Barbados has always had a tradition in building construction and is proud of this heritage.

 Today, this legacy is as strong as it ever was.  The building trades evolved over a 250 year period and are defined by traditional materials such as stone and wood.  Such materials related,  and still do relate to, the dominant and to some extent preferred residential features in our buildings, namely steep pitched timber roofs  and sometimes shingled-styled (wood or clay) finishes, walls out of local coral stone, and many traditional embellishments such as: hoods, lathe-turned posts, shutters, lattice and fretwork embellishments, and timber balustrades of various patterns. 

This vocabulary is so preferred that waterproofing enhancements have been introduced so that traditional roof covers can be retained.  {Assimilated coral stone rendering is popular???}, as are PVC together with aluminum are now integrated into the vernacular dressings for longevity.  Bright colouring supported by a high level of paint technology is also a renowned cultural component.  Bajans are not afraid of colour and would apply the brightest hues anywhere in their buildings.  A commercial aesthetic associated with stated building traditions is yet to evolve.