Oil Nut Bay Villas
On the eastern tip of Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, is Oil Nut Bay, a magnificent resort community, one of the most exclusive in the world. Accessible only by boat or helicopter, it offers idyllic tranquility with white sand beaches, elegant architecture, and beautiful ocean views.
It is as comfortable as it is pristine. Developer David V. Johnson has thoughtfully created a luxurious community with just 88 sites for private Villas, each of which fits harmoniously into the beautiful, 300-acre setting.
The audio, video and Internet technology, provided by Think Simple, is sophisticated yet exceptionally easy to operate. So far Think Simple has completed, or is in the process of completing, custom audio video systems in all the private villas and buildings on the property, with more in the planning stages.
Beach Villa 3 (pictured), was the first to be completed. It features multi-room audio and video together with a Crestron automation system that controls the AV, lighting, and climate systems.
An usual feature of the villa is the positioning of two 55” LED TVs in the living room, which the owner can user to watch separate sporting events simultaneously, switching audio as desired. The video sources includes an HD satellite service and a Blu-ray player that can be shared to any of the TVs. Two iPod docks provide music, and they can be shared in any or all of the audio zones, which cover all indoor and outdoor areas. To further simplify the use of the TVs, Think Simple provided RTi wand-style handheld remotes in addition to wall-mounted Crestron touch screens.
The Think Simple team also installed a centralized WiFi system in order to maintain a seamless connection to the home network and Internet.
As easy as these systems are to use, the Think Simple team had to meticulously plan the installation to deal efficiently with its remote location and the harsh environmental conditions experienced at the beach-side location. We always choose the most reliable components, then “marinise” all cabling and connections in order to fully protect them from the high level of salt in the air.
Power was another important issue. Oil Nut Bay takes its main power from the island’s electrical utility, yet the property must switch to backup generators should that power fluctuate or shut down. The resulting sags, spikes and surges can have a very damaging effect on electrical components. Think Simple deployed APC Smart Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) in Beach Villa 3 and other villas to filter and protect the hardware, as well as to provide smooth, continuous Internet and media.
In addition to the villas, we have completed an innovative lighting control system at the Oil Nut Bay Beach Club.
