We all know about the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, but few have heard of the Caribbean School of Architecture - which is under the University of Technology also in Jamaica.
It's an internationally accredited school of architecture, and every year, students travel to Caribbean cities to make studies of various urban landscapes, studying the physical environment and how architecture has unfolded around it.
They have been in Belize for the past two weeks making architectural cities of the city buildings, its waterways, its land use and its planning, or lack thereof. Today, they held their review and found that the city often baffles with more questions than answers:..
Jacquiann Lawton, Senior Lecturer, CSA
"I think that Belize City is really important to study because at this time we are living in, in terms of issues of disastrous reduction and climate change Belize City is really strategic in trying to understand how to confront those issues and what exists. So, it affects other territories as islands but you are below sea level."
"It was a rewarding experience for both the students and the lecturers I would say. Belize City is very dynamic, I mean the architects here have told us how irregular it is, but I think we could get into a long discussion about irregularities and the kind of academic position and distortions and the benefits of looking at distortion."
Chereese Ricketts, 4th Year Student - CSA
"I think the most interesting is it legitimately feels Caribbean, really. I mean when we came off the plane (I live in Trinidad and Jamaica), and everybody, even though we may look Central American - I almost expect to hear a different language coming oit of your mouth and you sound like me and I kind of understand the creole - Belize feels like home and being here is actually kind of solidifies the reality that we are all Caribbean people. That was the most unexpected thing, but also the most interesting to me just how many different kind of races are here but we are one really."
Jules Vasquez
"From your architectural analysis of Belize City, what conclusions have you all reached if any, because the conclusion may be that it's a very confusing place."
Chereese Ricketts, 4th Year Student - CSA
"I think the conclusion is inconclusive, like the head of APAB said there seems to be like a stall position where you are not really building the city but people not really leaving. We are struggling to understanding architecturally why you would want to build in a place that seems to susceptible to being washed away at any moment and why you even want to reclaim land out in the sea when you have land all the way inside, so it's very interesting to see - I don't know how you would describe really, but someone said tenacity, but architecturally is I think you use the work "hodgepodge" its a mix up of a lot of different things. Architecture is really all about people and I think it comes back to just how many different kinds of people are here and that's what makes Belize City special."
Dr. Rohan Bailey, Head Of School - CSA
"Usually a person comes to the Caribbean and tells us how they think we should live which is more like them, but only we know how we want to live and how where we are can be a good place for us."
The studies of the city will continue when they return to school and compile written reports with their findings and sketches.
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