In conversation
Adrian McCarroll on building Villa Amanzi in an open tropical environment How would you characterize the kind of architecture you create? Our principle driving force is to create places and spaces where people just love to be. We aim to design environments that are extraordinary. Space, light and texture are our main tools and we strive to harmonize beauty with function and create architecture with depth and meaning. The two elements that are crucial to a successful project are a complete understanding of the site and a concise and accurate brief. We spend a considerable amount of time getting to know our sites and getting down on paper what a project should be before we make the first concepts of design. Please explain the design approach for project Villa Amanzi The site is one of the two most important elements in Villa Amanzi, it provided a very rare opportunity of making the outdoor environment completely meld with the villa so that the two have become one. The stunning view, the treacherous rock face and the natural tropical landscape are all completely assimilated in the design. Moreover, protecting the rock and the landscaping became almost obsessive. One spill of concrete or accidental felling of a tree would have been a disaster. How do you balance innovative design and sustainability with functional building? I firmly believe that design can only be considered as good architecture if the function has been fully integrated and enhanced. Accommodating the function is a very important part of the beauty without which a building may be thought of as art, but should not be considered as architecture. Sustainability is ingrained in the work of Original Vision. It is not seen as an add-on but as an integral element that helps guide design. The ethos, to reduce and reuse as much as possible is nurtured right from a project’s inception, throughout the design process, during the construction and on to the final operation of the environments. Source: inhabitat
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