Bai Tram is located on an east coast bay of Vietnam and described as the Riviera of Vietnam because of its soft, sandy beaches and clear turquoise waters.
The exclusive Bai Tram Resort covers an area of 90 hectares with 900 metres of palm-fringed golden beachfront. With just seven luxurious pool villas and one dining venue, GSB was asked to masterplan the entire property to add additional guest villas and luxury private residences.
The resort’s architecture is traditional Vietnamese style, with thatched roofs, antique wooden doors and solid bamboo details, creating a natural extension of the tropical surroundings and constructed with environmental friendliness as a top consideration.
GSB has identified the most prominent natural features evident from topographical surveys and photographs and have used them to organize our land use on the site. Existing streams and drainage patterns were preserved. Roads were proposed where they can work most effectively with the existing contours. Steeply sloped sites were left in their natural condition rather than force expensive modification and risk damaging erosion. Residential lots and villas were tiered on modestly sloped areas to sequentially elevate them, giving every unit and parcel a dramatic, unimpeded view of the sea. A field, marsh, and lagoon are proposed for the low-lying areas behind the beachfront land, creating dramatic foreground for the properties upslope, adding interest to the resort environment, and collecting the storm runoff. The future resort was located to provide direct beach access and give dramatic views from each of its 40 guest villas, while enabling convenient service and guest access.
To maximize their value, the exclusive estates were located on the prominent bluffs which flank the site and overlook the crescent shaped beach. The staff villages were carefully placed at the foot of the undeveloped slopes behind the future resort, giving them good views, privacy, and a central location. Special scenic locations are also revealed throughout the site for potential open-air pavilions suitable for romantic dining experiences, exercise and meditation, or for observation of the site and the sea. These locations offer exceptional visibility and are situated on gently sloped areas near proposed roads for improved access. These locations can become homes to unique, possibly whimsical, architectural lanterns to be discovered and enjoyed.