Lately, more and more people are trying to make that dream a reality, perhaps even more so because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. According to a report from CNN, several island brokers have reported large upticks in demand for purchasing property on private, floating real estate gems.

One such broker is the Blue Estate Group, who has unveiled their plans for a luxury real estate development just a short plane ride away from Nassau, Bahamas. Hoping to launch as soon as 2025, The manmade Blue Island Estate will accommodate around 15,000 residents. With property prices starting from about $19,800 for a 20 square meter apartment, to “signature estate” mega-mansions estimated at over $1 billion, these properties are certainly exclusive.

Erik Schmidt, Chief Communications Officer for the Blue Estate Group, says that “there are no special requirements to become a resident on the Blue Estate.” Residents and visitors simply have to comply with the community’s guidelines and rules while being able to “self-maintain” life on the floating paradise. Residents will also be able to purchase business licenses if they wish, with the strong incentive of not being subject to the usual tax laws.

With the pandemic creating more remote work opportunities in the past year and a half than ever before, Schmidt believes that Blue Island Estate will offer the best of both worlds: “The world’s most exclusive private residence” coupled with “[the freedom] to choose a ‘home base’ that meets their individual requirements best.”

But there are certain requirements (outside of the necessary wealth to purchase such property), as residents need to present a “groundbreaking architectural concept” before approval of purchase — and Schmidt has confirmed that the group has already received one such application.

The island itself could be considered a “groundbreaking architectural concept.” A self-contained community with everything from its own health clinic to an international school, the floating community will also be green and energy efficient, with strict no single-use plastic and zero emission policies. Instead, energy will be produced entirely from renewable resources.

The island will also have a number of entertainment options, so residents and visitors won’t want for anything while they bask in the 340 days of sunshine Blue Island Estate expects to receive each year.

But doesn’t its location in the Caribbean Sea make the island susceptible to natural weather phenomena like tidal waves and hurricanes?

Well, The Blue Estate Group has thought of that, too. The island will be built with “ultra-high performance concrete modules” and protected with almost 200-foot tall outside walls. It will also be equipped with hurricane shutters to shield it from high winds, and the ability to be “moved out of the way” if absolutely necessary.

With construction beginning as soon as 2022, some properties may be available for handover as early as the middle of 2023, though Schmidt says The Blue Estate Group “has plans to scale up if demand stays on the current level or increases.” Whether it’s because of the pandemic, or due to business restrictions in potential buyers’ home countries, the demand for privacy and exclusivity seems to be on the rise. With the creation of their luxe floating island on the Caribbean, the Blue Estate Group hopes to herald in a new era by meeting “the demand for isolated locations.” For the right price, of course.

The post Blue Island Estate: The Floating Luxury Community Where Homes Cost Up to $1 Billion first appeared on Dornob.

The structure is a distinctly New York addition to the surrounding area, adding to the surrounding Hudson River Park and the now-booming stretch of other little “islands” along the Chelsea piers. Rising from the ashes of the defunct Pier 54 (damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012), Little Island is less a phoenix than an ebullient homage to unique public spaces: what they are, and what they have the potential to be.

This enigmatic space cost approximately $260 million to build and is the brainchild of British designer Thomas Heatherwick, known to New Yorkers for the Vessel at Hudson Yards, itself a beehive-esque construction that’s architecturally artful, edgy, and vertigo-inducing. That 150-foot tall structure recently re-opened with new safety measures in place after being criticized for its safety protocols.

Heatherwick, known for design strategies that aim to create immersive experiences for visitors that merge form, shape, and ambition, has here created a more approachable and visitor-friendly structure that, instead of being imposing, is welcoming and quite lovely.

Funding for the Little Island came mainly from billionaire Barry Diller, who, in partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust, set out to reimagine Pier 54 in 2013 and create a public space that embraced nature, art, and design. Enter Heatherwick, and the vision for the present-day parklet was born.

