Design Week Ja conversation became a healthy debate Tuesday evening as the team moved from an interactive forum at Oppein Ja to Spaces, the furniture and interior decorating services provider at 7-9 Ardenne Road.

Janelle Pantry-Coke, founder and creative director at Spaces, and the evening’s host informed guests that her desire was to stimulate dialogue. She pointed out that the audience, including students from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and the University of Technology, alongside industry professionals, were ideal candidates to contribute to the evening’s discussion.

Design Week Jamaica conceptualiser Novia McDonald-Whyte, assumed the role of moderator and immediately introduced the four distinguished panellists.

On the panel were David Douglas, principal and architect at DDnA Architects Ltd; Martin Addington, principal and urban planner at Interplan Planning Consultants; Scotiabank Premium Banking Manager André Harvey and manager, Lending Acquisitions Rohan Hoilett. Each panellist brought a wealth of experience and expert insight to the forum.

Indeed, each dove straight into sharing their views on some pivotal questions. From there onwards, it was a non-stop exchange of ideas, resulting in an evening rich in perspective; some conflicting, all meaningful.

Planning For the Future

Among the evening’s key topics was the question of whether or not construction on the island was sufficiently engaged in building and designing spaces that meet the needs of the population. For Douglas, there was a relevant intersection between these needs and factors of modernity as it pertains to urban development, including sustainability and projected growth over the next century. He ultimately felt that Kingston still had much work to do in the way of infrastructural development before it could be deemed ready to sustain significant urban expansion.

Douglas believes the starting point is planning and legislation, adding that the plans that are currently in place will face problems without the proper legislative support.

Addington supported this view, adding that a new planning and development framework would also be needed to enable the transition from the current ad hoc development practices to one that is more coordinated around a master plan.

“Every person that owns property just tries to develop it for his or her own benefit. We’re not thinking collectively enough. Having a framework would allow us to work together to design the community in a way that would benefit everyone and implement infrastructure like a revised transit system that would allow us to expand sustainably,” Addington expounded.

Throughout the discourse, the audience respectfully chimed in, sometimes supportive of a panellist or another audience member’s views, often bringing their own opinions to the mix. Still, the dialogue flowed smoothly, exploring a range of topics. Highlights include discussions on the balance of aesthetics and functionality that is needed in developing Jamaica’s architectural aesthetic, the 15-minute city concept and alternative transit solutions for Kingston, such as an overhead rail system, the work that is being done to preserve Jamaica’s architectural heritage, and the current market climate for home ownership and sustainability investment.

Owning a Piece of the Rock

One of the more divisive topics of the evening was home ownership for young professionals. While many of the students in the room and some of the younger audience members appeared discouraged about their prospects, they received encouragement from the Scotiabank reps and many audience members.

The question of where to invest, however, seemed to remain unsettled, as Scotiabank’s Harvey and Hoilett highlighted the many financing options available to young professionals, suggesting that they start with more achievable prospects that might be found outside of Kingston.

“At Scotiabank, the door is open for young people to come in. We have been very aggressive in the last three years or so regarding mortgages. We have the best rates on the market, and I would say it’s very affordable for young professionals right now,” Harvey explained.

Douglas and Addington were quick to remind those in the Spaces showroom that there are other costs to consider, and that a longer commute from outside the city for those who work in Kingston can end up being more detrimental than beneficial in the end. There was support for both sides, but everyone agreed that sustainability was the way forward.

At the end of the forum, the audience praised the Design Week team for providing a platform for the evening’s discourse.

“I think it is good that the professionals are having these discussions that really need to be had. We have to start somewhere and build,” one audience member offered.

The general consensus seemed to be that Jamaica has all the right ingredients but lacks the proper coordination and support that is needed to best develop its resources. On the matter of finance, all parties, including the Scotiabank reps, seemed convinced that there is sufficient access to financing. There was a resounding wave of encouragement for young professionals to take an optimistic, step-by-step approach to realising their real estate and overall equity dreams.

The forum officially disbanded around 8:00 pm, but the conversation continued on over libations, music and Scotiabank-branded cupcakes.