Florence BONNOT - Painter

The box (Kaz or Kay depending on thehoops) is the traditional house ofWest Indies, of theGuyana, ofThe meeting, ofLouisiana, of theSeychelles, ofMayotte, ofHaitiand of theMAURITIUS ISLAND(it exists in other forms atPondicherry,SuezorSaigonandHanoi). It symbolizes the art of livingCreolesand is an integral part of their universe. Presenting many specificities, a history and an evolution intimately linked to those of the Creole populations, it takes different forms depending on the region.

Environmental characteristics of the traditional Creole hut

Design

For the design,woodof 4 meters are cut into pieces of 1, 2 or 3 meters so that there are no scraps. Then it is necessary to choose the orientation of the Creole box which is generally located towards the east, in the direction of theSunLevant. This keeps the house sunny. Awnings will protect against sun and rain. The shape of the houses varies according to the environment. The boxes that are located at altitude have a low ceiling because it warms the habitat, while the houses that are at low altitude have a ceiling of about 6 meters high to allow the house to be ventilated and to keep the air hot. The roofs are arranged in four slopes, allowing the air to circulate better and avoiding possible jolts when thewindhit the house.

There are no glazed windows in the bays, only wooden shutters, jalousies, which protect against bad weather and the sun. Thus, the air circulates freely and creates a natural cooling of the interior of the habitat.

Materials

• Oil cans and metal sheets are used for theroofand thewalls. Lime plaster is made by heating corals.
• We also use wood fromforesttropical to make creole boxes.

Decoration

Avalance, zinc cut with traditional patterns, is used for old Creole houses. It is used to reduce the flow of water that comes from the roof in the event of heavy rain and this prevents the pressure of the water from gullying the earth. Plants near the hut are watered by the lambrequins. The interest is to protect the inhabitants against diseases and mosquito bites, but they also serve as a natural fragrance diffuser inside the house. The plants used are theylang ylang, thegeranium, thelemongrass, thejasmine.

Excerpt from Case Créole. (2021, June 14). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Page consulted on 15:33, June 14, 2021 from http://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Case_créole&oldid=183811596 .