Dream House | Fire captain’s round home brings old-world charm to Jamaica

We have grown accustomed to living within rectilinear architecture. However, there is just something instinctively seductive about residing inside rarely seen curvilinear designs.

With a circular central, conical roof section, flanked by bedroom wings, this house appears ready for flight, perched on a hill overlooking Montego Bay. All rooms enjoy wide-ranging views.

Neuroscientists and psychologists have long realised that people are more drawn to rounded walls in buildings, which are more soothing and stylish than straight ones! That’s because the walls wrap around us with sensuality, happiness, and mimic the shape of the natural world. It also helps to eliminate the noise from outside.

The sculptural, circular section with stone-clad walls offers a great room (for living and dining), with a semi-circular, wraparound balcony; and a games room directly below, including a correspondingly shaped porch.

Six colourfully designed bedrooms and four bathrooms, are equally divided between the two wings. Staff quarters comprise two bedrooms.

The house is sequestered on a one-acre site, at an elevation of some 750 feet above sea level, in Torado Heights.

Its old-world charm interior brings to the fore terrazzo tile floors (now making a big comeback) and formica counter in the kitchen.

This home, burning with desire to show its assets, will set your hearts on fire. It was built by Ed Carr, a fire station captain in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Of all the islands he visited in the Caribbean, Jamaica, with its natural beauty, people, and culture, was the ideal choice to put down foundations. It took the multitasking individual nine months to construct, bringing down some of the material on trailers via the Sunward cruise ship.

A kidney-shaped pool is all yours to extinguish the stress and strife of today’s world. The lush landscaping features a variety of fruit trees, including lime, banana, orange and avocado.

From the earlier days of civilisation, curved walls have been a part of humanity’s living experience.

- Barry Rattray is a dream house designer and builder. Email feedback to barry-rattray@hotmail.com and lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.