Hurricane season has started

The Caribbean hurricane season has officially started this month. With storms increasing in intensity due to rising ocean temperatures, designing buildings that can withstand extreme weather has become a fundamental part of architectural practice in the region.

Recent events, including Hurricane Irma in 2017—when 91% of buildings on St Maarten were damaged—continue to underline the urgency of resilient design. The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has officially begun, with regional authorities across the Caribbean calling for increased preparedness. While the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is currently forecast to be below-average in terms of overall storm activity, this does not reduce the actual level of risk for the Caribbean region.

For example, islands outside the hurricane belt also have the effect of While these islands such as Bonaire face a relatively lower direct hurricane risk than the Windward Islands, officials continue to stress that indirect impacts such as heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding remain a serious concern. On low-lying territories such as Bonaire, natural buffers like coral reefs and mangroves are becoming increasingly important in reducing storm impact.

Even though the outlook for this season is not yet extreme, more and more articles and studies show that the number of hurricanes in the Caribbean during October and November has increased over the past decades, particularly since 1979. In particular, the number of strong hurricanes and instances of rapid intensification has risen.

Designing for extreme conditions

With more than 27 years of experience designing in hurricane-prone regions, we have learned that resilience cannot be an afterthought. Our buildings are specifically designed to withstand extreme storm conditions and remain functional when it matters most.

From reinforced concrete structures to impact-resistant openings and carefully tested roof systems, each component is selected to ensure the building performs as one coherent, resilient system. “The basic principle of hurricane-resistant design is that every element of the building — from the foundation to the roof — is interconnected,” explains Lyongo Juliana. “In every project, we carefully assess which materials, doors, windows, and roofing systems can withstand extreme storm conditions. We always design for the harsh realities of the Windward Islands, while balancing resilience with the wishes and needs of our client.”

On the Windward Islands, our projects have withstood the most severe hurricanes – including the Fire Station and Green Flash House on Saba, and the Dental Clinic Halley in St Maarten. The Fire Station on Saba, located near the airport, was designed to meet category-5 hurricane requirements. As an emergency facility, it must remain fully operational during and after extreme weather events – placing high demands on structure and material selection. In the case of Halley Dental Clinic on Sint Maarten, we ensured that the emergency power supply guarantees that operations can be resumed quickly after a malfunction, even if the power on the island goes out.

Upcoming projects

We are currently working on the realization of multiple projects across the Windward Islands.

Sister Marie Laurence School – St. Maarten

The Sister Marie Laurence School is designed as a compact yet open learning environment in Middle Region, St. Maarten. The layout prioritizes flexibility, allowing for a wide range of educational spaces including classrooms, specialist rooms, and outdoor learning and play areas. The design creates generous circulation zones and outdoor terraces that encourage interaction between students and support visibility and supervision throughout the school.

From the outset, the building was conceived as a resilient community structure in response to the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. The school is designed to withstand extreme wind loads and can function as a temporary shelter if needed. The architecture integrates reinforced structural systems, protected openings, and carefully oriented volumes to reduce wind pressure while maintaining natural ventilation. It is also designed to support rapid recovery after extreme weather events, ensuring continuity of education.

Villa Hideout – Saba

Villa Hideout is located on a steep mountainside above Windwardside, Saba, and is designed as a series of interconnected volumes that follow the natural terrain. The architecture is inspired by the island’s traditional building rhythms, where smaller forms are repeated to create larger compositions. The villa is carefully positioned to maximize panoramic views while maintaining a strong relationship with the surrounding landscape.

Resilience is embedded in both structure and detailing. The building is anchored deep into the slope, using structural reinforcement and a stabilizing foundation system adapted to steep terrain. A cross-braced structure and robust load transfer strategy ensure stability under hurricane and seismic conditions. Material selection and detailing are guided by long-term exposure to wind, and heavy rainfall, making the villa adapted to extreme Caribbean weather.

Villa Mountain Road – Saba

Villa Mountain Road is designed as a layered residential structure integrated into a steep site at the foot of Mount Scenery. The house is organized around a central vertical circulation core connecting three levels, with living spaces oriented toward views and outdoor access. The design balances landscape integration with functional living requirements, including a generous garden space and strong indoor-outdoor relationships.

The building’s resilience strategy is based on anchoring and massing. A large water cistern beneath the structure provides both functional infrastructure and structural stability. The villa uses robust construction methods suited for hillside exposure, ensuring resistance to strong winds and heavy rainfall. The placement against the slope, combined with reinforced structural elements, helps the building remain stable during hurricane events.

