Kuntrihouse Architects

03/11/2026

to Villa 286, watching the sky paint itself over Red Hills. 🌅✨
From the towering afternoon cumulus down to the quiet indigo of twilight, this residence was designed as an active observer of its microclimate. Perched on the steep topography of Red Hills, the structure navigates extreme sun exposure and slope orientation through tropical modern design strategies: deep overhangs to mitigate heat gain, screened openings to harness rising thermal breezes, and warm natural materials that anchor the modern silhouette into the landscape.

As day turns to dusk, interior illumination takes over while the facade shades the interior, demonstrating how climate-responsive architecture in the Caribbean balances spatial transparency with solar control.

Architecture as a front-row seat to the elements—where environmental performance shapes visual identity. ⛰️🌤️

📍 Red Hills, St. Andrew, Jamaica
Design & Rendering: KUNTRIHOUSE | Architects

27/10/2026

26/10/2026

MEET THE TEAM:

Matthew McFarlane, JIA is an Architect-Director at KUNTRIHOUSE. A British-Jamaican Registered Architect practicing in Jamaica, Matthew is an emerging voice and thought leader in the architectural space. His private and public work explores the relationship between architecture, housing, urban development and the systems that shape how Caribbean communities grow.

Through his platform, Matt Talks Architecture [], he connects design to the wider regulatory and social issues influencing Jamaica’s built environment. He has written articles and provided social commentary for platforms such as The Jamaica Gleaner, while also contributing to important architectural conversations on local radio.

His writing and advocacy examine critical issues such as housing affordability, mixed-income communities, development economics, gentrification, urban density and the increasing treatment of housing as a financial commodity. He advocates for development models that balance economic viability with human-centered design, community-building and long-term social value.

Matthew brings a systems-oriented perspective to how architecture, planning and policy can work together to produce more resilient, inclusive and contextually responsive development across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

22/10/2026

MEET THE TEAM:

Krystol Austin-Spence is the Executive Director of KUNTRIHOUSE. She brings over a decade of experience in architectural design, project coordination and design management, with work spanning Jamaica, the United States, Australia, and the wider Caribbean.

Among her most notable achievements, Krystol is the first black woman to receive the James Britton Memorial Thesis Award, the inaugural recipient of Gensler’s Rising Black Designers Competition Award, and currently the only person to be nominated for a Prime Minister’s National Youth Award in the field of architecture [Jamaica].

Her professional experience includes working with internationally recognised firms Gensler, HOK and Arcadis, contributing to projects across the residential, healthcare, civic, justice and tourism sectors. Her passion for architecture, infrastructure, climate adaptation and resilience informs her vision for stronger, more resilient Caribbean communities.

20/10/2026

MEET THE TEAM:

Lionel Spence is the Managing Director of KUNTRIHOUSE Architecture. He brings over two decades of architectural design experience across the Caribbean, including Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica.

One of his most notable career achievements includes serving as the Lead Designer for One Belmont, a project specifically designed and curated for Sygnus, during his tenure at Virtuoso Architects. This nine-storey office development combines smart technology, wellness features and an expansive rooftop terrace to support modern-work. This design went on to earn first-place honours in two categories at the 2024 International Property Awards.

25/09/2026

Project: Skyline Private Residence
Designed by: KUNTRIHOUSE Architecture

Designed from the top down.

For this private residence in Jacks Hill, St. Andrew, the architectural concept begins with a strong horizontal roof plane that establishes the primary datum of the house. From this uppermost gesture, the composition is organized downward—balconies, deep overhangs, structural columns and ground-level living spaces are layered beneath to create a clear hierarchy of form.

Rather than treating the roof as a final element, it becomes the generator of the architecture: providing shade, defining proportion, framing views and giving order to the spaces below.

The resulting residence balances concrete, stone, glass and tropical planting within a restrained contemporary language, while opening the principal living spaces toward the pool, garden and surrounding hills of St. Andrew.

A home shaped from roofline to landscape.

CaribbeanArchitecture ResidentialArchitecture

21/09/2026

Designed from the top down.

For this private residence in Jacks Hill, St. Andrew, the architectural concept begins with a strong horizontal roof plane that establishes the primary datum of the house. From this uppermost gesture, the composition is organized downward—balconies, deep overhangs, structural columns and ground-level living spaces are layered beneath to create a clear hierarchy of form.

Rather than treating the roof as a final element, it becomes the generator of the architecture: providing shade, defining proportion, framing views and giving order to the spaces below.

The resulting residence balances concrete, stone, glass and tropical planting within a restrained contemporary language, while opening the principal living spaces toward the pool, garden and surrounding hills of St. Andrew.

A home shaped from roofline to landscape.

Project: Skyline Private Residence
Designed by: KUNTRIHOUSE Architecture

CaribbeanArchitecture ResidentialArchitecture

18/09/2026