During the summer, we introduced Lindsay Brown and his San Diego Waterfront revitalization plan. While Brown continues to push forward his scheme that brings a new life into the area’s urban edge through the implementation of a pedestrian public realm, his firm has designed some great smaller scale projects, such as his Island residence. The project, which is situated in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, was inspired by the client’s passion for sailing and utilizes the site’s climatic conditions to drive many design elements such as breezeways, pools, covered areas and orientation.
More images and more about the residence after the break.
The residence’s strong curve fits neatly into the site context, resulting in a bold yet integrated form that gives character to the project. The house rests on a small windward cove carved by pushing tides and storm waters. The residence’s radial plan encourages users to interact with one another and the environment while circulating through the home and courtyard.
As the house faces against the prevailing storm winds, the design needs to withstand hurricane force winds and water and be completely self sufficient with leach field, power production and potable water storage. Special screens were developed to prevent hurricane damage to glazed areas, and research is being done to develop a rolling screening material that is impact and rust resistant.
True to the studio’s sustainable and material philosophies, the project’s cut and fill strategy equalized to prevent any on or off site hauling of soil, while the materials were specifically chosen to mimic the colors and textures of the rock face bluff that extends to the coral beach. The semi-earthen structure will provide geothermal conditioning of pool water and thermal mass of concrete structure.
Project: “PRIDE’S REST”
Location: Christainstead, US Virgin Islands
Client: Anonymous
Architecture: Brown Studio Inc. DESIGN + BUILD
Design team: Design: Lindsay Brown Production: Tiago Viegas, Ruby Rayes, Heather Caster
Project Area: 3,000 sqft interior 3,000 sqft exterior
Structural Engineering: Envision Engineering
Contractors: Brown Studio Inc. DESIGN + BUILD
Project Estimate: na
Initiation of Project: 2010
Completion of project: 2011
