In many parts of Turks and Caicos, an idyllic archipelago in the Caribbean, the sound of jackhammers is nearly constant. It hasn’t deterred visitors.

Take the southeast side of Providenciales island, where Windward Development is building South Bank, a 31-acre community on Long Bay Beach. Though construction on its 46 sleek, clean-lined villas and townhomes won’t be complete for months, some South Bank owners have already moved in, despite the presence of bulldozers and the lack of amenities such as a gym, spa, or restaurant. (They are coming soon, all designed by Thurstan, a firm founded by Soho House’s former design director.)