Dominican architectural designer gets global accolade

Edwards (center) with two of the judges of the competition

Dominican, Ian “Sugar George” Edwards, Architectural Designer and Property Developer of Sunset Homes headquartered in Anguilla, has been honored with five International Awards for Architecture and Property Development.

The globally coveted awards were unveiled and presented at the International Property Awards Ceremony at the exclusive Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London on December 7th, 2012.

Edwards is the son of the late Bernadette “Bingi” Jno Finn and George Edwards of the Roseau area.

He was able to beat over 2,000 entries submitted from architects and property developers in eighty-nine countries, from the regions as far flung as Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, Arabia, USA, United Kingdom, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

He edged out his peers and emerged a winner in each of the three levels of the competition. The first stage being at the country level, next the Caribbean  region  and finally the World level.

The competition was judged by a panel of 77 highly esteemed international judges in over ten rounds of judging sessions around the world.

Edwards was able to grab the awards for “The Beach House,” on Meads Bay in Anguilla, of which he was the architectural designer and builder.

“The Beach House” has been described as “a stunning contemporary masterpiece” and Edwards captured awards for: Best Single Property Unit – Anguilla, Best Architecture Single Unit –Anguilla; Best Property Single Unit – Caribbean; Best Architecture Single Unit – Caribbean and  the most coveted prize, the sole   “World’s Best of the Best” award  for the Best International Architecture – Single Residence for 2012-2013.

“The Beach House” is an elegant eight bedroom estate which features generous expanses of glass, ensuring a seamless line between the outdoors and indoors; clean and unexpectedly varied geometric lines and shapes, stainless steel trims and touches of warm wood, complemented by over sized stone tiles. The elegant Beach House was designed to capture the natural beauty of Anguilla’s marine-scape, with its spectacular sunsets and ocean views – in effect bringing the stunning outdoors into the daily living experience.

“It was our intention”, Edwards said of his design. “To use the opportunity to feature the Caribbean as a world class destination, with high quality accommodation and villas, designed to suit even the most discerning traveller.”

Edwards said he graciously accepted the exclusive global awards which mark a pinnacle of excellence in the fields of architecture and property development.

He complemented his business partners, wife and many Dominican tradesmen from his childhood neighbourhoods whom he said he had brought in to work on his many projects.

The Beach House

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73 Comments

  1. B_Arch
    December 31, 2012

    Great Job and Congratulations to you Mr. Sugar George

  2. Glenda Severin
    December 18, 2012

    Ian is my brother and he is truly blessed. He has worked hard together with his with Jan.Reading some of the comments make me sad. I live out there but never do I forget that I am Dominican. Ian is in Dominica every year. He is humble and loving. Sometimes you have to leave home: not because you do not love it but because you have to go to fish. Dominicans go after that fish where ever it is. Be blessed and remain true to yourself. Merry Christmas.

  3. watch man
    December 18, 2012

    Nuff Respect, Suger Ian Edwards learning your skills in Montserrat and promoting the Caribbean in a hole. Shame on those who try to claim you when they have no idea were you learn your skills. We who really know you play soccer together representing the Emerald Isle are very proud of your accomplishments keep up the good work my brother and Jah Bless.

  4. Kapkaida
    December 17, 2012

    Good to see that Dominicans can appreciate something différent to the traditional Caribbean house with it’s véranda and fret work
    If it was done in DA without receiving a prize it would be critized until and the architect even disliked sometimes even by persons close
    Look around dear friends there are interesting recent projects in DA that could get recognition from any international organisation
    Congratulations fellow architect

  5. ok
    December 17, 2012

    bravo. well done. why not design the next great next level project? we can do it too, you know. yes we can. keep it up, there is still much more to do.

  6. Dom
    December 16, 2012

    Another example!! You got to get off this island to pursue your dreams. Without these people and politicians trying to get a dollar or bring you down!!!

  7. goldie
    December 16, 2012

    Congratulation Ian . Son of the soil ,we are very proud of your achievement.

  8. jay
    December 15, 2012

    mista could have designed our state house man…
    Anyway, thats water under the bridge. At least we know we have someone whom we can call on in future when we want to design our national houses, like hospital for instance?… At least let him design and the chinese build

    • Justice and Truth
      December 16, 2012

      Always including politics? What about designing residential homes in Dominica?

      • B_Arch
        December 31, 2012

        it is political, why don’t these politicians open this market to us Dominicans? wouldn’t it be of a better feeling knowing this buildings of national importance was designed by a Dominican?

  9. lol
    December 15, 2012

    ok that is the twin tower man

  10. MIND OF MY OWN
    December 15, 2012

    Congrats my boy. Ian ‘Supers’ edwards. a product of st.Mary’s academy. I remember you my boy a product of the J.S.P programme. Big up and continue the good works

  11. PICODEAU
    December 15, 2012

    CONGRATULATIONS!!! A JOB WELL DONE.
    Nuff respect!

    God Bless Dominica!

    • want to hire him
      December 16, 2012

      DNO can we have a more morphologically acute photo?
      I cannot make out the face even if I may not have a clue of him before now.

  12. Anonymous
    December 15, 2012

    congrats to you cous Ian, i am very proud of you and so will be my mother when i tell her about you “ma kato”

  13. Me & I
    December 15, 2012

    Dominicans go out there and excell. Why can’t we do so at home? Because our government keeping us down.

  14. Not a herd fellow
    December 15, 2012

    Congratualtions, Mr. Edwards. Dominica has so many talented people…97.8 per cent of them are abroad.

  15. out of south city
    December 15, 2012

    Congratulations to you my brother. I can imagine the feeling that you have experienced. To be at the top of anything that one does in life is so exhilarating. Keep up the great masterpiece of talent that the creator has endowed you with . You have used your brain and hands a great deal and look at your accomplishments! I know that we have great talent in Dominica but sometimes we need a push, and a word of encouragement to take us to the top and let the world see what we are truly made of.

  16. Shocked
    December 15, 2012

    Now that is awesome!

  17. December 15, 2012

    Well that is a beautiful design for sure. Nice going, man of Dominica! What more can I say!

  18. lynn
    December 15, 2012

    congratulations to you mr. George, well done. continue to make us proud as dominicans.sometimes you must be out there to realize your dreams.God bless

  19. Tijhan
    December 15, 2012

    very impressive! well done.

  20. Dominican
    December 14, 2012

    Bravo. Great job, well done.

  21. all eyes
    December 14, 2012

    If he was in Dominica allu would say is boball he making to get there and find all kinda fault with his work. Perhaps all of us should go overseas to get approval. :cry:

  22. Trolol
    December 14, 2012

    Pretty AMAZING house no wonder he won!

  23. Lougaoo Mem
    December 14, 2012

    Couldn’t get any better. Congratulations for such great achievements Mr. Ian Edwards! You have internationalized or rather globalized your expertise in Architecture and Property Development, and made our people and Dominica proud. Thank You & God Bless!

  24. Yes I
    December 14, 2012

    I live in Anguilla and I know Sugar George . He deserves it. Congratulations bro
    . See the winning design at http://www.anguillabeachhouse.com.

  25. IluvmyPm
    December 14, 2012

    Another son of the soil refuse handouts and decided to work hard elsewhere to see his way. Congrats

  26. Wildflower
    December 14, 2012

    Congrats Sugar George… we are super proud of you, and that you still maintain your Dominican connection. Keep on keeping on!!

    • Anonymous
      December 14, 2012

      Interesting that you would say that he still maintains his Dominican connection…as far as I’m aware, and I’m a Dominican living in Anguilla, he does not acknowledge that he is from Dominica…he claims to be from Montserrat which is where his wife is from…

  27. Reader
    December 14, 2012

    Congratulations to my fellow Dominican on receiving this award! I hope some day you get a chance to create a masterpiece here at home! Great achievement!!

  28. Anonymous
    December 14, 2012

    I am not sure I know you. but heartiest congratulations.

  29. Calli Salli
    December 14, 2012

    This design is very unique…hardly seen anywhere else…well at least in what I have seen so far…lol

  30. Gloria Walsh
    December 14, 2012
  31. Hmmmm....
    December 14, 2012

    Fantastic Job Chief. More Blessings!

  32. Simple.
    December 14, 2012

    Great Stuff

  33. Realist
    December 14, 2012

    Congratulations my brotherman! We do have the ability to produce great talent. It is sad that all our very best are out there developing other countries. In Dominica the country continue to languish under the effect of petty minded political overlords. Their policy is to chase out the best and allow outsiders to come in and conquer what our foreparents toiled and died for.

    • james
      December 14, 2012

      Great, the country where he is dont think like you.

      • or you too
        December 16, 2012

        It would be better if all the best talent from Dominica were developing Dominica first. That way he and many others would not have to go to other countries and suffer indignities of patronising subjects like yourself.

        In my opinion, countries that are considered “outsider” are those non-OECS countries that are more a burden than an asset. The OECS countries are so intertwined and moving closer, that this distinction can’t be placed on them.

  34. Lang Doug
    December 14, 2012

    It’s amazing dat we have tight boyz like mista, and skeritt dem saying is only dem chinee dat have de expertise to design a national landmark like the State Malace(oops I mean palace). Ah! magway sa!

    • Anonymous
      December 16, 2012

      You are right. If we going to spend or waste all that money, we might as well give it to a local.

  35. Yes Fada!
    December 14, 2012

    As an undergrad architecture student and a young Dominican, reading news such as this gives me inspiration. Studying architecture is by no means the smoothest of journeys, but the experience is nothing short of awesome. Congratulations, Mr Edwards; I hope to meet you on a professional level some time in the near future :)

  36. Gloria Walsh
    December 14, 2012

    Congratulations to you my brother, our mother would be proud and also your father. Hard work pays off and this was instill in us. We are proud of you. Keep making us proud, well done, take a bow!!!!!

