Zen Garden Pool Deck at Prana Del Mar
The Zen Garden Pool Deck is part of a five year project to build Prana Del Mar, a retreat and wellness center located in a remote region on the Pacific Coast of Baja, Mexico.
Set in the breathtaking beauty of the Pacific Ocean on one side, and the desert mountains on the other, the project was entirely off the grid, requiring the use of high efficiency lighting, photo voltaics, and solar hot water system, all integrated with one another.
In 2015 it was named as one of the top six yoga retreat centers in North America.
The layout of the pool and its elements was inspired by the seeming random, yet harmoniously balanced proportions of a Japanese Zen garden. We utilized the Golden Rectangle proportioning systems, circles and arcs to bring balance to the predominantly rectangular structure of the adjacent community building.
We also created axial relationships between the adjacent building and the elements on the pool deck. For example, the stairs off the south west entrance to the pool deck and the pool stairs themselves are aligned with the interior stairs of the circulation tower. The sauna inside the Community building is aligned with the wet deck and the spa, while the outdoor shower is aligned with the changing rooms in one direction and the lap pool in the other direction. There is always a focal point of a statue or planter at the end of the circulation corridors, drawing the people from one place to the next. Black river stones set in the surface continue the Zen garden feel, while generous planters throughout bring the plants of the desert into the hardscaped pool deck.
House with rental units