4 Islands in Maldives / OFIS arhitekti

Apr 2009

Island 2 - Hadahaa

Architect: OFIS arhitekti
Location: Maldives Islands
Project Leaders: Rok Oman, Špela Videčnik
Design Year: 2004-2006
Further Development: 2009
Design Team: Nejc Batistic, Martina Lipicer, Marisa Baptista
3d Animations & Realisations: David Lozej, Jaka Zvan, Rok Jereb

The government of Maldives runs every few years a bid for the islands that investors can rent for 25 years. The bid documentation has to contain also a concept and architectural proposal for the resort. The extra challenge was developing environmentally friendly, ecologically sensitive and self-sustaining model of 4 different islands and how to demonstrate an earnest concern and a keen sensitivity to its authentic environment.

The set-up respects the indigenous nature and a local surrounding condition.

After visiting all 14 islands that were available we choose four of them and developed proposals for 5-star resorts with 100 beds. The program besides different type’s accommodation such as on-water villas and beach-bungalows contained also 3 restaurants (main restaurant, beach-grill and pool-restaurant), spa, pool, diving school, services and staff accommodation.

The layout of facilities was chosen carefully with help of the local environmental experts – depending on position of reef, sea erosion, wind, existing vegetation and highs-the Maldivian urbanistic law has a very interesting high restriction-no building must be higher than the tallest tree on the island. The aim was not to damage any existing qualities and give the new infrastructure best possible climate and sun exposition. Main construction materials were local, wood, bamboo, straw and soil, construction method used prefabricated elements that would be built on land and brought to the island…

Island 1 – Funamadua:

The prototype is an elevated floor that is embraced with U-shape wall with changing patterns. In this way series of bays appear offering different external and internal spaces. Accommodation villa for example contains 3 enclosed spaces with bedroom, bath and living and external porch or verandah with views to the sea or the island. Spa has enclosed spaces for massage, ayurveda or other treatments and external porch for resting.

Island 2 – Hadahaa

Continuous loops are elements of this proposal, creating paths, floors or roofs. Roofs have moon-shape and are rising from the ground covering internal and external spaces. Loop wraps the interior of the island, where existing groups of palm trees are located and continue to the coast and the sea forming private plateaus and piers…

Island 3 – Konotta

The main prefabricated element is a sandwich-wall of wood and straw forming a tree-Y-shape. These elements can be connected in various ways offering different internal and external spaces. They form sky-light, pergolas, rooftops, blinds and similar. All types of infrastructure are built from the same elements.

Island 4 – Randheli

The basic prototype has elliptical shape with large external verandas, main internal space and services. Prototype has different variation in terms of size and use:

Accommodation facilities for example have pool on verandah, outdoor shower on the opposite site and internal space with bed, wardrobes and bathroom. Restaurant has similar organisation with outdoor eating, main indoor restaurant and kitchen with buffet in service areas.

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 1 – Funamadua

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 2 – Hadahaa

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 3 – Konotta

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

: Island 4 – Randheli

42 comments »

archdork says:

alright… enough of trying, guys. Please just leave it as it is. I think I will be so distracted by those in the middle of beautiful maldive’s beach.

# April 14, 2009 at 07:21

gilles says:

Very good and sophisticated project…

# April 14, 2009 at 07:47

W-ray says:

Excellent! I am following the other tender projects on Maldives. These are far the best. And archdork; read the text first before you comment something .. or at least first sentence

# April 14, 2009 at 08:24

roadkill says:

wow… tops the best projects ever shown in this blog! Was is designed by Zumthor himself, I hear you say? Very sustainable…. I hope they can float!

# April 14, 2009 at 10:17

blogger says:

Very inspiring and lot of good new ideas..

# April 14, 2009 at 11:03

man says:

what the … is good in that project?? unbelievable. Waht bad renders again!

# April 14, 2009 at 11:13

rem.mick says:

I would certainly go in Maldives on one of the sea-house when are completed

# April 14, 2009 at 11:53

man… this is surreal, if the development looks anything like that [and i hope it never gets built] then they should just relocate to Disney World…

# April 14, 2009 at 13:02

vertigo says:

Great work. I checked OFIS website. I did’t realise that I know most of their project. Good luck to Slovenia guys !

# April 14, 2009 at 14:11

m says:

how to spoil a nice place. i think the whole idea (not talking about the architecture, which doesnt impress me either) is totaly wrong, sorry.

# April 14, 2009 at 14:37

sartre says:

Good and efficient concept . With fragmentation and modulations from small individual huts to joining them together into floating and central island villages. It feels light not heavy.

# April 14, 2009 at 14:56

maldivian says:

Maldives has more than 1.000 small islands. Until 2004 less than 100 were occupied.
Since tsunami in 2004 almost 45% of all built infrastructure was practicly erased so it is logicaly to make tenders and bids in order to restore the life and tourism back. (tourism-28% of GDP).

