How to Study Jamaican Architecture

Historic Jamaican architecture--the colonial buildings of the old cities and the grand plantation houses--are a blend of Georgian influence and tropical charm. Many structures of the colonial period have been carefully preserved for future generations. If you'd like to know more, follow these steps for studying Jamaican architecture.

Instructions

1. Buy books on the subject. "Caribbean Style," by Suzanne Slesin, et.al. and "Tropical Houses," by Tim Street-Porter are good places to start. These books, are available on amazon.com.

2. Visit the Jamaica National Heritage Trust website. Detailed histories of historic sites, churches, lighthouses, clock towers, entire villages and individual buildings are written here. The Heritage Trust also offers Heritage Tours of sites like the Seville Great House and Heritage Park, Fort Charles, Port Royal and Blenheim.

3. Take an architectural tour of Jamaica. Jamaica Story Tours offers two educational architecture-related tours covering historic sites to modern buildings. You can visit them on the Internet or call [phone] or 7247.

4. Consider formal instruction on-site in Jamaica through the University of Virginia's School of Architecture field school in Falmouth. The town of Falmouth, Jamaica, is kind of like a Caribbean Colonial Williamsburg, and the field school covers preservation of historic architecture.

5. Go to Periferia.org for a listing of everything architecture in the Caribbean. The site includes articles on modern architecture, but most are in Spanish so grab your dictionary.

6. Apply for admission to the University of Technology's Caribbean School of Architecture in Jamaica. There is nowhere better to learn about a country's art and architecture than in that country.

Resources

• For cultural and educational tours of Jamaica
• The University of Technology, Jamaica
• Jamaica National Heritage Trust
• The University of Virginia School of Architecture