Concept Design: Ocoabay is the only development in the Caribbean that is based on wine production and the vineyard experience, which is why the vineyard itself is the inspiration that governs the design of the project.

Architecture, Construction & Design Awards 2018
Second Award | Category: Mixed Use (Concept)

Architect: sanzpont arquitectura
Team Members: Victor Sanz, José Rodriguez, Eder Jafet hernandez, Ali García, Ana Cristina Avilez, Valeria Gomez.
Country: Mexico

Location: Ocoabay is located in Azua, Dominican Republic, one of 13 Caribbean countries. Azua is one of the 32 provinces of the Dominican Republic.

Master Plan: The Ocoabay project is divided into two phases; the first phase includes a Boutique Hotel, Villas and an ApartHotel, plus an extensive variety of activities, which surround the vineyards, generating a circuit. PHASE I has a higher construction density than PHASE II since the latter is considered a natural reserve area, therefore the activities and works located within this phase are of low environmental impact.

The villas are the most densely occupied area and are organized in clusters around the large, central vineyard. This clustered organizational approach makes the location of each villa ideal. Ocoabay is a development focused on sustainability. Each of the areas contemplate a series of passive sustainable design strategies, combining the design concept with functionality to take advantage of the natural riches and merge architecture with the natural environment.

Topography: According to the topographic plan, the lot is spread out over an area of 1,568,814.62 square meters (16,886,580 square feet) which varies between regular and mountainous. The regular areas maintain a constant slope, while the mountainous areas offer more variation including flatter sections where buildings were placed.

BOUTIQUE HOTEL: The concept of the hotel and the entire compound revolves around the vineyards, therefore the organizational scheme of the rooms is inspired by a bunch of grapes. The units are connected by pedestrian paths which create a sense of privacy and exclusivity due to the space between them. All paths connect to the main internal road, allowing guests to quickly access the different areas and activity sites of the compound.

VILLAS: The central area of ​​the project consists of a 268 villa compound that is divided into clusters. Each one of the villas resides on a lot of 500 to 1000 square meters (5,382 to 10,764 square feet) in size. The clustered organization creates a feeling of exclusivity and urbanism. Furthermore, this organizational approach allows for the division of infrastructure and basic services, such as electricity and water, to be clearly controlled and operated by section.

APARTHOTEL: The ApartHotel is located in the upper part of the lot and consists of 60 units in PHASE I and 86 units in PHASE II. This section is characterized by its integration into the topography of the mountain, generating a scheme of terraces where the roof of a lower unit becomes the terrace of a higher unit, affording all internal living spaces, such as living room, dining room and bedrooms, a panoramic view of the sea, as well as a general view of the complex and the vineyard itself.

If you’ve missed participating in this award, don’t worry. RTF’s next series of Awards for Excellence in Architecture & Design – is open for Registration.
Click Here

Author

Rethinking The Future (RTF) is a Global Platform for Architecture and Design. RTF through more than 100 countries around the world provides an interactive platform of highest standard acknowledging the projects among creative and influential industry professionals.