Meeting Round de Field by MadsFrolund

Meeting Round de Field Thesis report, 2018 Mattias Huus HĂ¸jlund Mads FrĂ¸lund Poulsen

THESIS REPORT Meeting Round de Field By: Mattias Huus Højlund - 2012169 Mads Frølund Poulsen - 2012170 Master thesis, spring 2018 Aarhus School of Architecture Studio 2C: Building Culture and Tectonics Supervisor: Lars Nicolai Bock Internal censor: Carolina Dayer External censor: Anne Dorthe Vestergaard External censor: Rikke Martinussen

PROLOGUE Not many places have experienced the same impact of globalization as the former colonies. These places were developed on the basis of influx from a wide variety of cultures, and today they struggle with a history of repression, a yearning for a stronger rootedness, and the challenge of keeping up with the rapidly developing world. The US Virgin Islands are a former Danish colony. In addition to the previously mentioned challenges, they struggle with an unresolved affiliation to the USA, devastating tropical hurricanes, and an economy very dependent on global tourism. They wish to grow a strong local identity in order to clarify their own position and become more resilient to these issues. What is the role of architecture in this situation? Is it possible to be sensitive to the many layers of blurry history and help strengthen local identity through the way we build and plan cities? Is it possible to resist the pull towards a universal industry and to develop something specific to its place in a world where globalization has only picked up speed the last 50 years? This project gives a suggestion to how a contemporary architecture on the US Virgin Islands, with respect for the local history, people, climate, and building industry, could be developed.

We would like to thank Arkitektskolens Internationaliseringspulje, Højlundfonden, Kirsten Spliid Pedersens Rejsefond, and Oticon Fonden for the financial support for our study trip in January 2018. Furthermore we would like to thank the Virgin Islanders for their hospitality and help, and a special thanks to Nadine Marchena Kean, Raheem Smith, Senator Myron D. Jackson, Oliver Harboe, Yvette Finch, Derek Heyliger, Stacy Bourne, Sean Krigger, Brian Turnbull, and Warren and Anette Hendrickson.

INTRODUCTION Inspiration for this project came from the Transfer Day centennial celebrations in 2017, marking the 100th anniversary of the sale and transfer of the former Danish West Indies to the United States. After seeing a number of student projects dealing with transformation and cultural heritage on St. Thomas and St. Croix, we felt the urge to explore what a contemporary and locally anchored architecture could be in this place. We began applying for grants to go on a study trip to St. Thomas and contacted Ulla Lunn, author of “Stedet Fortæller”. She directed our attention towards a run down sports stadium and the surrounding neighborhood, Round de Field, in the capital Charlotte Amalie. The sports stadium is a part of the collaborative project “In Search of Identity” with representatives from Denmark and the US Virgin Islands. They state that; “We are convinced that knowing one’s own history is essential for a good life...” (In Search of Identity, 2018, online)1 and seek to raise the means to renovate and re-purpose historical buildings on the Islands. Their strategy for Charlotte Amalie is to create a ‘Cultural Corridor’ that extends from the harbor up into the valley, terminating at the stadium. Along the corridor, renovated old buildings and new public institutions will hold different cultural activities. In late January 2018 we embarked on a two week journey to St. Thomas and Charlotte Amalie to do the comprehensive research necessary for the project. During these two weeks we met some incredible individuals, studied the local culture and architecture, and documented the site. These experiences are the foundation of the project, and they have been invaluable for our understanding of the place.

READING GUIDE This report is divided into 3 parts ordered chronologically according to our progression through the project. Part I describes our journey to the US Virgin Islands and our experiences and meetings on the islands. Part II is our atlas; our findings and analyses ranging from a large scale urban analysis to investigations on building culture and small scale building elements. This work was the foundation for the rest of the project, and will be referenced over again in the following part. Part III is the summarizing report and describes the design process and project development; the challenges we met and the investigations and reflections done.

CONTENTS Prologue Introduction Contents

3 5 7

I. JOURNEY II. ATLAS Understanding Place The US Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie Hospital Grounds Round de Field Activities Building Culture of the USVI

25 27 37 53 67 83 93

III. REPORT Program Concept Development The Section The Exterior The Interior Elements Plan, Section, and Elevation

119 133 147 157 175 184

Inspiration Conclusion Epilogue Literature and Sources

196 201 203 204

I. JOURNEY Photo: the walk from our house to the site

I. JOURNEY

FRAMEWORK After a long process of applying for grants and funding, we were able to go on a two week trip to the US Virgin Islands from January 19th to February 4th. We had tried to arrange meetings with different stakeholders on beforehand, but had no luck, so we were curious to see what the outcome of the trip would be. Every day we kept a diary to document our progression of getting to know the place and the different impressions we were met with. During our visit we stayed with two different Airbnb hosts, one in the neighborhood where we were doing research and one a little further away. Warren Hendrickson, our host the first week, was very hospitable and took us around town to show us the different neighborhoods and places to go. He spoke a lot about how much destruction the two hurricanes four months earlier had caused, and where they were in the process of recovering. His house is just up the hill from our site, so we were able to walk there every morning, though Warren warned us not to walk in the streets after dark. Partly due to the lack of street lights on the steep, curvy roads, and partly due to previous incidents with people getting mugged. That led to many cab rides with interesting drivers. The second week we stayed in a room at a large mansion in the hills west of the city. It was an extravagant home with a huge balcony overlooking the bay and the airport. The transportation to the city and our site was a little more complicated from here - we had to hitchhike every morning to catch a ride down the hill - always on the back of pick-up trucks - before transitioning to the local â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;safariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cabs at the bottom.

Top left: Mattias in the Cyril E King airport, USVI, not yet acclimated to the climate. Top right: Later the same day with more appropriate clothing. Bottom: Mads enjoying the view over the bay from the balcony of the mansion, second week.

I. JOURNEY

DAILY ROUTINES Mornings started rather early with unfamiliar sounds from dogs, insects, and wild roosters, which seemed to communicate across the valleys. Because of the climate, we decided to get up and out early enough to get work done before it got too hot in the middle of the day. The time schedule for our days on St. Thomas was rather loose, though we had a long list of things we needed to measure, draw, and document, and a plan for the order in which things should to be done. Even though we had no meeting set up on beforehand, our schedule quickly got filled up with appointments almost every day. This was a welcome variation from working outside in the warm sun. We stayed out of the sun in the middle of the day and ate lunch at the small street kitchens in the neighborhood or in restaurants down town every day. This often led to conversations with the locals, who welcomed us with what seemed to be a mixture of curiosity and wonder. People were generally very talkative, and we got into conversations with locals everywhere we went, and we often ended up standing in the street talking for a while after going to the restaurant or taking the cab. Locals often recognized us as Danes, and they were eager to talk about our common history. They appreciated our knowledge and interest in the colonial time - something we had studied prior to our visit. Most nights we got home quite early, exhausted after a long day of work in the sun. Before going to bed, also quite early, we would evaluate the day, write in the diary, and plan the next day.

SITE

Main street

Karen’s Place

N 100m 13

Mary’s Delight

I. JOURNEY

DRAWING AND MEASURING Since we did not have any drawing material or exact maps, it was very important for us to do a lot of measuring around the site and of the surrounding streets and buildings. With no option to return to the site during the project, we had to photodocument as much as possible to be able to revisit the place on our laptops and help our memory. All measurements were done with a laser measurer and rulers, and all sketches were made on either trace paper or in our sketch books.

Drawing and measuring around the site.

I. JOURNEY

MEETINGS AND ENCOUNTERS Before our travels, we had unsuccessfully attempted to get in touch with people in Charlotte Amalie, who could help us with information for our project. That changed upon our arrival, and a chain of events led us to meeting local stakeholders, people working with the community, politicians, and architects. Everyone took time to talk to us about the project and gave us valuable insight about the local circumstances. People in the neighborhood were curious about our presence and why we were measuring, drawing and photographing things around their neighborhood and ballpark. Some, rightfully, expressed an initial skepticism, but most often appreciated our interest in working with their community. Everyone had a story to tell about the sports field - how it evoked memories of their childhood or how they once saw Muhammad Ali fight a local boxer at the stadium. On a daily basis, we also encountered people stopping their cars and asking if we were lost. They warned us that Round de Field is a bad and dangerous neighborhood and told us to â&#x20AC;&#x153;take careâ&#x20AC;?. We did take our precautions, and we never felt unsafe.

Top: Meeting with senator Myron D. Jackson. Middle: locals hanging at a street bar and a friendly utility worker. Bottom: Afternoon break in the shade at Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delight

I. JOURNEY

CONTRASTS A surprising discovery we quickly made on the Island was the immense contrasts. This is best exemplified by walking through the well kept downtown of Charlotte Amalie with its abundant duty-free jewelery stores - owned by Americans, Indians, and Arabs - which is overcrowded with white, elderly cruise-ship tourists during the daytime. Downtown completely dies at 5:30, when the cruise ships depart and the shops close. A five minutes walk from here takes you to Savanne or our neighborhood, Hospital Grounds, where the everyday life is completely different. The local, colored community live in dilapidated old houses, and small local businesses compete for customers with the malls and large chain stores. In order to boost the local economy and create jobs, the government gives tax exemptions to foreigners who wants to start a business on the islands. This does create a lot of jobs, but it also means that most of the money from tourism goes into the hands of foreigners and not locals. We were both surprised to see how bad the conditions were in some of the neighborhoods on St. Thomas, and it is not something you would expect in a place that is part of the US.