The first sight of Little Island is enough to make anyone gasp in delight. White concrete structures rise out of the murky Hudson, dazzling the eyes and sparking the imagination. Visitors will feel as if they’re approaching a whimsical world, either floating lazily on the water or emerging from it as if birthed from its depths fully formed. Initially it resembles a setting in Super Mario World (Mushroom Kingdom, anyone?) or an elaborately constructed mini-golf course.

Either way, it’s certainly imposing and instantly captivating, and the designs on the island continue the theme with a beautifully landscaped space that somehow manages to be a natural haven while still feeling like a distinctive part of the city and its environs.

Part of the reason for that is that one can’t really escape a view of the city from here. It’s in the background, looming and distant, but still a major player in the proceedings. But it’s the details that make Little Island truly special: the paths are winding and broken up by little asides that truly recreate a fairy tale experience, hidden secrets among the landscape that emerge as a trail of bread crumbs leading into each new twist and turn.

Tactile and truly immersive, Heatherwick’s design pairs beautifully with the landscape architecture of New York design alum Signe Nielsen, who herself has an eye for merging natural elements with the surrounding architecture. This combo complements and enhances Little Island’s curves and rises, bringing to life all its rich views and secrets.

Upon arrival at Little Island, visitors may feel as if they are a part of something larger; namely, the interconnecting network of piers and attractions that now dot the landscape throughout Hudson River Park. But once on board, it’s all too easy to get lost in the dreaminess of the design and the simple fantasy of this magical green space so removed from the city (and yet somehow an integral part of it).

The post New York’s “Little Island” Uses Cutting-Edge Designs to Create a Natural Retreat first appeared on Dornob.

A terraced community of living modules, the Próspera complex will be located on the Caribbean island of Roatán, off the coast of Honduras. Aimed at curating a population that can “prosper socially and ecologically,” the construction will feature up to 15,000 individual, personalized units using engineering techniques that harmonize with the local ecosystem.

“The design prioritizes sustainability and is integral to our vision for Roatán Próspera,” adds CEO of Honduras Próspera LLC Erick A. Brimen. “The island of Roatán is already a renowned tourist destination. Roatán Próspera will strengthen and diversify the local economy while creating homes defined by their natural environment.”

The Residences will be erected with timber from certified Honduran forests to keep the construction materials native to the region, while individual units will be configured off-site to reduce the carbon footprint on the island and protect its rich wildlife diversity.

Indigenous people from neighboring settlements will also be hired and trained to source, assemble, and maintain the residences, hopefully bolstering the local economy with more education and sanitation. And for every new Próspera residence, ZHA pledges to build a sister complex for a local community.

“Combining the most advanced modular construction techniques with sustainably-sourced local materials, the design and planning for the first dwellings in Próspera is a tangible example of the dramatic shift in development methodologies taking place around the world,” the ZHA website says. “Roatán Próspera rethinks the whole design and conventional delivery approach to development, starting from understanding the local supply chain, logistics, energy and economical aspects as a basis to engage technologically-curious, ecologically-minded, entrepreneurial building contractors.”

The Roatán Próspera Residences will be fashioned in a modular, expanding framework, with rounded balconies and terraces and curved palapa roofs (another design feature that honors the area’s traditional building techniques). Structural care is also being taken to ensure that the homes can withstand the Caribbean’s often unpredictable weather.

The development will include passive energy-saving strategies from environmental engineering firm Hilson Moran, including a dehumidifying system that pulls water from the air and filters it for use in the units and solar-paneled shading canopies. The roof panels will also incorporate several premade holes to provide natural ventilation and “internal thermal comfort enhancements.”

Each unit, or “voxel” as the individual dwellings are named, consists of 35 square meters (about 376 square feet) of space, but homebuyers will be allowed to buy up to five, allowing for 175 square meters (1883 square feet) of total living space.

Using a digital parametric software program in partnership with AKT II, residents can personalize most aspects of their space, including the arrangement and furnishings. Buyers can select from several pre-selected furniture sets and layouts – things like conversation pits and walk-in closets – or contract with local suppliers and craftspeople to create brand new custom pieces.

