VIA at Braemar, an oasis in the city

With the aim of ‘redefining urban living’, PROVEN Properties Ltd, through its VIA at Braemar in Kingston, is blending chic, modern design with all the elements of nature and providing its clients with not only convenience, comfort and security but transporting them to an oasis that simply feels like home.

“We are creating a living space in the urban environment that brings nature into it so that you can enjoy the outside and still be in the urban condition of an apartment building,” said architect David Douglas, who designed the property.

Walking into the complex, you immediately enter the lobby with its clean-cut and contemporary finishes. But, as you move beyond the lobby, you are hit with the sound of rushing water, a cool natural breeze, lush plants and a full view of the sky, all of which serve as the vehicle that takes you from the excitement of the city to undeniable tranquillity. VIA at Braemar focuses largely on the idea of bringing the ‘outside, in’ and, according to Douglas, this was achieved primarily by finding creative ways to recreate nature and how it interacts with all our senses.

“The breeze, of course, is one element that we can look at when talking about [bringing] outside in. But, beyond that, the idea of ‘outside’ is not only the things that you can touch but also the way that you feel inside the building. So, one way we did that was to just open the building as much as possible. So, we have literally removed two units on either side of the building, leaving this cross-through of natural ventilation where the southern breeze and northern breeze can come through,” he said.

“The ends of the building are also opened as well, so we are getting a channelling of wind into that central courtyard, and then, of course, the units themselves are organised around a central courtyard which is open to [the] sky. Even from the ground level, you can experience natural air and natural ventilation and natural light, and, when it rains, it rains on the ground floor and you will literally have to run out of the rain. The smell of the rain on the stone is a key thing as well. So, there is this sort of inversion of where you are but you are still inside the building,” Douglas continued.

The 10-storey complex comprises 99 apartments, consisting of 51 studios, 30 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom units. It also has a sky deck with a pool, gym, bar, and jogging trail, among other amenities.

According to Douglas, Fern Gully in St Ann was a reference point in his mind when working on the design of the space.

“I was thinking of all the plants and the foliage. The idea of the ground floor was to be heavily planted out with lots of ferns and lots of greenery in there and the sound of moving water and natural materials. We try to use the material, or a close proximity thereof, of actual natural material. So, like stone tiles on the walls, we have wood finishes on the floors. It is how you interact with the space, what you can touch and feel and see, that creates this feeling of not being in a concrete, glass and steel construction, but something that’s more natural. The idea from the beginning was centred around having a building that was open to elements in various different ways,” he revealed to Saturday Living.

To top it all off, the complex also boasts an eco-friendly design that incorporates the use of recycled materials, water harvesting for irrigation, replanting of trees on and around the property, as well as preserving as much of the natural landscape as possible, to decrease the carbon footprint.

While speaking with Saturday Living, Ruth-Ann Lacey, head of business development at PROVEN Properties Ltd, shared that there are a number of key things that customers are looking for in residential properties, and PROVEN, with VIA at Braemar and other developments, aims to meet those needs.

“Outside of people not wanting it (homes/residences) to feel cold and stark, people are using words like they want it to feel secure. They want it [to] feel homey. ‘I want to feel comfortable’. And, even on a Sunday morning, if they don’t feel like leaving the house, there is something they can do, and that is what we want to provide in this iconic building,” she said.

Lacey also spoke of new developments in the pipeline.

“We have started our soft launch of Sol Harbour in Ocho Rios, and the excitement is palpable at the very least, and just meeting our client’s expectations and meeting our own expectations, I think that is exactly where we are and to see how far we can go from here. We are also working on Avista at Bloomfield in Mandeville, which is the first mixed-use property in Jamaica for both commercial and residential on an entire development. There is lifestyle, banking, supermarket, and then you have your home and the ability to walk and get everything that you need. That is something we are extremely excited about, and we are looking to deliver it early next year,” she explained.

VIA at Braemar’s starting price was just over $20 million and all the units are currently sold out.

aaliyah.cunningham@gleanerjm.com