The built work is an approximately 2,600 sqft, family home set on an acre of land in Tobago. The dwelling was conceived on the premise of ordering elements; it responds to the topography, where the sleeping space descends from the living space, serving both as a measure of hierarchy and adaptation to the site’s gentle gradients.
The home was divided into a public zone and private zone. With the living spaces aligned east-west and the private sleeping and ablution spaces aligned north-south. This provided privacy, less noise and fenestrations opened to the morning sun for all the bedrooms. The public space’s orientation is positioned to capture the prevailing north-east winds and naturally ventilate the living spaces as they are occupied throughout the day.
Entry and the visual relief achieved by entering the home and seeing beyond the 18 foot wide living space was important to the experience of the home’s indoor/outdoor relationship.
The project was designed to ensure all west facing facades were either, narrow, solid or service spaces, this was to avoid the solar heat gain of the western sun. Although most of Trinidad has fortunately not been affected by tropical storms and hurricanes, Tobago’s geography gives it a more vulnerable status; the absence of roof eaves and the use of parapet roofs not only exhibit a contemporary vernacular, but also is informed by climatic response.