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INTERIOR & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
Karina Stirling
Dundee, Scotland
Nassau, the Bahamas
guayacan reef.
As climate change becomes an even more pressing issue for smaller island nations, Guayacan Reef, named after the Bahamian national “tree of life”, reimagines an off-grid hurricane shelter as a space of comfort and strong community relationships. Acting as the “central backbone” of the community, the shelter is nuzzled into the highest peak on Abaco, the
Bahamas, which was hit the hardest by 2019’s
category five Hurricane Dorian. This project is
designed to double as a safe space during hurricane season, and as a social and educational hub for the Bahamian and international communities during off-season. Guayacan Reef incorporates the use of natural materials and visual wayfinding to create a building that celebrates life and culture, resulting in a space that offers a psychologically positive
atmosphere during a natural disaster, and a vibrant ambience to be enveloped in on a regular day.
The skeletal inspired building features a
medical suite, evacuation pad, restaurant, multi-use entertainment hall, and washing facilities, where citizens can regain a sense of daily life, whilst reconnecting with and supporting their fellow community members. With a Bermuda-inspired formation of hip roofs, the most suitable for strong winds, reinforced steel shutters and hurricane grade glass, the shelter is a secure space, housing up to 100 people comfortably, and sitting 29 meters above sea level.
With many of the out-island buildings not meeting hurricane construction codes, hurricane
shelters are imperative. However, in contrast to the many churches and gyms that are currently used as shelters, offering little privacy and psychological benefits, Guayacan Reef is designed for just that. From survival tactics and protection, to dance classes and community barbeques, Guayacan Reef is an example of an adaptable centre for social and crucial survival
interaction for the islands of the Bahamas.