Guide to good practices for the construction and rehabilitation of housing

The State and the Community of Saint-Martin publish a guide to good practices to help the population in their construction and rehabilitation work

Designed with the assistance of around fifty experts , this free educational manual has been published in two languages, French and English. It aims to help West Indian individuals and professionals who carry out construction work to respect the standards best suited to cyclonic and seismic risks.
 
Saint-Martin, June 1, 2018 - The prefect of Guadeloupe region and interministerial delegate for the reconstruction of the islands of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, Mr. Philippe GUSTIN, and the president of the Collectivity of Saint-Martin, Mr. Daniel GIBBS, presented today at the Hôtel de the Community the Guide to good practices for the construction and rehabilitation of housing. This free educational manual is intended to provide individuals and professionals with precise expert advice on anticyclonic and anti-seismic safety and construction standards.
“Like other islands in the Antilles, some Homes in Saint-Martin are often too fragile or even unsuitable to cope with cyclones and earthquakes. The idea of ​​this guide is to help make buildings more resistant to natural hazards,” underlined Mr. Philippe GUSTIN. “With climate change, cyclones are likely to become more frequent. We must prepare for this by offering a quality construction manual, which can support the population for many years,” he added.
With nearly 60% of uninsured owners, Saint-Martin is characterized by a significant recourse to self-reconstruction, with many individuals having to carry out their work themselves. “This guide is a concrete response provided to all those who are obliged to build or renovate their house without being construction experts”, indicated Mr. Daniel GIBBS during his intervention.
The Good Practice Guide is structured around six themes, presented in the form of sheets: metal roofing, wooden frames, windows and bay windows, masonry, wooden structure and awnings. In order to adapt to the multilingual environment of Saint-Martin, it has been published in two languages, French and English.
The Guide can be downloaded free of charge from the websites of the Prefecture and the Community of Saint-Martin . 1000 printed copies will also be distributed to the main associations and companies on the island.
Around fifty experts mobilized
Funded by the State, the production of the Guide to good practices was led by the Interministerial Delegation for the reconstruction and entrusted to the Scientific and Technical Building Center (CSTB), a public establishment whose mission is to provide expertise in the quality and safety of buildings.

The State has mobilized around ten experts and called on around forty professionals from Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Guadeloupe and Martinique - architects, contractors, insurers, etc. - to benefit from their experience and best adapt the document to local realities. In total, around fifty people were involved in this project, which lasted almost six months. The Community of Saint-Martin provided technical and logistical assistance in carrying out this work.

“This Guide was produced and designed specifically for Saint-Martin but we hope that it can be used to all the islands of the Antilles", recalled Mr. Philippe GUSTIN.


Two simplified flyers distributed with the assistance of the Fondation de France
In addition to the publication of the Guide to good practices , two simplified flyers were produced from the “metal roofing” and “windows and bay windows” sheets, construction themes that are particularly important in the West Indies.

Designed according to the instructions of the CSTB experts and of the Interministerial Delegation for Reconstruction, their graphic production and printing were financed by the Fondation de France. These flyers will be distributed to the Saint-Martin population via local associations.

The State, the Collectivity of Saint-Martin and the Fondation de France will also launch a communication campaign from June 1 posters and on social networks to popularize the Good Practice Guide under the slogan “Build Well! »  


State press contact
Christophe Gauer
Interministerial delegation for reconstruction
christophe.gauer@outre-mer.gouv.fr
06 76 61 82 04    

Press contact Community
Nathalie Longato-Rey
Communications Department
Nathalie.longato@com-saint-martin.fr
06 90 65 89 52

Download link for the Guide to good practices for housing construction and rehabilitation: