News

Strawberry Hill, Ropley, Kingston, Jamaica

Strawberry Hill is one of the boutique Island Outpost Hotels owned by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records.

It sits on a mountain top 3000 feet high and enjoys panoramic views of Kingston, the capital city and it’s harbour.

Our Concept Master Plan provides 18 new 1 and 2 bedroom Cottages, a bar and swimming pool.

Oracabessa Hill Cottages, Oracabessa Jamaica

The Oracabessa Hill Cottages development is for Telfie, a local developer providing a total of 25 dwellings for sale in the second phase within a 6 acre site in the north east coastal town of Oracabessa.  The site is steeply sloping which allows most of the Cottages and Apartments to enjoy Caribbean Sea views and cooling sea breezes.  The first phase was designed Ann Hodges, an award winning Jamaican Architect providing a number of small 1 and 2 bedroom dwellings for the developer’s rental program.

The site is located on Vernon Avenue, the main street running through the town and is within a short walking distance from GoldenEye Hotel, Fisherman’s Beach and James Bond Beach.  The development provides a communal swimming pool.

The first phase is built and construction has started on one of the Cottages in the second phase.

GoldenEye Hotel Oracabessa Jamaica – Low Cay Beach and Lagoon Villas

GoldenEye is a world famous hotel located on the north east coast of Jamaica.  In the 1950s it was the home of Ian Fleming and where he created James Bond and wrote the 007 novels.  After Fleming’s death GoldenEye was purchased by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, who enlarged GoldenEye to create a 70 bedroom boutique hotel comprising Huts, Cottages and Villas set in a rain forest garden with Beach and Lagoon waterside frontages.

In 2019 we were Architects for the extension of ‘The Blue House’, situated on Low Cay Beach providing a spacious Lounge/Dining Room, an additional Bathroom/Cloak Room with an outside shower.  The extension is Jamaican vernacular style, complementary to the existing Beach Villa with interiors featuring polished concrete floors, bespoke joinery and Royal Hut fabrics.  The Lounge area has pairs of 8 feet high double doors complete with jalousie shutters providing a panoramic view of the beach, allowing the cooling sea breeze to obviate the need for air conditioning.

In 2020 we were also appointed to act as Consultants to work alongside Ann Hodges, an award winning Jamaican Architect to create some additional Lagoon Villas.

Oracabessa Housing Association, St Mary Parish, Jamaica

The town of Oracabessa is located on the north east coast of Jamaica and was formerly the main port for the export of bananas.  It is a beautiful settlement unspoiled by post war development with an undeveloped Caribbean Sea waterfront.  Studies have suggested that development of GoldenEye Hotel and the waterfront across to Jacks River would generate some 2800 new jobs which might result in the doubling of the towns population.

We have established the Oracabessa Housing Association, Jamaica’s first to help regenerate, restore and develop the town as a seaside destination.  The Association would provide housing for those working in the tourism sector and restore the many fine examples of Jamaica vernacular architecture.  The Association would build on the achievements of the GoldenEye Hotel, the GoldenEye Foundation and the Oracabessa Fish Sanctuary.

The images shown above summarise our proposals and formed part of a Jamaican Government initiative to share ideas with countries of the Caribbean and Latin America at a Regional Conference in Montego Bay.