Challenge
This project involved the planning and design of a private luxury estate on a two-acre coastal hillside in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The client's vision was to create a one-of-a-kind destination featuring a main residence, guest villa, lagoon-style pool with a grotto, helipad, and a series of iconic, Instagram-worthy features that would make the property unlike anything else on the island.
The challenge was to bring the client's ambitious vision to life while incorporating multiple large-scale amenities, dramatic cliffside features, and iconic, Instagram-worthy experiences. The design also needed to respond to the site's steep topography and the realities of building on a remote Caribbean island.
Solution
The design centered around a lagoon-style pool with an integrated grotto that serves as the heart of the property, while the main residence, guest villa, and supporting amenities were arranged to maximize ocean views and create a dramatic arrival experience across the site.
A cantilevered helipad was developed as both an arrival feature and an architectural statement. Extending beyond the cliff edge, the helipad incorporates a water feature that allows rainfall and collected water to cascade down the rock face below, transforming a functional element into part of the overall experience.
The project's signature feature is a circular glass-floor skywalk cantilevered over the cliff. At its center, a sculptural dragon emerges from the water and extends across the glass surface, while water flows over the edge of the skywalk to create a dramatic waterfall down the cliff face below.
The result is a one-of-a-kind private estate that delivers the iconic, unforgettable experiences the client envisioned while embracing the property's dramatic natural setting.
