Located on the quiet Na Jomtien beach, between the fishermen’s village and the city of Pattaya, Mason’s architecture rests on a 15m-high granite hill inclining down to the sea, where Ang Sila, the local stonemasonry community is nearby. The resort consists of 35-unique-pool-villas and its facilities, including restaurant, spa, fitness, pool and beachside bar. C-shaped concrete villas are sculpted into “cave” as to create the minimum impact to the existing hillside site, using the integration of natural stone and other materials. The combination of material mastery and detail is also carved into concrete, terrazzo, wood, glass, in collaboration by the local artisans’ craftsmanship.
In descending the slope, the cave-like villas are carved on one third of the 48,000 square-meter site, maximizing the sea view, while keeping tranquility and privacy within. Located nearest the sea, two rows of one-bedroom villas are entered from above, via an open-air staircase from the back, which arrives on the spacious sundeck terrace. Light and shadow play with positive and negative space in a light-filled enclosure beneath the staircase.
Further inland, family two-bedroom villas with full height opening from the entrance, creating dramatic scenes by framing the seascapes. Behind those are two rows of duplexes that guests enter via a landing between floors. Furthest from the sea, garden villa maintains privacy within an extra-large private pool, and spacious bathroom. Expression of light is interlaced into its interior by skylight and it is changing dramatically during the day.
The design accent also can be seen in decorative crafts such as sculptural vases and washbasins made from granite rocks by Ang Sila local sculptors. Whereas the project owner and the architect would like to collaborate with the local community and the local artists as to make Mason not only a retreat resort but the project that is made locally unique and is community-awareness in the place of nowhere else.