ID411 - Senior Project Resources Spring-Summer 2020

After 20 years, things are changing for Montserrat. With a population growth of 6.2%, people are slowly reclaiming their home. Alongside the government has laid out plans to revive the habitat. With Montserrat finding its ground, can the culture of music, once a status symbol, be resurrected?

Challenge is to design an artist retreat center that functions as a studio for artists. Also creating a public platform for local community activities. The aim is to revive the ‘status symbol’ in a different language that promotes the culture of music, an element the place was once associated with.

The article examines the occurrence of natural disasters in Third World countries and the lessons that might be learned by architects and builders to help reduce the catastrophic impact of such disasters. According to disaster statistics released in 1982, the average number of geologic, atmospheric and hydrologic disasters per year has not increased significantly, but the catastrophic impact of these events in terms of loss of life is increasing in developing countries. People have been forced to look for alternative building materials such as concrete, breeze blocks and iron sheeting due to environmental degradation and population explosion.