Islands by Design - IBD | Marine Engineering, Wetland Ecology, Environmental Engineering

Engineering Disciplines:
Coastal & Marine Engineering, Environmental Consulting, Project Management

Core Services:
We provide end to end services that assist you in implementing land development projects with due consideration given to the natural environment, social, political, economic and governance factors.

IBD has a full understanding of infrastructure projects, having been involved in all aspects from design through construction and operations. Our design process includes gaining a thorough knowledge of our prospective client’s requirements, budgets and expected return on investments prior to proceeding with the planning.

Environmental Site Assessments - An environmental site assessment is a report prepared for the client that identifies potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities. The analysis often called an ESA, typically addresses both the underlying land as well as physical improvements to the property.
Environmental Impact Assessments - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse.
Environmental Management Plans - The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) covers the design, construction, commissioning, and operation and maintenance phases of each project component. The EMP identifies the key environmental issues across the project and provides strategies and plans for managing them effectively.
Coastal and Marine Engineering - Coastal engineering is the study of the processes ongoing at the shoreline and construction within the coastal zone. The field involves aspects of nearshore oceanography, marine geology, and civil engineering, often directed at combating the erosion of coasts or providing navigational access.
Socioeconomic and Environmental Permitting and Planning - The process involves a pivotal role in regulating environmental impacts, as they prevent harmful projects from going forward and set limits on potential project damages to protected lands, endangered species, and local communities.

Archaeological Assessments - Archaeological impact assessment studies identify areas and or items of cultural or historical significance and a determination for preservation.

Key Personnel:

Keith Bishop is President and Founder of Islands By Design (IBD), an applied science, engineering and technology firm spe-cializing in a wide range of consulting services within the marine and terrestrial environments.

A professional with over thirty years experience in project man-agement consulting, Mr. Bishop has more than twenty years of experience as a local environmental consultant in the Caribbean, conducting environmental impact assessments. To date, Mr. Bishop has performed environmental impact assessments and has done environmental planning and management on over three hundred and fifty projects ranging from small residential develop-ments to major industrial and commercial projects. [ Download CV ]

Experience:

North Abaco Port
Abaco, Bahamas
The North Abaco Cargo Port and Marina will provide a safe harbour and freight services facilitating an expansion of shipping and trade that is anticipated to attract further development in North Abaco. Islands By Design was contracted to assist with environmental services and contributed but not limited to bathymetric survey, coastal assessment, baseline map development, utilities and infrastructure studies, conceptual marina design and basin flushing design, baseline environmental features including tidal and wind, and erosion and sedimentation issues.

Norman’s Cay
Exuma, The Bahamas
Norman’s Cay is located at the northern end of the Exuma Sound, Baha-mas and is approximately 6 miles long and approximately 0.75 miles at its widest point.

Islands By Design has assisted the developers of Norman’s Cay from 2002 to present ensuring that the development, operation, and maintenance of Norman’s Cay proceeds with adequate controls that protect the long term health of the environmental resources of the project site and immediate vicinity.

Schooner Bay
Abaco, Bahamas
Schooner Bay is a new urbanist planned community on 222 acres on Great Abaco. Islands By Design was contracted to assist in contributions to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) being undertaken
in support of a proposed development at Schooner Bay, South Abaco. The contributions included preliminary infrastructure and utility assessments, preliminary marina design and circulation analysis. IBD participated in design charettes and provided guidance through this process. Islands By Design’s continued involvement included project management, infrastructure engineering and preparation of Schooner Bay’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP).

Sports Centre Redevelopment Project at Big Pond
New Providence
The Sports Centre Redevelopment Project (SCRP) encompasses the recently opened Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, new supporting road corridors and Big Pond. Islands By Design was contracted to prepare an Environmental Management Plan and enforce its mandates with on-site monitoring during construction. The EMP provided management techniques and tools associated with new building
infrastructure and construction within the area to ensure minimal anthropogenic inputs to the mangrove forest located at Big Pond. Big Pond is an ecological sanctuary amidst a heavily urban area.

Leaf Cay, Exuma
Over-Water Bungalows
Leaf Cay, a 13.1 acre island, is located approximately eighty (80) miles southeast of Nassau, New Providence, in the central portion of the Exuma Islands chain. IBD was contracted to perform an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the purpose of assisting in the decision making and impact
assessment of the proposed Master Plan which includes the fist ever Over Water Bungalows in The Bahamas.

Additionally, IBD authored the document “A Review of Over-The-Water Bungalows: Environmental Considerations Specific To The Bahamas”. It was written with a purpose to define and assess the environmental considerations associated with the development of overwater structures, specifically over-the-water bungalows or villas, in The Bahamas. The government has given this project “approval in principal” and is expected to develop into the first ever “Over Water Bungalows” in the Bahamas.