"Spiritually and physically far from the chaos of London, this house is constructed using indigenous materials and labour which combines the best of local traditions with a European sense of form." Architects Journal
The client, a builder, constructed this on return to his home in Antigua. At first floor level a bathroom and three bedrooms all with external terraces are directly accessible from the garden. Timber shutters with insect mesh only are used to close all external openings at this level, there is no glazing.
The ground floor includes laundry, cloakroom, kitchen, dining, and living areas. All main spaces have sliding, glazed screens which open out onto external patios either side of the building.
The roof provides a freely ventilated loggia at the second floor which shades the structure below, provides for the collection of potable water (an island requirement), future expansion and enables clear views of the mountains beyond. As restraint against hurricane winds the roof, of red oxide painted sheet metal, is tied to the ground and first floor level rendered and reinforced blockwork by an external timber structure which extends to form a canopy over the external terraces. Sacrificial bamboo clads this structure to provide solar shading to the openings and thermal mass of the building along both facades.