ARCHITECTS PLEXUS ARCHITECTS 30 Photos: PLEXUS New Kingston Business Centre
ARCHITECTS By definition, a plexus is a network of interlacing blood vessels or nerves; or, more architecture-related, an interwoven combination of parts or elements in a structure or system. Bryan Morris, founder and principal architect of Plexus Architects & Planners Limited, chose this name for his firm to highlight the intricacy of the work they do. “There is a complexity of skills that need to be translated into creating a building,” he said. “It's the art of a science. We're managing several different elements and different consultants who are involved in the process.” Morris has been a part of this plexus since he discovered a knack for technical drawing at 18. He had initially wanted to be a pilot, but gave up that dream to follow his uncle into the field of architecture. He graduated from the College of Arts, Science, and Technology (now the University of Technology, <strong>Jamaica</strong>) in 1981, then headed to Howard University to complete his professional BArch. Degree. Upon graduation in 1984, he worked in the United States for three years before returning home. He was mentored by Evan Williams of Design Collaborative. There he cut his teeth on numerous hotel projects, including Sandals Negril, Grand Lido, and Sandals Montego Bay before deciding to forge his own path in 1993. Plexus was registered in 1994. Since the company’s establishment, Morris and his team of professionals have led or participated in the creation of numerous hotels and resorts, commercial structures, and residential housing developments, always with the aim of creating structures that are ‘architectural statements of excellence.’ Indeed, many of their projects are well-known and have become landmarks. These include the Boulevard Super Centre, which was transformed from an old cigar factory in 2002; 13 West at West Kings House Road, where the Plexus office is located; Barbican Business Centre, Texaco Mary Brown’s Corner, 80 LMR and Musgrave Suites on Lady Musgrave Road, The Mall & Village Plaza, Forest Ridge Apartments & Condos, the Ministry of Justice, and more recent projects like The Lofts and the renovation of the New Kingston Business Centre. “When we take on developments that will impact communities and the environment, we take into consideration all the varying aspects of it, from existing conditions to the impact on social needs.” Throughout the years, Plexus has also been driven by ‘the responsibility to mould social patterns and behaviour and to incorporate and cultivate a high level of sensitivity to the environment’ within their design solutions. “When we take on developments that will impact communities and the environment, we take into consideration all the varying aspects of it, from existing conditions to the impact on social needs,” said Morris. “How are we going to uplift the community? What will we do as inspiration or aspiration for these communities? We look at the different influences inside and opportunities for these communities. We study the sites very carefully, study the orientation, think about use of colour as an aspirational or motivational characteristic. If you look back at some of the buildings we have done, you’ll see how some of those aspects come into play.” To illustrate, he explained how the projects on Lady Musgrave Road fit into a broader vision for the surrounding community. “Where 80 LMR is now was just an old house, but what we wanted to do was create a pedestrian thoroughfare along this whole corridor, kind of like a hip strip, where people can walk from beginning to end and have dining options, 31