CasaPlutonia: A Desert Sanctuary Redefining Retreats

Artur Nesterenko's Architectural Masterpiece Harmonizes with Joshua Tree's Panorama

The design of CasaPlutonia is unique, inviting guests to restore themselves in a sanctuary that harmonizes with the desert panorama. The resort's Euclidean Platonic geometries augment an understanding of the desert’s planar dimensions and provide guests with an opportunity to recover their well-being and derive inspiration from the infinite magnitude of a solitary Joshua Tree.

The layout of CasaPlutonia is made up of volumes symmetrically organized around the central swimming pool. A cast-in-place concrete system with smooth plywood form finish is used as the primary construction technique, creating an atmosphere of modernity, aesthetic beauty, sturdiness, and functionality. The resort generates its power from a solar plant installed within the property, and during colder months, concrete walls and floors provide passive solar heat gain.

Each side of the resort consists of five guest suites, forming two parallel wings. Guests can select from five unique suites, four of which connect to their own private courtyard. Each courtyard represents one of the essential elements of Water, Air, Fire, and Earth, and contains a meditation area that doubles as a space for gazing at the remarkable starlit sky.

Upon arriving at CasaPlutonia, guests enter the Portal, an indoor-outdoor lobby that frames the sky with a circular oculus and provides glimpses of the central swimming pool. The Portal serves as the entrance to the subterranean corridor, leading guests to their suites, accentuating their transformative journey while framing the sublime desert views. The complex also includes a wellness center replete with a sauna, steam room, and area for spa treatments.

The project started in April 2015 after visiting Joshua Tree National Park. The final design was completed in July 2016 and partial construction began in June 2017, which is scheduled to finish by the end of 2019. During the research and design phase, the team consistently visited Joshua Tree National Park in search of inspiration, while analyzing and documenting information on plants, trees, rocks, natural resources, and animals.

The challenge was to design a built environment that uses architectural qualities, natural light, materiality, and sound to guide guests on a journey, both intellectually and physically. The team carefully observed the local desert environment for opportunities to use passive energy systems to conserve water, harvest the power of the sun and wind. The result is a retreat composed of resilient buildings that function entirely off-the-public-utility-grid.

This Design was awarded Golden in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2019. The Golden A' Design Award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.