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Zaha Hadid Architects designs superyacht marina and casino development in the Bahamas

2024-05-30T13:49:00-04:00

Details for a new luxury superyacht marina and residential community designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the largest in North America, have been announced, along with an anticipated 2027 completion date. Slated for the Bahamian South Abaco island, the project will also feature a casino and nightclub from ZHA as part of the development’s "social epicenter," according to a press release from client Habacoa. It will be anchored by the 25,000-square-foot yacht club space, which the firm says is designed to evoke waves and tidal currents.

Image: Zaha Hadid Architects, rendering courtesy of Flyingarchitecture

In terms of sustainability, Habacoa says: "The site’s existing deep-water minimizes disruption to the shoreline and marine habitats, while sustainable construction methods on land will create a majority of the development. Working with marine biologists and local environmental bodies, any corals impacted by construct...

Former Lakers favorite Rick Fox now has carbon-neutral concrete company aimed at building change

2024-01-05T18:36:00-05:00

His pitch is pretty straightforward. In a world where companies—including construction companies and their clients—are trying to gloss their climate credentials, and where countries have made commitments to hit carbon reduction targets, why wouldn’t you shift wholesale to carbon-neutral concrete? The answer, Fox says, is simply inertia. “Why would they change what’s working for them? They’ve been burning rocks for 200 years.”

The company Fox co-founded with an architect named Sam Marshall, Partanna, has been active since 2018 in using its product, which was developed with the help of materials science researchers using a mixture of brine taken from desalination plants and slag. Arizona State University's Dwarak Ravikumar says an outside review of the data that pertains to its environmental footprints and scalability is needed, according to another recent profile in The Verge.

Still, Fox's ambits are admirable for someone of his position and fame. He says Partanna has a plan to construct one thousand homes in the country. Their product can also be used in coral reef development. "The business plans to build and operate facilities around the world, initially in key territories where it has long-term offtake agreements with customers, including The Bahamas, the Middle East, and the United States," their website reads.

Additional details about the year-old operation can be found here.

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BIG + HKS + MDA unveils Honeycomb resort design for The Bahamas

2014-01-27T15:14:00-05:00

BIG, in collaboration with HKS Architects and Michael Diggiss Architects, revealed their design for the Honeycomb residential building in the beach and golf resort community of Albany in The Bahamas. Commissioned by Tavistock Group and New Valley LLC, the 175,000 ft² (approx. 16,000 m²) residential building will be the tallest structure in Albany, set to become a new centerpiece for the city.

BIG sent us more details on the project right below:

"The façade has a hexagonal pattern that uniquely frames the natural beauty of the Island. The balconies are deep enough to not only provide outdoor spaces, but also summer kitchens and a pool sunken into the balcony of each unit."

"These pools have a transparent edge towards the plaza, eliminating the visual barrier between the pool and the environment. Bathers can be fully immersed in the view of the marina and the ocean beyond."

"Bjarke Ingels: 'Our design is driven by an effort to maximize the enjoyment of the abundant natural qualities of Al...