Island Escape by Burasari | Archframe Design Awards 2021

In the Eighties, Nineties and Naughties south-east Asia became the go-to destination for back-packers and adventure holidaymakers from Europe, the US and the Antipodes.  Fuelled by movies like Blue Lagoon and The Beach, young expats based in the region added to this wave of intrepid budget travelers discovering remote islands, hidden coves and beaches.  Staying in driftwood shacks or under the stars they would take home wonderful carefree stories and a liking for the local beverage brands.

Gold Winner – Archframe Design Awards 2021
Design Firm – Original Vision Ltd
Project Title – Island Escape by Burasari
Project Category – Hospitality
Project Status – Built
Architect/Designer – Adrian McCarroll
Design Team – Tom Kay, Jamie Jamieson, Prasert Chanhom, Tony Young, Eric Chan, Ricky Liu, Ho Man Chung
Practice – Professional Architect
Country – Hong Kong

These same ground breakers have now grown up and so have the destinations.  The same places that were once shrouded in exotic allure and oriental mystique have had most of the roughness polished out and, although now world-class, most have lost their innocent charm and raw vigour.

Our brief was to rekindle those old fires and stimulate a renaissance, recapturing the essence of those days spent skinny dipping in the moonlight and waking up with sand between one’s toes.  Although these nomads have become sophisticated and discerning consumers, we have strived to create an environment that will help them shake off the shackles of conformity and encourage their carefree spirit and unfettered joie de vivre to re-emerge.

To achieve this Great Escape, our driving force has been to establish a Driftwood Paradise populated with Five Star Beach Shacks within and around which guests can enjoy an intimate experience with the nature of the forest and the wonders of the sea.  Whereas this close association with the environment was quite literal in times gone by, here we have curated space that is generous in volume and can open up to the forest and the view but can also be climate controlled and insect free when desired.  The lightness and openness has been achieved by engineering finely detailed roofs floating on slender prefabricated steel structures and infilled with glass wall panels that can open seamlessly to the landscape backdrop.  These same gardens afford natural privacy and a sense of being intimately enveloped by the forest, further enhanced by minimalist décor rendered in soothing earthen-tones that meld gracefully with the luxuriant tropical surroundings and breathtaking views.


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