As an architect who later diversified into interior design, Christin Castillo brings nearly two decades of diverse design experience to his role as principal at HBA Indonesia. Having joined HBA in Singapore in 2013, he now leads offices in Jakarta and Bali, overseeing a team of over 70 designers and managing projects across hospitality, residential, commercial, and workplace sectors in the Philippines, the Middle East, Singapore, Indonesia, and other parts of Asia. Indonesia Design sits with Christin to talk about his Noema Resort design.
Noema Resort exudes a welcoming charm from the first step in the lobby. What was the initial brief from the owner about designing this resort?
The client’s brief was to create a lifestyle destination that caters to a wide range of guests, something that feels open, engaging, and relevant to the evolving energy of Pererenan.
We developed a concept inspired by the natural cycles of sunrise and sunset, shaping how the resort transitions throughout the day, from arrival to retreat. At the same time, the client had a strong vision to embed art and creative expression into the project, not as decoration, but as an integral part of
the experience.
It’s an open lobby next to a road used mostly by the public. How do you make the lobby feel personal and private for the guests?
The land has a natural gradient, where the levels gently step down as you move further into the site. This allowed us to position the lobby slightly below the road level, creating a sense of separation from the public edge and giving the space a calmer atmosphere from the moment guests arrive.
We enhanced this through a subtle shift in the arrival experience, guiding guests along a slightly angled approach so the transition feels more intentional. The arched forms help create a sense of enclosure, almost cocooning the space, while the furniture is arranged in a way that feels more like a living room than a typical hotel lobby.
About the building. It’s thin and elongated. Tell us about the style and design concept of the resort. And how did you design it?
The plot is approximately 9,000 sqm, with a narrow frontage that stretches deep into the site. Rather than seeing this as a constraint, we approached it as an opportunity to create a more layered and immersive journey through the resort.
One of the key ideas was to introduce a strong presence of water, even though the site is about 1 km from the sea. This led to a long, continuous pool that runs through the property, with ground-floor rooms opening directly onto it, while others connect to landscaped gardens and private jacuzzis.
Overall, the design focuses on creating a sense of flow, where spaces feel connected and easy to navigate, making the experience feel relaxed and intuitive.