Abstract:
Roots and Realms is a coastal resort that seeks to embody the symbiotic relationship between land and sea, rooted in the distinctive geography, culture, and ecology of Purnagad, a small historic village in Ratnagiri district on Maharashtra’s Konkan coast. The project envisions an immersive retreat that celebrates wellness, living heritage, and nature through slow, sensory experiences.
The need for such a project emerges from the lack of mindful, culturally rooted hospitality infrastructure along this scenic coastline. Despite its rich topography and its historic significance anchored by the Purnagad Fort, the region lacks accommodation that interprets and celebrates the place. Existing facilities rarely engage with local identity, ecological sensitivity, or the rising demand for experiential tourism. The site setting is defined by an undulating natural terrain that slopes gently toward the Arabian Sea. This setting offers a dramatic canvas to explore a design language that respects natural landforms, frames coastal views, and invites nature into every spatial moment.
The resort is organized into a network of thematic accommodations, each inspired by local narratives and environmental cues, Waterfall cottages beside natural cascades, Spice Garden retreats nestled within aromatic plantations, Rainforest hideaways along shaded forest trails, and On-the-water Retreats designed on the land. These clusters are linked by eco trails, spice paths, and scattered organic wellness zones, where guests encounter sensory experiences rather than linear architecture. Here, the idea is simple yet powerful: to create a place that allows people to slow down, breathe deeply, and truly feel where they are.
The spatial character of the resort is calm and immersive, marked by cascading pools, open decks, shaded meditation pods, and seaside banquet lawns for celebrations. Local materials, and community participation in art, food, and storytelling ensure the resort remains rooted in its cultural and ecological context. Roots and Realms is envisioned not as a resort in isolation but as a living landscape - a place that reconnects people with the earth, the ocean, and the stories that emerge between them. It is a quiet celebration of the land-sea symphony that defines the spirit of Konkan
