La Serenisima

This waterfront Dominican Republic villa draws on a variety of Palladian and Anglo-Caribbean precedents including Heron Bay, Ronald Tree's house in Barbados. The minimalistic palette of materials and fixtures - coral stone walls, mahogany doors and windows, metal lamps and gates - were found or made locally. The house is anchored in the Classical tradition and, at the same time, it is part of the local culture. While at Cooper Robertson we added the grand palapa, "Chinese" dining pavilion, and pool cabana to accommodate the Owners' desire to have more livable covered open areas that allowed them to enjoy easy access to outdoor living and the beach while keeping them protected from the intense elements such as sun and rain.

Classical tropical coral stone house with pool and lots of palm trees.
Tropical house living room with high trellised ceilings, a Chinese pagoda lantern, tall arched French doors, and coral stone walls.
Refined palapa with a roof thatched with palm fronds.
Palapa entrance flanked by coral stone square columns, copper sconces, painted wood rafters with shaped rafter tails, and faceted round Doric columns in the background.
Chinese Chippendale dining pavilion roofed with wood cedar shingles and capped by a copper pineapple. Walls made of painted wood trellis.
Pool cabana, roofed with a wood pergola, supported by coral stone columns, next to the Ocean. Furniture in rattan stained mahogany.
Pool cabana with mahogany bar and shutter doors. Floor patterned with coral stone and quarry tile. Exterior shower with unlacquered brass fixtures and mahogany splash wall panel.
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