The shore of St Lucia island as our site, we concentrated on different means of natural ventilation and lighting, since both are very crucial factors in the tropical climate.
In plan we divided our spaces to public and private, both of which have different lighting and ventilation needs.
In the most private area we focused on the solar chimney as a means for natural ventilation. It is achieved when solar energy heats up the air within, creating an updraft of air inside the chimney. These areas are more enclosed with the glazed chimney top letting light in.
The important factors are the glazing used on the side towards the sun, and the amount of surface area that will be heated up. The chimney also needs to be higher than normal roof and as vertical as possible to ensure smooth flow.
The public spaces are more open, letting an air flow through the spaces, and the important factor is light. Smaller cones on the roof let the sunlight in, but are angled away from direct sun. This way the spaces have different qualities of light depending on the orientation of openings as well as the annual and daily sun path.
Both public and private spaces are connected by terraced areas created by a thin cantilevering roof. The shapes of the cantilevering parts have also derived from the sun paths, and helps to decrease direct sun especially at sun rise and sun set. The areas between the built environment create pathways leading towards the sea and the boat stand making all areas connected.
Materiality, texture, color and structure all contribute to the wanted effects. Each factor is important in the final result.
