REVITALIZING AN INHERITED LEGACY
AS A LOCAL ARCHITECT IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, INHERITING MY MOTHER’S OLD WOODEN STRUCTURE WAS BOTH A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY. THIS RESTAURANT AT THE TIME STEEPED IN FAMILY HISTORY, NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO CURRENT TCI BUILDING REGULATIONS, WHICH POSED UNIQUE CHALLENGES. ONE OF THE PRIMARY TASKS WAS STUCCOING THE EXTERIOR TO MEET THESE STANDARDS, ALL WHILE RETAINING THE ESSENCE OF THE ORIGINAL WOODEN DESIGN.
THE CHALLENGES WERE SIGNIFICANT, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE NATURAL WEAR AND TEAR ON A WOODEN STRUCTURE IN OUR TROPICAL CLIMATE. THE STRUCTURE HAD MANU UNEVEN MOMENTS, UNLEVELLED SURFACES AND WARPING THAT MADE THE STUCCO APPLICATION PROCESS DIFFICULT. ACHIEVING A SMOOTH, MODERN FINISH REQUIRED PRECISION, PATIENCE, AND A DEEP RESPECT FOR THE CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT CAME BEFORE.
THROUGH A COMBINATION OF METICULOUS PREPARATION, REINFORCING WEAK AREAS, AND USING MODERN TECHNIQUES, I WAS ABLE TO BLEND THE OLD WITH THE NEW. THE STUCCO EXTERIOR NOT ONLY ALIGNS WITH BUILDING REGULATIONS BUT ALSO ADDS A LAYER OF DURABILITY AND PROTECTION, WHILE MAINTAINING THE CHARACTER OF THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE.
THIS PROJECT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE BALANCE BETWEEN HONOURING THE PAST AND EMBRACING THE FUTURE, A PHILOSOPHY I CARRY INTO EVERY PROJECT I WORK ON HERE IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.