The Band on the Hill:

An Architectural Intervention within the

Marginal Peripheries of
Port-of-Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago
Michelle Elizabeth Gonzales
The Band on the Hill:
An Architectural Intervention within the Marginal Peripheries of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

&

Site

 The Band on the Hill:
An Architectural Intervention within the Marginal Peripheries of
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Michelle Elizabeth Gonzales

University of California Berkeley

Department of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Thesis Document

Spring 2014
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 5

Thesis Statement 8

Thesis Project Abstract 9

Project 11
Site
Program
Constraints
Opportunities

Precedents 58

Concept 61

Intended Product 64

Working Method/Design Process 74

Theoretical Position 75

End Notes

Bibliography

My reinterpretation of red, white and black, the colors of the Trinidad and Tobago Flag - Acrylic on Paper Canvas

4
 Acknowledgments

Firstly, I would like to thank my Thesis Committee (Mark Anderson, Anthony Dubovsky and
Liz Ogbu), Gary Black, Raveevarn Choksombatchai, Renee Chow, and the other members of
the College of Environmental Design faculty, whose generosity and support throughout my
thesis process only served to greater enhance my proposal.

Secondly, I sincerely thank all the several State and private contributors to my research
process in Trinidad and Tobago - Dr. Deborah Thomas of East Port-of-Spain Development
Company Limited, Marie Hinds of the Town and Country Planning Division of the Ministry of
Planning and Development, Brian White of the Land and Surveys Division of the Ministry of
Food Production, Grace LesFouris, Fr. Dwight Merrick, Rev. Marsha Joseph, Cannon Steve
West and Vibert Medford. I would like to convey a special degree of gratitude to Fr. Clyde
Harvey - parish priest, college lecturer and NGO leader - for sharing his time, knowledge and
expertise with me before and during our travels throughout the major thoroughfares of the
Laventille area.

Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends and classmates for their financial and/or
emotional support, especially my mother, Judith Horsham Gonzales, and Rebekah Shirley.

5
My artistic depiction of the making of the steel pan - Acrylic on Paper Canvas
The Steel Pan was born out of a yearning for expression
in a village with no voice.
She was molded,
pounded
and bent into a harsh young woman by the hands of her maker,
but the sound that escaped from her lungs was enough to mesmerize a wayward youth.
“Sweet pan!” the adoring sailors would exclaim,
as her music sashays down the city streets at dusk.
The aristocrats and almost-but-never-will-be aristocrats cringed at the sound of her melodious
voice.
Uncouth! The vice of vagabonds and bandits! The whore of the town!

It was only when the young sons of respectable families began creeping out into the night to
indulge in their torrid affairs with her,
that the older, distinguished gentlemen began to take notice.
“Let us refine her!”
Pan learned etiquette.
She was married off to money.
Her rough, callous skin was smoothed out and buffed.
She was now appealing...acceptable to engage the masses.
She left behind her first love
whose steady hands fashioned her in the darkness of backyards and garages.
Her sweet voice was broadcast and televised to the world
and she became a cultural caricature.

Alas, with the Pan’s journey toward the rich man’s acceptance,
what happens to the voiceless village when their one form of expression is enticed away from
them?
Thesis Statement

My thesis conjecture is to propose an architectural intervention in order to bring about

a moment of neutrality among the fractured, marginalized villages of East Port-of-Spain/
Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago. My proposal coincides with measures outlined by the East
Port-of-Spain Strategic Development Plan of 2009.

8
 Thesis Project Abstract

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, out of the top twenty most
homicidal countries in the world, more than half of these encompass the Caribbean Sea (Fig.
2). The UNODC attributes this current trend, along with the high percentage of gun-related
murders, to an upsurge in organized drug-trafficking entities.

One of these nations is Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island Caribbean republic1 located
six miles off the coast of Venezuela. A nation of 1.3 million inhabitants, Trinidad and Tobago
experienced a 450 percent increase in homicides from 1998 to 2008 (Crime in Trinidad
and Tobago, 2014). A sizable percentage of these murders have been committed along the
eastern border of the nation’s capital, Port-of-Spain (Fig. 1). This peripheral cluster of
unplanned, marginalized communities, often referred to collectively as Laventille or East
Port-of-Spain, is perched upon a hill overlooking the capital (Fig. 3). In spite of its many
socioeconomic setbacks, Laventille has produced some of the nation’s most renowned cultural
and sports icons, as well as many respectable professionals and intellectuals. Nevertheless,
its economic vulnerability and social marginality has left it susceptible to the illicit drug trade,
and the accompanying gang violence only serves to further worsen the area’s reputation
among the wider population.

The intention of this thesis is to examine architecture’s possible role in providing community
empowerment within a socially-ravaged community. The hope is that well-designed,
community-centered built forms can provide ample space for public use in ways that transcend
gang affiliations and turfs. The redesign of a current musical orchestra’s headquarters into
a multi-purpose facility may increase the effective use of its space, and this intervention
may serve as a catalyst for the redesign of other orchestra locations situated throughout the
Laventille area.

9
 #19
#6 #4 #8 #9
#7
#1 CARIBBEAN SEA
#2

#13
#5
#16

Homicide Rate (Murders per 100,000 people)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Honduras
El Salvador
Cote d'lvoire
Jamaica
Venezuela
Belize
Guatemala
US Virgin Islands
St. KiƩs and Nevis
Zambia
Uganda
Malawi
Trinidad and Tobago
South Africa
Lesotho
Columbia
Congo
Central African Republic
Puerto Rico
Ethiopia
Global Average
Fig 2: Homicide Rate and Top-20 Rankings
Fig 2: UNODC
Source: HomicideGlobal
Rate and Top-20
Study Rankings 2011
on Homicide
Source: UNODC Global Study on Homicide 2011
Fig 3: Port-of-Spain Skyline as Seen From Laventille Hills
Source: Galen Fry
Project
Site
Site Context
- The site is situated in the twin-island
1.
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,
located in the Western Hemisphere
 (1).
  

- Trinidad and Tobago is the southern-

most nation in the Caribbean and is
situated approximately six miles away
from Venezuela (2).


  
- The total land area is 5,128 sq.km
(1,981 sq. mi) and the climate is
tropical.

- The nation’s capital, Port-of-Spain,

is located within the North-Western
quadrant of Trinidad, and is bordered
2.
to the South by the Gulf of Paria, and
to the North by the Northern Range
(3).

- The capital separates from the

   
informal peripheries of East Port-of-
Spain by the St. Ann’s/East Dry River
(4 - red line).

- The site, located off of Laventille

Road (5 - red line), is currently
occupied by the West Indian Tobacco
3.
Company (WITCO) Desperadoes Steel
Orchestra.

- The size of the site is 44,131 SF.

  

Fig. 4a: Site Context

14
 E
E 


4. E
E D
  

5.

  3&&6#%&

15
Historical Background

When Christopher Columbus claimed the island of Trinidad for Spain in 1498, the area that
was eventually called Puerto de Espana (Port of Spain) was a “little collection of (Amerindian)
fishermen’s huts off the coast of the Gulf of Paria (Alexander, vii).”
Deliberate urban development and expansion initiatives commenced with Governor Don
José Maria Chacón, the last Spanish Governor of Trinidad. His enactment of the Cedula of
Population in 1783 led to a mass influx of French Catholic immigrants into the island and
the city. The principal objective of the Cedula was “to encourage the economic and social
development of the Colony, which was neglected for centuries since its capture by Spain in
the late 15th century (Brereton 1981: 11-12).” City streets were laid out in a grid beginning
from the St. Ann’s (East Dry) River and extending westward towards existing swamp lands
(see Fig. 4b). Alas, in 1797, Governor Chacón surrendered the city to English Commander-in-
Chief General Sir Ralph Abercromby, and the island was transferred to the British monarchy
(Alexander, xiv).

Fig. 4b: Port-of-Spain 1757-1803. Created by Olga J. Mavrogordato, based on descriptions in Borde’s The History
of Trinidad under the Spanish Government

Meanwhile, some French planters and their slaves inhabited the hills situated to the east of
the East Dry River, “christening” the area Laventille (a French derivative meaning “to vent”,)
and growing cocoa, cotton and coffee there (Mc Cree 1997: 37). The British also quarried
blue limestone from these hills and used it for developing the capital city.

