Some villas look great, some make you feel great, Villa Nandana does both.
Harmony from within, attention to detail, undisturbed flow of light and movement – here is one way to describe Villa Nandana, a breathtaking detached beachfront villa residence located on Natai Beachin Phang Nga. Set on a spacious private plot, with 33m of private beach front and extensive private tropical landscape gardens, Nandana offers an open-plan “pod” design, set-out in a configuration of seven separate pavilions, linked via covered walkways. To find out more about the design and how it seamlessly unites indoor living spaces and the villa’s natural surroundings, we talk to the architect, Branko Pahor.
Matt Clemens, Exotiq: Nandana begun as a villa remodel project. How did that affect the design?
Branko Pahor: Yes, that’s true. The main aim of the design was to re-engineer a tired, disjointed and rundown home and reinterpret it into a cohesive and beautiful tropical resort villa.
MC: How do you make such design fit within current architectural trends?
BP: Following trends has never interested me, instead I aim to create designs that are timeless, comfortable and above all beautiful. Designing beautifully proportioned spaces that celebrate structure, texture and light is fundamental to all my designs.
MC: What impression will the villa make on a new visitor?
BP: Clarity of structure and a sense of order is probably one of the primary aspects of the design solution. The final outcome is an architectural design that is clean, balanced and simple. And as we all well know, ”The simple things in life are often the hardest to achieve”.
MC: How about the dominant colors and textures?
BP: The color palette is primarily made up of soft natural hues and the home is constructed of rich, warm and natural materials that are both beautiful on the eye and pleasant to the touch. It was important to use materials and finishes that link the architectural DNA seamlessly with the surrounding tropical landscape and beachfront setting. Selecting materials that age gracefully was equally important to the design.
MC: What dominates the design – aesthetics or comfort and utilitarian aspects?
BP: The villa is basically designed from the inside out so the functionality, comfort and proportion of the individual spaces drove a lot of the esthetics. Light and the way it is modulated, controlled and manipulated is also extremely important in all my designs as is the use of natural, durable and timeless materials.
MC: What would you say is the characteristic of Nandana that makes it stand out among other villa designs?
BP: The thing that stands out with this project is the attention to detail. There is not one single thing that makes it different and unique but rather the many little intricate details that make up the whole. The result is a design that makes you feel good and a home that embraces its unique and wonderful ocean front setting.
By Matt Clemens
