Rapid-Deployable Enclosed Infrastructure Studio
studio facade
studio facade - open
palm trees concept
palm trees concept facade
Azra Veridian Studio Prototype
BEFORE HURRICANE MELISSA
built July 2025 (test unit)
12'L x 16'W x 9'H (rear; 8'H front)
192 sq ft (17.84 sq m)
Coral Gardens, Montego Bay, St. James
Click to play video of roof damage inside view
This is the first re-opening of the studio 6 weeks after Hurricane Melissa, after heavy rains throughout the entire month of November 2025
Note the studio is still liveable despite the bent zinc - after a category 5 hurricane + over 1 month of heavy rains!
AFTER HURRICANE MELISSA
This unpainted prototype in Coral Gardens, Montego Bay, St. James survived category 5 Hurricane Melissa with minimal damage to the zinc eaves (overlap) as well as bending and small rips in the 2 right (west side) zinc pieces due to air getting in through an unfinished portion of the outer wall and unsealed (unfinished) portion of the ceiling drywall on that side. This prototype used zinc nails with neoprene washers on the entire roof, and the shear force trying to rip the roof off pulled a couple nails up where the unfinished sections allowed too much air in.
The middle and left (east side) ceiling and roof remained completely intact - even using the same zinc nails with neoprene washers.
There was zero damage to the windows because they functioned exactly as the designer (Mediterranean Style Jamaica director Michelle Bajraktarević) envisioned: once closed these wooden windows with lumber frame reinforcement that open inwards became built-in hurricane shutters - no glass to shatter and no exposure to the elements, wild or stray animals, or to thieves while waiting to afford fixing of broken glass in the event of a natural disaster!
This means had the affected areas on the right side of the studio been fully enclosed on the outside near the zinc and the interior drywall ceiling fully sealed, there would have been no damage at all during Hurricane Melissa.
The interior design coincidentally organized the flow of activities so that the unit was still liveable: the 2 damaged zinc pieces were over the work area of the studio, which includes the the primary storage area, the large wall mounted desk/dining table, and the entry area by the door where keys, AC remote, umbrella, etc. are hung. The middle section is the living/sleeping area. The most expensive appliances and fixtures are on the opposite end of the studio including the AC split unit which was mounted above a window. Finishing the studio started logically from where the appliances and pre-manufactured (purchased) fixtures like AC, sinks, and toilet were to be placed and was to be completed in order ending with the work area.
So it wasn't a design or construction flaw but unfinished labour that led to vulnerable points air could enter under the zinc during the hurricane.
The zinc, while now replaced where damaged with new siliconized zinc and new screws in addition to the existing nails, could have been fixed without special skills by flattening the 2 bent pieces, re-fastening the zinc, and sealing any small rips where Hurricane Melissa tried her hardest to pull the roof off.
PROOF OF CONCEPT
While this is just a test unit, this is clear proof of concept durability in terms of:
structural integrity,
roof strength,
solar potential,
(notice solar-powered motion sensor light still anchored in place above window and door),
security,
(smartlock - which still has traditional key backup, bluetooth doorbell, fully wooden windows deadbolted inside opening inwards casement style, meaning burglar-resistant + built-in hurricane shutters once windows closed - no glass to shatter!)
and
accessible design
(3.5' wide doorway, rocker light switches, no gas - all electric, solar-ready, ADA-compliant toilet, wall-mount fixtures, open floorplan, fire escape/rescue alternate through 4' W x 2'H windows)
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica October 28, 2025 as a category 5 with a record-breaking 892mB of pressure, sustained winds of 185mph, and wind gusts of over 250mph, tearing up the western half of Jamaica and making it:
~> The #2 worst tropical cyclone in recorded history
~> The #1 worst storm of 2025 worldwide
~> The #1 worst storm in Jamaica's recorded history (Hurricane Gilbert, by comparison, hit the island in 1988 as a Category 3)
PROTOTYPE STUDIO TOUR
Bluetooth doorbell
Bluetooth padlock
Eufy smartlock
View from the back wall, L-R:
entrance
secondary storage area (residential use can be wall mount smart TV + portable closet; this particular studio is multitasking as a construction site office)
kitchen area
zinc ceiling (left side) with heavy-gauge U-shaped hurricane straps
drywall ceiling (right side)
dry-pour concrete flooring
View from the kitchen area, L-R:
shower curtain around bath area
California King size airbed
storage shelves
View of kitchen area including open shelving Mediterranean style, all electric appliances (microwave, coffeemaker, electric kettle, induction cooktop), spice rack and paper towel rack wall mounted, and pull down faucet... 12,000 BTU inverter split unit AC above the kitchen window keeps entire studio cool and wooden windows when closed double as built-in hurricane shutters and as natural blackout shades!