16
After Emancipation in 1838, local ex-slaves and those from other Caribbean islands immigrated
into the Port of Spain area, either in search of jobs or to escape the rural plantation lifestyle.
Since housing was scarce, the hills of Laventille became a haven for informal settlements (Mc
Cree 1997: 40), while its existing barracks - slave quarters - became overpopulated. This
began the dominance of Afro-Trinidadians/Blacks within the Laventille area.

As early as the 1860s, the area was referred to as “an unsanitary and crowded slum”, and in
1881, the local Chronicle newspaper described it as a “dismal and struggling neighborhood
(Goodenough 1976:120).” It had not benefited from the “urban renewal” plans of the 1920s
and 1930s, which “sought to improve the infrastructure and provision of amenities in the
capital (Mc Cree 1997: 44).” Although urban expansions eastward did encroach upon some
portions of the “hill”, the larger majority of the Laventille region still remained outside the
city limits. (44)

The country’s occupation by the United States during World War II led to short-lived city
development, though the end of the war ultimately led to economic instability.

Following Independence in 1962, the newly-autonomous state was entrusted with the
responsibility of urban development, more specifically, the clearance of urban slums, which
were deemed to be “visible eye-sores (Hewitt 1997:150),” though this only started during
the oil boom of the mid-1970s. Some Laventille residents were relocated to the East into
public housing schemes. These “dormitory communities” (see 4c) only served to increase
commute times for these residents and did little to increase their standard of living (154).

After the oil boom, the country underwent a decade of recession and any attempts at
improving the Laventille area were sluggish towards enactment or were indefinitely
postponed. Eventually, the economy recovered with another oil boom3, and revenues
earned were invested into the upgrade and “modernization” of the cityscape, as one of

Fig. 4c: Maloney Gardens, one of the dormitory communities built in the 1980s to house Laventille residents in
East Trinidad

17
the measures for attaining “developed status” by 2020. Meanwhile, even as aid from the
Inter-American Development Bank served to increase village infrastructure, and the state’s
squatter regularization initiative awarded tenure to its many informal housing arrangements,
Laventille still remains generally underdeveloped in contrast to its counterparts to the west
of the East Dry River (see 4d).

1. Brian Lara Promenade, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain

18
2. Straker Village, Laventille

19
 3. Waterfront Skyscrapers, Port-of-Spain

5. Movie Towne, Port-of-Spain

Fig. 4d: The disparity between the city of Port-of-Spain (left) and its periphery area of Laventille (right).

20
4. Beetham village, South of Laventille

6. Laventille street

21
 2
3 1

Fig. 5a: Site Location on South Elevation of Laventille Hills (Credit: Vibert Medford)

Aerial and Views

This site sits at 140 meters (459 feet) above sea level. It has the potential for high visibility
along the southern side of the mountainous region, as well as from the west upon leaving
the city (Figs 5a and 5b).

22
 2

Fig. 5b: Site Location on West Elevation of Laventille Hills (Credit: Vibert Medford)

The current “iconic” structures on the hill are the Fatima RC Church (1), a telecommunications
tower (2), Fort Picton(3) and two Water and Sewage Authority tanks (4).

23
 St.
An
n's
Riv

PORT
PORT OF
OF SPAIN
er

SPAIN

Fig. 6: Communities within Wider Context (Sources: Imagery - Google Earth; map - Town and Country Planning
Division)

GONZALES
GONZALES ST.
ST. BARB’S
BARB’S
pop.
pop. -- 1,892
1,892 pop.
pop. -- 5,100
5,100

QUARRY
QUARRY
STREET/
STREET/ LAVENTILLE/
LAVENTILLE/
EAST
EAST PORT
PORT PICTON
PICTON TROU
TROU MACAQUE
MACAQUE
OF SPAIN
OF SPAIN pop.
pop. -- 2,896
2,896 pop.
pop. -- 11,282
11,282
pop.
pop. -- 8,840
8,840

EASTERN
EASTERN QUARRY
QUARRY
pop. - 5,043
pop. - 5,043
Fig. 7: The five communities surrounding Picton (Sources: map - Town and Country Planning Division; data -
Central Statistical Office)

24
 Fig. 8: Contours and Drainage (Source: Town and Country Planning Division)

Communities

The site and its adjacency are located in the Picton Community, and lies against the border
of the Gonzales Community. Other adjacent communities are St. Barb’s, Laventille/Trou
Macaque, Eastern Quarry and Quarry Street/East Port of Spain (see Figs. 6 and 7).

25
 Urban Development

Industrial

Agricultural

Conservation

Fig. 9a: 2009 Land Use Policy - (credit: Town and Country Planning Division)

Land Use

In 2002, the site was located along the

border of Residential and Recreational
Space. However, with the newest
development plan proposed by the East
Port-of-Spain Development Company
Limited, the site and its surrounding
areas are now considered as one of
Institutional Recreational the Comprehensive Development
Agriculture Nature Res. Residential Areas (CDAs) highlighted for urban
Commercial Open Space Tree Crop redevelopment (see Fig. 9a). This urban
Comm./Indus. Public Utilities Urban Devel. redevelopment aims to economically,
Industrial Public socially and physically transform the
region, so that is can be “fully integrated
Fib. 9b: 2002 Land Use Policy - (credit: Town and Country into the City of Port of Spain and the wider
Planning Division) society (EPOS, 2009).”

26
 Fig. 10: Social Facilities - (credit: Town and
Police Station Hospital Country Planning Division)
Pan Yard
Fire Station Health Center
Church
School New Health Center
Recreation

Social Facilities

Laventille/East Port-of-Spain “is poorly serviced by social and community facilities in relation
to its population size, location and community structure (EPOS, 2009).” There is one major
hospital located in the area, Port-of-Spain General Hospital, which sits to the north of the
East Port-of-Spain region and services a the North Western quadrant of the country. The only
police station lying within the region of study, Besson Street Police Station, is located to the
south-western edge of East Port-of-Spain. Recently, police posts have been installed within
crime hot-spots throughout East Port-of-Spain/Laventille as a crime-fighting initiative.

The area surrounding the site “lacks adequate sport and recreation facilities to service the
needs of the resident population (EPOS, 2009).” The plan for this community is to construct
these facilities with model service requirements. Due to the violence gripping the entire
Laventille region, the facilities that currently occupy the site are either guarded by security
personnel and/or under-utilized. Meanwhile, steel orchestra headquarters, more commonly
known as “pan yards”, vary in number within the Laventille area.

27
 Laventille Road

Laventille Road

Eastern Main Road

Fig. 11a: Access - (Source: Town and Country Planning Division)

Eastern Main Road

Access

The major access road leading to and from the site is Laventille Road (see Fig. 11a), which
runs East-West and leads from Piccadilly Parkway, a major road connecting Uptown Port-
of-Spain to the Eastern Main Road (one of the main streets along the East-West Corridor.)
Many roads in Laventille are narrow, winding and steep. Strategic Plans aspire to increase
circulation in the area.

Fig. 11b: Trou Macaque Road in Laventille

28
 Demographics

In the six major communities of East Port-of-Spain/Laventille depicted in Fig. 7, 80 percent

of residents consider themselves to be of African ancestry. Slightly higher concentration
of Afro-Trinidadians can be found in St. Barbs and Eastern Quarry (each 82.3 percent
respectively). Those of Mixed ancestry, whether it be a mixture of African and East Indian or
other mixtures, amount for the second smaller majority.

The ethnic makeup of communities in East Port-of-Spain/Laventille is much less diverse

when compared to national statistics (see Chart 1a). Citizens of East Indian descent (Indo-
Trinidadians) dominate Afro-Trinidadians by a slim margin, followed by the combined “Mixed”
population. The dominance of Afro-Trinidadians in this community results from over a
century of rural-to-urban immigration of African descendants following Emancipation and
their voluntary immigration from other Caribbean islands.

When the ages by gender of the combined six communities are considered, females outnumber
males considerably between 20 to 29, and again after 80. Meanwhile, males substantially
outnumber females during the ages of 10-15. Otherwise, genders are relatively balanced.

The shape of both the East Port of Spain/Laventille community and the nationwide population
pyramids (see Table 1a) reveals that there was a baby boom during the recessionary period
(about 20-30 years ago) and suggests that the life expectancy in this area may be marginally
shorter than the national average.

29
 Total Nation Nation
0%
0% African African
African
7% Caucasian Caucasian
16% Caucasian
16%
1% 10% Chinese Chinese
2% Chinese
37% 37%
8% 8% East Indian East Indian East Indian
0% 0% Indigenous Indigenous Indigenous
Mix Indian
Mix ed - African/ East ed - African/ East Indian
Mix ed - African
Mix ed - O ther Mix ed - O ther Mix ed - O ther
80% 38% 38% Portuguese
Portuguese Portuguese
Sy rian/ Lebanese Sy rian/ Lebanese Sy rian/ Lebanes
Community-Scale National-Scale

Chart 1a: : Ethnic Make-up of Communities within East Port of Spain/Laventille,

Chart2010
1.6:Census - (Source: Central
Statistical Office) Age/Sex Composition of Total Population, 2011: Tobago
80 +

75 - 79

70 - 74

65 - 69

60 - 64

55 - 59

50 - 54

45 - 49

40 - 44 Female
Male
35 - 39

30 - 34

25 - 29

20 - 24

15 - 19

10 - 14

5-9

0-4

2000 1500 1000 500 0 500 1000 1500 2000

Table 1a: Population Pyramid of the Six Communities, Table 1b: Population Pyramid of Trinidad, 2010 Census
2010 Census - (Source: Central Statistical Office) - (Source: Central Statistical Office)

1% Chart 1.7:
3% 0%
Age/Sex Composition of Total Population, 2000: Tobago
3%
2% 7%

Had a j ob and work ed ( HJW ) Had a j ob and work ed ( HJW )

Had a j ob but did not work Had a j ob but did not work
( HJNW ) ( HJNW )
Seek ing first j ob ( SF J) Seek ing first j ob ( SF J)

Actively seek ing work ( ASW ) Actively seek ing work ( ASW )

90%
94%

Community-Scale National-Scale

Chart 1b: Employment - (Source: Central Statistical Office)

30
Exisiting Site Conditions

Meeting/Aux.
Spaces

Upper Level

Rack Storage
Yard Pan
Storage/Practice
Space

Outdoor
Auditorium Performance
(seats 450) Space/Play
Area/Parking
Back Stage/Service
Area

Veranda-Style Ground Level

Overlook

12a: Spatial Diagrams of Current Properties on Site

31
Little-to-no pedes
No direct access access via walkw
 Veranda-Style Ground Level
Overlook

Little-to-no pedestrian
No direct access access via walkways
to major street

Design of outdoor
performance area does
not optimize spectator
Locked and viewing
under-utilized
most of the time

The view to the city and Playing in the outdoor

harbor is too low and area is hampered by
hampered by nearby residents using
surrounding homes the space as a free
garage
12b: Drawbacks to the current building located on site

The property is occupied by the East Port-of-Spain Regional Complex, but primarily run by
the West Indian Tobacco Company (WITCO) Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. It was built by
the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs in 1994, to serve the
Laventille community and to become a tourist attraction. Today, while it is used sporadically
by the steel orchestra and other social entities, this and the adjacent youth facility is grossly
underutilized.

12c: Main entrance

32
12d: Old cars that are in need of repairs are left parked in the yard of the site, awaiting repairs while kids play
around them- January 2, 2014

33
Program

Building Type

The building type is primarily a multi-purpose facility with major performance facilities and
opportunities for community additions.

Users

- Neighboring Children
- Neighboring Teenagers
- Neighboring Adults
- Social Workers and Community Administrators



Tantie Merle, 68 Krystal, 17 Brendon, 7; Jevon, 9 Sheldon, 27

Grandmother, Vendor Mother, Student Friends, Students Hourly Labourer, Ex-Gang
Member La

Tantie Merle runs a
neighborhood parlor out of her
house veranda. She would like
to have an opportunity to sell
her popular corn soup at
community gatherings and on
Saturdays to local youths.
Merle taxis to the city once a
week to buy ingredients for
her soup.
Krystal is studying for the CXC
exams and has a 3-year-old
son, whose father is gang
DIĺOLDWHG6KHKRSHVWRKDYHD
safe area for her son to play
with other children while she
studies for her exams.
Krystal taxis to and from
school in Success Village on
weekdays.
Brendon and Jevon attend the
same primary school but live
in rivaling gang turfs. They
both need a space to
congregate on weekends to
play their favorite sport:
cricket.
The boys walk to and from the
Catholic School on weekdays.
A pan player, Sheldon once
played for the Desperadoes as
a youngster. He would like to
begin practicing pan again on
his free time, but he is fearful
that his former gang rivals will
ambush him if he is found in
another turf. 
Sheldon drives several miles
east to work every day.

34 Krystal’s
house
 Tantie Merle, 68 Krystal, 17 Brendon, 7; Jevon, 9 Sheldon, 27
Grandmother, Vendor Mother, Student Friends, Students Hourly Labourer, Ex-Gang
Member L

- Musicians
Tantie Merle runsand
a
neighborhood parlor out of her
Steel Pan Arrangers
Krystal is studying for the CXC
exams and has a 3-year-old
Brendon and Jevon attend the
same primary school but live
A pan player, Sheldon once
played for the Desperadoes as
- Vendors
house veranda. She would like
to have an opportunity to sell
son, whose father is gang
DIĺOLDWHG6KHKRSHVWRKDYHD
in rivaling gang turfs. They
both need a space to
a youngster. He would like to
begin practicing pan again on
her popular corn soup at safe area for her son to play congregate on weekends to his free time, but he is fearful
- Visitors
community gatherings and on with other children while she play their favorite sport: that his former gang rivals will
Saturdays to local youths. studies for her exams. cricket. ambush him if he is found in
another turf.
Merle taxis to the city once a Krystal taxis to and from The boys walk to and from the
week to buy ingredients for school in Success Village on Catholic School on weekdays. Sheldon drives several miles
her soup. weekdays. east to work every day.

Krystal’s
house

Tantie Merle’s
Sheldon’s House
house

Jevon’s
House

Brendon’s
House

Catholic
School

Fig 13:Character Sketches and Analysis on Possible Feasible and Safe Routes Usually Taken
35
Functions

The functions of this multipurpose facility and their details are organized in the following
programmatic matrix:

Function Details Uses

Assembly Performance and Recreation:

Exterior Amphitheater/ Concerts, Religious Services,
Multi-Purpose Space Bazaars, Informal Recreation, Music
with Stage(s) Competitions, Farmers’ Markets,
Large-scale Community Meetings,
Wedding Receptions, Parties, Movie
Nights, etc.

Music Practice Area Practice Space mainly for

Desperadoes Steel Orchestra

Administrative Administrative Offices:

Clerical Space Administrative Space for State
Managerial Office entities overseeing the facility
Orchestra Office

1 Small Meeting Room Meeting area for Administrative

functions

1 Large Meeting Room Meeting area for rental

Services Surveillance Room Office for Security Guard

Men’s Locker Room Space for use by the

orchestra and performers

Women’s Locker Room Space for use by the

orchestra and performers

Mechanical and Storage Space for use by the

orchestra and performers

36
Requirements

The following are the design-specific requirements for the multi-purpose facility:

- The increase of access from all major pedestrian zones surrounding the site.
- The capitalization of views towards the city and the Gulf of Paria.
- The control of general nighttime noise in the area. The practice of music, while somewhat
seasonal, can be a seen as a public nuisance and, thus, may lead to a decrease in the
quality of life of the surrounding community.
- The flexibility of the assembly areas to provide for multiple options for use.
- The facilitation of impromptu and unplanned activities by residents.

Objectives

The following are the design objectives:

- To provide a neutral ground that can bring together a community fractured along gang
turf lines;
- To provide a safe area for State administrators, steel pan musicians and other users to
successfully conduct their day-to-day activities;
- To encourage a measured level of deviance in order to promote community inclusion and
agency;
- To provide 24-hour access to major areas of the property;
- To provide spaces which facilitate a multitude of options for recreation and social
betterment;
- To provide iconic architecture that still remains flexible to conform to a volatile community;
and
- To provide a design catalyst that can be replicated in other steel band headquarters
located within fractured communities.

37
Constraints

Site

The following are some of the constraints of the site:

1. Its location within the midst of volatile gang turfs and along the border of fractioned
communities may pose a direct threat to the security of the site and its users.

2. Its location within an area that possesses little-to-no formal urban planning structure thus
far is another challenge. The site is surrounded by informal, overcrowded settlements
and substandard infrastructure. While urban redevelopment is being proposed for this
area through the East Port-of-Spain Strategic Plan, this redevelopment may take decades
to be fully realized.

3. Its location within poor infrastructure brings about additional pressures with regards to
storm water treatment. The area is still working to overcome deficiencies with regards to
erosion, vulnerability to landslides and inadequate road drainage (EPOS, 2009).

4. The size of the land and its juxtaposition to the Laventille Road, as well as private
residences, may pose limitations to the program. The site’s proximity to residential areas
may constrain its noisy activities.

5. The current accessibility of the site currently poses a challenge to the use of the site. One
cannot park along Laventille Road without blocking a sizable amount of the thoroughfare.
The streets are winding and steep, and pedestrian walkways are rare. There are footpaths
which cut through villages to increase access but some are dimly lit and, as a result, are
dangerous to walk through at nights.

38
Program

The following are some of the constraints of the program:

1. Due to its location and functional objectives, the program is only successful if it were
maintained by a fully-committed staff, and by financial backing from the State and local
NGOs.

2. The program cannot assure the safe transition of employees, visitors and other members
of the community to and from the site, as it is limiting to the boundaries of the site.

3. While the program allows for positive expressions to occur, it does not and cannot claim to
eradicate criminal activities nor directly claim to divert a person away from a life of crime
just by its mere existence. The hope is that the program can be used as a means to an
end and not be the end itself.

4. The program is limited in its ability to aid residents in their housing inadequacies. While
it may be used as a temporary area for escaping an overcrowded living arrangement, it
cannot, by its initial existence, provide long-term housing relief without disrupting the
integrity of the other functions available to the wider community.

5. The accommodation of space for the WITCO Desperadoes Steel Orchestra constrains the
square-footage available for use by other functions. The 100-member steel orchestra
and its many supporters require a large amount of area for storage and preparation of
instruments, as well as for staging and for spectator accommodation. This can either
dictate or compromise the other functions with regards to spatial allocation, noise
augmentation/reduction requirements, etc.

6. The degree of openness promoted by this program can serve to deter certain portions of
the neighborhood to not want to utilize the area for fear the inclusiveness that it touts.
Some persons may prefer to be secluded from other members of the population due to
preconceived fears of violence.

39
Socioeconomic

According to the United Nations Development Program, Trinidad and Tobago is considered
to be a nation of High Human Development (Human Development Report 2013). It is the
second richest nation in the Caribbean behind Bahamas, with the 33rd highest GDP per
Capita in the world (World Bank 2012). Most of its wealth can be attributed to lucrative crude
oil and natural gas industries - Trinidad and Tobago ranks #47 in the world for oil production
and #22 for gas production (CIA World Factbook 2012).

However, in spite the increasing amounts of wealth that this nation has earned over the
years, the Laventille area remains impoverished. According to the Central Statistical Office of
the Ministry of Planning and Development, about 47.5 percent of the population in this area
is considered a part of the work force. Of that amount, 90 percent are gainfully employed.
The residual unemployment rate of 10 percent is rather large when compared to the national
Unemployment Rate in Trinidad and Tobago in 2011, which was 6.4 percent (CSO, 2011). Of
the unemployed, 2 percent had a job but were not working, 7 percent were actively looking
for a job and 1 percent were looking for their first job. According to the most recent available
census data (2000), 46 percent of the larger East Port-of-Spain/Laventille/Morvant area
reported to have earned less than TT$12,000 per annum (approx. 2,000 USD per annum).
This means that almost a half of these residents earned less than roughly a third of the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) per Capita at the time - 6,430 USD (World Bank 2000).

The poverty prevalent in the Laventille region has led to its residents’ heavy dependence upon
the Government to provide social welfare, housing and employment opportunities. However,
when the State proves ineffective, slow or inefficient in providing these aforementioned
services, the financially vulnerable residents of the area suffer as they are unable to afford
private alternatives. Only a small fraction of residents manage to overcome their socio-
economic obstacles over the years, and are able to successfully improve upon their overall
quality of life.

40
Crime

The Laventille area had been plagued by growing marginality following Emancipation in 1838.
Quite analogous to what author Janice Pearlman illustrated in her book on Brazilian favelas
entitled “The Metamorphosis of Marginality”, these type of informal and marginalized areas -
often ignored by State initiatives and the wider society - become suitable breeding grounds
for illicit activity and violence (Pearlman 2004) .

Gang activities were prevalent throughout the early-to-mid 1900s, operating under the
organization of steel bands and often perpetrated during rival clashes in the street (Stuempfle
1995). During this period, weapons were limited to stones, knives and cutlasses.

Today, the criminal activity has transformed and escalated. Some of the motives have
changed and the survival rate of gang members are much lower due to the explosion of gun
violence (see Table 2).

* in 2011, a limited state of emergency was imposed, lasting approximately 3 months.

Table 2 - Annual Homicides in Trinidad and Tobago from 1994-2013 (Source: ttcrime.com)

41
These are some of the driving factors to the most recent crime epidemic that has gripped the
nation and, more specifically the East Port-of-Spain/Laventille region:
These are some of the driving factors to the most recent crime epidemic that has gripped the
nation and, more specifically the East Port-of-Spain/Laventille region:
1. The Drug Trade
1. The Drug Trade

Fig. 14: 732 pounds of cocaine (left) found in Trinidadian juice containers (right) in Virginia (Source: News Station
WTKR,Fig.Hampton Roads, VA)
14: 732 pounds of cocaine (left) found in Trinidadian juice containers (right) in Virginia (Source: News
Station WTKR, Hampton Roads, VA)

On December 20, 2013, 732 pounds of cocaine was seized at the Port of Norfolk, VA, at the
On December 20, 2013, 732 pounds of cocaine was seized at the Port of Norfolk, VA, at the
street
street value
value of of approximately US$100
approximately US$100 million.
million. TheThecocaine
cocainewas wassmuggled
smuggled intointo
thethe US US via via
aluminum cans and labeling originating from a Trinidadian juice manufacturing
aluminum cans and labeling originating from a Trinidadian juice manufacturing firm. This firm. This firm,
firm,SMSMJaleel
JaleelandandCompany
CompanyLtd., Ltd.,
deniesdenies
havinghaving
any prioranyknowledge about the incident
prior knowledge about the (Trinidad
incident
Express, Jan 17, 2014). While this incident is very recent and requires
(Trinidad Express, Jan 17, 2014). While this incident is very recent and requires further further investigation in
order to determine
investigation in order the perpetratorsthe
to determine behind this majorbehind
perpetrators drug transshipment,
this major drugthe reality is that
transshipment,
the Trinidad
reality isandthat Trinidad
Tobago, andwith
along Tobago,
other along
countrieswithofother countries (e.g.
the Caribbean of thetheCaribbean,
Bahamas, are
becoming more
Dominican substantially
Republic and theinvolved in the
Netherlands illicit drug
Antilles), trade (Townsend
are substantially 2009:
involved in the23).
illicitTrinidad’s
drug
juxtaposition to the coast
trade (Townsend 2009:of23).
Venezuela
Trinidad’sand close proximity
juxtaposition to thetocoast
Columbia has make
of Venezuela andit theclosemost
susceptible
proximityto toillicit drug has
Columbia trafficking.
make it the most susceptible to illicit drug trafficking.
The While
volatile
thesocial conditions
nation’s of Laventille
involvement and
in the trade hasitsbeen
proximity tofor
ongoing the Port-of-Spain
the past decades, harbor
shifts made
in
it most vulnerable to the trade. It is believed that many of the drug runners and middle-men
players and power struggles have resulted, whether directly or indirectly, in the most recent
who operate in Laventille and on the streets of Port-of-Spain are just mere cogs in a larger
violence in Trinidad and Tobago. The volatile social conditions of Laventille and its proximity to
wheel of corrupt power at the State and National Security level.

42
drug runners and middle-men who operate in Laventille and on the streets of Port-of-Spain
are just mere cogs in a larger wheel of corrupt power at the State and National Security level.

2. Theillegal
2. The Illegal
GunGun Trade
Trade

Fig. 14: Guns, ammunition and military gear seized in a raid (guardian.co.tt)

Fig. 1 : tems found in a police raid on Picton Road, Laventille (Source: Trinidad Newsday)

On August 28, 2011, police found a Venezuela-made FAL high power assault riffle, 257
On August
rounds 2 , 2011,and
of ammunition police foundmilitary
genuine a Venezuela-made
uniforms, duringFALa high power
raid of Pictonassault rif e, 2 7
Road, Laventille.
Twenty-two suspects, 18
rounds of ammunition andofgenuine
whom belonged to the Picton
military uniforms, Road
during gang,
a raid of were
Picton taken
Road,into custody
Laventille.
in relation to this raid (Trinidad Express, August 29, 2011). This
Twenty-two suspects, 1 of whom belonged to the Picton Road gang, were taken is one example of into
the
countless raids and gun seizures executed within the Laventille communities and the wider
custody in relation to this raid (Trinidad Express, August 29, 2011). This is one example of the
country over the past decade. In a nation where only individual possessing gun permits are
countless
allowed to raids
carry and gun seizures
a weapon, executed
the illegal within
gun trade, the Laventille communities
a complimentary andtrade,
to the illicit drug the wider
has
country over the past decade. In a nation where only individual
led to a dramatic increase in gun-related homicides (Townsend 2009: 23). possessing gun permits are
allowed to carry a weapon, the illegal gun trade which became a complimentary deal with the
It is disturbingly
illicit easyled
drug trade, has to to
obtain an illegal
a dramatic gun in in
increase Trinidad and Tobago.
gun-related Many
homicides gang members
(Townsend 2009:
have
23). indicated that their gun supply is usually derived from Guyana and Venezuela via
boats (Torjesen, Wille, and MacFarlane, 2005), while according to a United National Office
of Drugs and Crime, and World Bank Report in 2007, illegal firearms are so readily available
that one can rent a gun for as little as $17US an hour (UNODC and World Bank, 2007, p.
10). Additionally, newspaper reports have indicated that there have been instances where
weapons under police custody would suddenly disappear (World Bank, 2007, p. 3). The
alleged corruption in the police service as a driver of the gun trade is illustrated in the
following account by a former gang member: “After I got out [of jail] these fellas [the police]
come back to my house. I thought they gonna arrest me again but no, they wanted to sell
me the pistol they took from me.” (LeBrun and Muggah 2005)

43
to my house. thought they gonna arrest me again but no, they wanted to sell me the pistol
they took from me. (LeBrun and Muggah 200 )

3. AA Gang
GangCulture
Culture

Fig. 16: The bodies of

Fig. 16: The
shmael bodies
Bain andofDerrick
Ishmael
Bain and Derrick
Warlord “Warlord”
Joseph, found
Joseph,
gunned found
downgunned down in
in East
East Port-of-Spain
Port-of-Spain (Source:
(Source:
Trinidad Express)
Trinidad Express)

On January 7, 2014, two young men - shmael Bain, 19, from Laventille, and Derrick
Warlord Joseph, 23, from St. Barb’s, were gunned down on Nelson Street, west of the East
On January 7, 2014, two young men - Ishmael Bain, 19, from Laventille, and Derrick “Warlord”
Dry River,
Joseph, 23, at around
from 12:0 were
St. Barb’s, pm.gunned
Bain’s down
mother, Joan mentioned
on Nelson Street, westthat herEast
of the sonDrykept bad
River,
company
at around ad thatpm.
12:05 wasBain’s
the cause of his
mother, death.
Joan (Trinidad
mentioned thatuardian,
her son January
“kept bad7, 2014)
company and
that was the cause of his death. (Trinidad Guardian, January 7, 2014)”

Just mere days prior to this murder, I first heard about Derrick “Warlord” Joseph during an
interview I conducted with Roman Catholic parish priest, Fr. Dwight Merrick, whose parish is
stationed in Picton community. According to Fr. Merrick, Warlord was the current notorious
gangster in the area. Little had we known that within a couple days of that interview Warlord
would have been gunned down within an enemy’s territory, just mere meters away from a
primary school during lunch recess.

Thewas going on,

gangster contacted
lifestyle is not aone
neworphenomenon
two of my doctor
in thefriends, andhills.
Laventille saidIn any samples
the days whenyou
theare
getting,
steel pan waswant
beingit.developed,
... Thosesteel
babybands
milk adopted
tins overthe
there may“Desperadoes”
names have prevented andsome people
“Invaders”
to being
represent theirup
beaten outlaw personas.
or even However,
killed. (Harvey, the ultimate
personal fate of
interview, the most 2013)
December recent generation
of gangsters has been to be gunned down by rival gangs or by their own subordinates.
4. A Breakdown in the Family Structure
The primary cultural force behind the prevalence of gangs in Laventille is the quest for status.
In my discussions with Fr. Clyde Harvey, a Roman Catholic parish priest and gang interpreter,
Community
he ntervention
shared with me a storyfor Transformation
about and Empowerment
one of his Laventille parishioners:(C T-E) is an N O that Fr.
Harvey
44 runs as one of his outreach programs for the Laventille area. The organization is
responsible for hosting after-school homework centers for the children, as well as family
counseling and parent training. According to him, as well as Fr. Merrick who also hosts a
 There was another youngster there, called Hassan. Hassan is bright, good looking,
everything you could think about. He is just fourteen. Hassan is proud of his first child.
But then the other day I met him - we had a good talk – and then he “shifted”. I noticed
right away…. He “shifted” because he wants to lead the gang, so he is plotting and
scheming, The girl is no longer the primary interest.... His real interest now is building his
rep and learning how, so when the day comes, he would take out (the leader)… Sadly, the
gang leader already knows that (Hassan) would want to take him out some day anyway…
(Harvey, personal interview, December 2013).

In a later discussion with Fr. Harvey, while we toured the roads leading from the East Dry
River, he indicated a spot to me at the top of a hill. He goes on to explain that there is usually
a young boy at around ten years of age who would act as a look out at this spot, in order to
notify the older ones lower down the hill when the police is approaching into the area. This
young boy’s main aim is to be promoted to be a shooter. When he is a shooter, he can choose
to either take out rival gangs, or take out the leader of his own gang in hopes of replacing
him (Harvey, personal interview, January 2014).

Another driving force behind the gang culture is the belief that this life is a financial necessity.
Fr. Harvey muses:

This is a whole culture that is not simply the matter of these young men being “thieves”.
There is a lifestyle – bad as the lifestyle is - which has to be supported. And two big parts
of the lifestyle are the capacity to be able to buy the clothes to go to the fete (party), and
the baby mother’s milk. I have a case of baby milk and that is because when I realized
what was going on, I contacted one or two of my doctor friends, and I said “any samples
you are getting, I want it.” ... Those baby milk tins over there may have prevented some
people being beaten up or even killed (Harvey, personal interview, December 2013).

45
4. A Breakdown in the Family Structure

Community Intervention for Transformation and Empowerment (CIT-E) is an NGO that Fr.
Harvey runs as one of his outreach programs for the Laventille area. The organization is
responsible for hosting after-school homework centers for the children, as well as family
counseling and parent training. According to him, as well as Fr. Merrick who also hosts a
church homework center on Picton hill, the breakdown in family life within these areas is one
of the major causes of children and youth turning to lives of crime.

