10.24.Islands-7-Horizontal-with-Figure Virgin Gorda Resort Highlights Relevant to Sustainable Design:
We can learn more from the ultimate natural light and ventilation.
The shape of Virgin Gorda apparently reminded explorer Christopher Columbus of a reclining woman, so he named it Virgin Gorda, the “Fat Virgin.” It is the third largest island of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Years ago, I was on vacation at the Bitter End Yacht Club. Since I love sailing, it was a real treat to stay at the resort that is, side by side with Hawaii, one of the most picturesque places on earth.
The indoor-outdoor living is wonderful and reduces the burden on fossil fuels, given the comfortable ambient temperatures year round. We stayed on the side of the hill overlooking the water. Instead of windows as holes in the walls, the walls opened up from floor to ceiling with sliding window screens leading out to the wraparound porch. This provided terrific views of the sunset but also brought in more natural light and the breezes for natural ventilation.
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Author and illustrator: Charlie Szoradi is an architect, inventor, and the CEO of Independence LED Lighting. He writes about many other topics related to Virgin Gorda and island life through his extensive travels around the world.
If you have found this posting online, it is an excerpt from Mr. Szoradi’s book Learn from Looking that served as the inspiring seed content for this drawing share resource. For additional drawings and insights on Virgin Gorda and other islands, we hope that you enjoy exploring LearnfromLooking.com. You can search via general terms such as sustainability as well as narrower terms such as Virgin Gorda.
