/  by Andre James

Show someone how they light up your life this holiday season with one of these unique, handcrafted lamps.

Designed and assembled in T&T Upcycled Bottle Lamps are made with reclaimed wine jugs. Lamp shades and electrical components are all brand new. 

With 20 feet of cord, you can as much as you need to reach a far wall outlet, or keep it all in the bottle for added drama. 

Ask about getting a custom lamp. Pick your a cord and lamp shade to suit your decor. Also available as branded corporate gifts 

/  by Andre James

PVC 008 an open window 

There are countless healthy benefits to breathing healthy air, yet many don’t consider how to improve indoor air quality. By employing simple strategies in cross ventilation, you can not only lower the temp of your home by as many as 3ºC without air conditioniting but you can have a fresher feeling, healthier home,


 Too learn more google: Cross ventilation Passive cooling

/  by Andre James

Pro vs Construction #001

Any fool with a power tool can but call themselves a contractor and damn near anyone can submit plans for building approval.


Reality Check: this means that most are inadequately trained, con-men, garden variety lazy idiots or some combination of the above. Don’t assume they know what they are doing because you don’t. Just because they are asking you to pay them to do the job does not mean they should be.

Why I Left. /  by Andre James

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No amount of security is worth the suffering of a mediocre life chained to a routine that has killed your dreams.  

-Maya Mendoza

A week ago today, I left my job. I knew it was coming; I just had no idea when. I only know that one day enough would be enough. That day came. So I walked in on Monday, tendered my resignation and by noon on Thursday, I was celebrating the start of my adventures in self-employment.

For those of you who know me, you know how much I HATED that job. That place was made up of everything you need to create a cesspool for a work environment.

  • No clear rules or procedures: Check.
  • Unmotivated staff: Check.
  • Inadequate tools or training for the job. Zero Accountability. Check and Check!!

Of course you can’t have a cesspool without generous doses of Piss Poor Leadership and Shit for Brains Management. This is the same place I was told that “my intent to be too professional in my current environment would put me out of a job”. Whatever the f*ck that means! It was putrid. I felt like the odour started soaking into my ties, desaturating my vibrantly coloured laces and socks. Eventually I stopped wearing ties regularly. Instead of trying bringing out fresh sock colour combos, I stuck to reusing the ones that go with everything. I just couldn’t be bothered. THAT’S when I knew something was up. These MFs were messing with my steelo. It was time for me to leave the home of absurd and do what I set out to do. I spent enough time working for blind emperors.  So, I left.

I was 14 when I discovered I wanted to be an architect. Twenty-one years on this journey so far, and of course, I had no idea what kind of successes and sacrifices lay in wait for me to get to this point:  4 moves across US state lines, missing home, 7 cities, 2 degrees, 2 dogs, not missing home, TT$457,112.32 (US$68,593.19)  in student loans, 13 jobs, 2 years of unemployment, 4 design awards, constantly adapting, 5 countries/1 backpack/10 weeks, rolling deadlines, learning, fostered an incredible impatience for bullshit, 8 years of international professional architecture experience, 2 publications, a great loss, countless work hours, immeasurable personal growth, missing home, eventually coming back… you get the point, a lot happens in 21 years and that’s just since I decided what I wanted to be when I grow up. Sometimes I think of life like a video game: where participating in mini-games and side quests help you level up your character and their core attributes, unlocking new special skills and tools. Many of my experiences helped me to understand and cope with knowing that failure is only an option if it’s the last thing I do. The universe conspired to get me here, I’ll continue to help it get me rest of the way. Even though this shit is scary, I am not afraid; I am prepared. So, I left.


Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

-Confucius

Some people believe I left a sure thing because I don’t know how good I had it, others believe that I could do this because I have no bills or that I’m sitting on this huge pile of money so I don’t need to work. I wish!!! The truth is I live in this world, bound by the same rules and limitations as the next guy. Although, I’ll be lying if I didn’t admit my aspirations to walking in the rare air of the other guys, like Richard Branson or The Naked Cowboy. These guys used to be just like us, but then they decided to pursue their dreams, as different as they were, and for all intents and purposes, they look pretty damn happy doing their jobs every day. That’s what separates the next guy from the other guy: the conviction to do what makes him happy and the bravery to take the leap of faith.

I always enjoyed designing, making and building things. Even before my aspirations to be an architect, my brother and sister would always tease me about my “invenshuns” and they found even more fun in destroying them. Oh! The joys of being the introverted baby brother with an ill temper. Eventually, the destruction stopped, but so did the invenshuns. In fact, by the time I got my first computer, I hated the thought of making anything without the use of a mouse. What no one told me was that about 95% of undergraduate architecture school at that time was done by hand. Scale models, drawings, full size mock-ups - all done by frickin’ hand. But those years of learning how to use new tools and using different materials lead me to a great appreciation for craft. For me, the design is in the details and as such, I try to think of innovative ways to use everyday materials. Now I enjoy designing and making, and the best part is that I’m pretty good at it and I’m always striving to improve, to outdo myself. I want to do THAT every day, not just on the side. So, I left.


