Kasiiya is not a hotel. Kasiiya is part of nature. Built on timber platforms from natural materials, it leaves no scar on its landscape. From the very beginning, the conservation of the tropical forest has been paramount. Our intention throughout the project was not to have minimal impact on the environment, but zero. This project in Costa Rica has propelled architecture and the boutique hotel experience into a new dimension, or one might say, a new ecology. Architecture and nature can live in symbiosis rather than in opposition, without one trying to gain ground over the other. Kasiiya is the application of this concept. The project was completed without cutting down a single tree and without the use of concrete and nails.
Meticulously positioned amidst 123 acres of wild landscape, our concept stems from the idea that there should be no frontier between architecture and the surrounding wilderness, between the inside and the outside. This boutique eco-lodge covers 2,000m² and contains 14 tents, a beach bar, restaurant, spa and communal spaces.
Bio AW² is an international architecture and interior design studio based in Paris.
Reda Amalou graduated from the University of East London and founded the agency in 1997. Stéphanie Ledoux, a graduate from the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris, joined AW² in 2000 and became a partner in 2003. The two partners have led the studio in tandem ever since and play an active role in the design of each project.
With projects in 40 different countries, the agency has an international reputation for quality high-end design. The studio covers all project typologies including hospitality, education,
Other prizes • Winner of the Build Architecture Awards 2020 in the category Best International Architecture & Design Studio – Paris • 2020 Dezeen Awards, Longlisted in the Hospitality category : Kasiiya Papagayo • 2020 Winner of The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design International Architecture Awards : Kasiiya Papagayo • 2020 Nominated at the Asian Property Awards 2020 – 2021 in the Best New Construction & Design category: Wink Hotel Saigon Centre • 2020 Editors’ Choice Award 2020 by Hideaway Report. Winner of Favourite Hotel of the Year and Best Spa categories: Kasiiya Papagayo • 2020 Island Destinations, (The Authority for Luxury Travel) 2020 Ultimate Style & Design Award: Kasiiya Papagayo • 2020 Hôtel & Lodge Awards 2020, Silversands shortlisted in the Design category: Silversands • 2020 The International Hotel & Property Awards 2020, Shortlisted in the Best global hotel under 50 rooms category: Silversands • 2020 Editors’ Choice Award 2020 by Hideaway Report. Winner of Favourite Hotel of the Year and Best Spa categories: Silversands • 2020 Island Destinations, (The Authority for Luxury Travel) 2020 Ultimate Style & Design Award: Silversands • 2019 TTG Travel Awards – Four Seasons The Nam Hai : “Best Beach Resort Worldwide” • 2019 International Property Award, Hotel Interiors category, Caribbean region: Silversands Grenada • 2019 French Design by VIA Award for AW²’s architecture and design work • 2018 Nominee for the AFEX Grand Prize in Architecture: Ani Private Resort & Art Academy, Sri Lanka • 2016 Asia Hotel Design Awards: Phum Baitang, Cambodia. Winner of the Resort Architecture Category, Best Cigar & Cocktail Bar Design, Best Spa & Wellness Design and Design Hotel of the Year. • 2015 Pyramide de Vermeil for Innovative Projects: Les Lodges – 35 passive, evolutionary houses • 2014 Luxury Travel (Australia) Gold List Awards: Four Seasons The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam • ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), Outstanding Building in Ile-de