Top: Main street at opening hours. Middle: Government hill and a local bar around the corner. Bottom: People hanging out in front of a local convenience store and a bar.

I. JOURNEY

DEVASTATION Evidence of the devastation caused by the two category 5 hurricanes in September 2017 is found everywhere on St. Thomas even today - with the main street in Charlotte Amalie and the most popular beaches as an exception. Maria and Irma or “the two tough ladies”, as some locals refer to them as, left countless houses in ruins or without roofs and caused damages of more than $100 billion dollars on the USVI and Puerto Rico.2 The city is dotted with “blue roofs”, which are the blue tarps that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has handed out after the disaster. They temporarily cover damaged roofs until people are able to build new ones. Many houses not damaged by the strong winds themselves were hit by flying debris or fallen over trees or utility poles. Electricity was out for several months, and both of the houses we stayed at got the power back only a week prior to our arrival.

Blue roofs in a green landscape

Fallen mahogany tree leaning on the old Danish hospital

II. ATLAS

Photo: Historic photo overlooking Hospital Grounds

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UNDERSTANDING PLACE READING ROUND DE FIELD As an underlying intention behind the project “In Search of Identity”, the desire to find the special qualities of place plays an important role in defining oneself. This is especially true in a time where the forces of universalization threaten fragile local cultures around the world. This atlas attempts to establish an understanding of the circumstances and characteristics of our site, Round de Field. It is the collection of our analyses, mappings, and findings of the site and the larger context of Charlotte Amalie and St. Thomas. It has been a valuable resource in our endeavor to develop a locally anchored architecture with inspiration from Kenneth Frampton’s ideas behind critical regionalism; “The fundamental strategy of Critical Regionalism is to mediate the impact of universal civilization with elements derived indirectly from the peculiarities of a particular place... It may find its governing inspiration in such things as the range and quality of the local light, or in a tectonic derived from a peculiar structural mode, or in the topography of a given site.” (Frampton, 1983, p. 21)3 We have deployed methods from SAVE (Survey of Architectural Values in the Environment) to examine the built environment of Charlotte Amalie and the relation between the historical urban structures and the landscape. Furthermore, we have taken inspiration from Edwards Relph’s theory on place, which he describes as a threefold of: physical space, the activities taking place in it, and the meanings that individuals or groups assign to it. The structure of the chapter does not follow this threefold, as the three components overlap and are represented both directly and indirectly through the texts and illustrations. The atlas begins with an overall introduction to the history, demography, culture, and demography of the US Virgin Islands, and then works its way into a site scale. Lastly, it presents the buildings culture of the USVI by describing historical and modern building methods, the material pallette found on the islands, and common building elements.

II. Atlas

The triangular trade route

THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS HISTORY Before Christopher Columbus discovered and named the Virgin Islands in 1493, indigenous Taino and Carib tribes inhabited the islands. Planters from different European countries began settling on the islands, and they brought in diseases, such as smallpox, to which the native people had no immunity. By the late 1500â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the indigenous people were no longer present on the islands. No European kingdom managed to establish a permanent colony on St. Thomas before the Danish West-India Company in 1672. After gaining foothold on St. Thomas, the company later colonized St. John in 1717. Even though the colony expanded, the colony was not very profitable due to the mountainous and rocky landscapes of the two islands. This led to the purchase of St. Croix from France in 1733. The same year, St. John experienced a large slave rebellion that lasted six months. Agriculture thrived on St. Croix, which became the main plantation island, while Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas with its great natural harbor prospered as a trading town. Denmark prohibited slave trade in 1792, a law which came into effect in 1803 - this meant that the trade intensified heavily during the interim period. The triangular trade was very important to Danish economy during these years, but a fall in sugar prices and production in the 1820â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and emancipation of the slaves in 1848 finally put an end to the profitability of the colony. After a series of attempts to sell the Danish West Indies, Denmark eventually sealed a $25 million deal with the United States in 1916, officially transferring the islands - and the people - in 1917. The US Virgin Islands, as the islands were now called, became an unincorporated territory and was controlled by the US Navy until 1931, where the power was transfered to a civic government. This was followed by the Organic Act of 1936, which was revised in 1954 and functions as a constitution for the territory.

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A MELTING POT OF CULTURES During the Danish colonial era, the largest plantations on the islands were either owned by the Danish state or Danish tradesmen - many of whom did not live on the islands, but extracted the wealth produced there. Enslaved Africans made up the by far largest group of people in The Danish West Indies, while the majority of Europeans on the islands were Dutch, English, French, and Irish. Most Europeans left at the end of the plantation era, and most Danes and people of Danish descent moved back to Denmark after the transfer. As a big disappointment to most of the local population, the majority of the US Virgin Islanders were not granted US Citizenship before 1927 - more than 10 years after the transfer. This meant that they did not have the same rights as the Americans living on the islands. Similarly, the current status as a territory means that Virgin Islanders are American citizens, but they cannot register to vote in the American election. The islands have always been a melting pot of cultures, and just like the Danes left after the transfer, most Americans left after the naval period, and a large new influx from other Caribbean islands started in the post war years.

Photo: Transfer day, March 31, 1917

800 b.c.

The taino people arrive on the islands

1493

Colombus discovers the Virgin Islands

1652 1672

First Danish attempt to colonize St. Thomas The Danish West-India Company occupies St. Thomas

1718

The Danish West-India Company occupies st. John

1733

The Danish West-India Company purchases St. Croix From France

1755

The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway purchases the colony

1792

Denmark prohibits slave trade (Effective from 1803)

1807

British occupation of the Danish West Indies until 1815

1848

Slavery is abolished after slave rebellion on St. Croix

1867

First attempt to sell the colony to the US

1878

Fireburn rebellion on st. Croix

1917

Transfer day

1927 1931 1936

Act of Conferring US Citizenship Civil government The organic act of 1936

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THE USVI TODAY - DEMOGRAPHY AND ECONOMY The inhabitants of the US Virgin Islands today are predominantly Afro-Caribbean with minorities of Americans and other foreigners. A little less than half of the residents of the USVI were born there, while 32% were born on other Caribbean islands such as St. Kitts, Dominica, Haiti etc., and 13% are residents from the US mainland.4 There are very strong contrasts in the society, and economic inequality is very evident. Most of the major businesses and attractive land are owned by Americans and foreigners from the Middle East and India, while the large lower class consists primarily of Afro-Caribbeans, who struggle with unemployment and lack of education. More than a third of the male population of 25 years and over does not even have a high school degree. The same number for the USA as a whole is 13,8%.5 The islands rely very much on the tourist industry; about 80% of the labor force is working in service industries. Three million tourists visit the islands each year, mostly from visiting cruise ships. 19% are employed in industry, and 1% in agriculture. Rum is the major export commodity.6

Other Caribbean islands (32%) US Virgin Islands (45%)

Asian and European (10%) US Mainland (13%)

Country of origin

Educational attainment of population 25 years and over Male:

USVI

USA

Less than 9th grade

18.0%

5.8%

9th grade to 12th grade, no diploma

17.0%

8.0%

High school graduate, GED, or alternative

31.7%

28.2%

Some college or associate’s degree

16.9%

27.9%

Bachelor’s degree

10.3%

18.6%

Graduate or professional degree

6.1%

11.5%

Total: 100% 100%

Female: Less than 9th grade

14.9%

5.4%

9th grade to 12th grade, no diploma

12.9%

6.9%

High school graduate, GED, or alternative

29.4%

26.9%

Some college or associate’s degree

21.7%

30.3%

Bachelor’s degree

13.1%

19.0%

Graduate or professional degree

8.0%

11.5%

Total: 100% 100%

U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census U.S. Virgin Islands.

ST. THOMAS

ST. JOHN

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GEOGRAPHY The US Virgin Islands are a group of a little more than 50 islands in the Caribbean, located at about 18.3Â°N and 64.9Â°W. The three main islands are St. Croix (207km2), St. Thomas (81km2), and St. John (50km2). Together, they are comparable in size to the Danish island of Als (311km2) in Southern Jutland, which has around 50.000 inhabitants compared to the almost 110.000 of the USVI. Like most Caribbean islands, the USVI are volcanic islands placed between the North American Plate and the Caribbean plate, which makes it an earthquake and tsunami prone area. St. Thomas and St. John are rocky islands with mountainous terrain, whereas St. Croix to the south is of coral origin and more flat. The islands are gifted with sandy, white beaches and clear water - the main attraction for many tourists. 11,5% of the land is used for agriculture, 57,4% is forest, and the last 31,1% is urban. All the islands are very green and lush due to the combination of a lot of sun with occasional heavy rainfall.7

ST. CROIX

CLIMATE The tropical climate secures stable temperatures with an average high ranging between 28°C and 32°C throughout the year. Short, but heavy rain showers are common all year round, but with more rain in August through November, which is also the hurricane season. The average annual rainfall is 1000mm, compared to an annual rainfall of 712mm in Denmark.8 TEMPERATURE (°C)

PRECIPITATION (mm)

25°

150mm

15°

100mm

5°

50mm

JAN

USVI Average High

FEB

MAR

APR

USVI Average Low

MAY

JUN

JUL

Denmark Average High

AUG

Denmark Average Low

SEP

OCT

USVI Average Rain

NOV

DEC

Denmark Average Rain

SUN

II. Atlas

Located relatively closed to the Equator, the islands experience very little difference in the seasons. The days are approximately two hours longer during summer than in the winter, though the sun is still relatively low in the sky to the south during the winter, while it is almost directly overhead, actually slightly north, during the summer solstice.9

