During our last visit to Saba in February 2025 we visited the construction site of Villa Hideout. The construction is progressing slowly but surely. The next floor has now been placed.
Construction on Saba is a challenge. There is often a lack of materials and excavations are in some cases still done entirely by hand. More and more construction is taking place on the island and that also demands a lot – in terms of time and workload – from the skilled builders who work there. As a result, schedules are also running late, like with Villa Hideout. Nevertheless, we are happy to share these new images to show the progress.
Design choices
Lyongo: “When you are designing a house like Villa Hideout on a steep plot more than 500 meters above sea level with a beautiful view over the village of Windwardside, you feel privileged and challenged at the same time. Can I make the experience even better? Can I design a house that is in harmony with the environment? How do I deal with the prevailing traditional architecture of Saba? These were all questions I asked myself before designing Villa Hideout.”
This resulted in a design that consists of three volumes, in which the different functions of the house are placed. After analyzing the old houses on Saba, we found that the volumes are relatively small, and for bigger houses, they repeat the same smaller volume. We have embraced this concept to stay in sync with the rhythm of the existing buildings on the island.
In addition, the choice was made to use the local stone harvested on-site and wooden finishes to make the villa fit in with the environment.
Steep plot
The villa is located at the foot of Mount Scenery, at the top of Mountain Road. It is a challenge to build this house on such a steep plot. Through our design choices we ensure that the building is firmly anchored in the mountain. For example, we’ve added a cross in the cistern for more stability.
Next up
The doors and windows have been ordered, all designed to be hurricane-proof, ensuring extra protection against extreme weather conditions. We hope that construction will progress steadily and that our clients will soon be able to enjoy their new home.
