This commission is located on a southwest oriented hillside in Indigo Bay. From the access road, a meandering driveway leads residents to a plateau, eight meters higher. Here, the property boasts a 180-degree view over the deep blue Caribbean Sea with the neighboring islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Saint Kitts. By placing the main building volume on the south rim of the plateau, a spacious entrance garden is carved out between the driveway and the residence’s north elevation. Utilizing the natural terrain, the structure is stretched along the east-west axis, granting spectacularvistas from all areas. A continuous covered walkway in front of the villa provides access to all indoor spaces.

The building mass creates a clear division between the introvert private entrance garden and the more extrovert front of the villa, with the infinity pool and sunken lounge area. Broad sliding doors allow the living room to open on the north as well as the south, interconnecting the two exterior biospheres. The result is a contemporary two-sided interpretation of the classical loggia. All openings catch the prevailing trade winds, providing cross ventilation throughout. By applying translucent glass planks, diffuse light is introduced to the interiors on the north facade. The south facade, in contrast, is designed as a series of clear glazed sliding doors, to capitalize on the panorama.

Beside the driveway, a self-contained guest house is envisioned. A smaller version of the main structure, the guest suite follows identical design principles, providing visitors with both privacy and scenic views.

More information (download pdf)

More information (download pdf)

More information (download pdf)

More information (download pdf)

More information (download pdf)

Unparalleled in the Caribbean, Indigo Green (IG) is an eco-friendlyseaside community of upscale villas and condominiums, located in Indigo Bay Estates (IBE) on Sint Maarten’s southern coast. IG is designed for comfort, safety and savings. From the master plan to the smallest building detail, thoughtful design is coupled with state-of-the-art construction techniques.

IG offers a wide range of luxury residential designs. The project contains twenty-one villas, forty two-bedroom condominiums and fifteen three-bedroom units. Future residents have an opportunity to personalize their villa or condominium in a variety of ways, for example by adding a basement level, a rooftop entertainment level or extra bedroom. IG’s contemporary architecture of interlocking orthogonal volumes and copper brown accents stands out in IBE, and all of Sint Maarten.

Facing east, the project is situated on a gently sloped hillside. A terraced design provides all residential units with a striking panorama of the Caribbean Sea from Saba to Saint Barthelemy. This 28,000 square meter development features three community pools and attractively landscaped grounds. Indigo Bay’s pristine beach is within walking distance.

“Green” is not just an empty marketing term; in fact, sustainable technologies form an integral part of the project. Apart from commonly applied solutions such as solar panels, LED lighting and rainwater collection cisterns, all buildings are fitted with thermal insulation in all exterior walls and roofs – an energy-saving measure rarely found in Sint Maarten. Passive design concepts include strategically placed cross-ventilation louvers, optimized solar orientation, reflective roof coatings and the use of architectural overhangs to block direct sunlight. All of these techniques minimize the building’s heat load, and result in lower utility bills. Septic water is processed on-site and reused for irrigation purposes. Low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce the volume of waste water at the source. Typical concrete reinforcement is replaced with structural fibers, cutting down on the use of steel, the associated cost of transport, and limiting the weight and volume of all concrete elements. The IG project team itself contributes by implementing smart digital file management, saving both paper and ink.

An international team of experienced professionals successfully collaborates to realize this unique project. Initiated by developer Groupe Lépine International in 2013, both the project’s urban plan and architectural schematic designs were compiled by the Canadian firm Neuf Architect(e)s. AAP fulfills the part of local architect, responsible for urban coordination within IBE, architectural design development, structural coordination, construction documents and permitting. During construction, AAP plays a pivotal coordinating role, while providing an independent voice for aesthetic, technical and functional concerns.

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