Regeneration Time

 This picture was taken in the city of San Fernando found south of Trinidad. I personally thought it was a beautiful picture as it not only shows the magnificent architecture but the processes of change that can be reflected in the structure. The architecture of the building indeed affect the morphology of cities as it influences the physical look and shape. As seen in the picture part of the building (left) has been renovated as seen by the different architectural design where the bright triangular top roof  lays whereas the rest of the building looks more old and has no roof that may represent the influence of other countries on the architecture of this city. Take into consideration the experiences of the Caribbean the most important being slavery. During that period many foriegn influences came into the Caribbean and started the first wave of globalization as it created the mixing of people, values and norms along with architecture.
Gravette 2000 stated in his book (Architectural Heritage of the Caribbean) that the British brought their Georgian and Victorian architecture to many of the islands.An example of the early English colonial architecture is St. Nicholas Abbey in Barbados,a Jacobean great house built in the 1650's and 1660's. according to his description such houses had a plain exterior with large windows, preference for bricks over stone and symmetrical. Based on such a description the picture above may have in fact been influenced by the British architecture. He further explains that building where either built identical to the immigrants home country or have adapted it to suit the conditions of the Caribbean.
The theory that this photo can support is the Burgess concentric zone model as close to the CBD lies the transitional zone where older private houses were being converted in other services. (Dear and Flusty). this can explain the renovations and regeneration that are taking place as the building was made to be more useful and is actually a police station in San Fernando at present. Therefore this picture reflects the change within cities that are taking place that affect the form and structure of the urban area. Hall and Barrett 2012 stated that the enhancement of an urban image and the associated physical transformations of many city center landscapes through regeneration and development can be labelled as the 'carnival mask' of late capitalist urbanization. (228)

Hall T and H Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography. 4th ed. Routledge. London/ New York
Gravette Andrew. 2000. Architectural Heritage of the Caribbean: An A-Z of historic Buildings. UK