Privacy Please

WORDS BY SIAN SEYS-EVANS, OBMI ARCHITECT

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF OBMI

Homes built on a peninsula provide a feeling of being on a private island with unobstructed views of the ocean.

Steel Point original Architect: Michael Helm/ renovation design: OBMI

AS ARCHITECTS IN the Caribbean, we are always looking for opportunities to connect our clients to nature by creating spaces to enjoy island trade winds and views of turquoise waters, but we’re also keenly aware of a homeowner’s need for privacy. To achieve a balance of luxury, comfort, and privacy in openair areas, consider these smart design solutions for your home to help conceal your outdoor spaces.

Privacy begins with a great property selection and quality planning

Choosing a Private Site

When looking to purchase a property, a homeowner that places a high value on privacy should consider peninsula and cliffside locations. Homes built on a peninsula provide a feeling of being on a private island with unobstructed views of the ocean, while owners still have easy access to nearby amenities. The Caribbean’s mountainous terrain offers the opportunity to conceal homes with surrounding nature by building into the cliffside. It’s important to work with your architect during the design phase to strike balance between the built environment and natural environment without either dominating the landscape.

Indoor-outdoor spaces offer privacy and enhance the island lifestyle

Create Courtyards

Whether at the front, interior, or back of a home, a courtyard can be a welcoming, and relaxing transition from the outside world to the home’s inside spaces. This smart privacy solution creates connectivity between interior and exterior space while creating a feeling of serenity throughout the property. The open-air areas can be used for many functions but should have partitions on at least three sides to provide seclusion and privacy, even if it is positioned in the center of a house. Your courtyard could be an extension of the kitchen, a garden paradise, outdoor shower, a recreation space, or merely a sitting area for quiet reflections. For added privacy, bubbling water features can incorporate into your courtyard design to block out neighbouring sounds.

Boulders provide natural privacy and an interesting landscape

Utilise the Natural Environment

Many homes in Virgin Gorda sit amid rock formations or within the landscape of giant boulder fields. While some may consider these boulders a design challenge, an architect with creativity and ingenuity see them as an asset and can work the boulders into the design and create natural areas perfect for one of Virgin Gorda’s unique natural offerings.

As an example, at the Raku residence, OBMI wanted to highlight the enormous boulders as a notable feature on the property and use them contribute to the uniqueness of the landscape. The result is an incredibly natural accent weaved throughout the home giving it a luxurious sense of intimacy with its natural environment.

Incorporating the natural cliffside is an easy way to create simple, beautiful private spaces

Subtle & Stylish Panels

A privacy panel or screen with an artistic or decorative design provides not only privacy but also beautifully patterned shadows that give life to any space. These custom pieces block the neighbour’s view while acting as an interesting outdoor focal point.

Various spaces can benefit from privacy panels including a spa, lounge area or as a partition to divide large outdoor spaces. At Nevaeh Villa in Anguilla, OBMI selected beautiful hand carved stone panels from Bali to create privacy in a narrow space otherwise overlooked on the property.

Thoughtful design can blend the indoors and outdoors beautifully

Using this space also created a private courtyard shower off of the main courtyard. Whether you build from the ground up or are looking to create a private outdoor space enlisting the help of a designer will ensure you can maximise the opportunity to cleverly and artistically create a secluded oasis for your home. ■