Three hours by air from New York City, the Turks & Caicos is the hottest destination in the Caribbean today.
Up until now, it’s been dominated by hotels and condos, not high-end second homes.
That’s about to change, as construction begins this month at The Strand.
“I found this property on the south side where the Caribbean looks like the Bombay Sapphire bottle,” says developer John Fair. “I came along and proposed a low-density kind of thing.”
That means just 46 homes on 19 acres, all with views of Cooper Jack Bay from every room. Add a marina, a low-tide beach, another 500-by-80-foot manmade beach, and nine villas with their own private grotto beaches – and it’s a whole new world.
Fair challenged RAD Architects, out of Miami and Cordoba, Argentina, with a specific kind of design for his project on the Turks & Caicos.
“I’m eccentric about a program’s square footage, but from there they had a lot of latitude,” he says. “My favorite style of architecture is when you mix modern and primitive – modern geometry and handmade materials that stand the test of time – to be jaw-dropping and beautiful.”
He also wanted to create The Strand’s own vernacular, one that feels like the Turks & Caicos and their site itself. “They’re entirely stone and wood and handcrafted,” he says. “They’re timeless.”
With doors 12 feet high and 50- to 40-feet wide, it’ll be difficult to tell indoors from out. “There’s a great room with a terrace and bar – and a pool that comes right up to the edge,” he says.
Then there are the interior courtyards. “I really challenged the designers to design courtyards with a second pool and dining and kitchen and living areas,” he says. “The family room and office open up to it – it’s just another nice living space.”
There are nine large luxury residences available for customization, and 31 units that are townhouse-style. “They’re the coolest I’ve ever seen – they’re two-story and three-story rentals, each with a plunge pool,” he says. “You could buy one and spend the whole winter on either floor, and rent out the other floor.”
He’s also offering six private, custom, Turks & Caicos lots with 100 feet of frontage on Cooper Jack Bay, with 100 feet of slip space for a boat in the back.
Ten minutes from Grace Bay Club, which Fair also developed, The Strand is a private club unto itself, with all the amenities – including a club boat with its own private captain, plus catamarans, kayaks, kite-boards and paddleboards. There’ also a tennis court, two pickleball courts, and a state-of-the-art fitness center with a secluded yoga deck.
An on-site caretaker/resort manager will be available 24/7. Additional a la carte club services include in-home spa services, housekeeping, pre-arrival shopping, private chef and catering, airport transportation, landscape maintenance and security.
It all comes at a price, though – ranging from $2.2 to $10 million.
But piffle! Who’s counting anyway? This is the Turks & Caicos, after all.
For more, go here.
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