A luxury Canadian day spa nestled in a 600-acre protected forest reserve in Quebec has recently been elevated with a new two-floor wellness facility, designed to inspire relaxation and reconnection with nature. Since launching in Bromont in 2005, Balnea Spa + Thermal Reserve has positioned itself as a wellness retreat in nature committed to immersing guests in the beauty of its surroundings. The centrepiece of the new facility is a

Reservations are now open for stays at Shebara – a hyper-luxury resort and nature-inspired spa opening in Saudi Arabia this month as part of the ambitious Red Sea regenerative tourism project. The launch will mark the debut destination wholly owned and operated by project developer Red Sea Global (RSG) and the fourth to open within The Red Sea development. Shebara’s concept combines luxury, sustainability and innovation and its architecture is

Wellscape is a new company, spearheaded by industry figure Brian Paris, set to revolutionise spa, wellness and hospitality guest journeys with advanced immersive visual environments. After collaborating with a team skilled in creating VR settings for film and TV, Paris is using AI and high-resolution LED panels to bring healing spaces to life with naturescapes, light, scent and soundscapes – some of which are composed by wellness music provider Myndstream.

A new nature-inspired wellness destination called Align is coming to Tucson, spearheaded by brothers and local hospitality entrepreneurs Mark and Eric Erman. Designed to foster individual and collective wellbeing, the project is set to create a central gathering space for users of the Chuck Huckleberry Loop, an 87.5-km circular trail used for outdoor leisure pursuits. Fronted by the Rillito River, Align will be realised with an extensive wellness facility, a

Banyan Tree Group has refreshed its luxury hotel in Mérida, Mexico, with a new Angsana Spa inspired by Asian and Mexican therapies. Located in four acres of lush green tropical gardens, the newly built wellness pavilion is part of Hacienda Xcanatun, Angsana Heritage Collection’s property-wide expansion project. The spa stands above a tranquil pond and blends discreetly into the surrounding natural foliage thanks to a design blending the boundaries between

Fitness entrepreneurs Jon Williams, CEO, and Tom Edwards, COO, have co-founded a new high-end club in central Watford, Forest House Health and Wellness, with a group of health and fitness specialists. Along with Williams and Edwards, the co-founding members are: Steve Lewis, chairman, Bharat Hindocha, CFO, Raj Rattan and Rob Marsh. The first club will be opening its doors to the public in June 2023 which will be the sixth

Austria’s five-star alpine wellness retreat Hotel Krallerhof has been updated with a new nature-centric glass-fronted spa, Atmosphere by Krallerhof. Embedded in the slopes of the Asitz mountain, the five-star Salzburger hotel’s new adults-only wellness facility opened following a two-year project helmed by Iranian-German architect Hadi Teherani. Hotel owners the Altenberger family tasked Teherani and his team with creating a spa facility – in addition to its existing Refugium spa –

Dior has launched a brand new wellness retreat at the iconic Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France. A part of The Oetker Collection, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc has been a legend in the French Riviera for more than 150 years and has long been a refuge for stars and key figures worldwide. The hotel is set on nine hectares of lush grounds – rich with Aleppo pines, agapanthus, lavender, fragrant roses

In the depths of the French countryside sits 48° North Landscape Hotel, a holistic ecotourism and wellness destination inspired by Scandinavian and French traditions. Realised by Nordic architecture firm Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter in collaboration with local firm, ASP Architecture, the secluded hotel is perched on the heights of the Breitenbach village in the Alsace region of France. Accommodation consists of 14 interpretations of traditional Scandinavian cottages – called a hytte

Studio Saxe have created a fitness centre in Costa Rica designed to be a "small village amongst the trees" that brings guests and locals together, as well as close to nature. The Athletic Center was built as an extension of the Gilded Iguana hotel in the town of Nosara. Rather than simply create a single large volume, the architects and the client wanted to work around the trees and the

Oppenheim Architecture are creating an environmentally sustainable eco-resort in the Bahamas that is aimed at providing a secluded retreat for guests while helping them to develop a deeper connection with nature. illa Bimini will cover 40ac (16ha) along a 9,000ft (2,750m) stretch of coastline on Rockwell Island and is described as "a holistic community where every element is designed to blur the boundary between architecture and the landscape". The design

The opening of teamLab 's SuperNature Macao museum of immersive digital artworks in Macau, China, has been delayed until further notice as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Originally due to open this month, the 5,000sq m (54,000sq ft), the attraction is located in an expo hall at Sands Resorts Macao 's Venetian Macao hotel. It comprises a "labyrinthine" layout of gallery spaces that visitors will make their way through

BXBstudio Bogusław Barnaś and Studio Projektowe Paweł Jarosz have designed a house that is aimed at rebuilding relationships between humans and their surroundings. The Symbiotic House is based on the traditional values of living in harmony with nature, but integrates technology to provide a modern and convenient way of life. Constructed primarily of timber and glass, it has three main sections – a section for living in, a greenhouse section

Wafai Architecture have designed a sustainably constructed house that is inspired by the shape of a seashell and is aimed at helping residents live close to nature. The Seashell House, the first project for which is currently in discussion, is reminiscent of a junonia shell in terms of its folded shape and its patternation. The single-storey structure's compact 240sq m (2,600sq ft) footprint means a limited impact on a site

Cyclists in Belgium's Limburg province are being brought closer to nature in a variety of innovative and unusual ways. "25 years ago Belgian Limburg was the first region worldwide to develop a cycle node network, where you cycle from junction to junction," explained Igor Philtjens, Minister for Regional Tourism, chairman of Visit Limburg and the driving force behind the projects. "We were a pioneer in recreational cycling tourism, but over

Designer Jean-Michel Gathy has created a 3D origami-inspired feature wall for Four Seasons ' spa sanctuary in its upcoming hotel in Japan – called Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi. Dominating the spa lobby, the flowing paper structure appears to billow and sweep outwards and has been designed to calm guests as they enter the spa. Gathy’s work is inspired by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake’s flowing fabrics, as captured

MVRDV 's design for a new campus for Chinese technology firm Tencent is, in reality, an urban district in which for employees to live, work and play, with cutting edge smart city technology and nature deeply integrated into its design. Tencent began plans for a new headquarters shortly after completing their current headquarters in Shenzhen, China, due to the speed on its growth. Located the city's Qianhai Bay area, MVDRV's

MVRDV 's design for a new campus for Chinese technology firm Tencent is, in reality, an urban district in which for employees to live, work and play, with cutting edge smart city technology and nature deeply integrated into its design. Tencent began plans for a new headquarters shortly after completing their current headquarters in Shenzhen, China, due to the speed on its growth. Located the city's Qianhai Bay area, MVDRV's

Armin Sader, of hotel architecture firm Asaggio, is reimagining a historic hotel in the mountains of South Tyrol, Italy, with an emphasis on its solitary location in nature and a focus on wellness. The building in which Forestis is situated is located in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dolomites and was conceived by its original owners to be a sanatorium for lung disease sufferers prior to the First World War, making

MAD Arkitekter have planned a new district in Martineåsen, Norway, that is aimed at celebrating the beautiful landscape of the area while offering the qualities of a small-town community. Martineåsen Nature Town has been designed in partnership with Larvik Municipality, in which Martineåsen is situated. MAD sought to avoid what it saw as the typical suburban development of Norwegian city outskirts, with the extensive land-use, need for car ownership, infrastructure

MVRDV, working with local studio NOW Architects, have won a competition to redevelop Seoul's Tancheon waterfront as a public park called The Weaves, with a mix of natural ecosystems, pathways and places for recreation. Commissioned by the government of Seoul, the project covers a 630,000sq m (6,800,000sq ft) area between the city's former Olympic Stadium and its central business district in Gangnam, as well as a stretch along the Han

Peter Pichler Architecture have designed a series of treehouses for a hotel in West Virginia, US, that are closely integrated with nature and will provide guests with an opportunity to relax. The project was conceived to offer a form of slow tourism, giving guests an opportunity to switch off from a more frantic pace of life and immerse themselves in the serenity of nature for a time. The treehouses, which

Hotel operator Aman has opened a third resort in Japan that has been designed by the late architect Kerry Hill and his team to capitalise on its lush forest surroundings. The 26-room Aman Kyoto, announced in February, is situated in a hidden garden close to Kinkaky-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, near the centre of the prefecture. The 80ac (32ha) Aman Kyoto site comprises 72ac (29ha) of permanent forest

Plans have been revealed by Brisbane City Council for a 150ha (16 million sq ft) wetlands development in the city that will include a community hub, walking routes, events spaces and canoe and kayak facilities. Formerly a site for wastewater treatment and waste disposal – and a source of pollution for the local area – the Archerfield Wetlands are part of a wider AU$100m (US69m, €62m, £53m) transformation project for

Hotel Rodavento, a 36-bedroom retreat nestled in the foothills of Valle de Bravo, Mexico, has opened Rodavento Spa, a nature-inspired sanctuary set within the most secluded area of the surrounding forest. The spa comes with new amenities and treatment menus, enticing visitors to unwind in the beauty of the natural world and "Disconnect to Reconnect." Rodavento Spa is the work of architects Federico Gomez Crespo and Jose Antonio Gaxiola, in

Six Senses will open a new resort in the land of fire and ice for its next development: Six Senses Össurá Valley. Designed to be a hub for people passionate about nature, wellness, and adventure, the resort will be located on 4,000 acres (1,619 hectares) of privately-owned land in Svínhólar near Lóni. The first phase of the project will see the opening of a 70-guestroom resort and private cottages dotted

Scandinavian architecture firms Møller & Grønborg and ADEPT have been selected to design seven new pavilions at Amager Nature Park near Copenhagen. The wooden structures, set to adorn the 35 sq km reserve's coastline as well as its existing entrance and information centre, are expected to serve as focal points for sightseeing and leisure activities, such as birdwatching, kayaking, and wild swimming. Plans for the architects' proposal, which has been