Landscape Architect: TROP Co.Ltd (TROP: terrains + open space)
Project Director: Pok Kobkongsanti
Project Designer: Paisit Viratigul
Project Team: Chatchawan Banjongsiri
Architect: The Steven Leach Group
Photographer: Pirak Anurakyawachon
Completion Date: November 2012
Location: Pattaya, Thailand
Landscape area: approx. 2,400 sqm.
Client: Sansiri PLC

Located in Pattaya, Thailand’s perfect destination for low-budget travelers, Baan Plai Haad will be one of the highest priced residential projects in town. Basically our goal is to impress all potential buyers when they visit the site. However, compared to other beachside residential projects nearby, our site is quite a hard thing to sell. The site consists of 2 different characteristic terrains. The First and bigger part is quite flat, locating on top of a small hill, about 12 meters above the beach. The second part is a long, narrow and steep “tube-like” space that connects the flat land and the beach together.

Following the geography, our garden is separated into 2 zones, “Pause Court” and “The Lawn Hill”.
Just 2 hours drive from Bangkok, Pattaya has been very popular for tourists. Without proper control, the city has transformed into a chaotic commercial town. People can get real tired only by driving through the city. Its beaches are also occupied by nightclubs and bars, with bar girls hanging outside all day and all night. We created “Pause Court” as the buffering space between those crazy surroundings and our serene residential area. A series of hedges are strategically located, creating layers of screening between our site and outside world. Once visitors pass through these green layers, an unexpected “Hill” installation are there to welcome them to the sales gallery space.

The Lawn Hill is a transitional space between the gallery and the beach. With its steep terrains, it is hard to use as function area. Instead of filling or cutting the existing landscape, we decide to use and demonstrate what we already have, the slope. A narrow pathway and staircase are located next to the boundary wall, leaving the rest as a huge green hill. Lawn is used in order to create clean land form, allowing visitors to have a better view of the small beach below. A series of small pockets are added along the path. We encourage people to spend time at the Lawn Hill, instead of just passing by to the beach. As a result, visitors tend to use the Lawn Hill as their resting space before reaching their destination, the beach. Children would run up and down the slope, while parents lie down and enjoy the moment of this surprised space.

The beach itself is actually public property. However, we did clean it up and add nicer sand for more comfortable experience. Intentionally, we did not create any design element here. Just looking to the right, we already have an amazing temple at the opposite end of the beach for our visitors to enjoy. Once they are tired of the sea view, looking back to the site, they will have another perception of the Lawn Hill. From this angle, it becomes a huge green facade covering the existing slope.