    • Jango
      December 15, 2012

      Is that left handed Sugar George from Bath Estate?

  37. xxxxx
    December 14, 2012

    hmmmmm nice, great

  38. nice
    December 14, 2012

    Congrats. Phenomenal achievement.

    However, I can’t help but feel sad that this country has all this talent elsewhere and we are not benefiting from it.

    • Bwa kwaieb
      December 14, 2012

      Maybe you need to help this country provide opportunities for its young people !

    • Toneh
      December 15, 2012

      That is so true. Great achievement.

  39. My two cents
    December 14, 2012

    To view the property check out anguillabeachhousemeadsbay.com
    Stunning……….

  40. WOW
    December 14, 2012

    This is amazing. Congratulations sir.

  41. Anonymous
    December 14, 2012

    Well done bro

  42. Ok Sir
    December 14, 2012

    Fantastic Work, real class. Congrats Ian

  43. 95 north
    December 14, 2012

    wander if mister would get work in Dominica if he say he is non political?that look like a good design for a state house.just saying what i see.Great job my brother,Dominica is crying.

  44. traffic police
    December 14, 2012

    nuff respect bro big up dominica massive…lets do it again..

  45. Gerald La Touche
    December 14, 2012

    Congratulations Ian – well deserved, masterpiece design!

  46. Morihei Ueshiba
    December 14, 2012

    Wow.. this is a big achievement congratulations Ian “Sugar George” Edwards, if only the govt was working for the people more talented Dominicans would remain in Dominica, just sad to see u cannot utilize your talents to develop your home.

    • Peeping Tom
      December 14, 2012

      «just sad to see u cannot utilize your talents to develop your home.»

      Why can’t he? Our market is limited, but many top Dominican engineers and architects reside and work in Dominica.

      • Morihei Ueshiba
        December 14, 2012

        I heard if u not close to the Govt u cannot get jobs. 8)

      • punk
        December 14, 2012

        well all i know is that even if he was in d/caa he would not get a job from that government unless he passing it under de table like de geothermal team that get 2 million and de group of smart dominicans that was capable of running that allu say is sour grapes.

        boy doh leave anguilla and come here for one second among those corrupt sons of guns,

      • Peeping Tom
        December 14, 2012

        «I heard if u not close to the Govt u cannot get jobs.»

        :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

      • My two cents
        December 14, 2012

        Well, the young man came home two years ago offering his expertise and services to build villas. From what I do know, folks were looking for their ‘cut under the table.’

        Will we ever learn to accept our own? We embrace outsiders without blinking an eye.

        Enough said

      • YO!
        December 14, 2012

        PT…I’ve been wondering…those little signs you put around your words…is this your version of quotation marks?

        They are very distracting. FYI “these are quotation marks.” Please be guided accordingly.

      • Peeping Tom
        December 14, 2012

        Thanks, YO. Sorry for distracting you. Your comment is noted.

      • All Eyes
        December 14, 2012

        like whom?

    • Calli Salli
      December 14, 2012

      lol…Dominica does not have incentives…poor country…lol…lmao

  47. Piper
    December 14, 2012

    Congrats……..Let your light shine.

    • December 14, 2012

      So others will see your good work congratulation to u my brother u did very well it’s a pitty such a building couldnt be done in Dominica but Hope that someone in D’ica will be able to hirer you maybe not the same building but one just as fantistic as well We Dominicans are very proud of you and all the other D’icans out there making us at home proud I pray that God will continue to shine his light on you and the other D’icans you had working with you.

  48. grell
    December 14, 2012

    CONGRATS MY BROTHER,SO PROUD THAT YOUR REPRESENTING US ABROAD.YOU HAVE LOTS MORE TO RECEIVE.

    • budman
      December 16, 2012

      Grell give me a break! he’s NOT representing us abroad! he left because he had no opportunity here. he left because successive governments behaved in the same inefficient partisan way. He didn’t go overseas on behalf of the people and government of Dominica to showcase his skills and hence raise our profile in the international arena. he went overseas to escape the nonsense and to realise his true potential. He aint representing us. he representing himself because we as a nation has failed him and many other talented, highly educated Dominicans.

      • LawieBawie
        December 17, 2012

        When you don’t know something you should not comment on it. Sugar George went to Montserrat as a little boy and was raised there untill the volcanic activity there drove him and hundreds more out to Anguilla, the UK, Antigua etc. I could tell you more but let that suffice for now. Congrats to you “Sugar” and keep up the good work.

      • budman
        December 17, 2012

        so rather worse. he is practically Montserratian so how he representing us?

  49. Freethinker
    December 14, 2012

    Ah, hadn’t heard of him before. Thanks for bringing this story to light, and congrats to Edwards.

  50. Wotten Waven --Ports
    December 14, 2012

    woosh, hats off fella, i do not know u personally but high kudos to you.you are a Dominican after all-and a caribbean man at that.Very well done, again hats off.

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