When it comes to Bermuda architecture and the built environment, there is an oft-repeated saying that our buildings are our "one true indigenous art form".

Bermuda's first known inhabitants, those arriving in the early 1600s, relied on the skills they brought from their home territory.

Available materials were wood (a unique juniper known as Bermuda Cedar), leaves of the palmetto tree, and stone.

On the basis of archaeological evidence, we know that the earliest buildings were constructed of timber and thatched, or were timber-frame infilled with twigs and clay in the English tradition. Houses were situated in valleys, on the leeward side of hills or within safe inlets as protection from tropical storms. The earliest stone houses often utliised semi-basements cut into bedrock, making them appear to "grow" naturally out of the land.

Local conditions heavily influenced the earliest stone houses and established the characteristics of the Bermuda vernacular - the customs and conventions in Bermuda building - that exist even today. The lack of potable water sources entailed the need to collect rainwater from roofs and channel it below-ground water storage tanks.

The verandah was introduced by British garrisons in their military buildings and began to be adopted as a practical exterior feature throughout the Island.

In the period of exponential development and change that occurred everywhere after the Second World War, our builders took advantage of the wide variety of imported materials to construct infill housing and multiple unit dwellings to meet the demands of a growing population.

Bermuda Architecture

00:03:20 • Video Tours, architecture, doors, homes, west, stephen, architects, buildings, houses, history, roofs, windows

Architect Stephen West discusses Bermuda's distinctive architectural style and how it fits in with today's changing world.

Special Features

A closer look at Bermuda houses

Many private homes can be observed by traveling along Bermuda's primary and secondary roads. Watch for these special features, typically found in most Bermuda houses:

Chimneys

You will find these sturdy elements at the gable ends of many houses. Strong with stepped shoulders, they can be found with bands of necking at the top, and with pointed flue vents. Later chimneys are hexagonal or octagonal in shape.

Welcoming arms steps

The unique exterior stairs than lead up to the upper floor of older Bermuda houses now appears as an embellishment in many homes. The high sides often come up to a sheltered landing. In St. George's, there are several examples of lateral steps given the lack of room in a town setting.

Eyebrows

In Bermuda, a semi-circular molding over each window is used to deflect rain. Many other homes have "window heads", a projecting stone used for the same purpose.

Rafter feet

The lengths of timber joined to the top face of rafters help to carry the roof beyond the other wall. Rafter feet give Bermuda houses their distinctive cottage look.

Butteries

These square outbuildings of one or two storeys topped by a pyramidal roof were used for cool storage. Since the mid 20th century, butteries have been incorporated into the main body of the house.

Boundary walls

Many properties are bounded on all sides by a dry stone wall, a feature that extends to most of Bermuda's roadways.

Looking Forward

As we look to our fifth century, many of our architects, builders and craftspeople continue to revere the Bermuda vernacular and seek to replicate traditional building form with considerable accuracy and due attention to the finer details. Others find new ways to merge old and new patterns of building as a reflection of world-wide postmodernism with results that can be strikingly different, as in two Hamilton neighbours, XL and ACE, and in contemporary houses like ‘Vertigo’ in Tucker’s Town. Given the ever-increasing shortage of available land and concerns over the impact of built form on the landscape, the expression of Bermuda's sense of place and continuity will likely be a central theme in architecture for years to come.