domus design in business top yacht case study interior design ...

DOMUS DESIGN
SYD visits Keech Green to find out
how residential design can translate
into a yacht interior.
Page 16
IN BUSINESS
Giovanni Costantino talks about
his approach to the business of
designing and building yachts.
Page 38
TOP YACHT
An in-depth look at Bannenberg
& Rowell’s latest interior projects:
Kaiser and Aurelia.
Page 56
Q10 2012
I N T E R I O R D E S I G N E X T E R I O R S P A C E C R E A T I V I T Y A N D A R C H I T E C T U R E
CASE STUDY
Exploring the next generation
of designers with Hot Lab and
Van Geest Design.
Page 64

Archimedean
Established in 2000 by director and architect David Ajasa-Adekunle,
Innovation Imperative has created its first 38-metre motoryacht
concept. The Archimedean is a stealthy looking, Wally-esque
design that has been shortlisted in The International Yacht
& Aviation Awards 2012. Ajasa-Adekunle tells SYD more
about the project.
As an award-winning young
architecture practice with a
growing interest in yacht design,
we set ourselves a brief: to design an
incomparable and uncompromising
superyacht concept, a potential design
classic distinct from designs past or
present—the Schröder House equivalent of
the yacht world.
The Archimedean is the response to that
design brief. The design innovations are
not reserved to the aesthetics. Based on
simple and elegant geometric proportions,
this unashamedly contemporary 38-metre
yacht, with a 7.2-metre beam, has a
minimalist open-plan interior more akin
to a New York-style loft than a traditional
power boat. The bright, open, flexible,
multi-use options of the social spaces are
complemented by the clean lines and
simple, well-designed bespoke fittings.
The relationship between the internal and
external spaces and the transition between
them has also been carefully designed to
be consistent with the minimalist styling of
the exterior and interior communal areas,
and it is here that the real design treats can
be appreciated.
The seemingly featureless deck
accommodates a flush ramp, which at the
push of a button pivots down from the
deck surface for easy access. Similarly, once
on deck, a shallower parallel ramp can
pivot down to an automatically lowered
deck area for recessed seating and dining
adjacent to, and directly accessible from,
the cockpit. Additional facilities such as
recessed sun loungers, a drinks bar and/or
a Jacuzzi could also be accommodated in
the same way within sections of the large
main deck towards the bow.
At the opposite end of the yacht, the
triangular stern can open out for boarding
when moored, and sea access when not.
The rigid roof is retractable, allowing
the aft portion of the yacht to be fully
opened. Also within this area, a concealed
banquet-style dining table, housed within
the floor-to-ceiling fitted storage either
side of the rear portion of the yacht, can
be deployed. As the focal point, this
section of the yacht benefits from a single
(on entry) to double-height, dual-aspect
space, which is voluminous yet inviting
and intimate. In a matter of seconds, this
seemingly sparsely furnished and enclosed
space can be transformed into a generous
feasting area partially or fully open to the
elements. Although more constrained, this
principle of flexibility is continued into the
reconfigurable cabins, which are separated
by movable partitions to enable fewer but
larger cabins to be created.
A balance between eye-catching
aesthetics, flexible interior and high
performance informed the shape and
proportions of this composite Very Slender
Vessel (VSV) intended for comfort and
efficiency, even when piercing waves at
speeds approaching 60 knots. The high
length-to-beam ratio coupled with the
choices of lightweight materials will afford
lower overall power requirements for which
smaller more efficient engines with greater
range can be specified.
Moving forward, The Archimedean will
undergo an extensive R&D programme
to refine the design and ensure optimal
performance and efficiency.
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