SHELTER | ARCHITECTURE
Modern Day Mooring
Richard Hywel Evans’ marine-inspired Prickly Bay Waterside sets sail in Grenada. By Diane M. Byrne
It all started with a sketch on a napkin and a “what if?” conversation. In 2003, Richard Hywel Evans was asked to design a private villa on a peninsula of Prickly Bay in Grenada. Every day during construction of the villa, Evans and his client would walk down to the Boatyard, a boat repair and dock- ing facility, for lunch. The place boasted great vistas and clear blue waters, so they’d reflect on what they would do with it if they could acquire it. “I literally did a napkin drawing,” Evans says, depicting various home styles and dockage for yachts. Then, one day, they learned that an ac- quisition deal had just fallen through. The client turned to Evans and said, “‘Let’s buy it.’” The result is Prickly Bay Waterside, on what’s
widely considered one of the best, calmest anchorages along Grenada’s southern coast. The development, winner of the Americas Residen- tial Property Awards 2009 for Best Development and Best Architecture, is decidedly different than anything else on the island—and arguably in the world. The Marine Houses at Prickly Bay Waterside
mimic moored megayachts jutting out over the water. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom homes also provide dockage for residents’ yachts, thereby serving as “a real high-tech spectacle to match the boats,” Evans explains. They even em- ploy many yacht materials, including fiberglass and carbon fiber. There are other residential options, too. The
Lawn Houses feature long, narrow pools sepa- rating them from the Marine Houses. Their contemporary style embraces bowed beams flanking each external side and floor-to-ceiling windows, offering great views. Speaking of views, if you’re wondering what
port of call: The architectural design of Grenada’s Prickly Bay Waterside, top, first came about as a result of a napkin drawing by Richard Hywel Evans. Below, views out over the harbor.
26 oceanhomemag.com may + june 2010
happened to Evans’ napkin sketch, it still exists. It’s posted on Prickly Bay Waterside’s website. Richard Hywel Evans Architecture & Design, 44-20-7253-5358, rhe.uk.com, pricklybay.com.