Approaching Krabey Island by speedboat, it’s hard to discern any signs of human intervention. It is only when arriving at the Six Senses pier that one begins to glimpse a rectilinear volume of dark basalt stone and gilded koki wood, a prelude to a subtle architectural scheme that blends well with the surrounding environment.
It is the Six Senses Krabey Island luxury resort designed with respect for nature, from the structure to the systems right up to the interior design.
And regarding the architecture, Six Senses decided to collaborate with a small-sized architectural firm, but one that was capable of truly understanding nature. This is the Thai studio Dimensional Interpretation (DIN), specializing in sustainable design.
Before developing the project, Pin and Pitikorn, founders of the Studio, conducted in-depth research on Cambodian culture, studying every aspect of local life, from architecture to culinary traditions and work activities.
From the data collected, they extracted a concept that elegantly expresses the Cambodian tradition in every area of the resort. The decor of the pool villas, for example, was inspired by the traditional houses of the Cambodian mainland, while the common areas were inspired by the life of fishing villages.
The design philosophy of the DIN studio is in fact based on the enhancement of nature and the use of simple materials, in line with the Buddhist concept of the Dharma.
The result is a design that is sophisticated and, at the same time, strongly rooted in the context.
Wooden wall panels incorporating functional components such as doors, reference elements of traditional Cambodian houses, and turquoise hues in the furnishings reflect the typical scenery of the country.
The flowing lines of the Romdoul – Cambodia’s national flower native to the island – are carved into the light fixtures, robe hooks and furniture legs, and join the water buffalo (Krabey means buffalo in the Khmer language) in an elegant wall art piece by Thai artist Korakot Aromdee.
The story of the Khmer people’s relationship with water – commonly used in purification rituals and ceremonies – is told in the 2,000m2 spa. The internal and external spaces conceived with a play of joints, are finished with superimposed lava stone that recalls the ancient Angkor Wat temple.
“The idea was to mitigate a large complex with smaller volumes that picturesquely ‘grow’ into the landscape,” comments Pavlychenko.
Inside the treatment rooms, DIN Studio’s design includes undulating wooden ceilings that replicate water ripples, indigo colored walls and wooden structures that represent abstract air bubbles. Here you will find Lemi beds (the Versus model).
DIN DESIGN STUDIO
DIN studio was founded in 2013 by architects Pitikorn Yoswattana & Pin Jitpratuk.
It operates in Thailand and Cambodia in various sectors including, residential, hospitality and commercial. Despite their young age, they have already received several awards and publications.
The acronym DIN stands for “Dimensional Interpretation”; but in Thai, the word DIN also means “earth”, a term that reflects the studio’s personality as simple, humble and down-to-earth.
Their working identity derives from the combination of people’s way of life and that of nature, which is interpreted in a new dimension of design. Their approach is based on the creation of stories: each work created tells a different story made of simplicity and durability.
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