Castries, Saint Lucia: Originally built in the 1800s, the Victor Archer Building forms part of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. The building had to be decommissioned in 2018 following a series of disaster impacts, including damage caused by Hurricane Tomas in 2010.
Adverse weather effects lead to mould and air quality issues and the displacement of hundreds of students and faculty in Saint Lucia.
Rehabilitation efforts were facilitated by the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP) and completed by November of 2021. This allowed faculty and students to make use of the building once again.
Key rehabilitation features included a modernised facility featuring six large classrooms, an administrative office, a small kitchen and a departmental archive. Just as an integral, the historic character of the building was preserved.
Construction of the building was completed by Mega Constructing Inc. in just under 1 and a half years. The cost of the design, construction and supervision came to USD$1.1 million. Designs were done by Caribbean Consulting Engineers and the Construction was supervised by LCC Group.
The DVRP is a collaborative effort of the World Bank and the Government of Saint Lucia to increase the island’s resilience to extreme weather events and climate change.
For more information on climate resilience and the DVRP check out the SLU Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project Facebook and Instagram page.
On the other hand, Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project -DVRP-Saint Lucia shared the update on Victor Archer Lewis Building at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, earmarked for rehabilitation on 12 November 2019.Â
Read here their previous complete statement
• With designs already procured under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project, DVRP, for the Victor Archer Lewis Building, which forms part of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) Educational Complex, bidders for the rehabilitation of the facility were taken on a tour last week, to obtain a better understanding and appreciation of the level of decay that has overtaken the decades-old infrastructure.
• The College suffers serious issues with its physical plant. In June, 2016, the College received a report from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) that identifies air quality concerns of varying degrees. These include higher than normal temperature and humidity levels, and mould growth in some areas.
• The Victor Archer Building, one of the key facilities on the compound, is currently in a state of disrepair resulting in the suspension of all classes at this particular location.
• Thankfully, through the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project, DVRP, designs have been procured and rehabilitation works are expected to commence soon after the contract has been awarded.
• It has been agreed that works on the building will be in keeping with the original Victorian-styled concept.
