Journal

Notes on building in the tropics

Wind, shade, water, solar and cost — what we learn on the property in Barbados, written down for anyone planning a house here.

1 article

Deep shaded verandah with timber jalousie shutters catching the trade winds

Design notes

Verandas, Jalousies, and Trade Winds: The Passive Cooling Playbook I Keep Coming Back To

Air conditioning is easy to specify and easy to lean on. It is also the first thing that makes a tropical house stop behaving like one — so I work through the island's own cooling playbook first.

Historic (pre-1900) · Passive cooling / Vernacular / Verandas

Jahmal Springer, Principal Architect, Blue Island Projects

19 May 2026 · 2 min read

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