QUÊ TÔI Village

Quê Tôi Village is a resort designed by Gema – Architecture and Interior
Design company, in Phu Yen province, Central Vietnam, a part of the coast that has been able to keep its original cachet and charm. Our client’s commission was to create a luxurious eco-retreat catering to individuals seeking a commune with nature. This clear assignment allowed Gema to create from the ground up an exclusive beach retreat, supervising every facet of its development from master plan and landscaping to resort design, restaurant, and interior design. Envisioned as to blend with its natural surroundings, the property takes advantage of unadulterated materials to define Quê Tôi Village’s cohesive appearance, with a nod to local aesthetics.
Composed of 16 individual units and 6 deluxe suites, the resort provides all the necessary amenities in a serene setting echoing its tropical environment.

The layout follows a longitudinal site, stretching between steep hillsides rising as much as 40 meters above sea level, and the ocean itself. This configuration surely presented an auspicious location for geomantic harmony, but also a real challenge for Gema – Architecture & Interior Design, having to develop all the necessary structures on a narrow site, while shielding them from the disturbance of the road behind. Quê Tôi Village was therefore developed as a pedestrian compound underscored with exclusive interior design, buffered from traffic by lush vegetation creating an acoustic screen with mature trees, and integrated into a graceful landscape privileging local flora. There is a gradation in privacy from the parking lot to the reception with its convivial restaurant, leading to a dedicated infinity pool area.

Finally, after following an undulating path presenting an element of surprise and discovery, guests are ushered to their individual units, each appointed with its private alley, a green passageway ensuring natural cross ventilation and framing stunning ocean views. From communal activities such as dining and swimming, guests can relax and enjoy some quiet time in their secluded quarters each enliven with unique interior design, like in a real village.

To minimize the bulk of the built structures, Gema – Architecture & Interior Design chose to clad the base of the external walls with solid stone masonry, emphasizing the perception of solidity by anchoring them to their surroundings, while keeping the top section ethereal, simply adorned in white. This treatment also effectively reduces the temperature in each unit by naturally reflecting heat.

Likewise, solar water heaters have been discreetly located in the roofs recesses, lowering the overall green footprint of the Quê Tôi Village project. The seafront facades of the suites are offset, granting more privacy to the beach terrace of each unit, and their bamboo ceilings offer great acoustic dampening. With its general south-east orientation, Quê Tôi Village allows unrestricted views to the sea, while maintaining privacy with lateral dividers providing shade throughout the day.

The floor plan of each unit follows a procession, as the entrance expands into the main room directly facing the sea and brimming with reflected sunlight. Cross ventilation is privileged here too, but mechanical cooling is also available with elegant wooden ceiling fans. The interior layout is rigorously symmetrical in its simplicity, emphasizing natural reflected light with neutral colors and ornamental brickwork highlights on the walls. Decorative polished hard concrete is used for the floors of the Quê Tôi Village, facilitating maintenance in a sandy environment. These are inlayed with original geometrical accents, subtle contemporary touches added as focal points. Simple bathrooms are enhanced by the beauty of natural materials, and flexible storage is also conveniently located. To maximize space, Gema – Architecture & Interior Design designed bed frames whose headrests also integrate practical desks, creating inherent separations and transitions in the rooms. Raw bamboo and wood are favored throughout the project with an emphasis on native elements in their pure form.

Gema made a decision from the start to design the resort in a holistic and sustainable manner, while being cognizant of its responsibility to both the client and the venue and to establish a lasting legacy in interior design for Vietnam. Due to the ocean’s proximity to Quê Tôi Village, location and orientation played a crucial role.

Each individual unit’s architecture was based on the expectation that guests would spend most of their time outdoors. Inside, the rooms’ design was also inspired by simplicity and minimalism as not to distract from the beauty of the beach. Gema believes that our final footprint should ultimately be limited to a minimum, as our ultimate legacy is to leave behind only a trace of our occupation. And to take a moment to watch the sun rise.