If you’re good at something, never do it for free.

-The Joker

Listen to that laugh and you know he’s found gen-u-wine happiness. Ok, so he’s a comic book villain (in this case movie) but so what? I still think he’s brilliant! He capitalizes his appearance to create recognizable, UNFORGETTABLE brand that not only defies the status quo, but dominates it. We’re not just talking about purple suits and green flowers here either, all form and no function will not get you paid. Joker has the discipline and proven ability to plan and execute elegant solutions to complex multidimensional problems. What’s most impressive is that although he understands the need for money, unlike the other villains, it’s not what drives him. Here’s a guy who suits up every morning and heads into the office for the love of the job, because it makes him laugh! AND he gets paid for it because at the end of the day, it’s still his job. The Joker/Confucius mashup. I want to do something like that. So, I left.

So there it is, 3 of 173.6 reasons I left my job. I was tired of working a decent job, building someone else’s dream at best, or at worst working under emperors whose pride and titles keep them blind of their naked ineptness. So I left. They waste talent and resources. So, I left.  


I am tired of being chained to a routine, working every day of my life and not getting paid for what I’m happy doing.  So I leapt!!

-André James
aj | designed

6

tinyHouse /  by Andre James

What’s the smallest house you think you can live in?

Now, how much space do you think you can afford to live in?

In Trinidad and Tobago, building a new house can cost anywhere from TT$800 to TT$950 per square foot. That means the average 1200 sf, 3-bedroom home in T&T starts at just under $1M. For a household making anything less than $27K per month, getting approved for a mortgage of this size will be incredibly difficult.

Elsewhere in the world, the Tiny House Movement is gaining ground. Recognizing that there is a need for a more financially and ecologically viable home type/lifestyle, these people advocate living in homes that can be as small as 195sf. At about US$20K-$50K, only TT$130K-$323K, tiny house architecture is inherently a very affordable starter home option.

The thing that appeals to me most about my job is the opportunity to develop new housing prototypes to be built throughout Tobago. When I learned about a pilot housing program that needed a design that has a maximum construction budget of TT$220K, developing a tiny house just made sense.

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At just under 300sf, tinyHouse uses local, conventional building methods: concrete block walls with punched window openings, and a rafter and purlin shed roof above a gypsum ceiling. The only major difference is the addition of a layer of reflective backed insulation in the ceiling cavity to reduce heat gain from the roof. In such a small space, the additional heat will make a huge difference; imagine how quickly your car heats up when sitting in the sun!

The building’s proportions are also meant to maximize thermal comfort as well as usable floor area. As with all studio floor plans, the living area is a multi-purpose room serving as the bedroom, living room and kitchen. The only interior wall is a stud wall which separates the living area from the bathroom.

Because an enclosed space with small openings can make a room feel small and cramped, the house has a high, sloped ceiling. Large openings are placed on all sides of the living area to create a roomier feel. These openings don’t only introduce natural day light and fresh air, but by placing the main entry directly across from the kitchen window they promote better cross ventilation when left open.

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Since hot air rises, operable clerestory windows are located at the high point of the sloped ceiling, allowing warmer air to escape and create an additional path for air circulation and cross ventilation.  Orienting these windows to the north will allow even, natural day light with minimal thermal gain.

The biggest and most obvious  problem with tinyHouse is its size. Living in a studio certainly requires a lifestyle change, one that I question if many Trinbagonians may be willing to make, even if it puts home ownership within their immediate grasp. Unless you have no intention of expanding your family, this house will inevitably require renovation.

So what would you do? Would you spend $220K on 300sf of living space? Or would you find a way to afford that larger, $1M standard home?

As this program rolls out in Tobago, I curiously wait to see if people jump or balk at this opportunity for home ownership.

Block Oven Houses /  by Andre James

If you were to drive around most residential neighborhoods in Trinidad, you will notice that many of the houses are freckled with air condition units. Inside you’ll probably see awkwardly placed oscillating fans in each of the many rooms. When it comes to thermal comfort in the Caribbean, we are faced with a simple design problem: we have to keep a space cool and dry. To do this, most homes end up relying on auxiliary systems such as A/Cs and standing fans.

The preferred method of home construction in T&T and the West Indies is plastered, concrete/clay block walls topped with some type of metal roof, with minimal -if any- insulation anywhere around the building envelope. Roof overhangs are shallow and windows are usually small punched openings with single pane metal windows. Our homes are big, boxy and compartmentalized, room by room.

Big, boxy and compartmentalized

One afternoon, I noticed that one wall of my bathroom was noticeably warmer than the adjacent wall. This wall faces west and captures most of the day’s sun. The temperature along the entire length of this western wall was consistently higher than any other wall of the house. I started to wonder how much this heat can affect the temperature of the adjacent room, or the rest of the house for that matter. Has this wall become a 15-foot radiant heater? Are these walls contributing to heat to the home? Is the masonry wall the best wall type for our climate?