Fr. Harvey shared the following story about Loon, a recent murder victim from Gonzales:

He was just 16. He stopped coming to meetings and that is when we knew what was up.
(Suddenly) he walks in here smiling broadly. “Father I want a recommendation for a job.”
Loon was his name…and as he got up to leave he said “I also came to ask you to baptize
a child for me.” … He then took me outside and there was a little thirteen-year-old girl
with a baby in her arms.... A few weeks later he was dead....The girl lived in Belmont.
He lived in Gonzales. Those two (villages) don’t meet in terms of gangs.... A Wednesday
night, they shot at him in Gonzales. He ran over the hill and they were waiting for him
on the other side, and then they killed him(Harvey, personal interview, December 2013).

These are the common scenarios in this area: teenagers having children and fatherless
kids growing up with the community gangsters as male role models. In many instances,
the children are not encouraged by their parents to strive for excellence at school, thus
leaving them vulnerable to the influence of gang-related activities. In an interview on a local
morning program, lecturer and sociologist David Muhammed noted that in 2003, there were
25 most wanted gangsters, which eventually transformed in 2013 to be 500 gangsters within
66 gangs. These 500 gangsters were primary school children in 2003, thus, now merely
emulating and replicating the lives of their predecessors (CNC’s The Morning Brew, March
2013).

Local scholars and religious leaders note a strong correlation between gang affiliation in
Laventille and a systematic breakdown of family life - teenage pregnancies, female-headed
households, etc. The instability of households entrusts children into the hands of the somewhat
deteriorated community, where the more prevailing male role models for young boys are the
neighborhood gang leaders.

5. Other Contributing Factors

Other factors which some consider as contributors to the violent crimes in the East Port-of-
Spain/Laventille region are the deficiencies in the prevailing social infrastructure, an increase
in US deportees with criminal records returning to the islands, and the inefficiency of the
judicial and law enforcement system in their ability to detain and convict criminals.

46
Acrylic on Steel Panel

47
Politics

Currently, the leading political party is a amelioration of an older party, the United National
Congress (UNC), and a more recently-formed party, the Congress of the People (CoP). Their
union following the 2010 General Elections afforded them enough parliamentary seats to
capture the leadership position.

Meanwhile, the East Port-of-Spain/Laventille region has always been majority supporters
of the current opposition party, the People’s National Movement (PNM). Prior to the 2001
General Elections, it is alleged that the UNC sought to make political inroads into the area
by forming alliances with gang members, adding them to the payrolls of the Unemployment
Relief Program, and bringing them into the political arena as local government election
candidates (Trinidad Guardian, January 31, 2008).

Then, in 2002, the then Prime Minister and political leader of the PNM, the. Hon. Patrick Manning,
met with prominent gang members in the Laventille area. Eventually, these gangsters were
also offered URP contracts, and they were given the title of “community leaders.”(Townsend
2009, 33) This deal seemed to be a move by the Government to discourage the drug trade
by providing a more legitimate means of earning a living as government contractors.

These public entanglements between politics and crime proved to be quite disastrous. The
gangsters began utilizing these government contracts to finance their illicit activities, going
insofar as to institute “ghost gangs” - the claiming of erroneous billing under imaginary
names on contract’s payroll and the resultant receipt of wages for no work. Eventually,
the community leaders in charge of these contracts were murdered under gang-related
circumstances.

Additionally, the Laventille area, like any other area in the country, is often a target for lofty
election promises over the years, and politicians from all sides often utilize the area for
public relations initiatives in hopes for political leverage, rather than fully engaging with the
communities.

Finally, the former and current administration, in spite of political promises, seem to be
unable to effectively combat the crime in this area.

48
A Dwindling Population

Fig. 17a: Population - (Source: Central Statistical Office)

From 2000 to 2011, the populations in these six communities have collectively decreased
by 16.8 percent. The most prominent percentage decreases were seen in the westernmost
communities - Gonzales (32.7 percent) and Quarry Street/East Port-of-Spain (24.3 percent).

One possible theory for this decrease is that the shift in housing policies may have relocated
some residents into affordable housing schemes in other communities. Another theory is that
the crime may have caused residents to leave the area.

Some site the criminal situation as being a serendipitous scheme for promoting migration
from this area, thus, possibly spurring on a new wave of “urban renewal”. Referring to the
crime in her neighborhood, a Beverly Hills, Eastern Quarry community resident lamented on
a local news program: “My boys are young and I had to ship out my boys because I don’t
what that for them (CNC News, March 2013).” “We are actually witnessing gentrification in
motion,” David Muhammed opined. “...There is a theory that when there are objections to
co-operation to such a process that, afterwards, other conditions are created to force people
out.... What we are seeing looks like that (CNC’s The Morning Brew, March 2013).”

Whether these aforementioned theories are the truth or just mere speculation, the slowly
dwindling population in Laventille may prove to be a major constraint in the long run.

49
Negative Public Perceptions

Not everyone from Laventille and its environs is a criminal, nor are they all uneducated, poor
or dependent on the State. In my interview with Father Dwight Merrick, he mentioned that he
had just celebrated a mass for a female student of the area who earned an National college
scholarship for excellence in her secondary school exams. Additionally, if one were to traverse
along Laventille Road, one would find that among the dilapidated housing and infrastructure
stood well-built, well-gated residences owned by shopkeepers and professionals. In fact,
the gang members are just a small fraction of residents who live there - many are honest,
hardworking individuals. However, the negative perceptions held by the wider population has
managed to view Laventille as a collective.

In a blog post entitled “Laventille Stigma”, a university student from an urban village in the
East Port-of-Spain sub-community called John John, shares her story of being typecast at
the workplace:

I left the job after a few months because of the rude comments I was subjected to
from my co-workers. There was a robbery up the street from where I worked and my
co-workers asked me if I knew the bandits. How the arse would I know them? Then
they would make jokes saying there were never any robberies on the street until I
started to work there and I must (have organized) my “crew” to do it (”Trinigirl”, Trini
Fans Blog Post, November 14, 2013).

There are many in the wider community who actively respond to any implications of crime in
these areas with exclamations such as:

“They need to put them on a deserted island and let them rule themselves and
eventually they (will) kill out each other. Problem solve(d) (Facebook users’ comment,
C News Live, Jan 2014).”

“I say just drop a bomb and rid the entire area. Hate me for it but I just think it would
help (Facebook users’ comment, C News Live, Jan 2014).”

“The rest of hard working citizens who want to do something positive and live happy
with their families in TnT could do without these cockroaches (Facebook users’
comment, C News Live, Jan 2014).”

These perceptions (see also Fig. 17b) pose a serious constraint on the implementation and
maintenance of a multi-purpose facility, as the negative publicity shall continue to cast a
shadow on any productive and positive aspect of the community.

50
Fig. 17b: A wide cross-section of public responses to Laventille-related homicides - (Source: Facebook)

51
Personal Perceptions and Limitations

i. My Residence - (Source: Google Earth) ii. My Residence in Relation to Site - (Source: Google Earth)

1 mile

iii. My Thoroughfare in Relation to Site - (Source: Google Earth)

Fig 17c - My personal relationship to the site from 1983 to 2007

From 1983 to 2007, I lived in Maracas St. Joseph (i), located some 9.5 miles North East of
the thesis site (ii). In the Port-of-Spain area, I schools (yellow in iii) and worked at financial
institutions (black in iii). I also frequented the area shaded in pink and commuted along the
paths lined in pink.

As a Trinidadian so far removed from the “Laventille experience”, I am limited in fully grasping
the needs of this community. Conversely, as I view the scenario as a national, I feel as
emotionally vested in the welfare of this area as other members of the Trinidadian public and,
thus, am challenged to conduct a design that is as objective as possible.

52
 Opportunity

In spite the various constraints outlined in the previous section, there is a wealth of opportunity
in this area. The East Port-of-Spain Development Company Limited, in their strategic plan
for the area, listed several opportunities for improving the area. Some of these which are
relevant to this current site are as follows:

Sites Available for redevelopment

The rezoning of the communities in 2009 brought about new opportunities for redeveloping
vacant and derelict sites.

Tourism potential utilizing the sub-regions’ rich history and culture

Fig. 18: Photos of WITCO Desperadoes Steel Orchestra - (Source: Keith Matthews, Trinidad
Guardian)

The Laventille area has contributed greatly to the cultural development of the nation. The
thesis site, for instance, is a heritage site - it was where one of the most prolific steel bands,
the Desperadoes, originated. The use of this site as a tourist attraction had been attempted
by its current structure. However, while all of their equipment and instruments are actively
stored at the site, during the Carnival season (late December to February/March), the band
moves to another location to practice and perform for their cross-section of fans. Their
53
seasonal move was driven by a few reasons: 1. To preserve the safety of its players; 2. To
increase their accessibility to fans and tourists who are fearful of visiting Laventille; 3. To
have a larger space for exterior performances.

In spite of the current under-use of the site, the site still remains historic and culturally
sentimental, and this presents an opportunity to redevelop it into a more attractive destination.

The Picton community also contains other prominent historical sites - e.g. Fort Picton (see
Fig. 19), Fort Chacon, the Shrine to Our Lady of Fatima, etc. While it is uncertain whether or
not the crime situation will ever subside, these sites remain as prospective opportunities for
encouraging tourists to visit the area.

Fig. 19: Fort Picton, Laventille (Source: Noel Norton)

54
Large labor pool
Providing an opportunity for Laventille residents to work within their community shall be one
of the merits to this design proposal.

Scenic views of Port-of-Spain, the Gulf of Paria and beyond

Fig. 20: View from Laventille Hills

to uptown Port-of-Spain - (Source:
Nicole Walker, UWI Today)

Other Opportunities:
- Multiplicity of projects under different agencies.
- An indomitable spirit and strong sense of community

55
The panoramic view southwards from WITCO Desperadoes Steel Orchestra Headquarters
January 2, 2014
 Precedents
Concept
Intended Project
Working Method/Design Process
Theoretical Position
y Park
Precedents

esign
Mexico

Source: Elemental

Housing Complex
Monterrey, Mexico
by Elemental

Taking into consideration the do-it-yourself construction that is common in Mexico and Chile,
ng Elemental’s design for housing provides half of the prescribed program and allows designated
areas for future additions to infill when necessary. This not only allows the residences to grow
s
organically within very logical parameters without interrupting the integrity of the overall
design, but it grants the homeowner a greater degree of agency in producing their own living
spaces.

58
,
y Park
A

Source: Town Park

Town Park in de Fremery Park

West Oakland, CA
2008

De Fremery Park is a historical site located in West Oakland, CA. It services the entire West
Oakland neighborhood and its environs, and its reputation of being a neutral space for waring
turfs in the immediate area transcends generations.

In 2008, a group of community members received permission by the City of Oakland to erect
y a fully autonomous skate park for the youth of the neighborhood. This skate park became a
esign new dimension of ownership by the youngsters of the community, who view this area as the
Mexico refuge to escape to when “shit gets real at home (West Oakand youth, conversation, 2014.)”

d by
59
ing
 Drawings of my visit to Town Park,
March 2014

60
 Concept

First iteration in finding ways to connect the formal with the

formal aspects of the Port-of-Spain region, September 2013

Connectivity
The first concept is the goal of providing a sense of connection (whether literal or suggestive)
among the fractured parts of the immediate village and the wider community.

This first iteration illustrates a figure-ground representation of the formalized Downtown and
Uptown Port-of-Spain (black) and the informality of East Port-of-Spain (gray). The formal
and informal are separated by the East Dry River which flows North-South. There are bridged
connections along the river, but these connections do not succeed at fully integrating the
informal into the formal structure. My intention here was to investigate how the spawns of
architectural intervention (red circles) may spur on a network of connectivity - whether linear
(blue networks) or organic (orange networks).

In relation to the thesis site and program under investigating, I seek to incorporate the goal
of connectivity this into the local context and then further develop it to administer to this
regional context as well.

61
House in Trou Macaque, Laventille - 2 January, 2014

Improvisation, Growth and Adaptability

The Urban Think Tank coined the phrase “Growing House” to define the phenomena found in
informal settlements where, over time, homes grow organically to adapt to changing needs.
This house above provides a local example of this trend: an eclectic home comprised of
different bits and pieces of expansions which occurred over time.

My second concept draws from this do-it-yourself style of built form, and seeks to encourage
this gradual adaptation to economic growth and social needs within this thesis conjecture.

62
The Art of Steel Pan Performance

Steel Pan Terminology

Sharps

Flats

Naturals

1st Octave
2nd Octave Ownersh
3rd Octave The Tenor Pan Town Pa
De Frem
Oakland,

Diagrams illustrating the

culture and tectonics
behind the Steel Pan

Steel Pan Musician Pan Rack Racks house and move

several players and pans at
once.

Vessels
Adaptab
Element
Housing
Monterre

100 Growth
Determi
Necessi
The “Gr
House”
Village Tr
A Steel Band (Steel Orchestra)
can have up to 100 players.

63
 10 10

5 5

Intended Product 0 0

 
  E
   Level Three
Level Three
    0’ 5’ 15’
0’ 5’ 15’ 35’ 35’

Upper Level

Pan
Storage/Practice
Space

Outdoor
Performance
Space/Play
Area/Parking

Ground Level

Little-to-no pedestrian
access via walkways

Design of outdoor
performance area does
not optimize spectator
viewing

Playing in the outdoor

area is hampered by
nearby residents using
the space as a free
garage Longitudinal Section
Section Perspective

Longitudinal Section
 5


 E
  Level One
  0’ 5’ 15’ 35’

Performance

Large Scale Performance Zone Small-Scale Performance Zone Seating

Circulatory
Ramps/Roof

Pan Practice Zone Mid-to-Large Scale

Performance Zone

Administration

Performance
66
Adaptable Zones
Large Scale Performance Zone Small-Scale Performance Zone 10
Sea

Circula
Ramps/R

Pan Practice Zone Mid-to-Large Scale

Performance Zone

Administra
Level Two
0’ 5’ 15’ 35’

Performa
Adaptable Zones

Zone 3: Galvanized steel sheeting

Permanent Structure
Suggested uses:
- Dormitory
- Meeting Rooms Zone 2:
- Homework/Tutoring Center Permanent Structure Serv
Suggested uses:
- Playground
- Vending Stalls (Seasonal)
2IŷFHV6RFLDO6HUYLFHV

Struc
CMU is readily
available, popular and
appropriate for gradual
additions to occur. This
allows the community to
interact in the future
growth of this
Zone 1: multi-purpose facility.
Approx. 10’- 0” O.C.
Temporary Structure
Suggested uses: The structural grid provided guides the growth
- Farmers Markets process by allowing for change while maintaining
- All-Inclusive Parties the overall integrity of the other functions
- Community Functions operating within the facility.

67
 10

Level Three
0’ 5’ 15’ 35’

Gonzales Village St. Barbs Village

ker Village Gang

Picton Village

Site Plan
0’ 50’ 150’ 350’

68
 Small-Scale Performance Zone Seating

Model of Port -of-Spain and Laventille Circulatory

Ramps/Roof

Mid-to-Large Scale
Performance Zone

Administration

Performance

Galvanized steel sheeting

Paper Model of Facility

Service

al)


Structure
CMU is readily
available, popular and
appropriate for gradual
additions to occur. This
allows the community to
interact in the future
growth of this
multi-purpose facility.
Approx. 10’- 0” O.C.

The structural grid provided guides the growth

process by allowing for change while maintaining
Section Model
the overall integrity of the other functions
operating within the facility.