# April 14, 2009 at 15:13

INawe says:

I can understand the need to bring back tourism and trying to give island life a modern touch but what disgusting designs these are. Am i the only one that sees this? These terrible renderings with photoshopped models carelessly flung about don’t depict anything resembling what the Maldives culture and life has to offer. Also, by just throwing local materials together doesn’t make it sustainable. The huts for example have huge expanses of glass and besides the front over hangs I’m pretty sure those huts are going to need quite a bit of A/C in order to keep those rich supermodel tourists happy.

Nice first attempt. Wish the design could be pushed further… much further. Oh and next time you are going to have some interns to do your renderings please get some that aren’t in first or second year. ;)

# April 14, 2009 at 17:31

PS> This doesn’t look like a 5-star resort.

# April 14, 2009 at 17:36

I also think that this is nice attempt, and more. And since I know the Maldives tenders practise; most of presentations are done as over coloured kitschy sketches because this is a common method from all the practises. This entry was far different and I guess had to be a little more sketchy-like. Also this one had far minimal built mass and preserved land. The fact that this does not look as 5* for me is a quality.

# April 15, 2009 at 01:54

theDude says:

I hope those roofs are 45º min. pitch as thatch rots if it is anything less and water will also permeate the building unless a second “skin” used. Being an architect in Mauritius, we use these type of thatch roofs commonly, would be a shame to ruin the interiors or to have high maintenance costs to upkeep the roof if the concept were a sustainable one. Good luck for the rest!

# April 15, 2009 at 01:55

lavender says:

Cute,interesting prototypes, presentations works for me, some angry renderer-s write angry comments :) get some sleep guys

# April 15, 2009 at 02:53

tracer says:

Interesting project……. Not to mention frustrated comments. If you don’t know how and what to comment better no to write at all (to El Mojado )

# April 15, 2009 at 08:29

spencer says:

this project gets it to the point. a little bit more information would be useful though…

# April 15, 2009 at 09:25

reno says:

Nice project, like the small, fragmented scale of the complex, presentation works for me..

# April 15, 2009 at 09:49

jesus says:

that this is definitley a place where you have to have been to understand what you can, want and should build.
- dad, you are soo right! see you.

# April 15, 2009 at 10:25

MID says:

Project also works for me…good and not god

# April 15, 2009 at 10:42

Quertas says:

Quality of the project should be valued according to its quality not renders….anyway, project works for me too, Maldives will certainly get on value…would be one of the well done resorts

# April 15, 2009 at 13:44

intella says:

nice assemblance of pavillions from smaller to bigger units

# April 15, 2009 at 14:04

I’m sorry but I agree with gonzales. (P.s. I’m not gonzales under another name just as I am sure the other comments are actually different people as well)

This project has good attributes to it. Unfortunately they are only done so through the text that is provided and not what is shown through the various pictures and diagrams.

Btw, I actually went to the Architects website and have noticed that there are projects that have been showcased on ArchDaily before and it is without a doubt that their designs still can be debated towards their viewpoints towards aesthetics (beauty is in the eye of the beholder). With that being said it still looks like a better job of presenting renderings (less and with better quality) is needed.

With that being said I wish the best to seeing this project completed and I hope that I will be happily surprised by the real outcome because I see some serious flaws in the actual “shown” architecture.

# April 15, 2009 at 16:56

Fair enough,…time will tell, … I’m going to check their website

# April 15, 2009 at 17:15

ornament and crme says:

I haven’t bothered to read the text because imagery is shockingly poor.

OFIS please note : When it comes to renderings, go for quality over quantity.

# April 15, 2009 at 22:25

way says:

Luckily OFIS does also real architecture not just renders. And also renders work for me

# April 16, 2009 at 02:56

M. says:

What the hell is this sh..project? Useless, expensive and irresponsable.

# April 16, 2009 at 10:43

raro says:

horrendous. leaving the rendering quality aside (for renders i’d say give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they were making a supercilious statement showing how above stereotypical expectations of what a render is this days or something like that). but the architecture, omfg, where is the aesthetic here? what is the aesthetic? how does this work in any other way other than “i am almighty architect, i do not care for mere beauty, i am making a statement”. doesnt fit the locale, looks like it will date horribly in 3 years or less, and the poor island ends up with an architectural statement that is run down and after 3 years, after the fashion has changed, just plain omfg what were they thinking ugly.

# April 17, 2009 at 11:57

ishan says:

these islands were tendered and some started construction three four years ago…. Hadaha with design by SCDA singapore, Funamaudua , by a non architect/developer…etc… Do you mean to say that theyve been retendered out of public view?……..

# April 30, 2009 at 00:22

tina says:

Sorry, but this presentations looks really poor, I think u could get much better renders with less work, if u try some other program or sketches. Anyway, this architecture style is not bringing anything new and it doesnt fit to the place. It just didnt impress me at all – and it is so interesting task to work with.

# May 12, 2009 at 06:34

Wargo says:

Good concept, but the “first generation” renders look unfinished.

# October 3, 2009 at 16:35

dUFFY says:

dunno, does anything beat the vernacular wooden sheds already there? Does the planet need another vacation resort ? The same generic intervention to bring all the creature comforts of western society to the most beautiful unspoilt locations in the world. I’m unconvinced.

dUFFY

# October 4, 2009 at 17:52

direk says: