HOUSE AND HOUSING ON A CARIBBEAN RIDGE
2010-2013
This project is on a hill in the Caribbean with long views north to deep troughs of the blue Atlantic. The drive starts at the bottom of the hill where it passes several houses that form a terraced garden. From the lower site you can see structures on the upper part of the site, which retain one of the three upper courtyards. The drive delivers you to the hilltop, into an entry court covered with sea grape trees. The entry court is formed by a square courtyard house and a library outbuilding. You enter the porch of the house from the entry garden, on the cross axis of the house. The wing of public rooms is to the left, overlooking the long views of the ocean. The public rooms also have views south across the courtyard. Two houses share a service court on the far side of the house.
The soil is shallow and underlain by soft limestone, but the climate is wet and this makes up for the grudging soil. And although the island has been hit by severe storms in recent years, the site is characterized by the denseness of the planting, which is what allows the views to unfold so gradually on the way up the hill.