Landscape professionals involved in the design of resorts have many reasons for optimism. Demographic, social and psychological changes in the market have spurred a revolution in resort design during the past ten to fifteen years. Planners and designers have unprecedented freedom in design expression with a near mandate to respect cultural and environmental features of the locations in which they work. We will look at where we are going in the programming and design of resorts and resort communities, and we will examine what forces in consumer markets, the development community and the design community have fostered these fortunate changes. Looking back thirty or forty years and at every scale of resort development-- regional or project specific- design was often urban and brutal with a lack of differentiation. Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Miami Beach and the Costa del Sol were developed with similar plans and the same architecture. In general buildings were monolithic with a lack of ornament and site design was simple- a pool with a concrete deck and a few palm trees. Of course, there were exceptions, but the examples are still there to see. With the changes in market preferences, permitting requirements and the expertise of the develpoment community that have evolved in the last 20 years, we can back and see that we have undeveloped many of our resorts and resort communities. The more competitive areas and projects are being redeveloped to compete with new, designs. Over the next ten years, the over-fifty cohort of the population will increase by forty percent. This age group grew up in the age of affordable jet travel, giving them the ease to travel the world and experience other cultures in a way that previously, only the most wealthy or most adventurous could enjoy. These are also the years in which earnings are highest and inheritance most likely. And so, a consequential shift toward more adventurous forms of travel has increased the desire to visit and experience different cultures. This, in |||| turn, has led to a preference for indigenous design expressions in resorts and a preference for the genuine article. The EDSA restorations of the Biltmore in Coral Gables, Florida, the Vinoy in St. Petersburg, and the resurgence of Miami Beach that began with preservation of the deco hotels are evidence of this trend. With the changes in market preferences, permitting , requirements and the expertise of the development. Whether it be a television show on wealthy lifestyles, a feature article on Patagonia or the home page for a resort in Bali, most Americans can roam the world through mass media or in cyberspace. The market knows what paradise looks like! For destination resorts, a few palm trees around a concrete deck aren't enough anymore. Today/ it is not unusual to see pool areas costing more than fifty dollars per square foot, such as Atlantis in the Bahamas, with lush landscaping and recreations of tropical habitats and rockscapes. At the same time, with the stimulus of the media and more leisure time (or so we are told), the demand for entertainment has burgeoned. For resorts, there must be more to do, and the program must appeal to the appropriate market. Resorts are beginning to reach beyond their grounds- to act as base camps for visits to a range of cultural venues and natural areas. The marketing campaign for Puerto Rico- "Visit the Continent of Puerto Rico"- emphasizes the range of experiences available for - guests to their resort hotels. In 1995, more money was spent on cultural events than on sports events. Not only is entertainment one of the fastest growing industries, as evidenced by the growth of Orlando and Las Vegas, but its forms are multiplying rapidly. In resort design architecture and site improvements are "stage sets"; once inside, every experience from dining to swimming and exercise must be entertaining. At a regional level/ tourism destinations are theming their airports, enhancing important roadways improving public transportation, creating bikeways and walkways, and providing incentives for the development of attractions and hotels that increase their market share. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is building a new arena for its hockey team financed by an increase in the hotel tax bed. A performing arts center funded by tax revenues was finished three years ago, along with a children's museum. More subjectively, health, learning opportunities and spiritual pursuits are increasing in importance as leisure time concerns and pursuits. The Disney Institute at Walt Disney World is attempting to tap into these trends, literally. Spring Island, South Carolina, has a nature center and two naturalists on staff that give a series of environmental programs to adults, and run a nature camp in the summer for children of residents. A new resort in Hawaii has a "spiritualist" on staff. More common evidence of the trend, however, is the increasing presence of spas and health clubs in resort hotel programs, catering to the popular desire for an improved quality of life. This is not to forget that a large segment of the market is still sedentary, likes to drink and sit on a beach. But the shift has been dramatic with respect to what designers are now able to include programmatically and aesthetically. At Sea Pines Plantation, Amelia Island and other resort communities, Charles Fraser demonstrated visionary leadership in the balance of development with the natural; environment. Preservation of valuable habitat, dedication of parks and creation of walking trails were a cornerstone of his approach. lan McHarg brought the message of environmental; sensitivity in design home to the profession of Landscape Architecture. Today, the environment is at the forefront of our collective