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Published on August 10, 2007

Building a Shangri La in is no picnic, even if it is perched by the sea on Koh Samui. It took three years, countless trips abroad and numerous brainstorming sessions before the design of Sila Evason Hideaway could be conceived, confessed architect Amata Luphaiboon who headed a talented local team that built the estate. His partners include Revaree Nophaket, Twitee Vajrabya and Wannaporn Lamsam.

Their efforts were soon rewarded, however, with accolades of praise coming from global connoisseurs of fine hotels and critics.

Among the raves were those from Conde Nast magazine, which called it "one of the best new hotels in the world".

More recently it was bestowed the Award of Excellence by the Association of Siamese Architects, the country's most prestigious building assembly.

On behalf of his associates, Amata received the award in a ceremony presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Amata who also teaches at Chulalongkorn University considered the moment among the highpoints of his career.

"Evason was a monumental task. It was gruelling and demanding, but we loved every minute doing it," he says.

To obtain fresh, bold ideas, they flew to Bali and other exotic destinations to observe what other top resorts were offering before drawing the final blueprint for Evason.

"We used bamboo, local hardwood and stones, to give the estate an earthy, rustic feeling. The whole idea is to create a sanctuary in the northern tip of Samui island that would be the perfect honeymoon destination."

Its land area spans 47-rai, with a coastal front that slopes into the sea, surrounded by rocks and overlooking the bay.

"The elevation and rocks made its construction rather challenging," he adds.

Evason now ranks as one of Thailand's more celebrated high-end vacation spots.

"Each of the resort's 66 villas, which cling to a palm-studded headland above the sea, is a pleasure dome of rustic luxury in polished hardwoods, bamboo and creamy muslin, all under a soaring thatched roof," Conde Nast wrote in its review.

Amata said the architecture is one of the most romantic settings in hotels.

Evason is also one of the more expensive hotels, charging Bt30,000 a night.

Following Evason, Amata and his team worked on Zeavola on Phi Phi island, Krabi.

Zeavola is also unique as it employs rural Thai village settings. The architects have formed a company called Department of Architecture, a subsidiary of Amata's own Metric Group, to channel their energies toward such projects.

"Today's designs are quite different from those used for the past 50 years," he notes. "The emphasis now is more on creating a fantasy paradise as opposed to creating shinning, glitzy five-star palaces."

"The concept of spending, deciding on what is valuable and what constitutes quality, has changed in recent times.

"What constitutes comfort in our parent's eyes is quite different from today's generation of consumers," he says.

"Older people may think youths only care about computers and automation. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Many young people today seek simplicity, preferring natural ways to artificial ones, because they long to recapture much of what has been lost in the pursuit of an industrial world."

Itthi c Tan

The Nation