Additionally, each Próspera unit is fabricated in a way that makes it quick and easy to assemble and disassemble. This should provide residents both the freedom to reconfigure their homes and the ability to recycle parts of their lodgings as desired.

ZHA is currently working with one of the world’s top hotel operators on the project, with the intention of running the individual homes much like a boutique hotel. Tourists could come for a week or buy into the property for more long-term stays. The firm expects to break ground on Roatán Próspera later this year.

The post Zaha Hadid’s Próspera Island Project Blends Sustainability with Luxury Living first appeared on Dornob.

The project began as a simple idea, as all do, but when a storm in 1992 deposited a load of lumber in front of the couple’s cabin and the original owner didn’t seem to want it back, they saw it as a sign to begin construction immediately. Ditching the power tools in favor of an old-fashioned handsaw and hammer, the first floating platform took shape.

“Wayne started building the house on the beach at that cabin, and it was about three months later that it was done enough that we could move into it, and we towed it over to the cove,” explains Catherine.

Over the years, they’ve raised two daughters on the island and added new sections to the base as their needs changed and they were able to procure more materials. Today, the island is made up of 12 separate floating platforms that support several greenhouses, an art gallery, a dance floor, a studio where the couple lives, and a guest lighthouse. All of this is painted in bright shades of teal and hot pink. At some point the campus was dubbed “Freedom Cove,” and it’s since gone on to garner all kinds of international attention as an example of unique off-grid living.

The platforms are anchored to shore with thick ropes, of course, but other than that, they’re basically free-floating. The couple admits that there are many challenges to maintaining such a home, and that it’s really more of a lifestyle. Winter storms endanger the crops and structure itself, so it seems there are always repairs to be made. Pests are another issue. Apparently trying to raise chickens on the island didn’t work out too well, as they only attracted other wildlife.

Still, their lifestyle is heavily, although not entirely, sustainable, with the couple growing the majority of their own food right outside the front door. Occupying a half-acre of land mass in total, the island actually offers ample space to grow food, but the irony is in the water. Even though the couple is literally floating around in the stuff, fresh water for the platforms must either be collected from a nearby waterfall or captured when it rains.

Living off-grid means making adjustments. To conserve power, for instance, Wayne and Catherine decided to go without a freezer or refrigerator. But hey, at least this decision makes eating fresh an easy one. The remaining power for the home was previously generated by 14 solar panels, but once they started malfunctioning, the couple decided to switch to a generator as their primary power source.

“We also do lots of composting,” adds Catherines. “As a result, we always eat food that’s fresh and seasonal.”

When considering their lifestyle as artists who spend their spare time composing music, writing, carving, painting, and dancing, it’s easy to see why sustainability was also important to them.

“We wanted to live close to nature because as artists that’s what inspires us. That’s why we decided to build this floating home. It works ecologically, in order to limit as much as possible its impact on the environment,” says Catherine.

The garden section is made from mostly recycled materials. As wood rots, salvaged steel from fishing farms replaces it. Another example of this is the large piece of plexiglass here, which came from a torn-down hockey rink and now allows views through an “ocean lookout” to the frolicking marine life below.

Although the couple is off-grid, they do go into town every few weeks to stock up on goods they can’t grow or catch themselves. However, they stress that minimizing packaging is a priority in maintaining their nearly zero-waste lifestyle. For money, the two sell their art to local businesses and offer tours of their home. Although “Freedom Cove” has been the nearly-perfect home for Wayne and Catherine, it’s not for everyone — especially now that floating homes are no longer allowed in the area.

“It’s been our intention to share with people what we do and inspire people to follow their own dreams and live life the way they want to,” Catherine says.

The post Couple Builds and Lives on Floating Island for Nearly 30 Years first appeared on Dornob.

Architects Studio WNA designed “Hideout Horizon” with adventurous visitors in mind. Made almost entirely of natural materials, this open-air structure provides a luxurious “glamping” home base divided into different zones for sleeping, lounging, swinging, swimming, and other activities emphasizing relaxation and playfulness.

