The holiday property market in Central America and the Caribbean could be shaken up by a slick new design idea – turning oil rigs into luxury resorts.
US firm Morris Architects came up with the concept as part of a design competition, and developed plans to change a rig into a resort, spa, and adventure holiday property hub.
Eco-friendly real estate projects are growing in popularity in the Caribbean, with Costa Rica in particular developing a greener image with more sustainable property developments.
The Morris concept focused on one of the Gulf Coast’s 4,000 rigs, some of them abandoned or nearing abandonment.
Although only a concept at this stage, the plan could be a way for developers to turn disused and relatively cheap sites into luxury real estate projects.
Douglas Oliver, director of design at Morris architects, said: “The Rig Resort offers a potentially commercially viable solution to an environmental hazard by providing alternative adventure travel opportunities based on a natural setting, simultaneously creating new jobs previously non-existent in the area.”
The idea scooped the $10,000 grand prize at the Radical Innovation in Hospitality design competition, which encourages experts to come up with creative new holiday real estate plans.
Morris Architects is also involved in a range of property projects in the Bahamas, including the Bimini Bay Resort, an island casino resort and villa real estate plan.
[Photo: Chad Teer CC]
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