Offering scenic views, easy access to the water, and plenty of privacy, a home on an island can be the ultimate sanctuary. Traditional construction methods, however, are often ill-suited to these remote locations. The cost and logistics of transporting materials, equipment, and a construction crew to an island locale can make building a new home challenging, with variables that can be difficult to control.
Fortunately, Turkel Design has developed a system that solves for these challenges, empowering us to design beautiful, modern island homes in locations from Martha’s Vineyard to the Bahamas to Hawaii. Our system brings unparalleled predictability to quality custom architecture. Here’s how we do it:
We design for your land
You’ve chosen the perfect spot for your island escape—now, you need a home that integrates its natural beauty into your daily life. During both design and construction, we incorporate digital scans from a range of sources to ensure that the land and built conditions are accurately represented in the 3D digital model that begins as the canvas for the design of your home—identifying all site conditions, including your views.
The reliability of this data is key, as it reduces the number of required trips to the building site. For example, because we digitally scan the foundation, homeowners can be sure that everything will fit together—even on a completely private island in the Caribbean—without having to pay for multiple trips to double-check (or, worse, correct) work.
We streamline the schedule
Rather than constructing your island home from the ground up, we fabricate the building components in a factory and ship them to the building site. This method of panelized prefabrication not only allows for unprecedented customization and precision using premium materials; it also results in fewer shipments to the building site.
Furthermore, it allows us to plan these shipments far in advance—which, as anyone who’s tried to book a last-minute ferry to Martha’s Vineyard in the summertime knows, is a key advantage.
“Building on the island is incredibly expensive,” says the owner of Town Cove Retreat on Martha’s Vineyard, an experienced New York real estate developer. Working with Turkel Design, he says, “I was surprised at the efficiency; it went up fast, and everything was straight, plumb, and square. To stick-build this home would have cost 25% more here on Martha’s Vineyard.”
We’re experts in permitting
From ecological considerations to special zoning requirements, desirable island locations often impose strict regulations on new construction. Luckily, we have built a formidable track record of securing permits in some of the most daunting regulatory environments in North America and beyond.
Our team transforms these restrictions into opportunities for innovation. For example, consider the wooden screens that slide across the view facade at Veil House on Martha’s Vineyard. In addition to beautifully modulating the flow of light, they also fulfill a local requirement that limits the amount of glass on ocean-facing facades.
We listen to you
Our system combines the predictability and precision of off-site fabrication with the freedom of custom home architecture. This allows us to design a home specifically for your land and lifestyle—and to ensure that the completed home makes your life better.
Get in touch
If you are ready to realize your vision for an island retreat, please contact us. We would love to discuss how you want to live.
