Responding to one of the world’s great coastal settings, this residence demonstrates our belief that every extraordinary place deserves an equally thoughtful architectural response. While every landscape is unique, the principles of healthy living, enduring design and a deep connection to place remain universal.
Rob Mills
Commissioned by an American family after discovering RMA through the World Architecture Awards, the project reflects the practice's growing international reputation for specialist residential design. The client's deep love of the ocean, blue skies and sheltered waters of the Bahamas inspired the ambition to create a secure living experience that retained the freedom and connection to nature he loved about life on his boat. Seeking an architectural response that looked beyond convention, the clients engaged RMA to create a contemporary beachfront home unlike anything previously realised on the island.
Rather than drawing upon the traditional French-Mediterranean language common throughout the Bahamas, the residence embraces a confident contemporary expression inspired by the optimism and sculptural clarity of twentieth-century modernism. Architecture, interiors and landscape were conceived as one, each moulding and strengthening the other to create an experience that feels completely inseparable from its coastal setting. It is this unity that makes Bahamas Residence one of RMA's finest designs: a home that captures the freedom of life on the water while offering the permanence, comfort and security of a place to call home.
The building's dramatic boomerang shape was conceived as both a response to the landscape and a celebration of life by the ocean. Opening towards panoramic coastal views in two directions, the plan simultaneously embraces the landscape while creating sheltered outdoor living spaces protected from prevailing winds.
Inspired by the experience of life aboard a superyacht and the temperate coastal climate, living spaces flow naturally between inside and out. This sculptural geometry gives the home both presence and purpose, creating a sequence of spaces that balance openness with intimacy and allow family life to move effortlessly between gathering, relaxation and quiet retreat.
A sculptural spiral staircase forms the heart of the residence, connecting formal and informal living spaces arranged around a generous pool and entertaining terrace. Designed to accommodate both extended family and guests, the home balances grand entertaining with moments of privacy through carefully considered planning and generous amenities.
Natural timbers, stone and authentic materials establish a calm, tactile interior, while extensive timber lining carries the warmth and informality of the beach throughout the residence. Together with the sheltered coastal setting and seamless connection between inside and out, the experience is relaxed, sensory and instinctively connected to place: a barefoot expression of luxury shaped by life beside the ocean.
Exceptional coastal land demands more than exceptional views; it requires an understanding of climate, orientation, prevailing winds and the changing qualities of light. By allowing these natural conditions to shape every decision, the residence feels inherently connected to its environment while celebrating the unique beauty of one of the world's most remarkable beachfront locations.
Healthy Living extends beyond the boundaries of the home. Natural ventilation, abundant daylight, carefully protected outdoor spaces and a seamless relationship with the ocean encourage an active, restorative lifestyle shaped by climate and nature. Every decision supports wellbeing while allowing the landscape to become part of everyday life.
The principles of exceptional residential design are universal, but every landscape deserves a unique response. This residence reflects RMA's ability to work thoughtfully across diverse climates, cultures and contexts, creating architecture that is authentic to its setting while remaining true to the philosophy of healthy living, craftsmanship and enduring quality that defines every RMA project.
An idea becomes more powerful when it can be seen, understood and shared. We begin with freehand sketches, exploring possibilities instinctively before developing them through detailed three-dimensional modelling and hyper-real visualisations. These tools allow us to question our thinking, change direction quickly and invite our clients into the creative process with remarkable clarity. As the architecture and interiors evolve, this shared understanding gives everyone involved the confidence to make better decisions and realise the vision together.
The things we choose to live with become part of the story of our lives. A favourite chair, a work of art, an object discovered while travelling or something passed from one generation to the next can hold meaning far beyond its function. We believe a home should make space for these things and allow new memories to gather around them. Furniture, art and objects are therefore never simply the finishing touches. They help transform architecture into something deeply personal: a home that could belong to no one else.
To be sustainable, a home must first be designed to last. RMA has extensive experience designing in demanding environments where salt, wind, bushfire, cyclones and other natural forces are ever present. Materials and systems are selected not only for their beauty, but for their ability to withstand the conditions of the land. Non-combustible materials, independent water supplies, fire protection and backup power can become part of the architecture itself. Resilience is never treated as an addition to the design; it is considered from the beginning, creating homes with every opportunity to endure for generations.
