Vitruvius, Contributor
I THANK the esteemed architect Eran Spiro for his comments on my articles regarding four-storey walk-ups. Mr. Spiro contends that four-storey walk-ups do work and cited the Kencot apartment complex on South Road.
Well, I have an open mind and so I went to have a look.
To clarify my point, I did not say that they don't work. I said: "Evidence shows that high-rise development for low income is not the best way forward."
The complex in Kencot, is defined by a wall and an entrance to enclosed parking. The entrance to the building is grilled and some form of management structure is in place. Sorry, but this is neither housing that would be appropriate for people that do not even have cars, or allows for shops at ground level.
My article was discussing the intention of the government to build 'Malaysian' models in sections of Denham Town and adjoining areas. South Road is not a shanty town of zinc and ply.
The interesting thing is that the evidence of international examples indicates that the higher the income bracket the higher the building can go without the resulting anti-social and unsecured environments being created as in lower income high-rises.
My second article on the subject presented alternatives such as terraced housing, and I have had comments from as far as the United Kingdom indicating that they and various hybrids would be more suitable. In fact in various places in the Far East, one solution is to provide a one-storey house on a small lot, designed and built to take another storey.
The intention is that the owner can now extend upwards when he/she can afford to, to accommodate an increase in family size, a small business place or rentable space increasing the housing stock and earning an income in the process.
This solution has been proven to be one of the most successful for these reasons, not to mention the increase in property value, upward mobility and the psychological upliftment that is engendered.
The last ten years has shown a marked improvement in the housing stock both in quantity and quality. The Jamaican government should take a little more time and think through this walk-up idea before it proves to be too late.