N 330

10° 20° 30°

18:59

40°

300

50°

05:45

60°

70° 15

18:27

80°

06:33

17:49

06:47 18

240

210

120

150

S Sun diagram for St. Thomas 21.12.18 21.03.18 21.06.18

WIND The prevailing wind direction is northeast. These winds are referred to as the trade winds, since they carried the trade ships east from the African coast to the Caribbean. Winds generally pick up during the hurricane season from August to November, and last year (2017) the US Virgin Islands were devastated by two category 5 hurricanes back to back.10

N NNE

NNW 3000

NW 2000

ENE

WNW 1000

ESE

WSW

SSE

SSW

S Wind rose for St. Thomas

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Charlotte Amalie

CHARLOTTE AMALIE CAPITAL OF THE TERRITORY Charlotte Amalie is the capital and largest city of the US Virgin Islands with around 18.500 citizens. The city is located centrally on St. Thomas, nestled in at the foot of the hills with the great natural harbor to the south. Historically a vibrant center of trade protected in the deep bay, it today welcomes millions of cruise ship tourists - several ships a day. The natural boundaries - the harbor, the hills and the valleys - have always defined the city and its development. The city is divided into quarters by ghuts - canals for managing the large amounts of storm-water coming down from the mountains. The official names of the three historic quarters are: Kongens Quarter, Dronningens Quarter, and Kronprindsens Quarter. The following pages will give a more in depth describtion of Charlotte Amalie, the natural boundaries, the historical development, and the urban structure.

Settlements on St. Thomas

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Market

Danish Cemetery

SITE

Jarvis School Proposed museum Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house

Main street Emancipation park

Cultural corridor

Fort Christian

Legislature building

Main attractions in Charlotte and the Cultural Corridor

II. Atlas

Dronnings Quarter (Garden street)

Kronprindsens Quarter (Savan)

SITE

Kongens Quarter (Upstreet)

All three quarters have both an official name and a more informal name, which the locals refer to. The three quarters are from east to west: Kongens Quarter or Upstreet, Dronningens Quarter or Garden street, and Kronprindsens Quarter or Savan. Our site is located in Upstreet.

II. Atlas

Ghut adjacent to our site

The ghut after a mild rain storm

II. Atlas

URBAN DEVELOPMENT The historic development of Charlotte Amalie has happened in stages, often depending on outside influx and economic ups and downs. It is relevant to understand how the city expanded over time because it has determined the structure of the city, which also has effects on the present day demography. 1672-1760: early beginnings Early development along the main street west of the fort, following the coastline below the hills. Few plantations were scattered around in the landscape. 1760-1850: Planned expansion Continued growth along the main street, while the two first planned neighborhoods in the city are layed out as grid-structures. “Savanne” west of main street was for the growing free colored population, while “New Town” was for white laborers.

1850-1950: Economic Stagnation Despite economic decline, the population reached a high during this period. The warehouses keep extending along the waterfront and into the harbor. Further expansion into the flatter valleys. 1960-2018: The post war expansion Following an economic revival in the post war years the city experiences rapid growth with people immigrating from the US and other Caribbean islands. Uncontrolled sprawl begins, and the wealthier people move up in the hills. A new highway is built along the waterfront into the harbor. The illustrations on the following pages are based on historical maps found on the Danish National Archives.

City map of Charlotte Amalie, 1807, by F. C. V. Meley

II. Atlas SITE

1672-1760: early beginnings

SITE

1760-1850: Planned expansion

SITE

1850-1950: Economic Stagnation

SITE

1960-2018: Economic boom

II. Atlas

URBAN STRUCTURE There are three main urban structures, which are all products of the time in which they were developed, the social status of their inhabitants, and the terrain: The main street Dense urban setting following the coastline. Wealthy merchants lived here, and it is the most well-preserved part of town today and serves as a shopping street with duty-free jewelery. The grid Neighborhoods laid out in grid structures. Planned for the free colored and labor workers, and today both areas are troubled neighborhoods with high levels of unemployment and crime. Houses in the hills Organic development following the contours of the hills. The wealthiest and most powerful historically lived above the city. To some extent, this is still the case today.

SITE

The main street

SITE

The grid

SITE

The houses in the hills

II. Atlas

Mainstreet, dense urban setting

Upstreet neighborhood, grid structure

Houses scattered about in the hills

View down Prindsens Gade with houses in the hills in the background.

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HOSPITAL GROUNDS THE NEIGHBORHOOD Situated in a bowl at the foot of the hills, our site - The Lionel Roberts Stadium - constitutes the border between the historical neighborhood of New Town and the newer areas in the hills - altogether named Upstreet (Kongens Quarter) .The neighborhood is centered around the sports field, both physically and socially, as most of the social activities takes place here. The area is close to, yet significantly different from, the downtown of Charlotte Amalie. In contrast to the well preserved merchant homes and warehouses of Main Street, Hospital Grounds is a strange mixture of historic buildings in disrepair, large modern concrete buildings, and wooden sheds. There is a huge variation in functions, urban structures, building typoligies and building heights. The baseball field in the middle of the area is an intermediary element that ties the differences together.

The ballpark with Knud Hansen Memorial Hospital and the hills in the background

II. Atlas BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

Sheds

Villas

Public institutions

Building blocks

FUNCTIONS

Housing

Mixed use

Commercial

Civic

II. Atlas HEIGHTS

1 story

2 stories

3+ stories

PARKING AND CIRCULATION

Parking

One-way streets

Bus

Ghuts

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EXAMINING THE GRID Based on plans of the area by C.P. Hingelberg in 1834, we have been able to examine and compare the historic and the current layout of the neighborhood immideately south of our site. The area consists of 4 blocks with Hospital Line Road to the north. The street was called “Hospitalets og Byens Linie” back in 1834, and it marked the end of the city and the beginning of the hospital grounds, which encompassed the marching ground - the current day sports field. The analysis on the next pages show that many of the old and smaller building have been replaced with significantly larger structures, though the layout of the parcels has remained largely unchanged. Some parcels have been joined together, while the biggest change is that many of the alleyways traversing the area north-south (historically referred to as “frigang”) have disappeared. Similarly, the parcels on Hospital Line Road extend further north today than in 1834, while the buildings follow the historical parcels. The question is if the road in front should be part of the parcels or not. Houses were historically built along the street - i.e. they were not set back, which is often the case with newer buildings, as they wish to accommodate parking in front of the houses. Buildings on the corners of the blocks define them very clearly, and they often house businesses such as small grocery stores or bars.

SITE

Hospital Line Road

Bjerge Gade

Hospital Gade

Prindsens Gade

Dronningens Ga de

Kongens Gade

Norre Gade

Existing buildings

Parcels

Building outlines 1834

Historic parcels 1834

THE GRID

II. Atlas 1834 - Buildings

1834 - Parcels

1834 - Street scape and alleys

2018 - Buildings

2018 - Parcels

2018 - Street scape and alleys

Buildings

Parcels

Streets and alleyways

Parcels

Buildings

Overgrown ghut Buildings Parcels

1834 - Buildings on street

1834 - Buildings on corners

1834 - Outdoor space

2018 - Buildings on street

2018 - Buildings on corners

2018 - Outdoor space

Building facing street

Buildings on corner

Outdoor area

Other buildings

Buildings

Parcels

Historic parcel extend

II. Atlas EXPERIENCED SECTION, NORTH-SOUTH

Hospital ground Rd.

Knud Hansen memorial hospital Lionel Roberts stadium Hospital ground Rd. Old hospital street Hospi

ital line Prindsens gade Dronningens gade

Moravian church Kongens gade Norre gade

Veterans drive

II. Atlas EXPERIENCED SECTION, EAST-WEST

Government hill

Hospital ground road

Lionel Robe

erts stadium

Winston Raymo recreational center Bjerge gade Danus gade

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ROUND DE FIELD THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT The field is bordered by four roads, and along the wall surrounding the field are tall crooked mahogany trees, lined up with varying distances in between them. To the north are two old hospital complexes housing two public institutions, The Department of Health and Human Services. Although they create a lot of jobs and have people coming and going, they constitute a hard edge with walls and closed facades. To the east is the Recreational Center with a lot of activites that contributes to a vibrant atmosphere in the street. The houses along Hospital Line Road to the south are all retracted on their parcels, which creates a less spatial street scape. Most of the houses are residential, but there is an auto repair in the middle with many cars parked in front. To the east is a dissolved street scape with only a few houses and sheds and two old cemeteries.

Looking down Bjerge Gade; the recreational center to the left and Lionel Roberts Stadium to the right.

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SECTIONS The sections on the following pages move around the field clock-wise from the south-west corner always with the field on the left hand side, and they illustrate the different situations and atmospheres. Sections often reveal more layers than what is experienced on site - layers that impact the experience and reveal unseen contexts and motifs. A reoccurring observation is the many longitudinal layers that rarely cross each other. You always move along the stadium walls, except for section #4 which goes through one of the two entrances to the field. Section #2 and #3 illustrate the potential in the spatial transitions and relations from the field, through the stands and the spaces underneath to the street. Another observation is that the need for a plane surface to for sports is a challenge in this hilly context. There is a slope from the north-east corner to the south-west corner, and the leveling out creates a situation where the field is 2 m lower than the street to the north (section #5 and #6), and almost 2 m above the street to the south and west (sections #1,#2, #7, and #8). It is a challenge to negotiate the enclosed plane surface in the sloping terrain without creating a large physical barrier.

