PHUKET ELEPHANT SANCTUARY RESORT

A healing retreat inspired by the life and spirit of elephants

Category : Hospitality

Year : 2020

The resort design for Phuket Elephant Sanctuary began with a simple yet meaningful brief: to create accommodation within what is known as

Phuket's First & Most Ethical Elephant Sanctuary

However, what stood out most was not just the site—but the story behind it.

Site

Understanding the Place

This sanctuary is dedicated to providing a safe haven for elephants—many of whom have endured physically and emotionally demanding lives. Here, they are given the opportunity to live peacefully in their later years, free from exploitation.

Unlike typical elephant tourism, visitors are not encouraged to ride or feed the animals. Instead, the experience is about observation, empathy, and connection—allowing people to understand and feel the lives of these animals.

This emotional connection became the core inspiration behind the design. If you’re curious about how it feels, we invite you to visit and experience it for yourself >> www.phuketelephantsanctuary.org

Design Concept: A Sanctuary for Both Elephants and Humans

The project reinterprets the idea of a “sanctuary” as not only a refuge for elephants, but also a place of healing for people.

The resort is designed as a retreat where visitors can rest, reconnect, and restore their mental well-being—using the presence and symbolism of elephants as a form of shelter and emotional grounding.

Material Exploration: Bamboo as Structure and Spirit

Bamboo is chosen as the primary material, reflecting both sustainability and a connection to nature.

To fully understand its potential, the design process extended beyond conventional practice:

• Participating in hands-on bamboo construction workshops
  

• Studying structural behavior through sketches and physical models
  

• Experimenting with different architectural forms to test feasibility

This process reinforced an important belief:It’s not about knowing everything—but about deeply understanding what we design.

Outcome

The result is a resort concept rooted in empathy, sustainability, and emotional experience.

It is not just a place to stay—but a space where architecture becomes a medium for connection between humans, nature, and animals.

Plan Layout

Exterior

Villa 1

Explore the interior atmosphere through a 360-degree experience.

Semi-Outdoor Bathroom

The bathroom is designed as a semi-outdoor space, gradually transitioning from the interior to the exterior. This creates a continuous spatial flow and enhances the sense of openness through natural ventilation.

The design allows for both enclosed indoor bathing and an open-air experience. A freeform bathtub is integrated into the outdoor zone, gently enclosed by continuous curved walls that define the space while maintaining a strong connection to nature.

Villa 2

Villa 3