Laura Pomponi on New Projects & Designing for Life

The current projects under construction and undergoing refit with the Luxury Projects team is astounding. The 90 metre icon Nero is currently undergoing refit with the studio, as is a historical 42m Feadship, the 42m Saint Nicholas and two extension projects; the 41m Saint Raphael and a 41 Explorer in Italy.

With four refits delivered this year - consisting of the 38m Heesen Destiny, the 43m CRN Avant Garde, the 42m Heesen Lady Azul and the 42m Lady Jade - the work on the board and off the water further proves the demand surrounding refit.

Outside of refit, Luxury Projects is also in charge of new-build yacht projects, such as a new 36m Explorer in Spain, a 52m Motor Sail in Turkey, two New HH77 / HH88 Fast Cats in China and other top secret projects.

How do you connect your residential work with yachting?
"Design for your life" has been our motivation since the beginning of Luxury Projects, every project is special for us. Then devotion, dedication to every single detail in creating innovative designs and architectures representing the Client’s thoughts and desires: "my house/my yacht/my jet: it's what I am and what I feel"

How do you create a home on the water for your clients?
"It is always a matter of entering the mindset of the clients; listening, observing their lifestyle and creating what their eyes see or want to see in term of spaces, functionalities and innovation. A yacht has to give energy and pleasure to be lived in, then colours, materials, finishes get their important role."

How does refit create new opportunities for customisation?
"Our successful number of refit projects have always been an opportunity to change the old for the new, adding less to create more. Projects of this nature also provide a chance to refresh overall style in respect to the history of the vessel, as well as adapting the old yacht to the requests of the owner.

With refit projects, we change the functionality of spaces, most refitted yachts are for charter use, so therefore more recreation areas as spas and gyms, all the while increasing the service potential in regards to audio visual and laundry etc. These projects allow designer and builder to achieve great results in tight time-frames, and sticking to agreed or fixed budgets."

What are your signature design elements?
"The idea is always to create a special one-off project. Distinctive style using the combination of less possible special custom made luxury materials, which are mainly natural and re-engineered with the thought of being applied on surfaces that you would not expect. The idea is to create an element of surprise in combination with a high-end bespoke detail."