But there is one feature that stands out from each of the rooms, and that is the Java Bed,
designed by Chan and commissioned by Poliform, an Italian design company renowned for
its sophisticated and original home furniture.
The Java Bed is the first Singaporean-designed furniture piece to be included in the Poliform
collection. This sleek, beautifully designed four-poster bed creates an even further sense of
elegance in the villas. This bed calls to mind the romance and formality of old European
poster beds but it provides an air of simplicity and casualness that is associated with
contemporary design language. A perfect amalgamation of East and West, modern and
tradition, it is a perfect fit with the understated luxury of Alila Villas Soori.
"For the furnishings, I was adopting an interplay of textures," added Chan. "Most of the building materials were sourced locally. Materials include terracotta tiles featuring traditional Balinese motif, timber, concrete, terrazzo, silk and volcanic lava stone. For example, I combined soft silk upholstery with custom-designed dark stained timber furniture."
Lighting was an important factor to reinforce the design concept. For example, Spa Alila at Alila Villas Soori showcases both natural and artificial lighting located directly below the reflective pond at the reception and an aqua roof that fills the spa with a spectrum of watery light.
Lighting amidst the landscape also sets the mood in the evenings. A controlled level of luminance aids in the ambience of both the villas, and common areas like the restaurants and pool.
As with all Alila Villas properties, Alila Villas Soori is designed, constructed and managed in accordance
with Green Globe’s rigorous benchmarks for environmental sensitivity. This is in line with Alila’s own
long-standing philosophy of luxury living in natural environments while treading lightly to preserve the
essence and splendor of the destination. Sensitive site planning, the use of local building materials and
native landscaping ensures that the property delicately integrates into the environment.
EC3 Global (Green Design Specialists) was consulted early in the project to consider aspects of sustainable developments. This aided in the incorporation of existent cultural conditions on site – the site is used as an occasional procession route to the nearby temple by the neighbouring villagers.
Local indigenous materials such as Paras Kelating (sandstone from the Kelating district of
Bali), Paras Kerobokan (sandstone distinct to the Kerobokan district of Bali), Batu Chandi
(local volcanic rock) and Batu Kali (river stones) were used in the construction of the resort
as they naturally respond to the local climate. Cool colours were also used as much as
possible to promote a sense of tranquillity and spaciousness in addition to lowering the
absorption of thermal energy.
Alila Villas Soori is exposed to relatively severe coastal conditions during certain times of the year. This calls for incorporation of a variety of indigenous local plants and coastal ‘hardy’ species, for example Ipomoea Pes-caprae, Scavola Taccada, Cocos Nucifera & Cerbera Odollam.
As mentioned above, the site was exposed to an aspect where the site was used as an occasional procession route to the nearby temple for the neighbouring villagers. The solution in site planning kept this route so as to maintain the existent cultural conditions before the development came onboard.
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