Concept: Sandshell Resort
In Entertainment Design I, students were tasked with creating a resort concept that extended beyond architecture into a fully immersive experience. Every design choice, from spatial layout to visual details, helped tell a story, shaping an environment where visitors could step inside, explore, and engage with the narrative in a meaningful way. This project also included the creation of an immersive experience and the design of the resort’s speaker shrouds.
Inspirations & Story
Sandshell Resort draws inspiration from the sandcastles built along the shoreline, where imagination guided every tower, pathway, and surrounding moat. Those childhood moments of shaping castles from sand, adding rivers, sculpting turrets, and decorating with seashells, driftwood, and found treasures serve as the foundation for the resort’s narrative. The resort aims to capture that same sense of wonder and creativity, translating a fleeting seaside ritual into an immersive environment where playfulness, discovery, and nostalgia shape the guest experience.
Architectural Inspirations
Towering spires, sculptural seashell forms, and fluid oceanic elements shape the architectural language of Sandshell Resort. These organic features echo the movement and texture of the shoreline, drawing from our innate connection to the sea and the sense of calm and wonder it inspires. Curved silhouettes and layered details reference both natural coastal formations and the imaginative sandcastles that informed the concept. Together, these elements create a cohesive visual identity that feels immersive and transportive, offering guests a beach resort experience rooted in nostalgia, beauty, and the timeless pull of the ocean.
Concept Statement
Sandshell Resort is a coastal retreat where castles rise from the shore, shells sparkle in the sun, and wonder waits around every corner. Be transported to a whimsical yet sophisticated beachfront atmosphere. Towering sandcastle-inspired architecture, sculpted spires, seashell mosaics, and playful water features invite guests to play, learn, and explore. At Sandshell, families can explore interactive tide pools, adults can enjoy oceanfront spas and areas designed for relaxation, and kids can dig, build, and fulfill their childhood imagination.
Sandshell, a Castle by the Sea, for You and Me!
Swept Away!
Sandshell Resort is designed to engage guests of all ages through interactive storytelling woven into the environment. One of its signature experiences, Swept Away, invites visitors to join their “tide mates” on an immersive scavenger hunt adventure. In this narrative-driven journey, guests assist Pearl the ghost crab in locating her friends who have been swept away by the rising tide. Clues are integrated throughout the experience, encouraging exploration, collaboration, and discovery as participants move through the space. By blending playful storytelling with physical interaction, the experience extends the resort’s seaside narrative, transforming a simple beachside tale into a shared adventure rooted in curiosity, connection, and imagination.
Storyboards
Experience Cart & Speaker shroud
Every story has a beginning, and ours begins at Pearl’s Crab Shack. Here, guests pick up their Shell Bands, explore merchandise, and discover the charming world of Pearl and her tidemates. The shack itself is a whimsical seaside retreat, inviting visitors to step into the story through its driftwood details, lichen-speckled stone, and the gentle rustle of its thatched roof. The ocean’s ambiance surrounds the space, with the sound of crashing waves, distant seagull calls, and soft guitar melodies creating a fully immersive atmosphere. Even the speakers are part of the narrative—hidden inside oversized seashells, they not only blend seamlessly into the environment but also offer a playful interaction: put one to your ear, and you might just hear the ocean itself, deepening the sense of magic and immersion before the adventure begins
Pearl’s Crab Shack
Here, guests pick up their Shell Bands, explore merchandise, and discover the charming world of Pearl and her tidemates. The shack itself is a whimsical seaside retreat, inviting visitors to step into the story through its driftwood details, lichen-speckled stone, and the gentle rustle of its thatched roof.
Shell Bands
Shell Bands are interactive NFC-enabled wristbands that connect seamlessly to the Sandshell Resort app, serving as both a guide and a companion for guests throughout their visit. Each band stores information that allows guests to track their progress as they help Pearl the Ghost Crab find her missing friends, creating a personalized, story-driven experience. Beyond the scavenger hunt, the Shell Bands are integrated into activities and interactions across the entire resort, encouraging exploration, play, and engagement while deepening each guest’s connection to the immersive world of Sandshell.
Shell Speaker
The ocean’s ambiance surrounds the space, with the sound of crashing waves, distant seagull calls, and soft guitar melodies creating a fully immersive atmosphere. Even the speakers are part of the narrative—hidden inside oversized seashells, they not only blend seamlessly into the environment but also offer a playful interaction: put one to your ear, and you might just hear the ocean itself, deepening the sense of magic and immersion before the adventure begins
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