Entrance to the old Moravian cemetery northwest of the stadium

l Grou nd Rd . Hosp ita

Old Danish cemetery

Knud Hansen memorial hospital (Human Services)

Old danish hospital (Department of Health)

Old Moravian cemetery

Bus stop

Old Ho spital R d.

#6 #5

Food truck

Marys Delight Food truck

#4 Lionel Roberts stadium Winston Raymo Recreational Center

#3 #1

Fish market

Bus stop

Hospital Line Rd. Bar Auto repair

Bjerge Gade

Ghut

Parking

II. Atlas SECTION 1

Field

Concession stall

Hospital line Rd.

Bar

Auto repair

SECTION 2

Field

Stands

Hospital line Rd.

Sidewalk

Private house

II. Atlas SECTION 3

Field

Stands

Bjerge Gade

Bus stop

W.R. center

Basketball court

SECTION 4

Field

Driveway Bjerge Gade

W.R. center

II. Atlas SECTION 5

Field

Old Hospital Rd.

Old Danish hospital

SECTION 6

Field

Old Hospital Rd.

Knud Hansen Memorial Hospital

II. Atlas SECTION 7

Field

Food truck Hospital Ground Rd.

SECTION 8

Field

Hospital Ground Rd. Sidewalk

Private house

II. Atlas

Serial vision along Hospital Line Road, corresponding to section 1 and 2

Serial vision along Bjerge Gade, corresponding to section 3 and 4

II. Atlas

Serial vision along Old Hospital Road, corresponding to section 5 and 6

Serial vision along Hospital Ground Road, corresponding to section 7 and 8

II. Atlas

camp mer Sum d Practice an P.E

Au g r tembe Sep Po ten t No ve

ctice n pra aso -se ber January oďŹ&#x20AC; ecem ial er D b m

ry ua

ch Mar

Octob er

Fe br

Little Le a g u e Bas eba ll

arnival and C erts c n Co

July

June

t us

Recreat iona l ce nte ra ct April

es iti iv

Annual activity cycle

ACTIVITIES THE LIFE OF ROUND DE FIELD The area is vibrant with a lot of people in the streets. A number of food trucks and small bars along the perimeter of the stadium serve as gathering points for unemployed and retirees during the day. Here they play dominoes, drink, and talk, and the atmosphere from these places spreads into the surrounding streets. There are also a lot of young men loitering in the streets, and many of them are involved in drug use or dealing. Youth unemployment and lack of education is a problem for the neighborhood. This negative presence has given the neighborhood a bad reputation, and people are warned about going to the area. Ever since the site was laid out as an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;exercise plotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; back in the early 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, it has been used for sports. The main activity has changed from cricket to baseball since the islands were transfered to the US, but it has always been a gathering point for a variety of activities and events. Many great boxing-champions have been developed through the years, including the world champions Emile Griffith and Jesse Jackson, and the people from the neighborhood still talk about the time Muhammad Ali came to fight at the stadium. Numerous great baseball and basketball players have also come out the area, and the stories of these legends are still alive among the locals, along with the stories of when they, themselves, played at the field during their childhood. A range of different activities take place here over the course of the week, and many different groups use the facilities in the area. The activities in the recreational center span from basketball practice and fitness to cooking classes and computer lessons for both the elderly and kids. The stadium is used by local schools and little league teams, as well as for soccer practice. In addition to the weekly activities, there are annual events, such as big sports games, carnival, concerts and summer camp, that all require different things from the facilities. These events are important identity markers for many people in the community.

FOOD TRUCK Function Small food truck that serves a warm meal for lunch on a daily basis. Time of use A few people hang out around the truck during the day. Capacity 10m2 kitchen + 6m2 outdoor serving area Ownership Private

FISH MARKET Function Installed with water hoses the small pavilion hosts the local fishmarket every weekend, and works as a garage and carwash for the rest of the week. Time of use Saturdays and Sundays from 6 - 11 a.m. and all day the rest of the week. Capacity 90m2 outdoor Ownership Private / public BORICUA BAR Function Small bar that sells drinks, snacks and cigarettes. Time of use There is a group of regulars hanging out here most of the day - not much traffic. Capacity 10m2 indoor + 5m2 outdoor serving area Ownership Private

MARYS DELIGHT Function Small food truck serving hot meals and drinks. Attracts a lot of locals for a drink and a game of domino in the shade. Time of use There are people hanging around all day and at night. Capacity 13m2 kitchen + 25m2 outdoor serving area Ownership Private RECREATIONAL CENTER Function The most active recreational center on the island accommodating computer classes, cooking classes, weightlifting, basketball training and summer camps. Time of use A few activities in the morning, most activities in the afternoon. Capacity 500m2 indoor + 2200m2 outdoor Ownership Public LIONEL ROBERTS STADIUM Function Baseball, soccer, carnival, concerts, and shows are being held in the stadium. Underneath the stands are spaces formerly used for boxing, a small cafe and storage for tools. North of the stands is a building that was once used for offices, now also storage, and to the west is a concession stall. Time of use Some schools use the field for PE i the morning and in the afternoon there is baseball and soccer practice and occasionally little league baseball matches. Capacity 700m2 stands (1600 seats) + 700m2 dressing room, cafe and storage, 60m2 office and storage, 44m2 concession stall.

Ownership Public

II. Atlas

Food truck

Fish market

Boricua bar

Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delight - Food truck

Winston Raymo Recreational Center

Lionel Roberts Stadium

II. Atlas

SHADE

The illustration above highlights the shadows from trees and buildings, and the white dots show where people stay. People tend to stay in the shade during the day, as the sun is very warm. Shade is obviously important, and as seen on the illustration above, there are many tree canopies creating shaded spaces beneath. Similarly, people reside under the many covered outdoor spaces such as porches, shed roofs, and pavilions.

Man sitting in the shade under a pavilion under a tree

II. Atlas

ENTRANCES AND WALLS

On this illustration, all entrances and gates are pointed out, and elements in the area experienced as physical boundaries are emphasized as a contrast to this. The impenetrable wall around the field, with its very few entrances, is a huge barrier in the area - more closed than regular buildings hence creating big distances and dividing the area. To go across the field from west to east is 130m, but with the wall it is necessary to walk around the periphery which makes the trip 250m - almost double.

Picture from around 1906 showing the field without the wall around it. It seems more like a public park.

Picture from 2018 with the wall. It was most likely put up around 1959 to secure admission fees for big games.

II. Atlas

BUILDING CULTURE OF THE USVI A MELTING POT OF TRADITIONS Architecture on the US Virgin Islands has, similarly to the architecture on other Caribbean islands, been influenced by three major factors: building tradition, available materials, and climatic conditions. The historical building culture here is rooted in Danish and Northern European traditions, which over time has been adapted to the local environment and influenced by settlers from other European countries, especially the French. Early on, the subjects of shade, cooling and ventilation, and hurricane resistance were integrated into the architectural vocabulary. Despite influence from the outside, the building tradition of the USVI is quite unique and consistent due to a rather strict building code developed as a response to a number of fires in the early 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Another reason for the rather uniform expression of the architecture in the former colony is the large amount of brick imported from Denmark. Many slaves were trained as bricklayers, and plantation owners generally trained and used their best slaves as craftsmen. Both the Danish West-Indian Company and The Moravian community taught Danish, German, and Czechoslovakian building methods to the enslaved, and the most skilled of these craftsmen were given apprentices in order to pass down their skills. Today, many of the historical buildings are in bad disrepair. New methods of building have been imported to the island during the 20th century, a tendency that has pushed out the traditional crafts - those needed to maintain and restore them old buildings. This shift is very visible in the architecture, and it is easy to distinguish structures built before the American purchase from those built after. This chapter will describe the traditional and modern building methods, the material palette, and the architectural elements used to deal with the climatic condition.

II. Atlas

Old buildings in the vicinity of the site

New buildings in the vicinity of the site

II. Atlas

HISTORICAL BUILDING METHOD Historically, the two most common construction types were brick buildings and wooden timber frame houses - and it is not uncommon to see structures with a masoned ground floor and a wooden first floor. Forts, plantations, merchant villas, and warehouses were predominantly made from brick, while houses and sheds in the residential areas, especially in Savan and Upstreet, were usually made from wood. The brick buildings were often a mixture of Danish brick and the local stone, â&#x20AC;&#x153;blue bitchâ&#x20AC;?, as fill, while the timber frames were clad with wood boards or wood shingles. Floor slabs and roof structures were timber, while the main roofing material was, and still is, corrugated metal. Most of the remaining historical buildings in Charlotte Amalie were built after the last great fire in 1832, and the predominant style is classicism. Heights generally vary between one and two stories with a few exceptions, and cornices and material transitions create clear horizontal divisions in the facades. Other strong characteristics of the facades are symmetry and strict rhythms of the openings. Roofs are typically hipped, which is a pragmatic response to the strong winds that the islands are exposed to occasionally. The hipped roofs allows the wind to blow over the houses. The traditional building culture is rich on architectural elements and features responding to the climate. Cornices, shutters, jealousies, and covered balconies are seen all over Charlotte Amalie. It is especially worth noticing that balconies historically were attached on the outside of the buildings, whereas they are often recessed on modern ones. All the elements are very decorative, but they all have functional purposes, which will be explained later.

Hipped roof

Wood structure

Load bearing facades

Attached balconies

Wood floor slab Wood structure and wood facade Load bearing facades

Axon: Historical building method

II. Atlas

MODERN BUILDING METHOD Since the American purchase of the islands, modern building methods have slowly substituted the old crafts. The introduction of steel and concrete gave rise the new structural systems and possibilities, and today the post-and-beam system is the most common method of building. Concrete blocks, typically measuring 40cm x 20cm x 20cm, are used as infill between the concrete frames, which like the floor slabs are cast on site. The building blocks often are set back a few centimeters from the frame, which highlights the structure, and this is sometimes emphasized further through a differentiation in color. Buildings made entirely from in-situ cast concrete are also seen around the island, though these structures are less common. As mentioned previously, the post-and-beam has opened up new possibilities, and this has changed the appearance of the buildings significantly, though many architectural elements such as cornices, the hipped roofs, shutters etc still remain part of the building culture. Window openings are generally larger and more horizontal rather than vertical, and the facades are more loosely organized than the historical ones. Buildings built in the 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are more in touch with the historical styles, while houses built around the rapid expansion in the 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s took inspiration from many other traditions due to a large influx of both American and other Caribbean islands.

Hipped roof

Wood structure

Post and beam concrete structure

Concrete block infill

Concrete slab

Post and beam concrete structure

Concrete block infill

Axon: Modern building method

II. Atlas

MATERIAL PALETTE The following text describes the materials used on the islands, both historically and today. Building supplies have always been imported to the islands, since there are few locally available materials. Brick The Flensborg brick, which is the most common brick format in Charlotte Amalie, is yellow and rather porous, so it ideally needs to be plastered in order to withstand the coastal climate on the islands. The chalk used for mortar was historically made from burnt beach shells and corals, sand and water. Today, brick is only used for repairing and restoring historical buildings, and the bricks are predominantly from the Dominican Republic, which is the closest manufacturer of brick, and the US mainland. Paint and colors Due to the harsh climate, most buildings on the islands are plastered and painted. The traditional colors are ochre, oxide-red, black and umber (which is similar to ochre, but darker), and they are still often seen today, though new brighter colors have been introduced with plastic paint. Stone The only materials extracted on the US Virgin Islands are the volcanic stone blue bitch and coral stone. Blue bitch is a very hard blue basalt stone quarried on St. Thomas, and the name derives from the fact that it is extremely tough to cut. It was historically used as fill inside brick walls, while it is used as aggregate in concrete today. The coral stone is cut in quarries on St. Croix, and it is a more porous stone often used for foundations in historical buildings due to its ability to absorb and release moisture. This helps cool the buildings.

100

Top row: the yellow Flensborg brick and the local rock, blue bitch. Below: Facades painted in the traditional colors; ochre and oxide-red.

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II. Atlas Wood Early settlers favored wood as a building material, because it is well suited for the tropical climate as it releases heat quickly after the sun is gone. Most of the rainforest on the USVI was cleared during the early colonial period to make way for plantations and for the production of construction timber. Today, wood is imported from the United States mainland or other Caribbean islands. Mahogany, which is still common in the territory, was traditionally used for roof structures, shutters, doors and window lintels, and furniture because of its natural properties. It is a hardwood with a density around 650kg/m3, and it is resistant to both termites and the humid weather. Concrete Concrete is the most widely used material on the island today. It is used both in the structural post-and-beam systems, but also to make the concrete blocks to fill in between the beams. Concrete is generally cast on site, and pre-cast elements are less common. Blue bitch is usually used as the aggregate. Metal Cast iron has historically been used a lot in Charlotte Amalie, especially for details such as brackets, hinges and railings. It is less common today, though some times still seen used for railings and other small details. Steel is used for structural purposes in many larger structures around the US Virgin Islands - the old Lionel Roberts Stadium from 1958 is a great example. Metal is also used for rebar in concrete, and corrugated metal is used for roofs throughout the territory on all types of buildings. Metal is imported from the US mainland, and there is a company on St. Croix that rolls metal in different profiles for roofing.

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Top: Wooden roof structure. Middle: Wood shingle and wood board facade. Bottom: steel structure

103

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS II. Atlas

Jalousies Jalousies are adjustable louvers used to control ventilation. They are often preferred over glass windows and are predominantly made from different kinds and colors of plastic - some are even transparent. An insect screen on the inside prevents animals and insects from getting in, while air can flow through. Both windows and doors are equipped with jalousies. Jalousies are used on both old and new buildings, and they are often accompanied by shutters on the facade to protect them from wind and debris during hurricanes.

104

Different examples of louver windows

105

II. Atlas

perforations Perforations allow for ventilation and circulation of air, while they block out the sun. In contrast to the jealousies, the perforations are built into the wall and are not adjustable. The material most often have a depth, which considers the sun angle. The size and shape of the openings and depth of the materials means a lot to both the function and aesthetics. Decorative patterns and colors make the perforations important visual elements of the facades on which they are used. Transparency is also an interesting aspect of this architectural element. Perforations are mostly seen on modern buildings.

106

Different examples of perforations

107

II. Atlas

Shutters Shutters are traditional elements used throughout Charlotte Amalie on both new and old buildings. They are operable elements installed in window openings with the purpose of keeping the sun out and protecting the house during storms. Shutters are installed in front of either windows, jalousies, or insect screens, while they occasionally cover nothing but an opening. The majority of the shutters are made from wood - often painted in contrasting colors to the building. This gives them a strong visual appearance, and they become decorative elements on the facade.

108

Different examples of window shutters

109

II. Atlas

balconies and arcades Covered balconies, access balconies, and arcades all provide covered outdoor spaces protected from both rain and sun. The covered balconies are the most common of the above mentioned elements, and they provide shade to both the ground floor and first floor windows too. W0od and cast iron are traditionally the materials used for both railings, brackets, and columns. Many of the older balconies feature intricate details and ornaments, especially the ones in cast iron. Modern houses often have balconies recessed into the building rather than attached on the facade.

110

Different examples of balconies

111

II. Atlas

Pavilions Pavilions and covered outdoor spaces are commonly used for markets and other public events on the US Virgin Islands. They provide shelter from both sun and rain, and the open structure allows strong winds to pass over and under the roof. The roof shapes vary from the traditional hipped roof to more sculptural shapes. The supporting structure is either wood or steel anchored on solid concrete bases. Like other roofs, the preferred material is the red corrugated steel. Similarly to the balconies, intricate details and ornaments are often used on these structures.

112

Different examples of pavilions

113

II. Atlas

cornices Cornices are horizontal details running along the facade in order to lead rain water away from the wall. Often aligned with the floor slab and visually differentiated from the rest of the facade, they create strong horizontal bonds along the facade. The cornice is a common detail in Charlotte Amalie, which gives the buildings a certain expression. Cornices on historical buildings are brick with plaster details, while some newer buildings extend their concrete floor slabs beyond the exterior to emphasize the cornice.

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Different examples of cornices

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III. REPORT

III. Report

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PROGRAM BACKGROUND The neighborhood is designated as an enterprise zone by the Enterprise Zone Commission (EZC), which is a government branch created to revitalize distressed communities. This means that there is a special focus on creating economic growth and developing a more vibrant community. The EZC works closely with the local community organization “We From Upstreet” in the effort to rejuvenate the neighborhood. These efforts culminated in the spring of 2014, when 4 charette meetings were held. Local stakeholders, architects, politicians, and everyone in the community were invited to discuss the subjects of “history and culture”, “environmental impacts and infrastructural challenges”, “social issues and housing”, and “economic development”. The community expressed a wish to develop the Hospital Grounds area with a focus on activating the youth and creating a more vibrant area with opportunities for small businesses to grow. Some specific wishes were: a new school, a sports hub and stadium, a farmer’s and fish market, and a business incubator. The final product of the charette was a master plan finalized by an American planning firm. The plan (illustrated on the next page) proposes a state of the art stadium and sports hub with the intention to develop talented athletes from all of over the USVI and to attract professional baseball teams from the US mainland during the off-season for training and promotional tournaments to generate revenue. After talking to different stakeholders, reading the transcripts from the charettes, and experiencing the neighborhood, the plan for the area seem more like a political prestige project rather than a project that actually seeks to accommodate and preserve the existing community. Our program and project is a response to this, and we wish to make a proposal that balances the different interests; those of the politicians and those of the community.

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CRITIQUE AND INTENTIONS In our opinion, the suggested plan prioritizes larger commercial interests over the interests of the local community. The stadium seem to only accommodate high intensity use, not activating the street on a daily basis and therefore potentially leaving it empty most of the time. It dissolves the urban structure of the neighborhood by closing and redirecting numerous roads, while also planning to demolish and relocate the existing recreational center, the Knud Hansen Memorial Hospital, and several homes. In a situation where economic resources are rather scarce, this sounds wasteful and disrespectful to the people and history of the community. Based on our reading and understanding of the neighborhood, our project is an attempt to design a stadium, which will embrace the community and become an active part of it. As the last stop on the Cultural Corridor, it should also welcome the rest of Charlotte Amalie and St. Thomas in. The intentions behind the program are: â&#x20AC;˘

To activate the building throughout the day and the week by creating spaces that promote multiple uses and by having program elements overlap. This will hopefully create both physical and visual connections and bring the various users together, to connect and interact with each other.

â&#x20AC;˘

To relate to both the street and the sports field and to create a connection between the two.

â&#x20AC;˘

To find the balance between the institutionalized and the unorganized in order to make it a natural extension of the community.

More specifically, the program consists of four main elements facilitating both cultural and recreational activities. Each element encompasses a range of functions or sub-elements that can be used or borrowed by the other main programs. These four elements, which will be described in the following, are: a sports hub, a stadium, a community space, and a business section.

