The Haikou west coast comprises a new urban development along picturesque coastline on the west of the existing town centre. A part of this masterplan, the site for Haikou Chengan Villas is embedded in a scenic natural surroundings, host to prestine green and water resources. Situated on the Yingbin peninsula, the location bears extraordinary potential to harness views of the ocean and the green surroundings from villas, service apartments and residential units that comprise its program. While capitalizing on these advantages, the design also negotiates between two chief challenges, that of diminishing the influence of a nearby roadway while avoiding the built-forms from becoming a visual barrier to the ocean, thereby respecting the visual connectivity of the surrounding areas.
At the heart of the site plan lies a continuous sequence of independent villas looping around internal green pockets to form the longest possible perimeter, offering opportunity for maximum density of residences clustered around and oriented towards central landscapes. The sequential units organize water features and landscape elements to create an internal focus while revealing a sense of unified built form. Individual villas of the clusters are designed with a spatial gradient of privacy - personal living and dining areas that look out to private gardens which further open into the central landscapes, thus articulating inside and out into a continuous experience.
Optimizing on the topography, the first level of the duplex townhouses is embedded into the ground, where living and family areas connect with the shared landscape. These enclosed green pockets lend a sense of community space and encourage interaction among neighbouring residents. The arching roofs of duplex villas form continuity and blend them into the surrounding green terrain. Internally the sloping roofs lower the visual axis from private bedrooms, directing it towards the gardens. The basalt stone walls dividing individual villas, offset against grey plastered walls and metallic tint of Kalzip roof complete the modern-vernacular composition that integrates these units beautifully into a quiet unified form, such that their presence accentuates the topography while never hindering views from surrounding apartment units. A partially sunken club house provides flexible spaces for community events, and is axially oriented to avail ocean vistas.
On the south-eastern part of the site, three blocks of nine story service apartment buildings are organized in a concave layout. Adjacent layout of a seven storied service apartments responds to its proximity to the site boundary. In the east and south-east of the northern plot, five level duplex townhouses define and enclose the other site boundary. Concentrically increasing heights from centre to periphery creates orientation towards internal landscape and avails ocean views for higher units. The design achieves spatial articulation of natural order and residential space that is close to the environment.
