Sol Legare Community Buildings
When we were approached by the Gullah Geechee community of Sol Legare to design a project meant to revitalize the Sol Legare Peninsula, Matteo immediately thought that the most important aspect of this project is that this community was long overdue to establish its sense of architectural identity.
After assisting the client in editing the new Zoning Overlay District draft of the James Island Sol Legare Peninsula, he immediately knew that this community, although Charlestonian to the core, had never truly lost a spiritual connection with its West African origins. The Architecture designed for this client and community is designed to pay homage to the community's African ancestors of Mande` speaking language tribes.
The gabion walls containing stones, are geometrically analogous to the adobe and stone walls of West African architecture. The stone transitions into green living walls symbol of the transition from the mother land to the Low County which is now part of the history of the Gullah community. The roof which folds to an adobe screen overlaps the transitional wall to salute the community's ancestors who would have undoubtedly expressed their vernacular architectural culture had they been allowed to do so.
These shells represent the spirit of the community. Inside the shells, the enclosures are wrapped in local materials which have been used in this community for over two centuries providing a true sense of belonging to place.
