ReKaNo Eco Haven

Wellness retreat, eco-luxury accommodations, community and cultural spaces

Eco-focused Jamaica Wellness retreat

At a glance

Type

Wellness retreat, eco-luxury accommodations, community and cultural spaces

Client:

A-Z Information Jamaica in collaboration with Reva Watson and Ricardo Newallo

Size:

300 acres with cabins, villas, wellness facilities, coworking spaces, spas, and amenities

Services:

Architecture design, masterplanning, conceptual design development

The Brief

The client wanted to create a world-class eco retreat that blends luxury, cultural immersion, and sustainability in the Jamaican countryside. Their goal was to build a destination for wellness, community, and nature-based experiences, while supporting local development and preserving the land’s natural character.

The Response

The design envisions a vast eco-luxury sanctuary organized around bamboo architecture and river-led experiences. Accommodations include villas and cabins nestled among rolling hills, bamboo groves, and water features. Wellness pavilions, meditation areas, and therapeutic spa zones support physical and emotional restoration, while coworking spaces and communal areas invite creativity, productivity, and gathering. The masterplan creates a flowing network of cabins, bridges, and shared destinations that encourage exploration and connection across the 300-acre site.

Material

Bamboo grows fast and holds strong

Bamboo is used as the defining structural and expressive material, chosen for its sustainability, strength, and ability to shape fluid, culturally resonant forms. Natural materials such as hardwood, stone, and earth finishes are integrated throughout the resort to ground the design in a Jamaican context. Low-impact construction methods protect the river, hillsides, and existing ecosystems, and the project incorporates renewable energy, greywater recycling, and a zero-waste approach.

Passive cooling

Air moves through the cabins naturally, requiring no machines.

Water and sun

Rainwater collected from roofs. Solar panels integrated into the design.

Experience

Guests move through a landscape of shifting scenes. Bridges connect clusters of cabins. Walking paths follow the river. Yoga decks are nestled under bamboo canopies. Meditation spaces sit above gentle slopes.

Curated therapies, farm-to-table dining, and craft workshops invite deeper immersion in Jamaican culture and nature. The overall experience is expansive yet intimate, offering moments of solitude, learning, healing, and community within a single retreat environment.

Status and impact

Regeneration takes root in Jamaica

Currently in concept development.

ReKaNo Eco Haven is envisioned as a benchmark for sustainable tourism in Jamaica, demonstrating how bamboo architecture, cultural connection, and large-scale wellness ecosystems can transform unused land into a regenerative, community-supporting destination.