Project Name: Oasis

Location: Maynards, Port St. Charles, Barbados

Date Completed: August 2018

Architect: Toby M Wincer

Construction Company: Sherlock Properties

An oasis, an open plan cliff edge villa that allows everyday life and house guests to live in harmony in their own luxury taking advantage of the natural ventilation of the through breeze and the elevated cliff top views.

The brief was to design a refined and elegant villa; an oasis with a luxurious and open Balinese resort feel and with a personalised, sophisticated and contemporary twist to the interiors. OWAL Architects were to design a home for living which would complement and enrich the lifestyles of the occupants be it the residents living their day to day lives or the house guests seeking to experience a slice of Caribbean luxury. Spaces needed to flow seamlessly between inside and out whilst providing a unique experience and serving an intended purpose.

OWAL Architects favourite aspect of the project is the covered walkway that meanders over the axial water feature. A sensual experience that reveals and guides you through the villa from the entrance pavilion to the living pavilion, the cliff edge pool and the views beyond. Local labour and traditional building methods were employed throughout the build. This was a key ingredient to the success and the quality of the finish. A subtle combination of coral render, stone and timber finishes dress a traditional reinforced concrete substructure and expressed timber framed roof.

This is a truly experiential property that modestly frames and enhances its natural environment of the rich planting and elevated views over the ocean. With that it still acts as a day to day private residence for its occupants that live and work on the island. The villa boasts a range of external covered spaces for all uses, including library courtyard, dining courtyard, zen garden that transforms to an outdoor cinema by night. The open nature of the villa allows the trade winds to blow through all the spaces over the water feature and sumptuous planting making it a cool, comfortable and natural environment to live and relax in.