The wing-shaped roof and large overhang offer a shaded indoor/outdoor space protected from tropical rainstorms, with one side completely open to a private grassy space encircled with palm trees and other plants. The pool serves as a transitional point between indoors and out, while a robust multi-person hammock built as a mezzanine hovers above it.

Inside, a rich palette of natural tones gives the bamboo flooring, structural elements, and roofing both texture and pattern. The rusticity of the materials contrasts beautifully with modern LED lighting. A walkway, doubling as a roof for the couch below, leads from the ground floor up to the nest-like bed surrounded with a canopy of mosquito netting.

“The upper levels cascade into unique sleeping and relaxation spaces for guests,” the architects say. “A large round bed perches on a platform like a nest in the middle of the space, with a secret loft area tucked away at the highest level of the bamboo house. The building is completely open to the serene jungle surroundings. The heated pool is sheltered under the large roof, which provides a safe and comfortable place to relax even when the tropical weather gets wild.”

“The space was purposefully designed to create a fun experience for travelers of all ages. Instead of stairs, a ramp winds through the structure; where some prefer to walk, others prefer to slide. A hanging net above the pool and a bamboo swing downstairs add to the playfulness of Hideout Horizon’s creative yet comfortable character. Guests have an array of spots to relax in after hiking through the surrounding landscape. The bespoke interior design and the bamboo furniture were designed specifically for Hideout Horizon space by the Hideout team in collaboration with Putri Wiwoho.”

With all of Bali’s charms beckoning, including stellar water-based activities and a smorgasbord of delicious cuisine, most guests will just have to find a good balance between their “hideout” and the outside world. But anyone could be forgiven for arriving and deciding not to leave for the duration of their stay.

“Hideout Horizon” is just one of the resort’s all-bamboo homes. “Hideout Falcon” is a larger, fully enclosed guest space, if that’s your preference, while “Hideout Beehive” is a two-level hexagonal structure with some of the resort’s highest vantage points. “Hideout Lightroom” keeps it small and simple (but still luxurious) and has its own spacious soaking tub. You can check out more photos and get info about the Hideout Network on Instagram.

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Like a Chinese puzzle box (or in food terms: an onion), each sliding block peels back to reveal another hidden layer – some walls double as doors, and each element serves more than a single purpose (or person).

A single square meter is displaced by the Small Type Kitchen, containing everything from cooking and preparation surfaces to a dinner table, stove, cooktop, refrigerator, suspended shelves, slots and drawers.

The sequence unfolds with consideration for work flow as well as saving space, starting with a blank slate in its most compact form and then unfolds, offering areas to prep, cook and dine.

There is also a balance between multi-functional elements and use-specific spaces – general hooks and platforms on the one hand and subdivided drawers on the other. Prototype by designers Kristin Laass and Norman Ebelt.

“Small type adapts to the space and habits of humans. The focus on a smooth working cycle and the intuitive operation characterize the monolith as a transparent kitchen. On only one square meter, when closed, there is a full kitchen with fridge, induction hob, oven, sink, storage space and a dining table. The interaction between the static kitchen element with the connections in the floor and the mobile element of the dining table, which also serves as a panel, have their special spatial appeal. The 360 ​​° usage promotes communication when several people cook together.”

“When the user rolls the table and pulls out the cooking unit, he brings small type to life as the inner wood structure becomes visible. The kitchen offers the ergonomically optimal working heights for the respective areas and by double-sided full extension all utensils are best accessible. small type stimulates conscious cooking and promotes the sensual experience by focusing on the essentials.”

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Commemorating an Iconic Art Installation

On October 4, 2018, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) unveiled Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980-83: A Documentary Exhibition, celebrating the 35th anniversary of the revolutionary project that many believe first put the city on the map.

PAMM curator Rene Morales explains that the Surrounded Islands exhibition is a “unique time capsule, a look back at Miami when it was on the verge of the cultural awakening that eventually led to Art Basel. Christo also fueled the evolution of South Beach, which was kind of a dicey area in the early 80s. He had his friends and collectors, including sophisticated Europeans, stay in little funky hotels on Ocean Drive. They were all captivated by South Beach.”

