Kefi On The Coast is a heterotopic food village, born from the abstraction of food and socialisation. It embraces the traditional lifestyle of the Mediterranean and celebrates the spirit of joy, passion for life and good food.
Advenire is waterfront boutique hotel project that aims to provide an urban escape from the densely populous Ho Chi Minh City to reconcile with personal peace by reconnecting with nature through interwoven green spaces.
This project is a children's art library inspired by the 'Gezellig' Dutch lifestyle philosophy of belonging and togetherness. The space is transformed to encourage play-learning and socialisation through spatial interaction.
The workshop portion of a Faber-Castell Cosmetics flagship store. The project is a poetic display of dialogue and autodidacticism which strives to create a self-guided exploration on the wider topic of sustainability within the context of beauty.
Ground level retail of a pop-up store; PACE is a Universal pop-up store with a focus on film process and documentation. The intention is to set forth the intricacies of film making, focusing on the art of process, conceptualisation and creation.
The thermae's layout is organised in such a way that specific purpose built baths such as the Ice Balneum shown are clustered around a central 'island' platform and surrounded by the social pools, as inspired by the Aztec city, Tenochtitlan.
The Warm & Tepid bath—also known as the social pools, form the borders of the space. This arrangement establishes circulation and accessibility to it from any of the other Balneum. These social pools are also used for body temperature regulation.
Each Balneum differs to one another; some present as completely open plunge pools and others feature partial walls that filter light and privacy. The Herbal Balneum features a rain shower cascade that also aids in the interflow of medicinal herbs.
Besides physical cleansing, spiritual cleansing is also common amongst the Aztecs and thereafter in Latin America. Curanderismo is conducted in the Temazcal—a sweat lodge, with rituals led by folk healers featuring extensive use of herbal plants.
As was common in ancient Rome, most thermae also featured a Natatio—an open-air swimming pool, and in close proximity a Palaestra for sport and physical activities. This space was also designed to appear near seamless with the Rio Grande's waters.
The US Port of Entry is deliberately built to emulate the vernacular of Pueblo tribes in the region. It leads off the Bouqillas trail and descends into a partly subterranean space, opening a framed view to the lands as was sacred to Native America.
The Mexican Port of Entry is a novel reinterpretation of the Aztec pyramids. Substituting steep steps are elevated platforms leading up into the enigmatic temple-like structure. The act of climbing places visitors in a posture of worship to the sky.
This space parallels the dark chambers of Mesoamerican pyramids and features dramatically high ceilings that opens to the revered sky. It doubles as a conservatory, featuring 251 medicinal herbs utilised by the Aztecs, ready for use in the thermae.