Still Standing

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