There are residential building sites spread the length of the island. All lots have prominent views of the water, but views vary based on topography, off site views, the shape of the coastline, the splay of common property lines, and threats to privacy from adjacent lots. Most lots had a gentle slope to the water, but few had precipitous slopes. There were a number of firms involved in the design of the houses, but the programs for all the houses are the same, which makes them, as a group, an interesting study in the typology of large tropical houses. Most of the designs integrated

not only the off site views but also interior views to gardens. Even within the group of four houses we designed, the geometry of the plan varied greatly, ranging from groups of more formal courtyards, to gardens with very loose geometries strung together with a studied casualness. Firms dealt with the large size of the program very differently but most were concerned with maintaining a modest scale despite an immodest program, with providing both the hosts and the guests with seclusion, and with providing generous central places for everyone to gather for dinner.