BIG + HKS + MDA have unveiled the design for the new Honeycomb building and its adjacent public plaza in The Bahamas – a 175,000-sf residential building with a private pool on each balcony overlooking the marina.
BIG is serving as design architect, with HKS as local architect and Michael Diggiss Architects as executive architect.
Albany is a modern, paradise-like beach and golf resort community, located on the south coast of New Providence Island. The Honeycomb will be the tallest structure in Albany, making it a landmark in the resort, and a beacon from the ocean.
The façade has a hexagonal pattern that uniquely frames the natural beauty of the Island. The balconies are deep enough to not only provide outdoor spaces, but also summer kitchens and a pool sunken into the balcony of each unit.
Each balcony slab folds down at the deepest point of each pool, always coinciding with a partition wall at the level below. These walls serve as beams to support the weight of the water. The pools have a transparent edge towards the plaza, eliminating the visual barrier between the pool and the environment. Bathers can be fully immersed in the view of the marina and the ocean beyond.
“Our design is driven by an effort to maximize the enjoyment of the abundant natural qualities of Albany in The Bahamas: the landscape, the sea, and the sun," said Bjarke Ingels of BIG. "A honeycomb façade functionally supports the pools making them sink into the terrace floor and provides spectacular sight lines while maintaining privacy for each residence. Drawing inspiration from its coastal setting, the hexagonal design evokes the natural geometries you find in certain coral formations or honeycombs.”
On the ground level, the façade pattern melts into the pavement of the plaza, creating a subtle topography on the square. Along the edge, various hexagons transform into green mounds with plants, palm trees, and integrated seating.
The center of the square is formed by a shallow pond, which is fed by fountains scattered around the plaza, and a network of small creeks between the hexagonal pavers.
The residences in the building offer a variety of floor plans that will suit the diverse lifestyles of its tenants. The residential lobby and high-end retail will activate the public plaza. A golf cart parking and storage units are oriented towards the parking lot on the north, in close proximity to Albany’s championship golf course.
The Honeycomb will be the centerpiece of Albany’s masterplan for a live, work, and play environment unlike any other in The Bahamas.
For more information on Albany and its developments, visit www.albanybahamas.com.
ABOUT ALBANY – THE BAHAMAS
Albany, located in The Bahamas, is a luxury resort community jointly owned by Tavistock Group, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. Opened in 2010, Albany is nestled along approximately 600 oceanfront acres on the southwestern end of New Providence and conveniently located seven minutes and five miles from Nassau’s international airport. Albany features an array of residential offerings and amenities for all members of the family, including a well-appointed boutique hotel, a 71-slip mega-yacht marina, an Ernie Els-designed golf course, a fitness center and spa, an adult pool and bar, a family water park, a kids’ clubhouse and casual and fine dining restaurants. Albany's deep-water marina is being designed and built to aesthetically rival the great resort ports of the world. www.albanybahamas.com
ABOUT TAVISTOCK GROUP
Tavistock Group is an international private investment organization founded by Joe Lewis. With investments in more than 200 companies across 15 countries, Tavistock Group’s investment portfolio includes: life sciences, sports teams and sporting events, manufacturing and distribution, oil, gas and energy, financial services, restaurants, commercial properties, private luxury residential properties, resort properties and master-planned real estate developments. For more information, visit www.tavistock.com.
ABOUT NEW VALLEY
New Valley, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vector Group, Ltd., is a Delaware limited liability company focused on real estate investments primarily in the United States and the Caribbean. New Valley is an opportunistic investor in a variety of asset types, including commercial, residential, hospitality, and mixed-use properties. The company takes an active role in the repositioning and management of properties in which it holds an interest. In addition to its real estate investments, New Valley also holds a 50% stake in Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, which operates the largest residential real estate brokerage in the New York metropolitan area and one of the fastest growing brokerages in South Florida. www.newvalley.com.
ABOUT BIG
BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group is a leading international partnership of architects, designers, builders and thinkers operating within the fields of architecture, urbanism, research and development. BIG is led by partners – Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen, Finn Nørkjær, David Zahle, Jakob Lange, Thomas Christoffersen and Managing Partners, Sheela Maini Søgaard and Kai-Uwe Bergmann – with offices in Copenhagen and New York. In all our actions we try to move the focus from the little details to the BIG picture. www.big.dk
Related Stories
| Aug 16, 2014
Decoupling the professional services firm
Business consultant Tim Williams authored a recent LinkedIn post that highlights the emerging trend among professional services firms toward “decoupling,” or consciously separating the high-value services that are scarce from the low-value services that are plentiful. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 16, 2014
The science of learning: Designing the STEM learning facilities of the future
New technology and changing pedagogies are influencing how to best teach a generation of learners who have never known a world without smartphones or tablets, writes HOK's Kimberly Robidoux.
| Aug 16, 2014
Calatrava in hot water again? Famed architect charged to appear in court in Spanish construction case
The Valencia High Court has requested documents detailing how Calatrava was hired in private, without any publicity, for a convention center project in Castellon. For contracts over a certain minimum value, that is illegal in Spain.
| Aug 15, 2014
First look: RMJM’s 'jumping fish' tower design for the Chinese Riviera
The tower's fish-jumping gesture is meant to symbolize the prosperity and rapid transformation of Zhuhai, China.
| Aug 15, 2014
Periscope structure gives public toilet an unobstructed sea view
Polish architect Adam Wiercinski designs a public toilet with a periscope mechanism that gives visitors unobstructed views of the sea.
| Aug 14, 2014
8 do's and don'ts for completing an HVAC life cycle cost assessment
There are many hurdles to overcome when completing a life cycle cost assessment. RMF Engineering’s Seth Spangler offers some words of advice regarding LCCAs.
| Aug 14, 2014
Life cycle cost analysis using energy modeling
A life cycle cost analysis helps a school district decide which HVAC system to use in $198 million worth of future building projects.
| Aug 14, 2014
Museum of Mayan Culture draws inspiration from temple design [slideshow]
The Museo Maya de América in Guatemala City will be the world’s largest museum of Mayan history and culture, at 60,000 sf.
| Aug 14, 2014
How workplace design can empower employees, businesses
Focusing on recent work at Follett and Zurich, CannonDesign’ Meg Osman reveals the power of research, strategy, change management, and measurement to transform businesses for the better.
| Aug 13, 2014
UIA commits to phasing out CO2 emissions in built environment
The International Union of Architects, representing approximately 2.3 million architects worldwide, has unanimously adopted the 2050 Imperative committing to environmental and social sustainability.
