Karma Kandara Phase VI

Karma Kandara Phase VI expands an existing resort in Ungasan, Bali, through two bespoke hospitality buildings and a shared landscape of pools, terraces, restaurant spaces, swim-up bars, gardens, and pedestrian circulation. Set within a humid tropical hillside overlooking the Indian Ocean, the project is conceived not as collection of isolated objects, but as a continuous environment where architecture, water, topography, and vegetation operate as one integrated system. The two buildings, A2 and A3, respond differently to their positions within the masterplan while sharing a common architectural language.

Deep roof overhangs, shaded balconies, open-air circulation, screened facades, and single-loaded corridors support natural ventilation, reduce solar exposure, and strengthen the relationship between interior and exterior space. Their distinct massing frames views, defines courtyards, and anchors the common areas between them. The material strategy draws from Bali’s volcanic geology and traditions of craft through basalt brick, andesite, lava stone, textured concrete, and dark timber elements. Durable mineral surfaces give the buildings weight and permanence, while layered screens and openings produce a lighter, more textile character that changes throughout the day.

The principal challenge was to insert a substantial new program into an operating resort without losing the intimacy of the existing landscape. The resulting masterplan organizes buildings, amenities, circulation, and landscape as a compact, climate-responsive precinct in which each component retains its own identity while contributing to a larger and cohesive resort experience. This approach allows the expansion to feel architectural, infrastructural, and embedded within its setting.