Laos
Eco-Tourism in Laos
Self-sufficient infrastructure shaped by a remarkable landscape.
Client: Confidential
Collaborators: Systra, Colliers, Ibuku, Atelier One, Rizome, Eggink Designs
Year: 2024
Service: Technical Masterplanning
Expertise: Utilities Infrastructure
Homa provided utilities infrastructure strategy for a major eco-resort in central Laos, set among dramatic limestone mountains and a river valley. The project is one of the most significant tourism investments in the country, arriving as new rail infrastructure increases accessibility to the region. The ambition is to create an exemplary eco-tourism destination rooted in Laotian culture which works with its remarkable natural setting.
Homa's infrastructure strategy supported the masterplan being developed by a global design firm. The masterplan treats the site's topography—river, valley, and sheer mountains—as the organising principle for development. It draws on local culture and vernacular traditions, including bamboo architecture grown and harvested on-site. Homa's infrastructure strategy emphasises decentralised systems shaped by local terrain and resources rather than dependent on external networks.
The energy strategy combines solar PV with micro-hydro turbines on the site's streams, backed by battery storage, with grid connection providing backup rather than primary supply. Water is drawn from local rainfall and stream flow, treated at point of use through modular plants, with wastewater processed via membrane bioreactors for irrigation reuse. Organised into self-sufficient but interconnected zones, the infrastructure achieves near-complete energy and water self-sufficiency—supporting the project’s high sustainability ambitions.
