LOCATION:
HARBOUR ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS

PROGRAM:
1,000 SQ. FT.  BEACH SHACK/CABANA HOUSE

STATUS: PERMITTING

DESCRIPTION:
This ground-up, new construction project is a contemporary detailed house on two levels, located in a cabana village adjacent to the beach. The bedrooms and bathroom are located on the ground floor, a series of private rooms that are fully protected from the sun. The upper level, reached by a covered exterior stair, is an open plan living space with a kitchen, dining and living area. It is a true indoor/outdoor living space made possible via a set of lift/roll glass doors that open onto a covered terrance with direct ocean views.

The detailing and materiality of the home is contemporary, but there is also a nod to the Bahamian vernacular. The base of the building is constructed from ground-face architectural block with local coral stone used as aggregate. Thick walls, as well as (top-hinging) Bahamas shutters, are used everywhere to keep the sun out. Multiple windows are used in each room to create cross-ventilation. A cistern below the building captures rain water but also cools the building. The top floor has a timber-framed, open truss roof structure, used both to withstand hurricane-force winds but also keep the house cool.