THE TIME FOR CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND DOCUMENTATION OF OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS NOW
By Kaleel Kanor-Doublier
September 2021
While at architecture school, I would always try to seek a better understanding of the early architecture of Trinidad and Tobago. The architecture that defines Port of Spain such as the Gingerbread houses, Magnificent Seven, Frederick Street wrought iron arcades, fretwork and the like, are buildings and elements that are of great interest to me. However, as I quickly discovered that it is difficult to find information on these works, and when you do find it, it usually revolves around someone reminiscing or fantasizing about the good old days. What is needed is more critical analysis of the buildings and the architectural function.
We too easily ignore what is right in front of us and don’t give it the respect it deserves until foreigners give it purpose, but this is nothing new. While some resources that tackle critical analysis of structures in our built environment may exist, I would think that they are few as despite my best efforts, I was unable to find many. I was able to find two noteworthy sources of information, A Tale of Two Houses, Vol. 1: An Historical Record of Boissiere and Piccadilly Houses and The Old Library, Vol. 2: An Historical Record of the Public Library on Knox Street. These books were researched and published by faculty and students of the Bachelor of Architectural Studies — Conservation & Sustainability program at the Azriele School of Architecture and Urbanism at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada in 2012 in collaboration with NALIS and Citizens for Conservation. They go into great detail about each of the buildings with a critical eye and in-depth analysis.
A Tale of Two Houses is one of my favourites as it not only provided a comprehensive analysis of the structure and make up of Boissiere and Piccadilly Houses, but it also was critical to my understanding of local architecture in general. As noted in the book, the main staircase of Boissiere house is covered by a porte-cochère (a porch) which spans 14 feet over the driveway. The porte-cochère consists of a gable roof that spans across detailed wood fretwork, which also has bracing for extra support. The fretwork acts as lateral trusses, constructed in the rectangular module, which are supported by fluted cast iron columns. The authors explained that, “In a recent intervention (again: the specific date unknown), the porte-cochère structure has been stabilized with extra columns. It appears that the articulated wood trusses were rotting and started to deflect, and it was necessary to introduce extra supports at mid-span.” They go on to analyse and describe other fretwork details such as fanlights and column capitals once again showing the functionality and aesthetic beauty of fretwork. Thereby, highlighting how fretwork can be used both ornamentally and functionally.
These books along with a few other resources were invaluable during my time in architecture school as I was finally able to dive deep into these structures and truly understand their function, purpose and composition. I can’t help but wonder why we don’t have more of these initiatives? Why weren’t more books created?
Has the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) done the necessary research to understand not only the cultural importance and heritage of these buildings, but also the architectural impact and significance of these Gingerbread Houses? I wonder without this research how can a proper scope of works be created? How can genuine interventions be made?
Has HDC or any other relevant body contacted the Caribbean School of Architecture to have one of its study tour groups come to the island to do purposeful documentation? Can you imagine the wealth of information that could be gathered if a group of fourth year students document the whole of Piccadilly Street’s architecture, heritage, culture, community, inclusive of conducting interviews, doing charrettes, and proposing ideas sustainable development of our built environment?
The above-mentioned books prove that collaborative interventions are possible, once there is the will to make it happen. For too long we have been spinning top in mud.
I write all this to say, we must document and critically analyse our built environment before we can even hope to move forward. How can a scope of works be created for East Port of Spain if we do not understand the past and current architectural language of the area, and its impact on the people, culture, community and heritage?
Why haven’t we dug deep and provided critical analyses of these important sites, instead of being content with superficial documentation of their existence? Is it sufficient to find only two paragraphs about Boissiere House on the National Trust’s website? Two paragraphs that I can easily find anywhere else? Where is the analysis? Where is the documentation? Yes, there are many pictures of the building on the site, but how does that help our people understand the impact this building has had architecturally? How does that help young architecture students understand the architectural nuances of the building? In my humble opinion, critical architectural analysis entails in-depth research and understanding of a building’s structural make up, its climatic response, its architectural influences, and its architectural and its resultant cultural impact. Therefore, we must get more serious about documenting critically our built environment, if we truly hope to develop it properly moving forward.
I am aware of the efforts by the National Trust to engage the services of student volunteers to begin the documentation and critical analysis of these heritage sites. However, as I begged before in Dada&Projects’ article, ‘Responding to the Urban Redevelopment Proposal for the City of Port of Spain’ in December 2020, at the very least, serious consideration should be given to digital preservation of these sites before they are destroyed. It is high time that we go beyond the architectural history of our structures and delve into their critical architectural analysis.
We have such a wealth of diverse structural history and methods, and some of it is being lost. It would do us well to protect this invaluable information whether through measured surveys, digital scans, and even literature that genuinely records the essence of these buildings, their composition, and their climatic responses. I would welcome the expansion of the pool of resources that detail out architectural knowledge and techniques, and I am eager to be a part of such an endeavour.
