SITE
Lavender Bay Golf Resort, situated in the region of Thessalia in Greece, is a luxury golf resort comprised of 300 hectares of unspoiled, undulating hills fronted by a 2km beach and surrounded by forest. The resort features 5-star hotel accommodations and amenities, an 18-hole championship Gary Player signature golf course, marina, beach club and a luxury residential component consisting of different house typologies. The resort offers an 147;eco-chic148; luxury lifestyle that is supported by a functional and sustainable environment of a rich aesthetic quality that146;s sensitive to the local architecture and has minimal impact on the environment. Contextually located in the province of Magnesia, Lavender Bay is a pristine natural setting within Nies Bay that is part of the larger Pegasetic Gulf.
MASTER PLAN
The Lavender Bay master plan is founded on a deep respect for the natural environment and seeks to establish a close relationship with the land of which it is part. Formally composed of three fingers, the resort flows with the natural topography allowing for an extended exposure to the forest, sea, and golf activities. A water front boardwalk connects the residential town and hotel areas of the master plan and provides access to an archeological site and the town center.
RESIDENTIAL TOWN
The residential town plan is designed to have a minimal environmental impact while offering a maximum sensorial affect. Developed around the idea of a small village, roadways and pedestrian routes follow the natural contours of the land and culminate in central gathering areas. Architecturally, the residences are based on subdued simple forms that are not only economical to construct but help to harmonize the transition from outside to inside with large easily perceived volumes that blend into the landscape. Materials and construction methods are equally simple as the planning, representing local building techniques, crafts, and cultures in a modern form.
HOTEL
Facing the sea, the hotel complex expands from a central cluster of sublimely simple public spaces designed to accentuate the tranquil natural setting. Organized in three groups, bay front residences, forest hotel, and hillside residences, the hotel taps into and offers multiple experiences provided by the rich diversity of the setting. Inspired by existing natural springs, a water feature runs the length of the site and provides a common pedestrian spine that threads through the residential neighborhoods and hotel garden villas. Centrally located, the main hotel links the garden villa units, bay front residences, and hillside residences via a grand stair that is flanked by spectacularly luxurious yet architecturally quiet event spaces. A diversity of hotel unit types are available in response to the varied abundant natural features of the site. All units are composed of luxuriously modern spaces defined with local building methods and materials. Grouped into bay front and hillside neighborhoods, the hotel residences respond to differing natural geographic site conditions and offer a unique experience for each guest. In a similar style to the residential town, the hotel residences are modern structures constructed using local building techniques and materials.
Overall, Lavender Bay Golf Resort does not impose itself on the site, but rather coexists with the natural landscape through a symbiotic relationship that benefits the prosperity of both the local culture and an active world class resort destination.