Erin Haven
My name is Erin Haven and I am originally from the Bahamas. I have a passion for interior design as I love to see things transform before my eyes from a seemingly blank or bland state to a whole new creation. I have a deep love for color, which is displayed throughout my project, and I wish to bring a splash of color to all my future projects!
Project Overview
As a Bahamian who moved to Canada, I have noticed that Caribbeans are misrepresented and misunderstood by the general public. They know our music and our festivals, but they do not understand the rich culture that Caribbeans have which includes, but is not limited to, our food, our arts and craftmanship and our history. To solve this problem, I designed a facility or permanent space where Caribbean culture can be represented, understood and celebrated. This mission takes form through a Caribbean Cultural Center. With spaces such as an art gallery to showcase the artistic talents of the Caribbeans, a workshop for Caribbeans to take part in honing their crafts and costumes, a cooking classroom and restaurant where Caribbean food can be taught and enjoyed and an event space where people can gather to hold a variety of events to showcase our culture. Additional spaces include a library where resources to Caribbean history can be found and a souvenir shop where Caribbeans can sell their handmade work.
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Conceptual Parti Diagrams
Concept/Design Process
The concept for this space revolves around the notion of “pull”. Inspired by the pull of the seas, the layout of the space follows the movements of ripples that are being pulled together through their radial movement while linear ripples pull apart at the purely organic forms. I drew up what it would look like if three ripples were pulling towards each other but being split apart by a grid and laid it on the floor plan to see what kinds of shapes would form.
The image seen is my process of going from an inspirational image to a conceptual floor plan. In an abstract way, these ripples captured the multiple different cultures that live in Canada and how there is this “pull” or allure to the Caribbean islands that makes it such a dream destination for many. The Caribbean Cultural Center invites everyone to be pulled into the activities that make the Caribbean what it is.
Site Plan/Floor Plan(s)
The floor plan for the Caribbean Cultural Center shows the same three main ripples, in the form of the art gallery, event space and cooking classroom, pulling towards each other while also being pulled apart by the grid-like structure. The programming for the main level features spaces such as a reception, library, workshop, art gallery, restaurant and bar, cooking classroom, souvenir shop, event space, washrooms as well as the "back of house" operations such as the storage, loading dock and janitor's closet. The mezzanine features all the administrative spaces such as the private offices and the meeting space.
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Main Level Floor Plan
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Mezzanine Floor Plan
3D Views
hese 3D renderings of the Caribbean Cultural Center give a sense for the overall feeling and materiality of the space. With lots of warm wooden tones juxtaposed with the pops of blue and green, the space really brings a Caribbean flare to the North. The aim with each of these spaces is for the users to feel that enticing "pull" that the Caribbean islands have on people and make them want to explore the space for some time to learn about the culture. The sightlines from each individual space into the adjacent spaces takes people on a journey and allows them to be pulled further into the space.
Video
This video walks you through the first half of the Caribbean Cultural Center, with some Caribbean music playing in the background for that extra flare. Starting at the front door, we get a view into the radial art gallery and then are taken to the reception area which was designed to resemble the waters of the Caribbean. We then walk into the art gallery and see all the displays on the walls as well as the central display area which is underneath the massive mirrored "feather" ceiling feature. We then find ourselves at the bar area which features custom millwork and ceiling details. From the bar and its adjacent lounge area, we see a view into the cooking classroom through the glass partition. The path then takes us into the restaurant area where we are able to see the custom booth seating that allows for families of all sizes to enjoy their food together. The video ends by taking us back through the art gallery and back to the front door where we began.
Walkthrough of Caribbean Cultural Center by Erin Haven
