Rules of Resort Planning
Mountain Resort in Yunnan
Whatever the location, beachside, mountain top or city edge, the design explorations that shape a resort remain the same.
Pay attention to the specifics of a place and its unique qualities.
Access, approach and apprehension – how is the resort reached, encountered and understood upon arrival?
Aspect and attractors – what are the best views of or from the land? What are the principal attractions (a beach, a ski field an historical building)? How will the arrangement of the built and landscape elements be affected?
Climate – consider the path of the sun, the seasons, the effect of rain and drought, breezes and gales.
Contouring – align with or resist the topography of the site (evoke shelter, or drama).
Connectivity – consider internal movement modes and ensure pathways have navigable gradients.
Choreography – script the theatre of enclosure then exposure, concealment then revelation, slowness and speed, relaxation, meditation and excitation.
Enrich and repair – search for chances to renovate, re-wild or renew existing buildings, landscapes and ecologies.
Privacy and prospect – which spaces should be shielded and which afford a view?
Precedent – does local architecture have distinctive patterns? What are the underlying environmental or cultural motives?
Segregate servicing – separate guest and staff circulation, disguise engineering, hide cars and vans.
Be efficient – think in plan and section, compare stacking and spreading, clustering and distribution.
Be simple – elevate the analogue, avoid technological workarounds, employ local solutions.
Seek the essence – identify priorities and edit thoughtfully
Test perspectives – imagine a walk-around from the viewpoint of a house guest, a wedding guest, the GM, a housekeeper, a gym attendant…