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Implemen

2 3

5 7

Design and illustration by Coastal Systems USVI, inc.: 1: Stadium. 2: Winston Raymo Community Center. 3: Vocational School. 4: Arrival square. 5: Fish & Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market. 6: Boulevard Park. 7: Relocated homes

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SPORTS HUB Function: The sports hub consists of several different sports facilities. The sports courts and field are open for public use unless games are planned. The boxing and fitness facilities are open for public use during the day with storage for equipment to be used during classes or games. The local schools will use the facilities for physical education (PE). Users: Mostly the local community and local schools. Sub-elements: Locker rooms, dug-out, equipment storage, and toilets. Overlapping program: The locker rooms are also used by the stadium during larger sports games, the covered sports court can be used for concerts or other events.

Private

Public

Flexible use

Fixed use

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Sports courts

Swimming pool

Dance room

Boxing room

Fitness room

Sports ďŹ eld

Storage

Dug-out

Locker rooms

Ticket booth

Street kitchen

OďŹ&#x192;ces

Meeting room

Study space

Market space

Covered hang-out area

Congregation space

Stands

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STADIUM Functions: The stadium consists of stands that hold around 2500 spectators around the large sports field. Games are played on afternoons, a few days a week. The main sport is baseball, though football and soccer games also take place here. Users: Depending on the teams playing, people come from all over the island. The stadium is also used during the carnival. Sub-elements: Stands (capacity of 2500), ticket booth, concession stall, locker rooms, dug-out, equipment storage, commentator box, toilets Overlapping program: The street kitchen can be used as a concession stall. Toilet facilities can be used as public bathrooms during markets. Locker rooms can be used for the other sports facilities - fitness, boxing, dance and swimming too.

Private

Public

Flexible use

Fixed use

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Sports courts

Swimming pool

Dance room

Boxing room

Fitness room

Sports ďŹ eld

Storage

Dug-out

Locker rooms

Ticket booth

Street kitchen

OďŹ&#x192;ces

Meeting room

Study space

Market space

Covered hang-out area

Congregation space

Stands

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COMMUNITY SPACES Functions: The extended community spaces should be flexible and able to accommodate different community events - markets, concerts, meeting etc. It can compliment the spaces at the community center and the potential new school. Users: Mostly the local community and local farmers and fishermen, who sell their goods at the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market. Sub-elements: Market and congregation space, meeting room, study area, covered hang out area, a kitchen and storage for collapsible tables and benches. Overlapping program: The market place can extend into the entry space of the stadium if needed, and the covered sports court can be used for a stage setup during carnival. The meeting rooms and study areas are also used by the business section.

Private

Public

Flexible use

Fixed use

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Sports courts

Swimming pool

Dance room

Boxing room

Fitness room

Sports ďŹ eld

Storage

Dug-out

Locker rooms

Ticket booth

Street kitchen

OďŹ&#x192;ces

Meeting room

Study space

Market space

Covered hang-out area

Congregation space

Stands

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BUSINESS SECTION Functions: Street kitchens and office space for local entrepreneurs to rent and run their business from. A small business can rent a desk or an office space and used some shared facilities. Users: Local entrepreneurs can rent spaces for their business. Sub-elements: Kitchen, meeting rooms, a makers space, a study area, copyroom, and storage. Overlapping program: The street kitchen can be used as a concession stall during games, which can provide more business for the owners. The study area and meeting rooms can also be used by the community.

Private

Public

Flexible use

Fixed use

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Sports courts

Swimming pool

Dance room

Boxing room

Fitness room

Sports ďŹ eld

Storage

Dug-out

Locker rooms

Ticket booth

Street kitchen

OďŹ&#x192;ces

Meeting room

Study space

Market space

Covered hang-out area

Congregation space

Stands

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MASTERPLAN The goal of the masterplan is to embed the program into the context to improve the street life around Hospital Line Road and to connect it with the Cultural Corridor. In contrast to the scheme proposed by the authorities, the masterplan keeps as much of the existing building mass as possible.

Parkin g

As part of the Cultural Corridor, The Jarvis School complex will be restored and turned into an art school for traditional crafts, visual arts, music, and dance. It will also house several workshops. A park across the street will be a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; arrival to the stadium and be an extension of the ghut, which will become a green corridor with pedestrian access.

Hospit al

The stadium entry and the market are placed on the western part of the site to welcome the Cultural Corridor into the community, while the sports facilities are placed centrally in the building to contribute to visible life in the street. The eastern part will house the shared office spaces and public study area, which will be in close proximity to the community center (the old recreational center) and a proposed new school on the corner of Bjerge Gade. The entries to the structure are marked in the paving, which extends across the street creating pedestrian crossings and speed bumps.

Groun d Road

The masterplan proposes making Hospital Line a two-way street with street parking on one side and sidewalks on both. The south side should be mixed use with businesses on the ground floor. This will help improve the quality and safety of the street life and get more eyes on the street.

Covered swimming pool

Jarvis School Complex

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Cultural Corridor

Stadium entry

Market & street kitchens

Mixed use

Arrival park Green corridor

Human Services

Department of Health

100m t rack

Playground

Sports field

Hospital Line Road Mixed use

Mixed use

Covered sports court

Offices & public study area

Mixed use

Bjerge Gade

Fitness and boxing

Community center & daycare

New school

Parking

Site plan 1:1000

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CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT CELEBRATING THE PLACE The building should be a monument for the island without being an alien for the community. It is a balancing act to create something the whole island will take pride in and that can potentially draw tourists from the main street area into the neighborhood, without being too institutional and excluding local business and involvement. The way to achieve this could be to draw on the existing stories and motifs and to celebrate the specific characteristics of the place. This chapter will go through the process of how the main concepts of the building were developed, and how they all derive from motifs that were discovered during the site visit.

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THE WALL The name of the area â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Round de Fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; refers to the relationship between the field and the area around it, both in a social and programmatic sense, but also as a physical motif and presence. The name points directly to the transition point between the field and the street, and this point is manifested in the wall. This reveals that there is a motif in the wall structure as an element that constitutes the area around it. This calls for a design of an overall shape of the structure encircling the field that focuses on the strength and monumentality of the form and on the impact on the surrounding streets.

The wall

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THE HINGE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Round de Fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; points not only to the shape of the whole structure, it also describes the actual transition between the field and the surroundings. The structure encircling the field relates to both the field and the street, and it becomes a connecting hinge. The existing wall around the ball park is an almost impenetrable structure that does not give much back to either the field or the street. There is an unresolved potential of creating life in the street and making connections between the two sides. The situations around the ball park vary a lot, just as the suggested programmes, so the section must be able to adapt to different situations and demands.

Activate relations

Shade

Permeability

Inclusive programme

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THE PLATEAU By being placed in a bowl at the foot of the hills with the demand of an even surface on which to practice sports, the ballpark creates a plateau. The terrain slopes from the north/east corner to the south/west and the ballpark height is approximately 2m below the street to the north and approximately 2m above the street to the south. The existing wall surrounding the ballpark negotiates the slope by stepping down the hill on the west side, but the intention of this project is to create a horizontal line that will work as a reference line for the slope, but also emphasize the plateau it surrounds.

The current stepping negotiation of the landscape

A clear horizontal line highlighting the landscape

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The plateau in the landscape

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THE SHAPE The following study investigates how the motif of the wall structure and the overall form can be developed. It negotiates the extent to which the shape can be dissolved in order to relate more to the scale of the context, create permeability, and adapt different functions without loosing its monumentality and the sense of it being a unifying structure. It also reveals what happens, when different shapes and masses are introduced to the structure of the existing context. Some suggestions seem to enhance existing situations by emphasizing patterns or structures, while some overrule the context and seem out of place.

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INHABITING THE SHAPE The development of how to inhabit the shape led to defining three basic elements: 1. The retaining wall 2. The outer facade 3. Programmed boxes The retaining wall is necessary to establish the plateau on the slope and could either be straight or make folds to create small niches and incorporate program. The outer facade constitutes the extent of the building towards the street, either straight or folded, and creates shaded space in between the different programs. The support functions of the program, such as storage, changing rooms etc., are fragmented into smaller boxes to better meet the scale of the surrounding urban structure, and to subdivide the large space into more defined spaces. The boxes can be part of the folding retaining wall or free standing structures in the space between the retaining wall and the outer facade. The idea is to create an all encompassing concept for the whole structure with a strong shape that can incorporate different program and adapt to the different street situations.

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#1: The retaining wall folds to create niches, while the outer facade maintains a strong shape. The boxes are detached.

#2: The retaining wall folds around the boxes and embeds them, while the outer facade maintains a strong shape.

#3: The retaining wall maintains a strong shape, while the outer facade folds around boxes, which create spaces between them.

#4: Both the retaining wall and outer facade maintains a strong shape. The boxes are detached.

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CONCEPT In the final concept, the three elements were further refined: The retaining wall surrounding the field constitutes the back wall, while concrete floor slabs create different levels following the landscape. These levels also serve as spatial elements that people and structures can sit on. In situ cast concrete is a well developed local craft and could be done with the local blue bitch as aggregate to create a blueish terrazzo surface. Two rows of columns, made from standard steel profiles, extend all the way around the field. These two rows create a shaded colonnade, which become the unifying structure for the project. Steel is imported in standard profiles and has a the strength to support the structure, while not creating to much surface for the wind to catch. The third element is the wooden boxes, built as a simple timber structures with a reference to the small wooden sheds in the surrounding streets. The boxes are placed on the concrete steps and could be built by local carpenters. A large roof of corrugated steel panels follows the columns all the way around, extending out to create space for the program need below. The idea is to create a balance between the institutionalized and the self-made, both in the use of the building and in the building process. In the following chapter the development of these and other elements will be further elaborated upon.

