The Li’ An Eco-Resort is a significant component of the Egret Ecological Island Zone on the Island of Sanya at the southern end of China which is regarded as the “Hawaii of China”. The intent of this zone is to promote the intellectual capital of China to encourage productive collaboration for private industry and the government. The project is sponsored by the leading companies in China like Alibaba Group an Internet Group led by Jack Ma of Alibaba and others to promote the “China First” policy of the Central Government. The site is stunning with and is surrounded by mountains, forests, natural hot spring an inland lake and 1200 meters of beach front property. The principles guiding the design were to create a low carbon development that aligned with the Governments goals of minimizing impact on the land and maintaining the natural wildlife while creating a model of sustainability of the future as well as a place attractive for the leading minds of China.

The program for the site was vacation and service apartments at 2,500,000 GSF, 80 “Winter Entrepreneur” corporate villas at 10,000 GSF each (800,000 GSF total), and a 5-star hotel “State Guesthouse” with a 200 Key spa and health maintenance and promotion therapy, a presidential villa, 50 resort villas and 24 artist’s studios.  Our approach was to divide the site into three zones: • Green Mountain -Vertical Park - this zone is a high rise dense service apartment complex that is inspired by its location at an inland lake at the base of a mountain. The complex is shaped around the lake and steps up to emulate the adjacent mountain with heavily planted and large balconies to create outdoor rooms to enjoy the temperate weather and enjoy the spectacular views. • The Entrepreneur Winter Studio Zone “Forest-Tree Hose Park” – this zone is comprised of 80 studios for entrepreneurs is located along the 1200  meter beachfront separated from the beach by an existing forest that served as a windbreak for the earlier agricultural uses. The planning retains the majority of the forest and continues the forest through the placement of the studios/villas in a staggered fashion allowing for ample open space for the existing trees. The studio/villas are designed as tree houses lifting them off the ground created three levels and a heavily planted roof garden to respect the migration patterns of the existing wildlife. And lift the villas up for the views of the surrounding coastline. • Stater Guest House Zone “Water Garden-Integration of Sky, Land and Water” – this 5- star state guest house of 200 keys, Presidential Villa and Resort Villas is designed around a traditional Chinese water garden similar to Miao Riverside Villages which is part of the local culture of Sanya. The natural topography is preserved and the hotel floats over this garden connecting sky, land and water.

This development is embodies both cultural and natural themes with highly pragmatic planning and design interpreting the traditions of architecture in China with new approaches appropriate for the programs of today and the future.