cum-weekend home located along the northern coast of Bintan island to reconnect urbanites with nature. A sensitive design approach of “camouflaged architecture” has been adopted, one where building is overtaken by landscaping, enabling flora and fauna to coexist with human habitation.
Comprising 12 beachfront residences and 52 hotel villas, the public area of the resort is designed to function like a public square, with its landmark roof structure acting like an orientating devise, analogous to that of a town hall’s clock tower. The art palette comprises of a community village at the forest ridge that crowns the development like a tropical acropolis. Accessible to the public, the art palette features a museum, art gallery, spa, boutiques and fine dining establishments that promote wholesome food harvested from the resort’s very own organic farm and orchard.
The project champions sustainable efforts on various levels. Physically, the development touches the ground lightly by following the natural slope of the site with minimal cut-and-fill construction; guest rooms are orientated to act as wind funnels for sea breezes, minimising the need for air-conditioning and all lower terraces serve as green roofs/gardens. As many trees as possible are conserved, with lightweight construction vehicles and human labour deployed wherever feasible. Only natural swimming pools and natural springs in which biological filters and hydroponic plants clarify and purify the water are designed in keeping with the surrounding lushly landscaped setting.