08.21.2012 _ ELECTRICAL HOOK-UP
08.12.2012 _ FOOTNGS & POSTS
07.25.2012 _ IPE ONSITE
The Ipe hardwood decking arrived to St. John a few days ago.
We transported it to the site this week, and are anxious to install it!
Supplier: East Teak of Donalds, SC (eastteak.com)
07.22.2012 _ GOLDEN ORB SPIDER
The Golden Orb Spider is common on St. John and is a
frequent habitant of trees on the property. Although they are essentially
harmless and somewhat friendly (they allow smaller spiders to share their web),
it is still momentarily alarming to find one suspended in your path. They can
grow to be quite large. This particular spider has spun its web in the same
area for the last several weeks. Although its favorite spot is in the middle of
a secondary path on the property, it appears to relocate immediately after
human traffic on the path and does not resume its location for at least 2 days
following.
06.27.2012 _ TRANSFER OF MATERIALS FROM SAN JUAN TO ST. JOHN
This week, we are packing and delivering all building
materials to the port in San Juan for shipment to St. John. They will arrive in
2 separate shipments, timed to arrive when they are needed on-site.
The Ipe decking and other materials purchased in the US will sail
from Miami to St. John.
04.30.2012 _ STEEL FRAMES
As previously mentioned, we are acquiring materials and
pre-fabricating many components in Puerto Rico. Javier Santos, a local craftsman
and artist, welded the galvanized steel frames for the Safari
Box. We then cleaned the frames and primed them in preparation for the mahogany
plywood infill. We will apply the final coats of paint on St. John. Currently, the galv-alum sheets for the exterior are being cut
and folded, and we are purchasing the steel for the decks.
04.12.2012 _ SAFARI BOX
Designed as a minimal volume for outdoor living, the Safari
Box is a simple volume with maximum function. It measures 4’-6” wide, 16’-8”
long, and 7’-4” high. It is constructed of galvanized
steel frames, Ipe floors, mahogany plywood walls and ceiling, and finally clad
in galv-alum sheets. Unfortunately, the cost of virtually all materials and
services on St. John are extremely high, so we are purchasing all materials in
Puerto Rico and pre-fabricating many elements before shipping them to St. John
for assembly.
As demonstrated above, the Safari Box will open to extend
living functions to the exterior, as well as seal completely shut when we are
off island or a hurricane strikes. In the latter scenario, the bed may be
folded up against the back wall, and all equipment, materials, and outdoor
furnishings can be securely stored indoors.
04.05.2012 _ CONCEPT STUDIES
In addition to the shading provided from the overhead tree
canopy, a discarded sailboat sail stretches over the Upper Deck and Safari Box.
Holes in the sail give way to the Bay Leaf trees and release the collected
rainwater to a cistern located under the Upper Deck. Gray-water is also collected under the deck, and subsequently flows through a natural plant filter
before being re-used to water fruit, vegetable, and herb gardens. A separate out-house will
accommodate a compost toilet.
Due to the abundance of termites on the island and the
occasional hurricane, we decided to construct the decks of strong, rigid
components: concrete footings; galvanized steel posts, beams, and joists; and
Brazilian Ipe decking.
03.17.2012 _ SITE & STUDIO
The Studio consists of two decks (Upper & Lower), and a
rectangular volume that we have come to refer to as the “Safari Box”. The Lower
Deck is primarily for light construction of future phases and prototype fabrication for future projects, while the Upper Deck serves as an
exterior extension of the living functions from the Safari Box.
O3.03.2012 _ SITE PLAN
The overall purpose of this project is to construct a
habitat that is in balance with the environment, where we can live, conduct
research, construct ideas, and accommodate visitors to the island. The project
is divided into 3 phases:
PHASE 1: STUDIO & SITE INFRASTRUCTURE
This first phase provides 3 base elements needed for the
development of the property: vehicular access from Bordeaux Mountain Road;
level area to work; and an enclosure for temporary living and storage. All work
for this phase is located on the eastern end of the site, where the slope is
the most gentle and the road is nearly level with the edge of the property.
From here, we can construct a driveway and transport materials directly onto
the construction deck.
