Caribbean Hill-top Residence
Dutch Antilles
Carl Abbott FAIA Architect / Planner PA

V-shaped roof alights on hilltop house

Courtesy Carl Abbott Architect / Planner

For more images click on 'photos & drawings' above.

Located at the crest of a steep hill, this house will boast views of the Caribbean Sea, the volcanic island of Saba, two mountains, and a distant harbor town. Architect Carl Abbott designed the residence to take full advantage of these views, the breezes, light and shadow, and the seasonal changes of the sun. He conceived of the house as a viewing platform for water, land, and sky.

Although the house rests on top of a hill and its three-story plan steps with the slope of the land, it also sits astride a small natural depression that Abbott has made into a courtyard at the center of the house. Visitors enter on the lowest level through an entry breezeway on the eastern elevation. This passage leads into the grotto, which will be landscaped with tropical trees and a waterfall, and guest quarters, which are located on the far side of the house.

From the grotto, a floating stair leads up to the house’s second level. Abbott designed this main space like an open pavilion with views in all directions. Sliding glass panels allow access to terraces that surround the house. The main level is split into three zones defined by a U-shaped plan. The eastern wing houses bedrooms and a breakfast terrace; the kitchen, living, and dining rooms are located in the central area; and the western wing contains the master suite as well as an infinity pool, which creates a visual link to the ocean. An upper level of the house features a study and additional terraces.

The house’s defining element is its V-shaped sloping roof, which appears to hover over the entire structure and is supported by large structural fins. Tilted to the south, it provides protection from intense summer sunlight: an unexpected departure from the orientation of the house’s floor plan. Abbott says that this “slipping of forms” enhances the sense of movement across the sweeping views to the Caribbean.

Formal name of building:
Caribbean Hill-top Residence

Location:
Dutch Antilles

Gross square footage:
3,000 sq. ft. enclosed area. 3,000 sq. ft. exterior terrace

Owner:
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Regenye

Architect:
Carl Abbott FAIA Architect / Planner PA
2846 Riverside Drive
Sarasota FL 34234
(941) 351-5016
www.carlabbott.com

Wen Chen-Karkhanis, Deb Deam, Laura Butler, Carl Abbott FAIA,
Julian Norman-Webb and Eva Schone

Principals: Carl Abbott FAIA
Design Team: Eva Schone, Julian Norman-Webb, Laura Butler, Leo Lunardi, Anna Vasquez and Wen Chen-Karkhanis

Associate Architect
Jon Hart

Engineer
Ling Yun Gao of Yangtze Civil Engineering N.V.

General contractor
Ronald Haafkes of Starocon N.V. General Contractors

CAD system, project management, or other software used
Sketchup www.sketchup.com, AutoDesk www.autodesk.com, Photoshop adobe.com