Those Psycho 70s

Whether you lived through the actual decade or have just heard stories, you probably know that the 1970s were wild and wacky in a number of ways — especially in the art world. Among the most influential artists of the day were Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude. Their art installation off the coast of Miami’s South Beach is one of the most momentous works in recent history and is largely credited with giving rise to Miami’s still-thriving art scene.

Christo vividly recalls the time when the Surrounded Islands concept was born. He says: “In the 1970s, when we first visited Miami, we were always driving back and forth across the causeways. That’s when the idea came to Jeanne-Claude to surround the lush uninhabited islands we saw in Biscayne Bay with fabric, create a presence that would be visible for miles. We wanted to make something that reflected our vision of this strange American city, perched between the ocean and the dense vegetation of the Everglades. The humid air in Miami can be so thick and hazy, and we decided to use a rich and bright shade of pink, a color that would also reflect the tropics and Latin culture.”

Creativity Takes Time

Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s vision was clear from the beginning, but the details were teeming with devils that needed to be conquered. Despite the fact that Christo funds all his projects by selling preliminary drawings and collages of them, money wasn’t a problem. The main hold up was in the red tape he had to maneuver through to obtain approval permits from agencies like the Miami-Dade County Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The nonstop meetings surrounding the project were frequently recorded on film by the Maysles brothers (of Grey Gardens fame) for the documentary Islands, footage from which is currently being shown at the PAMM exhibition.

The Anticipation Ends

On May 7, 1983, after three years of hard work, Christo and Jeanne-Claude unveiled their finished project: a seven-mile-long strand of gigantic pink water lilies running from the Venetian Causeway to Broad Causeway. The installation’s 11 total islands are surrounded by 6.5 million square feet of pink polypropylene fabric, with 200 feet of floating fabric protruding out into the water. To this day, the spectacle remains one of Miami’s most popular attractions.

The post Miami’s Surrounded Islands: The Wild Artistic Vision that Changed an Entire City first appeared on Dornob.

The Recycled Island Foundation opened its first “Recycled Park” this summer, a series of floating structures made from 1,000 square feet of diverted waste. Not only is the park a fun new destination complete with walkways, conversation pits, and tiny islands, but it also provides a home for ultra-important species of snails, beetles, fish, and other creatures that help keep the river ecosystem healthy.

“Plastic waste is a structural problem in open waters,” explains the organization. “Via rivers a subsequent part of plastic litter enters our seas and oceans, where it becomes part of the plastic soup. The New Meuse is an important European river that takes the pollution from the inland to the sea.”

“The Rotterdam municipality has the desire to realize more green areas. Floating green can take an important role in this as a floating park or green shore. The plastics in the New Meuse are relatively fresh and have therefore a good recycling potential.”



To do this, the organization had to deploy three “litter traps” in the river over a 1.5-year trial period. Volunteers tested, monitored, and optimized the traps as they collected trash and recyclables from the water before sorting and processing the plastic. In the future, these traps could be reproduced and used in rivers all around the world.

The Recycled Island Foundation team collaborated with Wageningen University, one of the world’s foremost authorities on effective recycling techniques, to create the hexagonal “building blocks” that serve as the park’s foundation. The result is a honeycomb-like structure that keeps the unusual riverside recreational facility afloat — and it looks pretty cool, too.

Developed with the support of the local government, the park helps raise awareness of plastic pollution, and its artificial islands support lots of diverse plant life. Animals like ducks have already moved in, too, and small fish and birds take shelter in a “canal” that runs through the center of the park so they can grow and mature before moving out into the open water. The undersides of the plastic islands have been given a rough finish to encourage the growth of aquatic plants that harbor fish eggs.

Even with this success, the Recycled Island Foundation considers the project a work in progress, hoping to eventually incorporate new types of aquatic platforms into the park. In the future, they may even expand the park or open new locations. Either way, the Floating Park is a great example of how we can rethink our use of plastics in creative new ways.

