A Postcolonial Path Sugar Mills from Taboo to Attraction St. Croix, USVI
Amal Abdi Ashur Master’s Thesis 2017 Appendix #3 Analysis & Program
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Table of contents
Mapping
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Estate Castle Coakley
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Transformation
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Restoration
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Mapping
Estate Northside
Estate Mt. Washington
Estate Cas Coakley
Frederiksted
Esta
Estate Whim
Potential sites mapped on St. Croix
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Christiansted
Comanche Mill
stle y
Estate Diamond Keturah
ate Cane Garden
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Comanche Mill
Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
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Comanche Mill on the boardwalk downtown Christiansted, St. Croix
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Estate Diamond Keturah
Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
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Estate Diamond Keturah Maria and Jett
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Estate Cane Garden
Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
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Estate Cane Garden The view from the sugar mill to the oil refinery
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Estate Castle Coakley
Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
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Estate Castle Coakley With two sugar mill
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Estate Whim Museum
Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
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Estate Whim Museum
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Estate Whim Museum
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Estate Mt. Washington
Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
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Estate Mt. Washington
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Estate Northside
Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
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Estate Northside
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Estate Castle Coakley
Castle Coakley is only a fraction of the size it used to be. The plantation was so successful that J. W. Ratcliffe, the owner at that time, in 1816 bought additionally two plantations; Cassava & Peak. Hovensa Oil Refinery Hovensa Oil refinery is a dominant feature of Castle Coakley. Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corporation started refinery construction in January 1966. In 1998, Hess Oil and Petroleos de Venezuela joined and created Hovensa. In January 2011, Hovensa paid a $5.3 million penalty for Clean Air Act violations. The Clean Air Act is a United States federal law designed to control air pollution. In the beginning of 2012, Hovensa announced that it would close the refinery by midFebruary 2012. The company sought to close the refinery and have the property serve as only a storage terminal (En.wikipedia. org, 2017). After being closed for nearly four years, the HOVENSA facility reopened early 2016. With all the abandoned sugar mills taken in consideration, there is great potential for renewable energy with wind driven mills.
Castle Coakley Shelly looking at Hovensa Oil Refinery
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Air photo of the site at its connection to the oil refinery Castle Coakley marked with circle. 2010
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Castle Coakley in an early historic map
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Castle Coakley and the connection to the refinery. Marked is Castle Coakley when it was biggest after 1816
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Vegetation on site
The site has been overgrown for many years. Until 2014 the sugar mills were hidden behind big trees and bush. This has left a luxuriant vegetation with many beautiful trees and eatable elements.
Warrington Chapman & Donald Martin harvesting tamarind
Mahogany stub
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Almonds
Tobacco
Tamarind https://pruefreefood.files.wordpress. com/2013/07/dsc_9658_01.jpg
Papaya
Thorn
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The big trees with the Overseer’s House and the southern sugar mill in the background
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Transformation
With two sugar mills, the site gave an opportunity to design a mixed program. Due to the many features of the site I found it convenient to have an accommodation. The site is placed on mid island and is halfway through the Postcolonial Path. Based on that, the northern sugar mill is transformed into a shelter. All new elements are evident and designed with both climate and local typology in consideration. To get an understanding of the proportion of the mill in connection to the overnight guests, different number of guest were sketched. To have a comfortable stay, I recommend three people sleeping together but the mill can accommodate up to six persons.
Starting point in sketching
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Most comfortable stay
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Suitable for four
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The spaced getting pressured
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Restoration
The restoration of the southern mill is still under process. In the design of the mill, I have spoken to a retired engineer (Jørgen Krogsgaard) that has worked with transforming historic Dutch mills into energy-producing mill and a modern windmill expert from Energimuseet in Tange. They have assisted in some rules of thumb. The first draft seen in the project report is based on discussions with Jørgen Krogsgaard but after it was drawn, I saw that something was wrong. Next step is to alter the wing diameter so it is more homogeneous. This process of restoring the sugar mill is difficult as there is no drawings or precise measurements. This is highly investigating and I make use of both the principle drawing of Oxholm and the drawing of the site from 1833 as guidelines. The mill will be plastered and the cap is covered with singles. Inside, the sugar mill is going to be a complete reconstruction seen on the principle drawing of Oxholm in 1797. The complete reconstruction is important and necessary as the only place you can see this reconstruction is Estate Whim Museum. Sadly, the sugar mill is worn and not maintained currently. It is only left with two wing arms. With this intervention, the sugar mill produces energy as a comment to the oil refinery and the visitors can get an understanding of how the plantation with the sugar mills worked. Furthermore, it is the only place on island with a functional windmill.
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Examination of the different parts of a wing
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Construction of wings In a restoration of historic windmills in Denmark, there is tree ways of constructing the new wings. The current method used is #3 which also is the strongest way. The new wings in this Thesis is constructed after this method. Additionally, instead of construction the wings as a complete restoration with manual canvas duck a method from the early 1900 is used in this Thesis. This is called “klapsjere” and work as louvres that is controlled by the wind power. This eliminates the manual work that needs minimum three persons to get the mill started. With the louvres and a wind rose the whole process of make the mill run is automatized. In Danish, this method is named “selvsvikning”
Historic way of constructing the wing
The historic way with canvas duck and the automatized “klapsejlere”
Three methods of constructing the wing arm. #3 is used
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A good position of the wind mill is the alpha and omega. The mill at Castle Coakley has good conditions of wind if some of the big trees is cleared
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Amal Abdi Ashur Master’s Thesis 2017 Appendix #3