Botelho Wood Architects utilises stone and wood for Saint Lucia resort update

Bermuda-based architecture studio Botelho Wood Architects has added an oceanside villa and a series of stilted spa structures to the Sugar Beach Viceroy Resort in Saint Lucia.

Botelho Wood Architects renovated select aspects of the Sugar Beach resort on the island, using locally sourced wood and stone to update the structures and add new villas and amenities informed by vernacular architecture.

Formerly an 18th-century sugar plantation that was converted into a resort in the 1990s, Sugar Beach has gone through several renovations and additions throughout the years, the most recent by owners Viceroy in partnership with developers Andrew and Alexander Green.

It encompasses 100 acres of mountainside cottages and residences, restaurants, fitness centres and a chocolate-making facility and spa stretched out between the towering Pitons of Saint Lucia, two angular volcanic spires.

The recently constructed villa was designed to reference the 18th-century roots of the structure by utilising passive ventilation and lighting while emphasising the views.

"The indoor-outdoor architecture throughout the property is breezy, white, and light," said the team.

The villa accommodates eighteen guests across two wings, one designed with larger bedrooms and the other containing "cosier" rooms with angular corners and twin beds.

Either wing is designed to be closed off depending on the number of visiting guests and intersects at the house's central dining area and living room.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors line the facade and look out over an expansive wooden pool deck, with wooden terraces above.

The exterior is primarily covered in stone, with light wood cladding throughout. Exterior spaces also include stone-clad nooks for spa treatments and outdoor showers.

Neutral-coloured furnishings were placed throughout the house, including plush armchairs stools and wooden seating.

Artwork is also distributed around the interior, including a central illuminated piece by American artist James Turrell, a large mirrored disk by Anish Kapoor and peices by Tom Sachs and design studio MSCHF.

Framing the extensive art collection was a top priority for the project.

"Drawing inspiration from the natural surroundings, and the magnificent art collection, the villa's interiors were designed with these elements as focal points, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living," said the team.

The studio also designed the Rainforest Spa for the resort, an assortment of ten treehouses that are spread out among elevated walkways.

The treehouses vary in height and are made predominantly of wood, which also lines a long linear hallway that leads to the spa's entrance.

Other updates to the Sugar Beach property include renovated dining areas and restaurant spaces, as well the decking and cabanas for a shared public pool area.

Botelho Wood Architects also updated several of the property's mountainside cottages, small structures that feature steep gabled ceilings and bright, white interiors.

Other recent projects from around the Caribbean islands include a house by Laura Narayansingh in Trinidad and Tobago and the Palm Heights hotel in the Cayman Islands.

The photography is courtesy of Sugar Beach Viceroy

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