Page 24 - The Constructor 2017

The Company

including Middle Warden Mike Parrett. Over 12 months later the people of Tristan da Cunha chose
the Brock Carmichael team’s proposals as the winning entry to take forward!
The project is unique, as the island sits within the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. It has no
airport, limited harbour facilities
and internet connectivity, and can
only be reached by a seven-day
voyage on a commercial ship that
sets out from Cape Town just
eight times a year. It is also a
volcanic island that last erupted in
1961!
In addition, the island is prone to
regular hurricane force winds and
high seas that often restrict
disembarkation and unloading to
65 days of the year. With little
available timber the only locally
sourced building materials consist
of basaltic rock, beach sand and
seaweed.
The proposal includes the replacement of several government buildings, with consideration for
improvements to residential buildings that would tackle issues relating to the damp maritime
environment, and lack of insulation and central heating. It also featured proposals to reduce energy
consumption, improve water management and achieve the island's ambition to have at least 30-
40% of its energy needs met by renewable means within the next five years.

A Capable Community the Source of Sustainable Living
Our approach was informed by many years of research and
experience in delivering practical, socially sustainable
development projects – and is based on the notion of
construction as a social process and the source of
sustainable living being in the resilient capabilities of a
community. Our solution involves a combination of
gradually improving the islands existing building
technology as well the partial prefabrication of key
elements that can be manufactured on the mainland and
assembled in a community factory on the island.
Alex Mitham, then the Tristan da Cunha Administrator and Head of Government, said “The Island
Council felt the Brock Carmichael team had developed a very strong set of proposals that
demonstrated both a practical approach and an in-depth understanding of the issues.”
Fundamental to the process is the application of 9 principles of participation that will safe guard the
islands unique culture during periods of transition. This will ensure the community maintain control
while providing positive interventions and adaptations over a period of time. The local population is
already adept at making, mending, growing, building, farming, fishing and protecting its wildlife and
environment. Over a course of time key people would be trained in any areas of expertise required to

24 | Autumn 2017 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors