Woman takes up reins at architects’ association

NEW Federation of Caribbean Association of Architects President Sue Courtenay. ((GP))

Tue, October 16, 2012 - 12:00 AM

THE Federation of Caribbean Association of Architects has its first female President. Sue Courtenay of Belize was elected to this post at the 8th Biennale and Congress held recently at the Hilton Hotel.

Courtenay took over the reins from former president Erick Halley of Guadeloupe.

The new president said she was happy to have led her country’s move to join the FCA five years ago and was indeed pleased now to be at its helm.

Other members elected to the committee are first vice-president Shaney Peña Gomez and General Secretary John Allsopp; VP, English-speaking Caribbean, Wycliffe Morton; VP, Dutch-speaking Caribbean, Noemie Panneflek de Lannoy; VP, Spanish-speaking Caribbean, Elmer Gonzalez Cavallo; VP, French Caribbean, Pascale Rosemain-Trebeau.

A major feature of the event, which attracted architects from 25 Caribbean countries, was the design competition.

The winners of the competition were:

• Small buildings under 10 000 square feet, built: Edwin Quiles-Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) – “Haiti School” – winner.

• Small buildings under 10 000 square feet, built: Studio Blue Architects Inc. (Barbados) – special mentor.

• Small buildings under 10 000 square feet, unbuilt: Alain Nicholas (Guadeloupe) – “Administrative Tribunal Of Fort-de-France” – winner.

• Large buildings over 10 000 square feet, built: Segunda Cardona (Puerto Rico) – “New Library” addition to existing supreme court – winner.

• Large buildings over 10 000 square feet, unbuilt: Pascal Berthelot BMCDM (Guadeloupe) – “Memory Of Trafficking And Slavery” – winner.

•Urban design, built: – Zoohaus, Mae Durant Vidal (Dominican Republic) – “IntelligenciaColectiva” – winner.

• Restoration and contemporary additions to historic buildings: Marc Jalet and Emile Romney (Guadeloupe) – “Communauté Des Communes De Marie-Galante” – winner.

• Students projects: Reva Watson (Jamaica) – “Barbados Naval And Maritime Museum” – winner.

• Special mention: Ricardo Newallo-Christain (Jamaica) – “Barbados Naval And Maritime Museum”.

Architectural Heritage, Caribbean Identity And Its Evolving Aesthetics, Regeneration and Sustainability was the topic discussed at the conference.