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Jamaica’s evocative power immediately calls to mind a plethora of glorious images: a tropical Eden of lush forests, bubbling streams, crystal-clear waterfalls, rippling seas, extraordinarily diverse wildlife, vistas to be immortalized for posterity, and a relaxed, contemplative approach to life. It is no surprise that, capturing the spirit of this land, music has been so extraordinarily important here.
Enraptured by the island’s beauty, one of the U.S.’s best internationally known DJs/producers chose Jamaica as his home base, a venue for an ambitious and complex project named Pompey, in the Portland area in the northeast of the island. Here, after traveling the world, he created a haven for people to take a break, immerse themselves in the wilderness, greet family and friends, work, have fun, and cultivate the land. In short, a sanctuary to celebrate life.
The 20-ha property is located in a stretch of jungle wilderness with an impervious and complex topography, in which extremely steep and craggy stretches alternate with more level and accessible reserves. The varied lay of the land and lush flora offered a dynamic canvas for this project, which features a residence, music studio, yoga pavilion, working stables and a farm, as well as a pond for turtles and other animals.
Freecell Architecture and Gia Wolff were commissioned to shape this ambitious project, guided by the goal of merging the built environment with nature. The resulting self-sustaining retreat, in which every element seems to organically emerge from the jungle, resonates with the island’s unique history and ecosystem.
The creative process behind the project’s design, particularly when it came to the residence, commenced with on-site walks and physical studio models to gain physical and experiential knowledge of the area through direct contact with its topography and explosive, fast-growing vegetation.
The designers were...
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