Still Standing :The ti kai of Dominica
Still Standing :The ti kai of Dominica
paperback
Published:
3 October, 2022
Description
Still Standing tells the story of the traditional wooden homes (known as ti kais) of Dominica in the eastern Caribbean. This gorgeously illustrated book pays tribute to these humble buildings that have withstood hurricanes and earthquakes since the end of slavery. Often ignored and now in danger from development, this unique vernacular architecture is is an important part of Dominica’s rich creole culture.
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781838041588 |
| ISBN10 | 1838041583 |
| Number Of Pages | 120 |
| Item Weight | 494 g |
| Publisher / Reseller | Papillote Press |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
Still Standing is a small gem of a book, informative, engaging, beautifully illustrated and inspirational, affirming that even the most humble and unassuming buildings will have meaning, beauty and significance, not just as fixed expressions of architectural heritage, but as embodiments of living craft and dwelling traditions that have a part to play in meeting the manifold environmental challenges of the future. Marcel Vellinga, Journal of Historic Buildings and Places, 2024.
Still Standing: The Ti Kais of Dominica, by Adom Philogene Heron with photographs by Marica Honychurch, offers a detailed description of the history, construction, and family/social uses of the distinctive Dominican wooden house, including its mobility from one site to another in response to cultural, political, or environmental needs. A dense 15-page essay is followed by extended examples of extant houses, grouped geographically on the island, with information on their past histories and their inhabitants today, accompanied by wonderful photographs. All in all, a truly superb introduction to a traditional, yet evolving, element of Caribbean vernacular architecture and a fine example of creolization in material culture. New West Indian Guide, Spring 2024
Author's Bio
Dr Adom Philogene Heron is a lecturer in anthropology at the University of Bristol. His work in the Caribbean focuses on fatherhood and family, the social life of storms, Afro-diasporic ecologies and cosmologies.
Still Standing is a collaborative study of Dominica's vernacular ti kais (kweyol: 'small houses') alongside SHAPE a Dominican heritage NGO and architecture students. Born in the UK, he has ancestral roots in Dominica.
Photographer Marica Honychurch was born and raised in Dominica, and is a documentary and portrait photographer.