We call it LAEV and, honestly, it feels a bit like building a big model ship on the shore. We shaped the block so it reads as a bow from both the sea and the street — layered terraces, stepped decks and a forward-leaning profile that give it that unmistakable nautical silhouette.
We placed the flats to look out to the the sea and street with shelter the living spaces from the wind and the traffic noise of the busy road behind. At ground level we tried to keep things open and human: small shops, glazed common rooms that make the frontage feel alive rather than just a wall.
Materials and details are chosen to cope with the marine climate so the building actually gets better with time, and we focused on daylight, natural cross-ventilation and systems that are simple to maintain.
The sunshades are like a set of undulating white skirts around the building — softening the silhouette and giving the façades a gentle, rhythmic motion even though the structure is static. By using a mix of fixed and adjustable louvers we get good daylight control and glare reduction for the apartments, while still opening up views to the water when you want them. During the day they read as sculptural sun protection, breaking up direct sun and cutting cooling loads; after dark integrated light dots on every skirt blade wash the undersides with a warm, even glow so the “skirts” become a quiet, luminous crown along the promenade. We kept the profiles simple and lightweight — durable powder-coated metal or composite panels that will cope with the marine climate — and routed the lighting and service access into the terrace voids so maintenance is straightforward. At night the effect is deliberately understated: not a flashy show, but a calm, navigational glow that helps the building sit in the cityscape like a familiar landmark.