Vernacular architecture is the architecture of a specific place that has evolved over many years and embodies both the culture and the collective wisdom of many generations. The built vernacular of a place literally starts when people first create homes and places for community and commerce.  
​As the architectural typologies evolve over time, they are tailored to their specific functions and context including:
​​     Climate
     Available Local Materials & Technologies
     Skill Level of Workers & Craftsmen
     Location & Physical Context (Urban or Rural, Near the Sea, On a Plain or Mountain)
     Local Culture & Economy
     History of Both the Place & Immigrants Who Move There
      Image: A view of the St. Croix shore. Photo taken by the St. Croix Educational Complex High School Science National Honor Society on a hike to Bodkin Mill.
​Unsurprisingly, local builders learned and adopted best practices to respond to their context – in other words, they adopted architectural typologies that mitigated the effects of their climate to promote health and comfort and expressed their cultural values while being functionally effective and resource efficient. Vernacular architecture at its best is the embodiment of triple-bottom line sustainability that promotes positive environmental, social and economic outcomes.
Design Guidelines for the Architecture of the U.S. Virgin Islands
​The designs presented throughout the Educational Facility Master Plan are the result of divergent thinking that explored ways of “recreating” historic shapes, forms and materials through modern interpretations of key design principles exhibited in the historic Danish architecture of the islands. 
When discussing the guiding principle of “vernacular architecture being incorporated into designs,” 10 criteria were developed that reflect historic design principles:

   1. Topography & Site Orientation
   2. A Civic Presence
   3. An Arrival Sequence
   4. Pathways, Patios & Courtyards
   5. Volumes & Forms
   6. Solids & Voids
   7. Horizontals & Verticals
   8. Punched Openings, Shutters & Curtain Walls
   9. Light & Shadow
​   10. Scale, Materials, Texture & Color
Guiding Principle:
Cultural, Local & Economic Competence and Resilience
Planning, design and construction efforts will embody cultural, local and economic competence and resilience by:  
​1. Vernacular architecture being incorporated into designs.
2. Local and M/WBE participation in design and construction being encouraged and tracked with goals.
3. Vocational programs and opportunities for certification.
Inspirational Source Material: The Vernacular Architecture of Frederiksted by Robert S. Brown
Historical Continuum
Historically, for the purposes of the Educational Facility Master Plan,
​buildings in the USVI can be grouped into one of five categories:
  • Formal Historic
  • Casual Vernacular
  • Interpretive/Revival
  • Transitional
  • Contemporary
A detailed summary of the Historical Continuum and Vernacular Design Guidelines is outlined in the Educational Facility Master Plan. Review the section on Vernacular Architecture at the link below. ​
04_vide_master_plan_20200629_vernacular.pdf
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