The Habita

Blending into the natural environment of the Cape Panwa peninsula with its use of natural materials—such as stone, wood, textured walls and a palette of soothing earthy tones—and clean lines, The Habita is the most recent addition to Phuket’s premier resort Sri panwa after opening in 2016. With 30 new luxury pool suites and penthouses as well as two new food and beverage offerings—Baba Chino and Baba Hot Box—the new precinct seamlessly integrates with the resort’s.

HOTEL LOCATION
Situated 40 to 60 metres above sea level and occupying the peninsula in its entirety, Sri panwa is an oasis of calm and luxury in one of the finest locations on Phuket, commanding panoramic views of the surrounding islands and Andaman Sea. Eight islands in the Phuket archipelago are within easy reach: Racha, Maiton, Phi Phi, Coral, Lon and more are all 15 to 40 minutes away by boat.

ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE AND DESIGN
Aligned with the resort’s distinctive personality, the new collection blends modern, natural, tropical and contemporary design with luxury accommodation and personalised service. To preserve Sri panwa’s idyllic scenery, the enclave has been carefully designed to create a symbiosis between natural beauty and modern architecture. The Habita’s iconic roof takes the form of an arching leaf, while the interiors focus on nature with patterns resembling trees.

LUXURY SUITES AND PENTHOUSES
Ranging from 750 to 1,500 square feet, the new 20 one-bedroom pool suites and 10 penthouses feature their own infinity swimming pools with panoramic views of the Andaman Sea. The natural breeze passing through the open-plan design and natural patterns featured throughout the interiors give guests the feeling of a living system.

VILLAS
The resort offers 45 villas and seven private residential villas. The luxurious terracotta villas were designed using an enclosure concept to blend into the landscape and have been positioned in such a way so as to preserve the ancient hardwood trees and guest privacy. This called for each villa to be separated into smaller components and connected by open terraces and walkways. Based on an ‘exposure concept’, each villa also features floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open out onto a 12-metre infinity edge pool faced towards the sea, boasting up to 240-degree uninterrupted sea views.

FOREST WATERFALL POOL
From an Olympic-size waterfall pool and a dedicated kids’ pool to a refurbished spa with new treatment rooms and a wellness dedicated area, The Habita at Sri panwa will carry on Sri panwa’s philosophy of offering accommodation of the highest quality with maximum privacy and superior service. The 970-square-metre Sukabumi Forest Water Pool was designed to have two levels and curved similarly to a waterfall, which gives the sense of being surrounded by forest and a large waterfall.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Aligned with the resort’s distinctive personality, Traditional Chinese restaurant Baba Chino’s interiors embrace the essence of modern natural design. The walls feature a wave pattern as well as a copper ceiling glow that was formed from a natural slated stone, which illuminates the facility once the shell ball lamp is turned on, giving the environment of the restaurant an elegant touch. Baba Chino mixes modern interiors with tropical design, with large open glass doors looking out over the waterfall and pool.

The signature concept of Baba Hot Box is to provide hot barbecue (BBQ) experience in the middle of the natural forest and waterfall. The restaurant uses the traditional Spanish Josper Grill as its centrepiece, with at-bar seating encouraging an interactive dining experience. Red colour was applied to its interior and decoration. The counter bar and some parts of the wall were made from dark natural quartzite, symbolising stone on the fire. To experience nature, Baba Hot Box was constructed with glass to present garden and waterfall views. Beside the bar counter, there is a rain tree acacia wooden table where guests can enjoy their BBQ time.

In addition to the two new restaurants, Sri panwa is home to four additional international restaurants, each offering its own individual experience and expansive coastal views. Baba Pool Club is the resort’s central all-day Mediterranean restaurant, positioned alongside a 25-metre lap pool. Above Baba Pool Club is Baba IKI, a contemporary and relaxed Japanese restaurant with seating around its sushi bar, teppanyaki bar, communal long wooden table and outdoors on the deck. Traditional Thai restaurant Baba Soul Food features intricate architectural detail in a warm and relaxed modern setting. Baba Nest is the jewel that sits at the top of the resort on the highest pinnacle of the south eastern peninsula. The rooftop bar is surrounded by a 360-degree infinity pool and offers sea views.

FIRE PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS
All rooms are fitted with smoke, heat and gas detection that are linked directly to the main enunciators. Each room has a manual fire alarm pull station. The materials used inside each room are either non-combustible or non-toxic gas combustible, with the curtains and upholstery being coated with fire retardant. Strategically placed fire hose cabinets ensure that all areas of the resort can be covered by the fire hoses.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
The environmental impact of Sri panwa was considered from an early stage. From the original design to the newer project, the resort’s impact on nature was minimised. Keeping as many of the original large trees as possible, rather than clearing land and replanting, the natural look and feel of the peninsula are maintained. In the new building phases, the buildings were designed to be built around these large trees. Sourcing natural local products for Sri panwa was also an important part of showing the true beauty of the location and making sure that the island can upkeep its heritage.

ENERGY CONSERVATION
Sri panwa’s energy conservation programme began with the use of all LED lighting, helping to both reduce power usage and increase the lifespan of the bulbs. As the local climate is hot, natural air flow was considered as an important factor in the design of the resort. All public areas, except for a small section of the restaurant, use only natural ventilation.

Air-conditioning units create a large environmental impact, which is why tactics were created to counter the impacts. All hot air from the air-conditioning ventilation system is collected and recycled to be used as water heating to reduce the use of a water heating pump. In each guest room, sensors were installed on the sliding doors to automatically cut off the units when the door is open.

PROJECT DATA
Project Name: The Habita
Location: Sri panwa, Cape Panwa, Phuket, Thailand
Completion Date: January 2016
Site Area: 1,495 square metres
Gross Floor Area: 5,038 square metres
Number of Rooms: 37 suites and penthouses, 52 villas and six international restaurants
Building Height: 12 metres
Client/Owner: Charn Issara Group
Managing Director: Vorasit “Wan” Issara
Architecture Firm: Habita Architects
Principal Architect: Habita Co.,Ltd
Lighting Consultant: Chemisti Co.,Ltd
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: MITR Technical Consultant Co.,Ltd
Civil & Structural Engineer: RKV Engineering Consultant Co.,Ltd
Quantity Surveyor: Costperfect Co.,Ltd
Main Contractor: Italian Thai Development PLC
Images: Charn Issara Group