THE NEW VERANDA

The outdoor covered space known as the 'veranda' in the mauritian home has always been an essential component of the house, the most important of its living areas.

It is invariably the subject of intense debate between clients and architect, from the very early meetings and throughout the design process… determining its width, its length, its materials, its position in relation to the house, should it be partially or completely enclosed, should it be open and so on…these are all issues to be carefully considered while designing a house in Mauritius.

Traditionally, the veranda is a semi external space designed to take full advantage of Mauritius's pleasantly mild weather whilst being sheltered from rain and sun. It is usually covered with a lean-to or flat lightweight roof, supported on timber columns, around all or part of the perimeter of the main body of the house. Depending on location and climate, the veranda may be glazed in, as in many houses located in 'Plaines Wilhems', where the weather is cooler and rainier.

The veranda serves other functions, also noteworthy to mention:
-It protects all peripheral openings, allowing for them to remain open, rain or shine, thus securing a constant flow of fresh air across the house.
-The rooms open directly onto the veranda with french-type windows or doors, thus it acts as a circulation space around the house.
-The veranda serves as a buffer zone, shielding the inner sanctum of the house from the elements, protecting the perimeter walls from heat and moisture, reducing weathering effects and subsequent maintenance costs.

Plan of a traditional house

The traditional veranda

In 1960 (25-29 Feb), Mauritius suffered one of the fiercest cyclones of its history known as 'Carol', with wind speeds well above 200 mph and a rainfall rate of approx 500mm.

It was a great disaster and a vast number of houses were destroyed, mainly those houses built out of timber.

At the time, the use of concrete was becoming popular among mauritian builders. However, after the devastating effects of cyclone Carol on wood structures, the use of this new building material became even more widespread. Along with concrete and its construction techniques imported from Europe, also came house designs which were poorly adapted to the mauritian climate…flat concrete roof slabs and long corridors, lack of adequate protection to openings, absence of through ventilation and veranda space - in some instances the veranda was merely an entrance porch, hardly a living space so vital to the mauritian way of life. The concept of the veranda was lost.

Plan of the new type of veranda

Details of roller shutters within structure

Nevertheless, the cyclonic shutter has given the veranda its latest form of existence, often replacing the traditional indoor living room, a more economical approach to home building. Well equipped with cyclonic protection, the new veranda offers the advantage of unifying indoor and outdoor spaces as they flow smoothly into one another and on a same level. The glazed sliding panels separating the veranda from the living room can now afford to be much wider and clear thus conveying a greater feeling of space to the living areas. In turn those spaces become more interesting and user friendly.

This new type of veranda is now becoming very popular in Mauritius and it is an interesting evolution from the traditional veranda. Whilst creating a good mix in the feeling of outdoor and indoor spaces, it also provides a genuine combination of technology and comfort. It has adapted itself very well to a changing society, both to its way of living and to its financial means.

Edouard Koenig and Rula Rais Architects - July 2006