Nekajui, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve - Exterior

Nekajui (neh-KAH-wee), a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is a 1,400-acre ultra-luxury resort nestled on the cliffs and forest canopy of Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo. Our exterior scope included pathways, courtyards, terraces, floating dining rooms, a rope bridge, pool decks, elevated walkways and tented suites. From 2019 through early 2025 we worked through design iterations, mock-ups, site visits, factory visits and final adjustments to finally see opening night.

The lighting strategy emphasizes the visual connection between interior and exterior environments while maintaining parallel ambient light levels and color temperatures. As the interior warm-dim sources began fading just before sunset, the exterior fixtures were triggered to subtly meet them at a golden 2200°K.

Exterior gas lanterns, controlled by electronic ignition, serve as a photometric anchor, establishing the project’s natural warm evening character. Their flame color informed source selection throughout the site. We made the design decision early on to try and avoid the expected path light, bollard and step light wherever possible and provide a much more unique approach to site lighting. Pathway, garden, focal and staircase illumination was provided by custom-designed lanterns and sconces of multiple sizes and materials. We concealed downlighting in the roofs of the fixtures to increase output and distribution and added glare louvers anywhere the fixtures could be seen from below. Although the fixtures were designed to appear as carried to each location, they were permanently mounted to concrete pads to minimize disturbance. These gave the entire site the appearance of someone setting out candle lanterns every night as the ultimate show of hospitality.

The project complies with Peninsula Papagayo’s strict energy and Dark Sky guidelines, minimizing uplight, spill, and power density while preserving nighttime ecology. The resulting lighting solution balances experiential richness with environmental stewardship, supporting both guest comfort and the long-term integrity of the site.