Tamarindo, Costa Rica

In 2004 James began work on a plan to revision the struggling Play Conchal resort located near Tamarindo, Costa Rica’s most popular beach region. The original plan was based on a antiquated Florida model of single family homes located around lakes and golf with little regard for the natural environment. James proposed a new vision, in which development would be carefully planned, be vertical rather than horizontal in nature and allow for much of the lands to be preserved as a dry tropical forest. James led this effort working closely with Resrva Conchal’s CEO Ana Saborio who brought with her a valuable skill set in finance from her background in investment banking.   The resort was rebranded as Reserva Conchal. The resort itself encompasses 2,400 areas divided into three distinct ecological zones, the main resort proper, the peninsula (a rocky and steep terrain land feature) that juts out into the Pacific and the Ranchos which is ranchland located on the back side of the resort. Each zone required a unique strategy, with the ranchlands being retained as a working ranch including a small neo-traditional residential settlement with an equestrian theme; the main resort which features an ecologically sensitive collector road complete with monkey ladders above and discrete condominium parcels and Los Altos the peninsula which was carefully studied for all of its environmental constraints (included a commissioned mapping and cataloguing of every tree).The first phase of the master plan included the development of the Malinche and Carao Condominiums, the Reserva Conchal Beach Club 100 new hotel rooms and 200 rooms of employee housing.

Today Reserva Conchal is a flourishing resort community and much of the James’s vision and Master plan continues to be implemented.

JWT worked closely with golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr in given direction to the redesign of the golf course. JWT created the resort’s design guidelines and consulted on the design of initial first phase of the new resort architecture setting the standard for both local and international architects to add to the flavor of the resort community. Just a few James’s many design sketches illustrations and architectural concepts are featured here.