PHASE 2: GUEST HOUSE
The Guest House is located on the highest point of the
property, with the widest views over the forested valley and down to the ocean.
The function of this house is pure enjoyment. It will be available for weekly
vacation rentals upon completion.
PHASE 3: MAIN HOUSE
The final phase comprises the building of our private
residence. Once completed, the Studio will be converted into a full-time workshop for designpersquareinch.
02.23.2012 _ SKETCHING ON-SITE
The aim of all construction on this site is minimal impact to the existing ecosystem. This creates a unique
challenge to the design and construction process, considering the complex slope
and density of trees. Therefore, we decided to begin the project on-site,
identifying possible building sites, routes for transportation of materials,
paths for humans, and solidifying the overall project concept. Eventually, we
developed the first phase of the project by “sketching” with orange lines on site.
02.15.2012 _ FLORA & FAUNA ON THE PROPERTY
The property is located on Bordeaux Mountain Road at an
elevation of 1250 feet above sea level. The slope of the land varies from
approximately 30 to 50 percent, facing south towards the National Park and down
to Reef Bay. This area of Bordeaux Mountain is often referred to as the Bay
Leaf Forest due to the abundance of the Bay Leaf Tree in the area. The leaves
and berries of this tree are rich in aroma; a simple grinding and processing of
them results in “old spice”, commonly used as a spice in food, alcohol, soaps,
candles and perfumes. This is the only
spice that is actually native to St. John. The land is also home to many birds,
insects, reptiles, and plants.
Photos (from top to bottom): Stick insect, Ceiba tree (also
known as Monkey-No-Climb, Pistol, Kapok, and Sandbox), Coqui tree frog, unknown
species of tree with giant bromeliads in canopy, Bay Leaf tree, Bay Leaf tree
with common tree lizard, carving in base of tree by local artist Herman Smith, property as
viewed from Bordeaux Mountain Road.
02.10.2012 _ VIEW TO THE BVI'S FROM BORDEAUX MOUNTAIN
St. John has a land area of approximately 20 square miles, with an estimated population of 4300 humans; several thousand deer, donkeys, and wild boars; wild and domestic cats, dogs, cows, and chickens; an ever-growing number of mongoose and iguanas; and a vast array of reptiles, birds, and insects. Being of volcanic origin, the island is rocky and mountainous with an average land slope of 40 percent. It has an incredibly diverse ecosystem, from arid desert to tropical beaches to lush rainforest. There are two seasons on St. John – rainy and dry. Rainy season brings much needed water to the island. All islanders must collect and store water from their rooftops, as there is no water or sewage infrastructure on the island. Dry season brings tourists, eager to bask in the endless sun and curious about the underwater corals and sea life that surround the island.
Over two thirds of the land area of St. John is protected
National Park. Starting in the 1950’s with the Rockefellers, private donors
have and continue to make large donations of land to the National Park in the hope
of preserving its natural beauty.
In January 2012, designpersquareinch purchased a
three-quarter acre plot of land on the ridgeline of Bordeaux Mountain. (Photo –
the peak at the far right.)
02.05.2012 _ APPROACHING ST. JOHN FROM THE BVI'S
“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe around us, the less taste we will have for destruction.” – Rachel Carson
Approximately 100 million years ago, the denser and
faster-moving North American plate shifted under the Caribbean plate, forming a
chain of underwater volcanoes. These volcanoes, fueled by intense heat from the
continued friction of plate movement, and combined with the lift of the plate
edge eventually formed the Greater Antilles island chain. Thus, St. John Island
was born.
Geographically speaking, St. John Island is a small peak on
the Puerto Rican Bank, a mostly underwater mountain plateau that is located on
the eastern end of the Greater Antilles island chain in the Caribbean Sea. The
Puerto Rican Bank encompasses the islands of Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, and
the United States and British Virgin Islands. Politically speaking, St. John is
one of four islands making up the United States Virgin Islands. The other three
islands being St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Water Island. Formerly known as the
Danish West Indies, the United States government purchased these four islands,
and their surrounding rocks and cays, from Denmark in 1917.