When we named Alex McDiarmid as one of six upcoming designers to watch last year, we knew his portfolio of sailing yachts and motoryachts pushed the concept of “concept yacht” to an extreme compared to others. But if you look at some of the superb superyachts that have come out of the world’s leading shipyards in the recent past, daringly different designs are catching on in real life.

That’s what convinced us to feature McDiarmid Design in this edition of Designer’s Notebook. Not ones to present just one concept and wait, McDiarmid and his team have been unveiling regular concept projects, with each one available in slightly different looks. Here, McDiarmid reveals a 330-foot (100-meter) megayacht based on an explorer yacht—but with his distinctive twists, and in six different profiles, no less. One profile is above, while the other five are in the slideshow below.

Technical/Principal Characteristics:

Length overall: 330 feet (100 meters)

Beam: 58 feet (18 meters)

Power package: 4 x 3,600-kW MTUs or a diesel-electric propulsion system with pod drives, electric Voith in-line propulsors/thrusters, Volvo Penta D16 MG gensets, and Valance batteries

Berth capacity for guests: 14

Berth capacity for crew: 24

Construction: The hull is made from steel, while the superstructure is in aluminum. All-aluminum construction, further reducing weight and therefore power consumption, is under consideration also.

“Continuing our monthly concept series alongside our day to day design work, this month we chose feathers as our inspiration. Our work has ruffled a few feathers over the last year.

“PENNA - the word pen is derived from the Latin penna, for feather, and in French, plume can mean either feather or pen.

“Feathers are considered the most complex organ structures found in vertebrates. Feathers have been used in ceremonial headdress, fletching arrows, bedding, clothing, and as early writing instruments to make quill pens.

“Looking at both tail and flight feathers, we began to see that their overall design and profiles would lend themselves nicely to superyacht design, and only in our inimitable style. In particular, the A-symmetrical form of flight feathers producing a profile based on the layout of a classic explorer/expedition yacht.

“The design and styling of the superstructure silhouette takes its inspiration from the beautiful, organic forms of feathers.

“The hollow shaft, calamus, and rachis of the feather provided the inspiration for the hull length window constructed in a series of glass panels, with the ‘ruffled feather look’ providing the superstructures glass. This allows as much natural light into the superstructure as possible; the overall goal is obtaining a floating atrium effect.

“We were adamant about keeping a classic bow for one of the concepts below, but wanted to really push some boundaries with the styling of others. The aft section of the hull, superstructure, and ‘Day Light Opening’ / DLO window graphics are there to be explored in terms of style. It is a concept, after all, which would require new ways in thinking for production, but concept designs should offer an insight into what could be while at the same time entertaining the viewer.

“The communication towers are inspired by the phrase a feather in your cap.

“While the aft deck houses a helicopter platform, RIBs, tenders, toys, and potential for a sailing yacht, laboratories could be integrated if the project is to be used as a research vessel.

“A feather in your cap is an English idiomatic phrase believed to have derived from the general custom in some cultures of a warrior adding a new feather to their headgear for every enemy slain, or in other cases from the custom of establishing the success of a hunter as being the first to bag a game bird by the plucking of the feathers of that prey and placing them in the hat band. The phrase today has altered to a more peaceful allusion, where it is used to refer to any laudable success or achievement by an individual that may help that person in the future.”