A Grand Gesture
Ocean Home|August/September 2016

An Ultra-Contemporary beach house in the Cayman Islands makes a bold statement and becomes an Architechtural landmark.

J. Michael Welton
A Grand Gesture

OUT ON THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE NORTH SIDE of Grand Cayman Island in the Western Caribbean stands an uber modern vacation home that’s been designed and built to endure the test of time and hurricanes alike.

Perched on one of the island’s most sought-after shorelines, Camden House at Rum Point is the winner of an international competition as well as a successful collaboration between clients and architect, both hailing from the United Kingdom.

First, the competition: husband-and-wife clients Vidal Brewer and Lisa Munday drew up a detailed design brief for a vacation home and sent it off to three architects – one in Spain, one in America and one to Nicolas Tye, an award-winning and highly regarded designer of bespoke homes in England.

The clients wanted to make a bold statement and create an eye-catching architectural landmark.

“Initially, we didn’t think Nic would be bold enough, but once he got started, he was,” Munday says. “When weighing whom to go with, it was apparent that he would be a very positive person to work with, and he took the design well beyond our expectations.”

The architect did that in a number of ways. At the concept stage, he initiated a visit to the island, to the site and to local government officials for discussions about the building and its construction.

He had already developed a killer design for the chalk-white and very contemporary structure – one that not only complements the vibrant sand on the beach but that seems to grow straight up out of it. His determination and design won the day.

“We were lucky,” says Tye. “Because we had the drive to go out and see it, the client wanted us to take it up to construction, and they obviously loved it because it remains the same concept.”

This story is from the August/September 2016 edition of Ocean Home.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August/September 2016 edition of Ocean Home.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OCEAN HOMEView All
Social Experiment
Ocean Home

Social Experiment

Butler Armsden reimagines a house on Stinton Beach, transforming it into a welcoming space with loads of entertaining space.

time-read
3 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
Memory Maker
Ocean Home

Memory Maker

A FATHER BUILDS A DREAM GETAWAY ON FLORIDA'S ROSEMARY BEACH.

time-read
3 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
Inside Out
Ocean Home

Inside Out

Mark de Reus and The Wiseman Group team up to create dreamy estate in Kaupuleh on Hawaii's Big Island.

time-read
4 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
ALL IS WELL
Ocean Home

ALL IS WELL

THE ULTIMATE WELLNESS RESIDENCE IN MEXICO'S BAJA BIG SUR.

time-read
3 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
NATURAL CONNECTION
Ocean Home

NATURAL CONNECTION

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER JOHN SHARP CREATES GROUNDED GARDENS ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST AND BEYOND.

time-read
3 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
THE RIGHT ANGLE
Ocean Home

THE RIGHT ANGLE

A MODERN HOME IN SAN PANCHO, MEXICO, IS INSPIRED BY THE BUILDINGS OF LE CORBUSIER.

time-read
3 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
THE DESIGN OF A COUNTRY ESTATE
Ocean Home

THE DESIGN OF A COUNTRY ESTATE

PURPLE CHERRY SHARES ITS DESIGNS IN A NEW BOOK.

time-read
2 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
SUNNY OUTLOOK
Ocean Home

SUNNY OUTLOOK

A SUNSHINE STATE CONDO SEAMLESSLY MERGES OCEAN VIEWS WITH A NEW STELLAR DESIGN.

time-read
4 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
BLUE HUES
Ocean Home

BLUE HUES

AN INTERIOR DESIGNER DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE SKY AND SEA FOR THE INTERIORS OF AN ABU DHABI OCEANFRONT ABODE.

time-read
3 mins  |
Ocean Home December 24 / January 25
RAISING THE BAR
Ocean Home

RAISING THE BAR

With the help of a local designer, a once vacant and lifeless dirt lot adjacent to a primary residence in Manhattan Beach, California, is converted into a functional oasis for entertaining and relaxing.

time-read
1 min  |
June/July 2024