Blue bitch surface

White steel column

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Local wooden shed

The roof

The colonnade

The boxes

The concrete landscape

The plateau

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THE SECTION A TECTONIC APPROACH As shown in the atlas, much of this project lies in the section. The concept of the strong and unifying shape defining the ballpark emphasizes this, as it creates a long and narrow building. The cross-section is of special importance, and it needs to conform to a range of different situations negotiating the landscape and containing the different functions placed within it. The southwest corner consists of the stadium section, the most complicated of the sections (A), and was the point of departure for investigating the structural concept. Several different structural and tectonic principles were tested in model. The intention is to develop a rational tectonic expression with a clear hierarchy between the structural members that could be adjusted to accommodate all the different situations around the field. Therefore, it was also important that the stadium expression did not become too dominating. I

F A

Structural plan with section arrows highlighting the different sections - Some sections are rather similar situations, hence the same naming

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+11m

+8.5m Section A

+11m +9.5m Section B

+11m +10m Section C

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+11m

+10.5m Section D

Section E

+12.5m

+12m +11m

+11m Section F

Section G

+13m +11m

Section H

Section I

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Study model of the stadium section

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Study model of the stadium section

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Two of the early section sketches were chosen and further developed. After a talk with an engineer, the structural principle was simplified to achieve a more subtle and rational section as shown above.

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As the section was developed more in detail, we found the chosen structural principle to be too restraining, especially as we wanted to work with rain water collection. It became clear that water management had to be a more integral part of the structure, and a new sketching process began.

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The final structural principle has a clear hierarchy and consists of a central column with two smaller members holding up the folding roof. This fold articulates the rain water collection. This is the overall principle, and the members are dimensioned and adapted to the various situations in section.

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Stadium section 1:100

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THE EXTERIOR EXPRESSING A CLIMATIC APPROACH From the very beginning of the project, the climatic conditions and how to handle them played a large role in the project. Working with the exterior has been a balance between creating a contemporary expression and utilizing simple technical solutions. The term exterior covers both the facade and the roof, and it is to be understood as a permeable climate screen. It should provide shade for the interior spaces, allow the air to flow through to ensure ventilation, and keep the rain out. The climate screen has been developed on the basis of the atlas, applying our knowledge of the current local building methods and available materials, while taking inspiration from the traditional ways of building and handling the climate with lowtech solutions. “Architecture can only be sustained today as a critical practice if it assumes an arriére-garde position, that is to say, one which distances itself equally from the Enlightenment myth of progress and from a reactionary, unrealistic impulse to return to the architectonic forms of the preindustrial past. A critical arriére-garde has to remove itself from both the optimization of advanced technology and the ever-present tendency to regress into nostalgic historicism or the glibly decorative.” (Frampton 1983, p. 20)11 The following pages show the initial process of developing the facade - investigating how to express the facade as a “skin” through column rhythms, and how to sub-divide it and make openings. After this, a shadow analysis of our structure serves as an introduction to the main elements of the exterior; the facade, the roof, and the rain water collection system.

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COLUMN RHYTHM

In this layout of the two rows of columns that are repeated all the way around the field, the main structure and the facade structure, line up in every module. The expression becomes very stringent and redundant, and they appear to be part of the same structure even though they handle two different tasks.

The idea of this layout is that every fourth of the small columns (facade structure) lines up with every third of the large columns (main structure). It creates a more subtle rythm in the facade and softens the stringency of the module within an organized pattern. In some cases it reveals and frames the structure behind, and it makes it possible to make exceptions and thereby emphasize the entrances to the building.

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Study of how to articulate openings or breaks in the facade

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SUN STUDY, DECEMBER 21ST This study shows that the sun is rather low in the sky most of the day and always coming from the south. There is a need for screening off the sun at all times of the day on the south facing facade, while the west facing facade requires shade in the afternoon.

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SUN STUDY, MARCH 21ST At the equinox, the sun is high enough in the sky that the roof overhang provides enough shade for the south facade. Shading is needed in the morning on the east facade and in the afternoon on the west facade.

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SUN STUDY, JUNE 21ST At the summer solstice, the sun is slightly north and very high in the sky. No shade is needed for the spaces below the stands, but shading is needed on the west and north facade in the afternoon for the areas not covered by stands.

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FACADE SYSTEM The facade is inspired by the louver windows seen throughout the USVI and consists of large panels of louvers. The panels are made from boards of local mahogany installed in a steel frame, which is mounted onto the outer row of columns. Ideally, local craftsmen should be able to make the panels using wood from the mahogany trees that fell during the hurricanes and the trees that needs to be cut down on site. The sun studies, shown on the previous pages, served as a tool to understand the angle and direction of the sun and helped inform our design. The louvers must be horizontal and not vertical; vertical louvers would not shade sufficiently, as the sun moves around the building. The facade needs to block out the sun at an angle of 300. The louvers are dimensioned after the width of the columns and have a set depth of 125mm. Parameters such as the angle of the individual louvers and the distance between them determines the openness and expression of the facade and material usage. A smaller angle requires a shorter distance between each member to keep out the sun and therefore a higher material usage in comparison the a larger angle. Angle: 00 Distance: 70mm # louvers: 64

Angle: 150 Distance: 115mm # louvers: 50

Angle: 300 Distance: 125mm # louvers: 43

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Angle: 450 Distance: 135mm # louvers: 40

Facade structure

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TESTING THE FACADE SYSTEM As shown in the previous sun studies, the largest problem with direct sun into the building is during the winter on the southern side facing Hospital Line Road. These shadow studies test the amount of shade provided by the facade system on December 21st at different times of the day. The facade system provides almost complete shade during the middle of the day, when the sun is most intense, while the sun comes in under the facade in the morning and afternoon. December 21st - 10:00

With louvers

Without louvers

December 21st - 8:00

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December 21st - 12:00

December 21st - 14:00

December 21st - 16:00

December 21st - Overlaid

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ROOF Like the facade, the roof deals with several climatic elements. First of all, it keeps the rain out while collecting the rainwater. Almost equally important, the large overhangs provide shade. The roof is constructed in tiers with a gap in-between each row. This allows for the wind to pass through, which ensures ventilation while also protecting the roof during hurricanes, as it lets the air through without building up pressure below it. Standard steel profiles are used for the construction of the roof. T-profile steel is cut at the right angle and lenght and then welded onto the main structure to work as fittings. They are cut at two different lengths, which will make the roof panels overlap each other to allow the air to flow through. Long L-profile steel angles spans between the modules and are bolted onto fittings. Panels of corrugated steel roofing, which is the most common roof material on the islands, are finally installed on top, bolted into the longitudinal L-profile.

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Corrugated roof panel

L-Profile beam

T-Profile Fitting

Roof installation diagram

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WATER COLLECTION As mentioned previously, the section is designed to accommodate rain water collection. A long gutter runs below the point, where the two roof sections meet. From here, the water is transported into reservoirs in the concrete plinths via rectangular pipes. During heavy rain storms, overflow pipes lead water from the reservoir into runnels in the floor, which are covered by metal grids, and out into a little concrete channel running along the sidewalk in the colonnade. Finally, the water runs out into the local ghut. The water is used for flushing toilets, cleaning the collapsible tables for the market, and for cleaning in general. It cannot be used as drinking water.

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Water infrastructure diagram

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THE INTERIOR ELEMENTS THE SPACE MAKERS The main structure and the exterior skin constitute the building envelope and creates large open spaces within. This large hall is subdivided by spatial elements in order to define the spaces for the different programs and functions. The two main elements are the boxes and the stairs, which both rest on the landscape of concrete steps below. The interior concrete landscape negotiates the outside landscape by stepping up as the terrain rises. Sometimes these steps also occur as plinths, which subtly divide the spaces to create niches and at the same time invite people to sit on them. These concrete features also serve as bases for the boxes and the stairs, which therefore are lifted a little over the ground. The concepts of the boxes and the stairs are described on the following pages. At the same time, interior wall panels or gates are introduced as a third element. These are physical barriers with the purpose of enclosing a space physically, but not visually and climatically.

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THE BOXES The boxes accommodate support functions for the spaces in which they are placed. These are functions such as street kitchens, locker rooms, toilets, and storage - fixed programs that allow the larger spaces to be more flexible in their use. Like small detached buildings, they reference the small local houses and bars. They contrast the heavy concrete bases with their light wood construction and are always placed slightly over the edge of the plinths they are sitting upon. This differentiates the elements and enhances the sense of lightness. If the need to change, add, or remove boxes arises over time, the local community can do so themselves within the framework provided. They have to build on the concrete steps and never up against a wall, in this way the design can adapt to changing uses but maintain certain spatial qualities.

Wooden houses and sheds seen throughout Charlotte Amalie

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Early rendering showing how the large open space is divided by the stair plinth and the boxes.

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THE STAIRS The stairs are the connections between the field and the street, and their objective is to create permeability between the two. This meeting between the stadium and the program below is articulated by bent steel staircases - the same material as the stands - which land on concrete plinths. This way of connecting the different levels is a reference to the very characteristic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;step streetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the island. All over Charlotte Amalie these linear streets of steps ascend directly up the hill. This motif derives from the time when all transportation was done by foot or with donkeys. Today, as transportation is dominated by cars and trucks, the step streets are a reminiscence of old times, and also works as quiet intermissions between the loud streets and more densely populated urban fabric. This is interpreted as the linear stairs that go from the street to the stands and the field, and emphasized by a pause in the stands, the columns and the louver facade, as explained previously.