69
 Bevery Hills Gang

Quarry Street Gang

John John Gang

lage Gang

Performance

10

Level Three Weekend Market

0’ 5’ 15’ 35’

70
 Pashle

Sandy Gang

West Entrance

Level One North Entrance

0’ 5’ 15’ 35’

71
 Picton Street Gang
Pashley Street Gang

Sandy Gang

Straker Village Gang

Gonzales Gang

Bevery Hills Gang Connectivity

Quarry Street Gang
John John Gang

72
Night View

73
Working Method/Design Process

The following was my approach to the design:

1. Site Analysis
2. Character Sketches and Mapping Circulation around Site
3. Schematic Design
4. Testing the Design on Experiential Moments
5. Schematic Design (Round 2)
6. Retesting the Design
7. Schematic Design (Round 3)
8. Retesting the Design
9. Creating Vignettes to Express Usage of Space
10. Technical/Production

74
 Theoretical Position

Informality and the Architect

Jose Castillo, in his essay entitled “Urbanism of the Informal”, characterizes informality as
“indiscriminate occupation of land, lack of official approval, lack of property titles, makeshift
housing, and an absence of utilities and human services (Castillo, 103).” In a research paper
entitled “Gray-scape: Lessons from Informal Migrant Settlements”, I sought to sum up my
sentiments on informality and its necessity to current urban vernacular:

This myopic approach that systematically categorizes communities into two overarching
categories – urban or rural – fails to address the interstitial matter that emanates and
permeates throughout the crevices of our societal framework. This “gray-scape”, while
usually represented as large voids on city maps, contains, in reality, the many lives
hidden on the other side of train tracks and freeways, splattered across hillsides and
perched next to municipal dumps. The socio-political acceptance of the gray-scape as the
necessary byproduct of urbanism should better inform legislators in their efforts of further
enhance the standard of living of a fast-growing urban population (Gonzales 2013).

Today, my stance remains the same. The reason for Laventille being fertile grounds for
violence in Trinidad is because of its de facto marginality derived from its apparent informality.
Therefore, it is my belief that not only does the planner require to update its urban vernacular,
but the architect must understand his/her role to play in bringing about legitimacy, security
and esteem in the lives of those living in informality.

In his keynote speech at the Adaptive Metropolis Symposium held at UC Berkeley in September,
2013, Urban Think Tank’s Alfredo Brillembourg shared his musings on the current state of the
architecture profession:

There is a loss of legitimacy of the architect We have become decorators... (Architects)

lost their legitimacy in the public realm. We went to being form makers, only interested
in the shape of the buildings and the way things looked, but never getting at the heart
again, like the 60s and 70s,... to content.... Whatever happened to building a space by
the people, with the people? (Brillembourg 2013)

I concur with Brillembourg that architecture is illegitimate if it does not properly address the
social context for which it is proposed, especially in volatile scenarios such as this thesis.

75
Independent Variables

In understanding my limitations in this thesis, I hereby seek to outline the following as factor
that shall remain outside of the jurisdiction of this project:

1. Crime
This design has no jurisdiction over the illicit activities prevalent in the vicinity of the
site. Neither does it have the ability to spur on extra police enforcement around the area.
There is an acceptance that the illegal guns and drugs will continue to fuel gang culture.
However, the site shall be open to police surveillance whenever possible, and the intent
of the site is to provide an alternative to gang-affiliated youth which, currently, has not
yet been presented to them in this area.

2. Current Site Conditions

This design has no control over the current site conditions with regards to surrounding
homes, roads and infrastructure.

3. Policy
This design has no bearing upon government policies with regards to fighting crime or
redeveloping the area. Thus far, the thesis proposal adheres to the current strategic
plans for the area by the East Port-of-Spain Development Company Limited, which is a
State entity under the Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Convivial Spaces

The following are my stances as it refers to providing an urban center that is “convivial”:

1. “Inclusivity”
“Richard Sennett (1986) has argued that ‘people grow only by the processes of
encountering the unknown’ (p295) and the best places to encounter difference and the
unfamiliar are public spaces, where all segments of society can cross paths, mingle and
be observed.” (Shaftoe 2007, 29)

2. “Accommodating deviance and unpredictability”

“...if we clear these screened places, we also remove the possibilities of deviant activities
that are harmless or positively valuable as articulations of resistance to the status quo:
‘it would be a dead world indeed without the shadowed spaces’ (Wood p95).

76
77
End Notes

1. Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island republic because, in 1889, the prevailing power at
the time, Britain, combined Tobago as an administrative ward of the colony of Trinidad
and Tobago, under an Order-in-Council.
2. Desperadoes Steel Orchestra is a steel pan band of 100 players. It has been in existence
since the 1950s and has won several local competitions.
3. From 1994 to 2008.
4. The topic of whether or not the nation has already attained developed status is
debatable. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in
2006, removed Trinidad and Tobago from the list of development countries that qualify
for aid. Conversely, the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development
Index currently lists Trinidad and Tobago as a highly-developed country (“developed”
countries are considered to have a very-high development.) Also,according to the World
Bank, Trinidad and Tobago is still listed as a developing country.

78
 Photos

p2 - Google Earth; Triniview.com

p10 - UNDOC Global Study on Homicide 2011
p13 - Galen Fry
p14 - Google Earth
p15 - Google Earth
p16 - Olga J. Mavrogordato
p17 - Telegraph.co.uk; Newsday.co.tt
p18 - wuzdescene.com
p19 - Triniview.com
p20 - Newsday.co.tt; Hilton Trinidad Hotel
p21 - Trinidad and Tobago Film Company; Wendell McShine
p22 - Vibert Medford
p23 - Vibert Medford
p24 - Town and Country Planning Division
p25 - Town and Country Planning Division
p26 - Town and Country Planning Division
p27 - Town and Country Planning Division
p28 - Town and Country Planning Division
p30 - Central Statistical Office
p34 - Triniview.com
p41 - ttcrime.com
p42 - WTKR
p43 - Trinidad Guardian
p44 - Trinidad Express
p49 - Central Statistical Office
p51 - Facebook
p52 - Google Earth
p53 - Keith Matthews, Trinidad Guardian
p54 - Noel Norton
p55 - Nicole Walker, UWI Today
p58 - Elemental
p59 - Antony Kim

79
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Dec. 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

Brillembourg, Alfredo. “Keynote Speech.” Adaptive Metropolis. Colleve of Environmental

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Castillo, Jose. “Urbanisms of the Informal: Transformations in the Urban Fringes of Mexico
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“CIA World Factbook.” Central Intelligence Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

CNC3 Early Brew. “David Muhammad - Gang Violence & Gentrification in T&T.” YouTube.
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CNC3 News. “Stories: Beverly Hills Residents Pour Their Hearts against Crime and Kamla
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CONNELLY, COREY. “Imbert on Crime: UNC Govt Spawned Gang Violence.” The Trinidad
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Goodenough, Suzanne Stephanie. Race, Status and Residence, Port of Spain, Trinidad
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“GROTAO COMMUNITY CENTER.” Urban-Think Tank - Interdisciplinary Design Studio. N.p.,

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Mendes, John. Cote Ce Cote La: Trinidad & Tobago Dictionary. S.l.: S.n., 1976. Print.

Nero, Sean. “As Crime Wave Rises in East PoS - Panmen Running Scared.” The Trinidad
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Potter, Robert B., and Linda Hewitt. “A Critical Review of State Involvement in Housing in
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Saunders, Doug. “On the Edge of the City.” Arrival City: How the Largest Migration in
History Is Reshaping Our World. New York: Pantheon, 2010. 5-36. Print.

Shaftoe, Henry. Urban Spaces: Creating Successful Public Space in the Urban Environment.
London: Earthscan, 2007. Print.

“Straker Village Laventille.” TriniView.com. N.p., 25 Dec. 2000. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

Stuempfle, Stephen. “The Steelband Movement: The Forging of a National Art in Trinidad
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Townsend, Dorn. “No Other Life Gangs, Guns, and Governance in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,
Geneva (2009): n. pag. Web.

Trinigirl. “Laventille Stigma.” RSS. N.p., 14 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

“VERTICAL GYMNASIUM EL DORADO.” Urban-Think Tank - Interdisciplinary Design Studio.

N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

“The Watts Towers Art Center Faces Privatization.” YouTube. YouTube, 26 Sept. 2010. Web.
22 Jan. 2014.

“ .” The Watts Towers Arts Center. Lucien Den Arend, n.d. Web. 22 Jan.

Interview with Father Clyde Harvey, December 2013

Interview with Father Dwight Merrick, January 2014

Conversations with users of de Fremery Park, Oakland, March 2014

81