consciousness. In resort planning and design, the market (and permit agencies) now demand that it be carefully considered in planning, and prefer that it be featured in the design of most new resorts. A new resort in Brazil is dedicating one hundred acres of rare Atlantic forest as open space and using it as a focus for a children's nature camp. The renovated Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas features the ocean habitat in open air aquaria, as have many new public sector aquariums in tourism destinations. From the designer's perspective, these social factors and changes in market preferences mean that architecture and site features must be themed to provide an entertaining experience, and in most cases, designers are now encouraged to incorporate local customs and vernacular; the natural environment should be a design feature; fitness and spa facilities may also be featured in the program, especially in higher-end resorts; and site improvements may feature natural areas using indigenous plant material. The following resorts range in size from resort communities to 350 room hotels. EDSA was involved in the planning and design of each resort, and, in some cases, managed the consulting team through implementation. The success of each project, however, was dependent on the equality of the team that participated in the process, including the leadership of the client. Gaming, one of the most prominent forms of entertainment, is no longer the domain of "high-rollers" and eccentrics. Seeking to create a comparable level of entertainment for non-gaming family members. Sun International has mixed the natural environment with themed attractions in a revitalized Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Tourism had been in remission in the Bahamas for a number of years. A tarnished image and aging hotel stock had led many tourists to bypass the Bahamas for other destinations. Capitalizing on a depressed market and an undervalued asset Sun worked with a new government to plan a new program for the island and to renovate the Atlantis Hotel. The design team for Atlantis was led by a visionary developer- Sun's founder- Sol Kerzner. EDSA, architects Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, Rock and Waterscapes, and a team of experts designed an environment unique to warm weather destinations. A diversity of pools, rockscaping, marine environments and landscaping helps keep visitors on the property and supports repeat visitation. Atlantis and the newly configured Paradise Island have been so successful that a second phase is in design, and the Bahamaian market is rebounding strongly in no small part due to the resorts contribution. As part of their effort to invigorate the tourism industry in Puerto Rico, the government passed an act that gave significant incentives to resort home buyers. Within the Conquistador Resort (above) there are three other clusters of rooms and suites- La Marina, Las Olas (at mid-slope) and Las Casitas Each "village" has its own amenity and style. Using the form and architecture of Mediterranean hill towns. Las Casitas has both spectacular views of the Caribbean and intimate pedestrian "streets." The design team of EDSA, architects Thompson Ventulett Stainback & Associates from Atlanta and other consultants created an environment that thematically explores island history and Caribbean forests on a totally barren site. The rockscape mimics foundation and wall ruins and is woven through a complex of swimming pools, shaded terraces, waterfalls, a water slide and walkways. Mature coconut palms were imported from Cuba to create an extremely lush environment that provides shelter from the sun, wind and aridity. Open roof areas visible from upper story rooms were planted with bougainvillea, with the net effect of providing an entertaining, diverse environment for families. Where do we go from here? Competition should accelerate these trends, as new resorts will be looking for ways to differentiate their products from what already exists in the market. Hotels and resort housing at all quality levels are being more heavily themed, as is evident in the offerings at Walt Disney World. In more remote locations, vernacular architecture and even indigenous building and community forms are being applied Looking at large-scale resort communities, the new urbanism has had a strong effect on programs and plans. Town centers that create the form--and provide the potential" for a stronger sense of community are part of many resort plans. And with respect to health and spirituality, we will need to find new ways to relax from an increasingly complex world. Healthy, environmentally conscious, creative resort design is here to stay. LASN THE WORLD'S LARGEST, OPEN WATER AQUARIUM AT ATLANTIS CONTAINS MORE THAN 100 SPECIES OF FISH AND SHARKS, EASILY VIEWED FROM AN ACRYLIC TUNNEL.(TOP) THEMED GROTTOS, BRIDGES AND WATERSCAPES ADD TO THE AMBIENCE. (ABOVE) A BELL TOWER ANCHORS LAS CASITAS, AN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL PUERTO RICAN RESORT. BUILDINGS ARE SITED WITHIN THE GARDENS AND WALKWAYS CREATING UNIQUE AND CHANGING SPACES THAT DELIGHT GUEST WITH FORM AND COLOR. MANY LEVELS OF THE MAIN POOL AT THE EL CONQUISTADOR RESORT ARE ANCHORED BY FOUNTAINS, GARDENS AND MEDITERRANEAN ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS. A THEMED "WAVE WALL" GIVES FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH A UNIQUE CHARACTER AS WELL AS AN ATTRACTIVE PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE. All photos provided courtesy of EDSA THEMED "PLANTATION RUIN" WALLS DEFINE SPACES AND CREATE WATER FEATURES AT HYATT REGENCY ARUBA. SET ON THE WIND-BLOWN ISLAND OF ARUBA, THIS HOTEL AND CASINO ARE AMONG THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE HYATT REGENCY CHAIN.