Nature Guiding Nurture

A luxury resort obtains inspiration from ecological protection and local motifs

- Victor Chen

Like most exclusive resorts in the Maldives, JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa rose from a bare patch of land, in particular, on the edge of Shaviyani Atoll. Although the archipelago has a well-earned reputation as a luxury sanctuary for its number of high-end retreats, taking on a development project in the area is filled with challenges.

“Manufacturing and construction materials have to be imported along with the workforce,” shares Isabelle Miaja, Managing Director and Creative Director of Miaja Design Group Pte Ltd, who designed the project. The design team had to schedule work according to the weather as the protracted monsoon season is known to cause stoppages and delays. “We worked around the weather forecast like we were planning a holiday,” Miaja quips.

Environment protection is paramount to any development within the area, and the team had to set up generators, and grey and black water treatment plants ahead of construction. This protects the fauna from any disruption or harm. Preservation of flora, meanwhile, called for a careful relocation of existing plants and trees during the construction, and new plantings had to be done way before the project opened.

But the project has definite pluses. The brief from the client, Bon Free Pvt Ltd, specified only the number of villas to be constructed on land and in the water, and the facilities that were required – from restaurants to spa, children’s areas, swimming pools, reception, shops, and diving centre. Beyond those requirements, the team was given a free hand to develop the concept as long as it suited the JW Marriott brand, Miaja explains. This went all the way to the selection of colours and materials that would create the energy that captured the essence of the brand.