A two-storey residence on a steep hillside site, entered from the upper floor and stepping down toward the water. Each floor offsets from the previous, the building mass reads as a series of horizontal planes from the approach, and a low-pitched roof keeps the profile nearly invisible from above while accommodating solar panels and rainwater capture.
The entrance opens from the covered parking terrace into a double-height volume with immediate views through to the landscape below. Two bedrooms and the master suite occupy the upper floor, each with a private terrace. The lower floor holds the living area, kitchen, a third bedroom, and the technical spaces — cisterns embedded in the hillside, a pool terrace overlooking the ocean, and a stair continuing to the site below. A self-contained two-bedroom apartment sits beneath the parking, independently accessed.
Location St. John, United States Virgin Islands
Typology: Residential new build
Services: Architectural construction drawings, permit obtaining
Built area: approx 5000 sq.ft./460 sq.m.
Status: Finalized
Structural engineering: Paul Ferreras, Walt Basnight
Code compliance: Rose Elswick Maunder
General contractor: Brent Squires
Client: On The Rocks St. John
Estimated construction budget: 3M USD
The upper floor is entered directly from the covered parking terrace. The entrance opens into a double-height volume with immediate views through to the landscape, leading to the master suite and two further bedrooms, each with a private terrace.
The lower floor is organised around the social core — living area, kitchen, and family room opening onto a pool terrace that overlooks the ocean. A third bedroom and the technical spaces, including cisterns embedded in the hillside, complete the level. A stair continues down to the site below.
