Kudadoo Maldives Private Island listed in the hospitality architecture category at the prestigious Dezeen Awards 2019.
The resort opened on December 2018, consists of 15 Zen-style villas circling the island’s periphery like a diadem, providing uninterrupted views of the Arabian Sea’s horizon. Dining, spa visits, and other activities happen in the solar-powered resort nerve centre area known as The Retreat. Kudadoo is also the first fully sustainable resort in the Maldives.
Architect Yuji Yamazaki, who was selected by the owner to design and build the resort, “wanted something that has not been done before.” With a sustainable mindset, Kudadoo Maldives is scattered with local plants to preserve the ecology. “Architecturally, we wanted something modern but not overly designed,” said Yamazaki of his fourth project in the tropical nation.
All villas are located 10-20 meters away from the reef edge of one of the Maldives most healthy and vibrant coral reefs. The exteriors of the villas are crafted out of cedarwood where oil built into the wood gives it an elegant silver-grey tone over time. The roof of the retreat is pitched at an angle to allow rainwater to slide, and each solar panel is built into the design. The architect is most proud of the way he designed the interiors of the airy 3,000-square-foot villas where natural breezes sweep through them, making air-conditioning superfluous.
Kudadoo Maldives Private Island by Hurawalhi is managed by Bradley Calder as part of Crown & Champa Resorts collection. The resort can be booked entirely for exclusive use from $80,000 – $140,000 per night depending on the season, alternatively residences can also be booked from $3,800 per night.
