The Coast is located on the western edge of the beautiful island of Koh Samui in Thailand. The site’s sharp incline offers views of the famous five islands, with the mainland in the background. The combination of the tropical environment, steep slope and west aspect delivers sunsets that are truly hard to beat. The design brief was for four villa types (250m², 300m², 450m² and 600m²) and a beach club (1000m²). While the local regulations demand fragmented buildings, SAOTA innovated by separating the spaces in three dimensions as well as in plan. Combined with a sensitive palette of materials and a deliberate effort to draw landscape and lush planting into the building, the result is a design which is integrated with, rather than imposed on, the tropical island context.