Le Nouvelliste | Prville

Photo: Roberto Stephenson

Architecture/Heritage
Little known to the general Haitian public, architect Pierre-Richard Villedrouin nonetheless continues to forge his own path. The sprightly septuagenarian still has a head full of projects, fueling a creative zeal embodied in some of the most beautiful Haitian buildings of the modern era!

Published on 2009-05-07 | Le Nouvelliste by Rebecca S. Cadeau
(Translation from original French by Google)

A graduate in architecture from the National University of Mexico in 1964, Pierre-Richard Villedrouin, 72, makes a living from his art. He spent his early professional years (1966-1971) in the United States, working for architecture and urban planning firms in Manhattan. There, he practiced American realism. Returning to Haiti in 1971, at the request of businesses and individuals, Pierre-Richard Villedrouin threw himself wholeheartedly into the beautification of the city. From the Saint-Pierre College Art Museum—which was his graduation project—to the Tertulien Guilbaud High School in Port-de-Paix, the artist's works already demonstrate a great passion for Basque architecture. Although influenced by the Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi and his Spanish professor Félix Candela, Mr. Villedrouin created abody of remarkable work

imbued with local character. Haitian materials and our native Voodou culture hold a prominent place in his designs. "If I draw inspiration from Haitian culture to build my houses," the architect says confidently, "it is because that culture is undeniably rich. Just as they appear on Voodou flags, *vèvè* designs look excellent on walls, too. They serve as decorative elements that enhance the building's aesthetic appeal—and they last as long as the house itself, with little risk of damage." Lamenting the scarcity or even disappearance of materials manufactured in Haiti, the architect believes these materials contribute significantly to both the aesthetics and the success of his creations.

"Local materials possess a noble quality," he maintains. "Limestone, clay bricks, sand, and lime—which I am particularly fond of—are admirable; they offer far more advantages and are better suited to our environment. The lime and fiberglass I use for my windows allow the house to breathe and enhance natural lighting. An added benefit is that fiberglass does not shatter, which keeps people safe!"

In architecture, there is no room for copy-pasting! Committed to innovation in every project, Pierre-Richard Villedrouin—who views architecture as a form of conquest—spends the vast majority of his time reflecting on his art. He believes his peers should do the same to elevate the profession within the country and, in turn, enrich our architectural heritage. His foreman, Dieufort Fils, fully agrees, frequently observing the architect as he juggles innovative architectural concepts. "For a project to bear fruit, the creator must take the time to think it through thoroughly," he explains. "In this regard, Pierre-Richard Villedrouin is a true master!"

"Superficiality is a mirage, a poison to creativity," asserts the architect—a man in his early seventies who looks barely fifty—as he notes a troubling trend in Haitian creative work. "Our painters, writers, and—above all—our architects must look beyond the surface; they must reflect with a constant desire to create and offer something original. There is no place for mere copy-pasting!"

As a deliberate working method, the architect employs the "Tao* of forms." The term *Tao* here signifies a meditative liberation achieved through *Mandalas*—representing the intertwined pathways of architectural practice as it seeks a multidimensional convergence across space and time.

"Through the 'Tao of forms,'" he explains, "I became aware of my creative journey, the constant of which seems to be a process of spiraling meditation—leading to the convergence of practice and form within function, all grounded in structural integrity."

Indeed, Pierre-Richard Villedrouin’s studies and research into the art of building construction led him to develop a methodology that has become his professional hallmark. This method is based on exploring new shapes—such as spherical or cylindrical vaults, pyramids, and triangulated slabs—and minimizing formwork, which allows for the use of less concrete and more wood. In this regard, the large apartment building on Rue Villatte in Pétion-Ville, which the architect erected in the early 1980s, stands as an outstanding success.

"It is a truly interesting building where every detail has been carefully considered and which offers a wonderful living environment," says journalist André Lachance, who lived there for a considerable time. "In other countries I know, an architect of Pierre-Richard Villedrouin’s caliber would be a national icon, yet the majority of the Haitian population is unaware of his very existence. And yet, his works reflect the Haitian creative spirit at its most original and beautiful!"

Despite the banality of recent construction, there are nonetheless undeniable architectural triumphs in Haiti, according to Mr. Villedrouin, who takes the opportunity to commend all those dedicated to the art of designing the spaces we inhabit. He points, for instance, to the National Palace built by Georges Baussan, as well as the works of Paul Mathon, Eugène Maximilien, and Louis Roy—not to mention the offices of the Institute for the Safeguarding of National Heritage (ISPAN), which he rehabilitated following the fall of the Duvalier regime. The architect wants the new structures to become part of the tangible heritage of the first free and independent Black republic. His latest project—building a cathedral in Tabarre dedicated to the "Basilica of the Miraculous Medal"—aims to achieve precisely that.

1) Tao, an Asian word, existed for the Chinese long before other peoples adopted it. The exact meaning of the word in Chinese is "path" or "way." It could be viewed as the regulator of alternation (Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, *Dictionary of Symbols*).

2) Mandala: although its design is complex and often enclosed within a square boundary, the mandala is literally a circle. It is an image that is both synthetic and dynamic; it represents—and tends to transcend—the oppositions between the many and the one, the decomposed and the integrated, the differentiated and the undifferentiated, the outer and the inner, the diffuse and the concentrated... (Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, *Dictionary of Symbols*).