How do you incorporate culture into a design? For us, architecture is more than just aesthetics; it’s about creating spaces that resonate with the people who use them. As a firm, we work on six different Dutch Caribbean islands as well as in various cities in the Netherlands. Each location has its own unique norms, values, and customs. In this Zoom-out, we talk about how we approach designing for diverse cultural contexts and communities.
The question we ask ourselves with every design is: how to translate the identity of a community into a building? Our designs go beyond functionality—it’s about understanding the people who will inhabit the space. This means conducting studies, researching local traditions, and engaging in conversations with residents. Whether we are designing a home, a school, or a laboratory; our goal is to create spaces that feel accessible, meaningful, and deeply connected to their environment. By embracing cultural diversity in the design, we ensure that architecture becomes a reflection of the people it serves.
Making an urban development plan
With some of our assignments we start by making an urban development plan, which serves as the foundation for shaping vibrant and functional spaces. This process involves an in-depth analysis of the area’s physical characteristics, social dynamics, and historical context. We assess existing infrastructure, identify opportunities for improvement, and consider how new developments can enhance the quality of life for people.
Kendra Heide, urban designer: “Understanding the local culture starts with observation and engagement. When I’m designing an urban plan, I start by understanding how people live, move and interact in the space. We analyze a lot of data and spatial elements such as public spaces, accessibility, green areas, historic maps and the scale of surrounding buildings. At the same time we also engage with residents and local communities to understand their cultural customs. For me, a successful urban plan balances spatial and social dynamics to create environments that are integrated, purposeful and responsive to their surroundings.”
Traditional and modern
Traditional architecture is often seen as a representation of the local culture, even though it shows a culture from centuries ago. We like to work on Caribbean architecture that is a reflection of today’s culture. Take the Fire Station on Saba, for example. At first glance, our design does not follow the traditional architectural style of the island; the white buildings with gingerbread trims and red roofs. Yet this contemporary building fits in with the Saban design…
The facade consists entirely of stones that were excavated during construction, a construction technique that has existed on Saba for centuries. Only the cement was imported. In the Windward Islands you have to build hurricane proof. Because the fire station is one of your essential buildings in a hurricane prone area they set a requirement that it has to withstand category 5 hurricanes. An relatively easy way to achieve this is by having a reinforced concrete structure. This concrete structure together with natural stone façade makes shell of the building basically maintenance free. In this way you have future-proof building for an island with a small community.
The design is inspired by the retaining walls that you find all over the island. One of the walls contains objects that the Sabans themselves submitted for a work of art by Sara Ramo. The striking red window frames refer to colors of fire trucks and they also match the roofs in the traditional architecture.
Program of requirements versus culture
At the Fire Station of Saba there was a big challenge: translating a Program of Requirements by Rijksvastgoedbedrijf according to the Dutch standard into Caribbean practice. Even though Saba is a special municipality in the Netherlands, the culture is completely different. Including in terms of construction techniques; where construction in the Netherlands is done entirely mechanically, developers on Saba often still dig by hand whenever necessary. But also when it comes to the use of a building you notice cultural differences. Where in a Dutch lunchroom often nothing more is needed than a counter to cut a sandwich, in Saba they have a hot lunch. There was nothing in the Program of Requirements about a kitchen where you can cook. So it wasn’t made, which is now a problem for the firefighters who have to use it daily.
Research your users
Ultimately, for every location, you create something that only fits that specific place and is for a specific group. In the Netherlands, that is also a challenge, with the growing number of different cultures. Take Amsterdam, for example, a city with about 180 different nationalities and where there is no longer a majority of a specific population group. The same applies to other large cities in the Netherlands such as The Hague and Rotterdam. That requires doing (more) demographic research from the designers. For us, an important part of our daily work is to be aware of who you are creating a building for.
Together with the Social Design Foundation and the VU Amsterdam, we have been commissioned by the Municipality of Amsterdam to do research into which spatial interventions are needed for people to live comfortably in Amsterdam Zuidoost. What do the people who live here need? The aim is to provide guidance for future developments. In this way we hope to contribute to a more inclusive society.
In search of contemporary Caribbean architecture
With our documentary Kombiná we delve further into the question of how a culture translates into a design for a building? Specifically, we look at Lyongo’s quest for how to capture contemporary Dutch Caribbean culture in a design.
Next screening of Kombiná: 9 – 13 April at the International Film Festival Curacao.