Technical School - Saba

The Technical School is part of the larger Campus Saba masterplan and is designed as a multi-level educational building with classrooms and workshop spaces. The architecture opens up the learning environment through large windows, terraces, and interconnected outdoor platforms that link the school to the wider campus. The lower levels are more grounded in local stone, while the upper levels create lighter, more open teaching spaces.

A wind study was conducted prior to the design of the new Saba campus, forming an important basis for the building’s layout and massing strategy. The building is designed to withstand extreme wind loads while maintaining cross-ventilation and a comfortable learning environment. Durable materials and protected detailing ensure long-term performance in the island’s harsh climatic conditions.

Gym - Saba

The gym is designed as both a sports facility and a community space within Campus Saba. The building integrates indoor and outdoor sports areas, including a rooftop playing field that expands usable space while connecting users to the landscape. The design prioritizes openness, natural light, and ventilation to create a comfortable environment for physical activity.

A wind study was conducted prior to the design of the Saba campus, highlighting the extreme exposure of the site on the mountain ridge. This formed the foundation for the lay-out and positioning of the new gym. The roof design follows a clear principle of controlling uplift forces caused by hurricane winds. A roof under hurricane conditions behaves like a surface exposed to pressure differences – similar to a sheet of paper that lifts when wind moves underneath it. To counter this, the gym avoids vulnerable low-pitched solutions and instead we chose for a reinforced concrete roof. Thanks to this choice, we can also use the roof for education by adding a sporting field on top.

Enrichment Center - Saba

The Enrichment Center is designed as a cultural and educational hub for performance, gathering, and informal learning. It connects classrooms, theatre functions, and public events within a single flexible structure. Large sliding doors and an interconnected network of terraces allow the building to open up fully to the campus, turning circulation spaces into active meeting areas. The design is closely integrated with the broader masterplan, where all campus buildings are linked through elevated walkways and shared outdoor spaces.

A wind study was conducted prior to the design of the new Saba campus, which strongly influenced the placement and orientation of the building within the landscape. The Enrichment Center is positioned to work with the prevailing winds rather than resist them, creating sheltered pockets within the campus while also allowing controlled airflow through the building and outdoor areas. One of our design choices was to reuse the old electricity poles, which serve as a windbreak structure. Behind them, we can plant greenery that is not affected by the strong wind.

Captains Quarters - Saba

Captains Quarters is a reconstruction project in Windwardside, Saba, transforming a historic 19th-century whaling captain’s residence—later known as one of the island’s notable hotels—back into a private home. The design carefully reinterprets the layered history of the building using archival material, photographs, and local knowledge. The architectural approach is rooted in reconstruction rather than reinterpretation, aiming to preserve the identity of the original structure while adapting it to contemporary living standards.

From a resilience perspective, Captains Quarters is designed for long-term durability in a hurricane-prone environment. The reconstructed structure uses a reinforced timber frame with concealed steel connections to ensure wind resistance while maintaining a traditional appearance. An insulated roof improves thermal comfort, while a rainwater collection system beneath the building ensures water self-sufficiency for non-potable use. The reconstruction balances authenticity with contemporary building performance, ensuring the building can withstand future extreme weather while retaining its historical character.

Out of School Building – Statia

The Out of School Building on St. Eustatius is a large after-school facility for approximately 300 students and forms an important step in improving educational infrastructure on the island. The design is organized as a series of interconnected blocks with shared outdoor spaces, allowing for flexible educational use and community interaction.

The building has been significantly revised to meet hurricane-resilience standards. Flat and vulnerable roof types have been replaced with reinforced concrete and steep gable roofs to reduce wind uplift. Concrete gutters, strengthened window systems, and smaller divided openings improve overall structural performance. The design also emphasizes cross-ventilation while ensuring protection against storms, impact, and heavy rainfall, making the building suitable for long-term extreme weather exposure.

Hurricane proof designs

Over the past 27 years, all of our projects have withstood major hurricanes and tropical storms with minimal damage. This performance reinforces a design philosophy where durability, adaptability, and context-driven choices come together. With hurricane seasons becoming increasingly intense, resilient architecture is no longer optional – it is an essential part of shaping safe and sustainable island communities.

Read more about our approach on creating hurricane proof designs

About our approach