Header: Karen Fuchs
Harbour Island is a relaxed yet luxurious piece of heaven located in the surreal cerulean waters of the Atlantic, at the edge of the Great Bahamas Bank. This island is home to a private residence that ensures that residents will always get to enjoy the serenity of the ocean due to one little detail: it is built on top of a dune.
Designed by a team consisting of Chad Oppenheim, Juan Calvo, Juan Lopez, Carolina Jaimes, Jacobus Bruyning, Jose Ortez, Kevin McMorris, Robert Gallagher, Francisco Llado, Sebastian Velez and Manuel Morale, this house put comfort and innovation tied up in the first place, all while not forgetting the importance of living linked up to nature itself. The result is a casual and elegant, raw and refined house built upon the crest of dunes, surrounded by the most dramatic views of the ocean, and created from elemental forms and sincere materials.
Five hundred feet off one of the island’s main roadways, a sand driveway overflowing with vegetation leads to a simple pavilion. When inside, one is hit by the openness of the space, breezy and serene, allowing for visual and pedestrian connectivity across the site. It is in this pavilion that the living and dining areas are located, which, even though elegant in style, are complemented by verandas protected from the elements by the deep overhangs of the gabled roof.
The other living spaces are arranged around this central area: to the left, two guest suites with private bathrooms, and to the right, the kitchen and master suite. The materials used in the build were all chosen specifically due to their “distinctive sincerity“, in the words of the architects, since the home was intended to always reflect environmental sensitivity and a connection to the local vernacular. This private residence creates a space that transitions from the lush tropical landscape to the expansive ocean, establishing a delicate and meditative environment.
