Located on the south coast of Barbados, the Richard Haynes Boardwalk – 1.2 km in length – originally came out of a need to stabilise the shoreline, to improve lateral access and to protect the businesses and residences located along that stretch of coast from exposure to extreme wave activity. 

It fulfills its initial goal of shoreline protection and resilience, through the creation of concrete headlands, beach nourishment, and a connecting platform that provides two layers of buffering between the ocean and adjacent beach-front properties. The structure was also designed specifically with future climate change impacts in mind, and built to ensure its longevity even whilst climate and ocean changes continue. The new beach areas created by the project also resulted in the increase in sea turtle nesting activity, creating new spaces for wildlife habitat.

Beyond the environmental impacts, as a public, open space, the Boardwalk has established itself as a pivotal hotspot of cultural, economic and recreational activity. It quickly became a popular site for weddings, physical training sessions, yoga classes, and other social events.