Morehouse MacDonald and Associates create a sprawling family estate in the tropical Lesser Antilles.
Frausto’s indoor and outdoor spaces intertwine, showcasing the island’s natural elements.
It might come as a surprise to learn that metro Boston-based architects John MacDonald and Anthony Frausto of Morehouse MacDonald and Associates (morehousemacdonald.com) are no strangers to the wilderness of the jungle. For the past thirteen years, MacDonald has worked on luxury residential projects in the West Indies, building a portfolio that has grown across the islands after forging relationships with several local high-end resorts. A recent project found MacDonald surveying land on a hilltop above silver beaches and coral reefs, nestled in a steep hillside jungle on the side of a dormant volcano just below the lush rainforest, tasked with designing a complex family estate in the territory. A task that he gladly shared with Frausto, eventually assigning him to manage the entire project.
During the initial discussions, the homeowners expressed a desire for a clean design and the use of natural materials native to the area. They required ample wall space to accommodate their extensive and growing art collection. Most importantly, they wanted to design a spacious home that allowed for group gatherings while also providing quiet and private rooms for individual relaxation.
The homeowners wanted a clean design.
An open-concept living, dining and kitchen area divides the main house, with the primary suite on one side and three bedrooms with private baths on the other. The secluded primary bedroom has indoor and outdoor showers, a soaking tub, his and her walk-in closets, an adjacent office and two private patios. The north wing is similarly designed to offer a combined living and kitchen area with three large bedrooms, private baths and outdoor showers. Roof decks take advantage of the intersecting roof lines and panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea.
The pavilion’s mahogany-lined roof.
Frausto’s indoor and outdoor spaces intertwine, showcasing the island’s natural elements. One example is the pavilion, a centrally-located structure designed as a gathering post for family and friends and positioned under an immense, floating mahogany-lined roof supported by columns clad in local volcanic stone. The pavilion’s cove lighting and mahogany-lined roof are replicated in the north wing’s living room with a twist—the mahogany is slatted and set against a black trey ceiling with a knife-edge cove lighting detail. The effect is at once modern, warm, clean and cohesive. “A consistent design language was maintained across the project, blending continuity with opportunities for individual expression. Locally sourced volcanic stone was refined into sleek surfaces and arranged in contemporary masonry patterns, while layered mahogany beams, brackets, and louvered shade panels introduced a warm, textured contrast to the stonework,” says Frausto. The home’s built-in screens allow residents to relish the outdoors, which consistently puts on a magical display. Each day ends with a spectacular sunset. As dusk blankets the island retreat, the panoramic view shifts to reveal the majestic sea, jungle, and rainforest. The air contains plentiful melodies from thrushes, frogs, songbirds and monkeys gathering under the jungle’s canopy, settling in as the evening descends.
MacDonald and the homeowners were pleased with Frausto’s approach. “I feel it offers a timeless island aura and exudes a sense of belonging by engaging the site’s natural surroundings and indigenous materials,” says MacDonald. In fact, MacDonald was so thrilled with the home’s outcome that he decided to invite Frausto to join him as a partner—the firm is now called Morehouse, MacDonald and Frausto. Yet another wilderness the two men will successfully traverse together.
