The “Creolization” of Bermuda Vernacular Architecture: a Discussion about Tropical Design

Much like Louisiana’s colonial building history, Bermuda’s vernacular architecture epitomizes a Creolization process that matched British building notions with local materials. This talk by Dr. Brent Fortenberry, director of Tulane University’s Master of Science in Historic Preservation program, explores the development of Bermuda’s architecture as an index of its changing identity in the British Atlantic world.
 
Fortenberry specializes in the vernacular architecture of the British Atlantic world and contemporary issues in historic preservation and cultural heritage. His most recent research focuses on the cities and port towns of the Greater Caribbean, including St. George’s, Bermuda and Natchez, Miss., as well as the plantation landscapes of Barbados, Jamaica and South Carolina.
 
This presentation includes a conversation about Bermuda’s architectural history and its similarities with New Orleans and the larger tropical and subtropical colonial world. Drinks and refreshments will be served. Free to the public.
 
Fortenberry will be the expert guide for the PRC’s upcoming trip to explore Bermuda, April 1-7, 2023.
The five-day, six-night voyage, hosted by PRC and Tulane University, features luxurious accommodations, expert guides and exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to some of Bermuda’s most beautiful sites. This itinerary delves deep into this island’s past — from the arrival of Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez in 1505, through its formation in 1684 as a British crown colony, to its complex history as a base for slave trading, merchants, privateers and the Royal Navy, all of which influenced the island’s stunning historic architecture. The trip provides the rich context and attention to detail you would expect from the Preservation Resource Center and Tulane University’s School of Architecture. For more details click here.