Vela Viento
Foster + Partners luxury in Marasi Bay with Dorchester Collection services.
Waterfront Luxury, Scroll by Scroll
Vela Viento is a Foster + Partners masterpiece in Marasi Bay, offering ultra-luxury residences with Dorchester Collection hotel services. The digital experience needed to capture the essence of waterfront living — the movement of water, the play of light on glass, the seamless indoor-outdoor lifestyle. We designed a scrollytelling experience that uses the bay itself as a visual thread, weaving through property showcases, amenity highlights, and lifestyle vignettes.
The Challenge
Premium waterfront properties needed digital storytelling that conveyed the lifestyle, views, and exclusivity that photos alone couldn't capture. The international buyer base required multi-language and multi-currency support, and the Dorchester Collection partnership needed to be woven into the narrative without overshadowing the property itself. Creating emotional desire for a waterfront lifestyle through a screen was the core design challenge.
How We Approached It
Buyer Journey Mapping
We created detailed user journey maps for ultra-high-net-worth buyers, identifying touchpoints across their decision journey from initial awareness through to property visit booking. We mapped the emotional arc — from curiosity to desire to commitment — and designed the website flow to mirror this progression, ensuring each section builds on the emotional momentum of the previous one.
Scrollytelling Design
We designed a scrollytelling experience with the bay as a visual thread running through the entire narrative. As users scroll, the water view evolves from dawn to dusk, property interiors transition from wide shots to intimate details, and the Dorchester services are revealed as natural extensions of the living experience. Every scroll position was choreographed for maximum emotional impact.
Animated Prototyping
We prototyped animated transitions between property views and amenity showcases, testing different animation speeds and easing curves to find the balance between dramatic and functional. The prototype phase was extensive — we tested over 30 animation variations with target users, optimizing for the feeling of fluid luxury without motion sickness or performance issues on mobile devices.
International Optimization
We optimized the experience for international buyers with multi-currency display, language switching that preserves scroll position, and region-specific content highlighting relevant investment benefits. The inquiry flow was localized for different markets, with appropriate timezone-aware scheduling for virtual tours and phone consultations, ensuring global buyers feel equally valued and served.
What We Delivered
A scrollytelling masterpiece that captures waterfront luxury through movement, light, and narrative flow. The website serves as a virtual preview of the Vela Viento lifestyle, with the Dorchester Collection partnership integrated naturally into the experience, driving qualified international inquiries through an emotionally resonant journey.
What Makes It Stand Out
Scrollytelling Experience
Narrative-driven scroll journey with the bay as a visual thread connecting all sections.
Waterfront View Simulator
Interactive tool showing the view from different floors and unit positions across times of day.
Penthouse Showcase
Dedicated immersive section for flagship penthouse units with 360-degree virtual tours.
Dorchester Service Preview
Visual guide to the hotel-level services available to residents through the Dorchester Collection.
Investment Calculator
Multi-currency ROI calculator with market data for international property investors.
International Buyer Portal
Localized experience with multi-language, multi-currency, and timezone-aware scheduling.
Design Highlights