View of bathroom area (wall mount sink and floor mount ADA compliant toilet)
Video highlight of prototype studio bathroom area (WIP)
View of bathroom area (rainfall shower with built-in multi-level filtration and handheld)
View of bathroom area and sleeping / living area with shower curtain drawn
Video highlight of:
*interior look of a studio with exposed ceiling (vs drywall version),
*natural blackout shades the casement-style windows become when not functioning as built-in hurricane shutters (whether an overnight shift worker or vacationer, no worries about unwanted sunlight!)
*how natural light fills the studio by opening just half the windows
View of bedroom / living area and work / dining area with:
California King size airbed
storage shelves
large wall mount desk
wooden windows opening inward casement style (letting in fresh air and plenty of natural light but when closed, hinged on the inside to deter thieves and forming natural blackout shades)
View outside studio from the desk (this particular one has sea view in this direction)
View outside the studio from the desk - at night
View outside the studio from the kitchen sink (this particular studio has tree view in this direction)
Video highlight of the prototype studio interior
Studio Applications: User Stories
First-time homeowner unit
Young professional housing
Young couple starter home
Rent-to-own entry housing
Start as studio
Add bedroom module later
Add living room later
Add second bedroom later
👉 This is how much of the world actually builds housing.
Replace zinc / typical board house with resilient core
Transition from temporary shelter → permanent home
Build first → expand when finances improve
Safe sleeping core during storms
Elevated or reinforced shell
Can act as “safe room house”
One child starter home
Transitional early family housing
Budget but safe and durable
Build small first on family land
Expand when relocating permanently
Vacation + future retirement hybrid
Single-level living
Low maintenance
Close to family main house
Expand for caregiver later
Wheelchair friendly layout
Medical equipment compatible
Live-in care expansion option
Adult child living on family land
Multi-generation property model
Separate but close living
Main house + 1–3 studios on same land
Family compound style living
Shared utilities possible
10–40 unit starter home clusters
Disaster relocation communities
Workforce villages
Solar powered
Rainwater integrated
Off-grid capable
Shared community services
Owner lives in main house
Rents studio for income
Or vice versa
Rent as disaster recovery housing
Tenant later purchases
Convert to permanent ownership
Post-disaster relocation communities
Climate migration settlements
Rural resettlement housing
Azra Veridian is not just housing — it is rapid-deployable enclosed infrastructure for disaster response, workforce accommodation, healthcare outreach, and expandable residential use.
Temporary emergency command centers
Rapid medical triage stations
Volunteer coordination hubs
Supply distribution points
👉 Governments needs readiness, not just recovery.
Rural clinic overflow rooms
Mobile maternal health units
Vaccination / testing stations
Telemedicine pods
👉 High NGO + public health funding alignment.
Temporary classrooms
Skills training labs
Exam centers
Teacher housing in rural areas
👉 Ministries and NGOs actively promote and support modular education space.
Construction crew housing
Farm worker housing
Tourism staff housing
Seasonal workforce accommodation
👉 Private sector demand spike along with government.
Salon / barber studio
Tailoring / craft workshop
Mini retail shop
Food prep micro-kitchen (where permitted)
👉 Huge win for “livelihood restoration” programs.
Rural coworking pods
Call center satellite units
Freelance / digital work hubs
👉 Strong future demand as remote work spreads.
Backyard elder cottages (AKA granny flats, accessible dwelling units / ADUs, mother-in-law suites)
Caregiver live-in unit (AKA helper's quarters)
Recovery room after hospital discharge
👉 Governments support aging-at-home models, which require universal access in design
Counseling rooms
Youth intervention safe spaces
Domestic violence emergency units
👉 Social service agencies need such spaces to face a spike in mental and social health needs
Luxury glamping unit
Mountain eco stay
Disaster-resilient AirBnB unit
Construction site office
Materials storage office
Engineer field office
Solar battery storage room
Remote monitoring station
Water treatment micro plant housing
Police outpost
Beach patrol station
Park ranger station
Click to watch Julie Mango explain, Jamaican style, the importance of hurricane straps and other critical parts of making a home hurricane-resistant!
-video courtesy of JulieMango TV YouTube channel