No matter where in the world you’re self-isolating right now, we’re sure your life, like ours, has been fraught with compromise. Moving forward, as we all must do, requires continuing to adjust our expectations and to adopt new behaviors. As designers, we thought it might be interesting to make some predictions about the impact these new requirements might have on our future homes and home-life. Single Family Properties In Demand Once a respite from work routines and urban landscapes, home has become a place in which to retreat from human interactions. This change runs counter to the design of […]
Silence is Not an Option
With all that is going on in the world, now is not the time to talk about boats. While much of our industry, our livelihoods and our neighborhoods have been insulated from the impact of recent days, what is happening matters to us and we want to take a stand in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is clear that much needs to be done. We have decided to start with educating ourselves and would like to share with you some of the resources we’ve found and are going to use. We thought you might find these helpful […]
Yachts & Yachting in the World of Social Distancing
An interview with Bob Stephens & Paul Waring reveals the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their custom yacht design business and the world of custom yachts that they inhabit. We talked to them from a comfortably safe distance – a time zone away. Here is what they said: Let’s start with location: Your business is headquartered in Belfast, ME. While not a virus hotspot like New York or Chicago, your state still has restrictions. What are they, and how have they affected your day-to-day operations? Bob: Maine has been fortunate that the number of cases is lower than […]
Floating Home Communities Buoy Our Spirits
Time at home these days seems expansive and unsettling all at once. For many of us monitoring the news is tempered by baking bread for the first time or rekindling a hobby that had no space in our pre-quarantine life. Restless and with no plans to go anywhere farther than the grocery store in the wait-and-see future, we thought a virtual vacation might help us get our collective equilibrium. Join us as we go in search of water (what else!) and tour 3 floating home communities across the globe. Our first stop is in North America, in Canada’s largest […]
Introducing Varvara
Varvara is an Eastern European variant of Barbara—its meaning is “stranger, foreigner—not of the Latin people”. We thought it fitting for this sleek and sexy machine– her style is influenced by the clean and crisp design work exemplified by trends today, only with our distinctive slant. Varvara came to be through the concept work we did with a client who had closely examined the entire European market of production sailing yachts and not found exactly the right boat. He found current boats with cramped interior arrangements; cockpits too minimal and largely exposed; sailing systems that seemed racy and complex […]
Ship Shape Recommended Reading
With all the craziness surrounding us during this time, we love to think about distractions when it comes to boats and design challenges. Many of you know there’s tons of reading in the marine section of bookstores, but we thought we’d curate a few notable titles for you if you’re thinking what to read next. Some of these books have been helpful either personally or in our process; others have been laughable and entertaining. Either way, if you think about supporting your local bookstore, please use the publishing information below to help you place your orders Here’s looking towards […]
Going Above and Below
When considering a design in the floating architecture space we have the enviable position of working from a place of possibility. Not limited by terra firma, structures can go up, down and then out in a way that is not possible in traditional construction. A design that illustrates this paradigm so well was unveiled recently at a symposium titled “Urban Tactics for Flooding: From Risks to Opportunities” presented by Griffiths University’s Cities Research Institute. Sea Manta, described by the GriffithNews as a “proposed 60m long recreational and ecological structure” is an ingenious design. An aquarium, swimming pool […]
Sustainability is a Rock Solid Idea
Whether in Davos or Düsseldorf, the landscape of every industry is being transformed by a quest for sustainability. Recognizing the need to come to terms with climate change, Larry Fink, CEO of Black Rock, a global investment management corporation, took a definitive stance earlier this month in his annual letter to CEOs when he declared, “sustainable investing is the strongest foundation for client portfolios going forward.” Fink’s announcement helped put the issue front and center at last week’s World Economic Forum with CNN Business reporting that, “sustainability was the topic of scores of panels, meetings and cocktail conversations in Davos.” And while key speakers […]