The post Rotterdam’s New Floating Park Habitat is Made from Recycled Plastic Waste first appeared on Dornob.

The new Sir Joan hotel, a 38-room boutique paradise with a unique faceted exterior, reflects that transformation. The first Spanish property to come from the Sir Hotels hospitality collective, Sir Joan is set right in the city center adjacent to Talamanca Beach, and its design quirks and details pay tribute both to its nautical surroundings and to the island’s untamed artistic legacy.

Architects and interior designers Baranowitz + Kronenberg have created a stunning design scheme that symbolically brings the waters of the sea right into the rooms without relying on kitsch or being too literal. Textured mirrors applied to the walls and ceilings mimic the look of sunlight reflecting on the surface of the water, while round mirrors in the rooms call to mind the portholes of ships. Wood is used extensively and strategically for the effect of being inside a hand-crafted boat, and in common areas like the hotel’s two restaurants, the IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar and THE BUTCHER burger bar, rippled stainless steel ceilings create a sense of movement.

“Sir Joan is rooted in bygone days when free-spirited communities would meet to create music and art in Ibiza,” says the hotelier. “A sensual and highly exclusive retreat for the party animal or quiet introvert alike. The private paradise celebrates a nostalgic era of the island, while catering to the needs of the modern traveler. Each room features a balcony, while the suites have up to three balconies as well as an indoor living area. We also offer two penthouse suites on the top floor, each possessing private balconies encircling the room with outdoor seating areas and a private cabana.”

The rooms are full of hand-picked local sculptures and books and double as galleries for curated collections of art by such Spanish artists as Carlos Irijalba Inercia and Joan Hernández Pijuan. They’re spacious, soundproof, and packed full of luxury goodies like local ayurvedic oils, spa body amenities, and rain showers. It’s not hard to see the allure of taking in views of that sunny triangular pool from your own private balcony with a tropical cocktail in hand. The top floor “Sir Penthouse” suite enjoys 700 square feet of space with its own cocktail bar, a large terrace with an open-air kitchen, and views of the historic Ibiza Old Town.

Rooms start at about $702 USD per night, and if you book at least 21 days in advance between October and February, you’ll get 20 percent off.

All photos by Amit Geron

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A series of black and white geometric boxes, punctuated by giant glass windows, looks down over a swimming pool and a forested hillside leading to the sea. Located on the Croatian island of Krk, the summer house by Turato Architecture is named ‘Gumno’ after a circular stone feature that was already on the site before construction began. Part of Croatian tradition, gumnos were gathering places where the community came together to thresh grain and hold discussions.

The striking modern home stands in stark contrast to these stone structures, with its tiered arrangement or irregular shapes jutting sharply from the landscape. Gazing out from the uppermost level, which houses the private bedrooms, a viewer’s eye skips from the irregularly-shaped swimming pool on the second-level terrace to the gumno, and finally to the water beyond.

Each of the four independent units on the top floor has its own intimate terrace, and the stone on the rooftop echoes that of the historical structures and the walls that line the nearby roads. Though the residence is far from inconspicuous, daring to be quite different from the neighbors, it still manages to feel like a natural fit that pays tribute to the location.

“Besides the gumno in the front part of the lot, and a vegetable garden and an orchard located behind the house, the architecture of the house and the park allows for a spontaneous creation of a unique drive-in plateau for the cars of the owners and their guests. This heterogeneous spatial composition, seen within the context of organization of the new house and a plethora of possibilities of its use, creates unexpected places of strong impressions and different experiences. These places have different characters and conditions of use.”

“Such a heterogeneous and spatially diverse program resulted in a house which assembles, blends, and compresses three different ambiances. These ambiances differ in their atmosphere, and are contradictory in regard to their space, functionality, and construction. The heavy, massive, buried, roughly hollowed out basement; the light and transparent, open plan, steel framed ground floor with glazed walls; and the small plastered units with large openings, protruding over the edge of the square ground floor, each in search of its own view and orientation.”

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