Revitalizing Philipsburg: Towards a sustainable, densified, and vibrant neighbourhood.

In 2017 the island Sint Maarten was hit by hurricane Irma. Approximately ninety-one per cent of the build environment was damaged. This made the existing housing shortage, caused by a growing population, even more significant. Now, three years later, the residential area of Philipsburg is mostly deserted. With the departure of its residents, the...

Reintroducing tropicality to St. Maarten: A residential typology rooted in the soil of the past

St. Maarten has been subject to outside influences since its existence. From the indians that traveled through the caribbean and made their stops on the island 3500 years ago, until the time that the economy started to influence the way that life is lived. From the 1950s onward, the tourism sector started to grow which provides income for the...