When the owners of Vida Spa approached HOK’s Vancouver-based senior vice president Joe Pettipas to design their new space at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, they knew he had the hospitality design and marketing background to accomplish the task. “What they didn’t want was a cookie-cutter result,” Pettipas says. “They wanted each of their spas to be of the environment in which they were situated, and to reflect the local flavor.”
Thus, Pettipas and his team set out to mimic the natural beauty of Vancouver. “We looked to a color palette that could be found in the region…the idea of earth, sandy beaches, and shorelines. There’s a prevalence of birch and beech, and the central wall in the spa proper is a granite stone which reflects the mountains,” explains Pettipas. In the lounge, cozy oversized furniture and a double-sided stone fireplace-one of the biggest design challenges of the project-encourages guests to decompress.
Sustainable design is a significant part of HOK’s mandate and is prominently featured in their work on the spa. The HOK team incorporated low-VOC paints, Greenguard wallcoverings and countertops, furniture with FSC-certified frames, and eco-friendly flooring throughout. “We don’t design in an unsustainable fashion,” says Pettipas. “We look to using natural, managed, and reused materials, and we’re cognizant of the choices we’re making and why.”
From traditional body therapies to facials, wraps, and exfoliations, many of the spa’s treatments are based on the principles of Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old system of Indian medicine. The serenity and focus on balance associated with this tradition are also reflected in the spa’s design. “What we did was provide spaces that allow you to be one with yourself. Even in the way the rooms are laid out, there is very little cross-traffic, so the whole experience is one of privacy and calmness.”
The word Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words for wisdom and life, concepts that fit well with the holistic values of the Vida Spa. Says Pettipas, “I believe that the spa’s physical reality is a manifestation of the business model of Vida. Not only does it respond to their brand, it actually supports their story.”
Vida Spa, Westin Bayshore, Vancouver
Owners: Bruce Croxon and Allison Hegedus
Interior Design Firm: HOK, Inc., Vancouver
Project Team: Joe Pettipas, senior vice president; Julia Wright, interior designer; and Stephanie Sallah, interior designer
Contractor: Equinox Development Inc.
Engineering: Smith + Andersen Consulting (mechanical); Electrical Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers (structural)
Consultants: Murray Johnson Engineering
RECEPTION
Bench Seat and Cushion Fabric: Robert Allen, Momentum
Flooring: Teragren
Stone Wall: Saltillo Tile
Stool: Heritage Hospitality
Stool Fabric: Loomsource
Accessories: Martha Sturdy
LOUNGE
Bench Seat and Back Fabric: Robert Allen
Sofas, Chairs, and Ottomans: Nest Home
Sofas, Chairs, and Ottoman Fabric: Robert Allen
Toss Pillow Fabric: Robert Allen, Momentum, Loomsource, Fabricut
Flooring: Teragren
Stone Wall Marble: Trend
Fireplace: Vancouver Gas Fireplaces
Wallcovering: Maharam
Lighting: Restoration Hardware
TREATMENT ROOM
Wood Flooring: Teragren
Tile Flooring, Shower Tile, and Backsplash Tile: Daltile
Ceiling: Armstrong
Hardware: Hefele
MANI-PEDI ROOM
Seat and Back Fabric: Robert Allen
Toss Pillow Fabric: Robert Allen, Momentum, Loomsource, Fabricut
Curtain Fabric: Maharam
Ceiling: Armstrong
Lighting: Restoration Hardware
Tile Flooring: Daltile
Accessories: Martha Sturdy