I used an infrared thermometer to take readings on the inside and outside surfaces of the exterior walls of the house. I measured the temp. of an interior wall as a control. I expected to find that the interior surface temperature of a sunbathed wall, would be considerably higher than the other walls in the house, maybe close to its exterior surface temperature. However the results were a lot more subtle than I expected.

Even though the exterior surface temperature got to as high as 45°C, the inside face of that wall never got past past 32°, which was only 3°more than both the shaded adjacent wall and the control temp taken at the interior wall. The walls absorb a substantial amount of the sun’s energy, keeping it from reaching the inside. Though it is possible to reduce the total heat gain of the building by insulating the building envelope, based on these temperatures, I just don’t think it will be worth the additional cost. Concrete is a great insulator. It is also a great thermal mass which poses a different issue.

The heat that is absorbed by the wall throughout the day is then released into the cooler night air, adding heat to the space. While the interior surface temperature remains at 30°C, the exterior temp goes to as low as 27° thanks to air circulation. It is at this point the concrete works against us, keeping the interior temperature higher by insulating the space from cooler exterior temps. The same material that keeps us from roasting is actually also keeping us warm at night. Instead of changing the wall construction, we need to increase natural air circulation throughout the home in order to achieve close to exterior temperatures.

Trinidad and Tobago has become increasingly dependent on air conditioning and other forms of artificial cooling; our way of building may have even enabled it, without our air conditioners, our houses are closer to ovens, sealing in the heat instead of exhausting it.

With our government subsidizing energy just over $1.5B USD per year, T&T enjoys some of the cheapest energy in the world; it is cheaper to artificially condition space than to develop sustainable building practices. At least for now… What happens when the subsidy stops? Are you prepared to pay at least double what you’re paying now for electricity? Still want to rely on that A/C?

Why I moved back to Trinidad and Tobago /  by Andre James

When I decided to leave my job in Atlanta and move back to Trinidad and Tobago, very few people understood. Parents, friends, family, strangers, everyone had something to say and it was mostly that I was making a terrible mistake. I, obviously, couldn’t disagree with them more. I had my reasons, here are a few.

To live in paradise

Tobago is a tropical gem, glittered with beaches and lush landscapes. Trinidad has a diverse and energetic nightlife, with some of the most beautiful women anywhere! It’s not perfect, but nowhere is perfect. In fact, GenPop on both islands is chock full of assholes, but show me a place that isn’t! As far as paradise goes, however, T&T definitely comes close. One friend went as far as saying “Some people work all their lives to retire to a place like that!” I figured: why wait for retirement? I might be too tired to enjoy it then.

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Brain Gain

In the Great American Recession of 2008, many educated, and unemployed Trinis returned home to ply their acquired skills with great success. This helped me to realise something very important: There is life outside of America! Once I saw this forest past the trees I recognized that the average Trini home is ugly. In a country where people take design advice from draftsmen and contractors, T&T is plagued with plain, unattractive houses that have very little creativity, design intelligence or curb appeal.

Familiarity

For over a decade, I have lived in another country wearing a faded mask of who I really am, with a Yankee accent to boot. My life’s experiences and the beautiful spectrum of people I met along way helped to mould me into a better person, but I always missed Trinidad. I missed my family! I missed the food, the colourful expressions, the fun-loving-to-a-fault culture. I always missed home; I just took a long time to accept it.

“Domino! Domino! Only spot a few blacks the higher I go!”

After a few years in the Atlanta, GA, I wished there was some kinda race camouflage that I could don so that people didn’t just see my skin colour and create their own infallible idea of who I am. To many, my qualifications or character were irrelevant. I was black first, and that tainted the way they would interact with me. My complexion was good enough to represent one employer at a minority conference. My abilities, however, were not enough for them to support when I was selected by the city to construct a pavilion I designed. At least not until after it was successfully completed and they thought they could use it for good PR. Thanks, but no thanks! I was tired of being the back pocket token that people tried to use to prove how inclusive they could be.

At home, I don’t have to prove my worth DESPITE my race. Here, my race is irrelevant because many of the people with affluence or power, look just like me.

Big Fish in a Smaller Pond

My unique skill set and experience allows me stand out from the pack, much taller than I did in the States. When I look at T&T, I see the road of technological advancement that lies ahead. I have always been a tech enthusiast, and though staying in the US may have allowed me to stay right on top of the newest technology, this ever shrinking world means I can not only stay close, but can usher in these advancements to my own country.

Designed Experiment No. 001

Above all, I wouldn’t have come home if I didn’t think I could prosper here, both personally and professionally. Despite having a sound job and a future in the US, I could feel my creativity getting stifled. My new job in Tobago may not be very glamorous, but I am certainly more passionate about the work I do now that I have ever been and this is just the beginning.

How can sustainability can be contextualized our culture and economy? Can rapid prototyping and mass customization introduce a new kind of carnival mas customization? My move home was the experiment that makes all subsequent experiments possible. I moved home because I needed to try, I needed to design somewhere… different.