Shoals of Rodrigues
Visiting Scientist Accommodation – Rodrigues, Southern Indian Ocean
Shoals of Rodrigues is a project set up by the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society, focusing on marine research, conservation, training and education activities connected to the reef, the lagoon and the sea. The Government of Mauritius donated an existing building on the island to the project.
Our Project Brief: The refurbishment of a sixty year old, stone built, weather station, to provide accommodation and facilities for visiting scientists.
In keeping with the environmental conservation objectives of the Shoals of Rodrigues project, both the refurbishment and the use of this building were to have minimum impact on the local environment through passive solar design, solar and wind energy, and to provide water storage, recycling and treatment systems. A further aim was to provide sufficient water to supply an organic vegetable garden. Design was tailored for locally available skills and materials.