Sometimes, the most brilliant design solutions are the ones that defy convention. For Sam Raphael, the visionary founder of Dominica’s Jungle Bay eco-resort, a perplexing design challenge threatened to derail his project. He was building a series of luxurious villas deep in the rainforest, but he was stumped on a critical element: where to put the bathrooms.

Confined by the footprint of the villas, a conventional indoor bathroom felt cramped and disconnected from the resort’s core ethos of immersion in nature. It was at this critical juncture that he sought the advice of Dr. Auliana Poon.

Dr. Poon took one look at the stunning natural surroundings and made a recommendation that was as simple as it was audacious: “Put the bathrooms outside.”

It was a moment of pure, disruptive genius. The idea was to break down the barriers between the indoors and the outdoors, to create a space where guests could feel the gentle caress of the rainforest breeze and listen to the symphony of the jungle while they showered. It was about transforming a mundane daily ritual into an unforgettable sensual experience.

“The goal was to invite nature in,” Dr. Poon recalls. “To create a feeling of sensuality and connection, to breakdown the boundary between the cold building and the warm and inviting natural environment.”

The outdoor showers became the signature feature of Jungle Bay. They were an instant hit, celebrated in travel magazines and raved about by guests from around the world. The experience of showering under a canopy of trees, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the rainforest, became the resort’s most powerful marketing tool.

It was a small design decision that had a massive impact, cementing Jungle Bay’s reputation as a pioneer in eco-luxury and proving that sometimes, the most innovative ideas are the ones that are right outside your door.