Step streets

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Early facade rendering showing break in facade

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THE PANELS With the intention to let the life of the street flow into the interior spaces of the building, there is only facade on the street level in a few places. These places have a need for being closed off physically, but still need an air flow and a visual connection to the street. The panels used for closing off the spaces have been developed with a reference to different local elements such as bars in front of windows, cast-iron balconies with ornamentation, louvers, and facade perforation. The main function of the panels is security, but also to blur the visual connection and create a more defined space. In some places, the panels are made as folding doors with hinges in order to open up and connect to the street. These studies investigate the atmospheres and the visual effects of panels with different patterns, all derived from the local elements and ornaments. The intention is to develop the panels together with local artists and craftsmen and let them handle the expression, the production, and the maintenance. We will therefore not decide on a pattern, though one of the patterns will be used in our drawings for the sake of illustration.

Window bars and metal ornaments

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Two studies of folding panels

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PANELS

Different patterns inspired by local motifs

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The patterns testes in model.

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+12m

Storage +11.5m

PLAN, SECTION, AND ELEVATION +11m

+10.5m A

+10m

Swimming pool

+9.5m

+9m

Storage Changing room

Dug-out

Changing room Dug-out

Ticket booth Street kitchen

+8.5m

Entry hall

+11m Storage

Street kitchen

Changing room

Market

+8.5m

Changing room

+13.5m

Storage

+13m

+12.5m A

+12m

+11.5m

+11m

+10.5m

Storage

Maker space

Media space

Sports court Fitness

Public study area

+9m B

+9.5m

Ground floor 1:500 +10m

Stands

Office space

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South elevation 1:500

Section A 1:500

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West elevation 1:500

Section B 1:500

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USE: ENTRY AND MARKET HALL The southwestern corner of the building is the main entry point coming from the Cultural Corridor, and this is one of the spaces that needs to be able to house a variety of users. Concrete features, stairs, and boxes sub-divide the space into smaller domains, which can be used either separately or together. The boxes contain a ticket booth, kitchens, storage, and toilets. The storage box is located centrally and performs an important task, as it stores collapsible tables and benches, which can be used for different occasions. The space is part of the daily life of the community, as it houses a few street kitchens and provides covered hang out spaces, which can also be used for fish and farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market, community dinners and parties etc. During game day, the space will be used as a gathering point for spectators before, during, and after the games.

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Fish and farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market

Community dinner / party

Game day

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USE: SPORTS COURT AND FITNESS/BOXING AREA The central part of the building along Hospital Line Road to the south contains the fitness and boxing area and the covered sports court. The large covered space in particular invites for different uses. On a daily basis, people from the community, sports teams, and local schools use the sports facilities and locker rooms. Basketball games are also played on a regular basis. The boxing and fitness room can expand out onto the sports court during special events and tournaments, when more space is needed. Similarly, stages or movie screens can be set up under the large roof, which will protect concerts, theater shows, and movie screening from tropical rain showers and the sun.

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Everyday use

Boxing tournament

Concert / theater / movie screening

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INSPIRATION

Primary School in Gando / Kéré Architecture / Gando, Burkina Faso / 2001

Ti kay là / Bonaventura Visconti di Modrone / Haiti / 2015

METI school / Anna Heringer / Bangladesh / 2005

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Cassia Coop Training Centre / TYIN / Sungai Penuh, Kerinchi, Sumatra, Indonesia

Lanka Learning Center / feat.collective / Location Sri Lanka / 2016

Pueblo Infantil / Rosenbaum + Aleph Zero / Formoso do Araguaia, Brasil/ 2017

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COURT / Rozana Montiel / Lago De Puente Moreno, Mexico/ 2015

College Aime Cesaire / Patrick Arotcharen architecte / France / 2012

Arena do Morro / Herzog & de Meuron / Natal - Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil / 2014

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COURT / Rozana Montiel / Lago De Puente Moreno, Mexico/ 2015

Escola Gavina / GradolĂ & Sanz / Valencia, Spain / 2015

XPO Hall / OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen / Kortrijk, Belgium / 2014

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CONCLUSION The driving force behind this project was to design for a community that could actually use and benefit from our work and to reach outside the limits of the thesis project. The setup with the study trip as the catalyst was a success, as the daily encounters with the people on the streets around the site and the meetings with politicians and professionals gave a good insight to the situation. It also gave us a strong sense of responsibility to the people that helped us. This knowledge and sympathy has sometimes become limiting, and our tutor warned us several times not to become too considerate, but to find the balance between being the chief architects and the ambition to involve the locals. It is a very interesting balance and a discussion that could be explored much further. The process of going from the preliminary investigations to start sketching was a challenging transition because we had acquired up so much knowledge, which had to be translated and given a form. The fact that we had to produce all the drawing material ourselves forced us to consider all details and not just take information for granted. Looking through the many photos we took of facades, streetscapes, details, and materials has been part of our daily routine in order to answer questions. All the work we did during our visit and subsequently put into creating the Atlas payed off, and this has been the driving force for the design. Through the process, we have often disagreed about in which direction the project should continue, but we have been able to reach mutual understandings instead of digging trenches. By sketching together, building models, and categorizing decisions, we have established a common language and often found a third and better option that neither of us would have come up with alone. This has been a complex project due to many unfamiliar facets and issues such as the chaotic history, the lack of local materials to establish a building practice, and the fact that it is actually part of the developed world with all the legislation that follows. It would be interesting to investigate these issues further, if we had more time.

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EPILOGUE The US Virgin Islands is a beautiful place, but the islands are faced with many challenges that demand strong anchorage and resistance in order to not get run over by global tourism, natural disasters, universal culture etc. Their history shows how it is possible to oppose tough conditions and create meaning and change in an oppressive environment that did not leave them much chance. The vision of this project is to help the Virgin Islanders have a better chance at changing some of the conditions they are faced with now. By creating an architecture with a sensitivity to the existing motifs, the topography, the building tradition, and the current industry, we hope to strengthen the local culture, enhance the self-awareness, and create a feeling of ownership. The considerations of the climatic conditions hopefully make the people more resilient to the reoccurring natural disasters, and lastly we hope that the dynamics of the life and activities in the building could inspire the young people of the island. This is a thesis project based on a two week visit and subsequently developed from our studio in Denmark. To develop it further, it would require a closer collaboration with the stakeholders, future users, and local craftsmen in order to gain a greater knowledge about their needs and abilities, the industry, and the materials at hand.

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REFERENCE LIST 1: IN SEARCH OF IDENTITY (2017) In Search of Identity [Online] Available from: www.in-search-of-identity.org [Accessed: 02.06.2018] 2: WEATHER UNDERGROUND (2017) Hurricane Maria Damage Estimate of $102 Billion Surpassed Only by Katrina [Online] Available from: www.wunderground. com/cat6/hurricane-maria-damages-102-billion-surpassed-only-katrina [Accessed: 03.06.2018] 3, 11: FRAMPTION, Kenneth (1983) Towards a Critical Regionalism: six points for an architecture of resistance. In: The Foster, H (Ed.) The anti-aesthetic: essays on Postmodern culture. p. 20-21. Seattle: Bay Press. 4, 6, 7: CIA WORLD FACTBOOK (2018) The US Virgin Islands. [Online] Available from: www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vq.html [Accessed: 12.02.2018] 5: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (2010) Census U.S. Virgin Islands. [Online] Available from: www.factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/searchresults.xhtml?refresh=t# [Accessed: 02.06.2018] 8: VI MOVING CENTER (2018) Virgin Islands Weather. [Online] Available from: www.vimovingcenter.com/island_living/weather.php [Accessed: 02.06.2018] 9: SUNCALC (2018) Charlotte Amalie, USVI. [Online] Available from: www.suncalc. org/#/18.3419,-64.9307,13/2018.06.02/17:03/1/0 [Accessed: 02.06.2018] 10: WINDFINDER (2018) Charlotte Amalie. [Online] Available from: www.windfinder.com/#10/18.3350/-64.9200 [Accessed: 02.06.2018]

BOOKS AND LITERATURE ANDERSEN, Astrid Nonbo (2017) Ingen undskyldning : erindringer om Dansk Vestindien og kravet om erstatninger for slaveriet. Copenhagen: Gyldendal BUISSERET, David (1980) Historic Architecture of the Caribbean. London: Heinemann Educational Books DAHL, Thorkel and LICHT, Kjeld de Fine (2004) Opmålinger 1961 af bygninger på St. Thomas og St. Croix. Copenhagen: Kunstakademiets Forlag FRAMPTON, Kenneth (1983) Towards a Critical Regionalism: six points for an architecture of resistance. In: Foster, Hal (Ed.) The anti-aesthetic: essays on Postmodern culture. Seattle: Bay Press. LUNN, Ulla (2016) Stedet Fortæller: om Dansk Vestindien. Copenhagen: Gads Forlag RELPH, Edward (1986): Place and Placelessness. London: Pion SVENSSON, Ole (1964) Three Towns. Copenhagen: Department of Town Planning, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS (2011) The Town’s Blueprint. (print) GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS (2016) Hospital Ground Area Design Charette. (print)

PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATRATIONS All photos and illustration are our own with a few exceptions that belong to: Coastal Systems USVI, inc.: p. 121 St. Thomas Historical Trust: p. 22, 28, and 91 The Danish National Archive: p. 44

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