Dear Editor,

The beginning of the year is typically a time for spring cleaning for many of us as we file away the old and prepare for what the new year will bring. During my annual spring cleaning at the office I stumbled across a letter to the Editor of the Bahamas Journal that was published in June 1990 and written by our founding principal, the late Jackson L. Burnside III, renowned architect, artist, and cultural icon.

As I read the letter I could not help but think of a popular phrase that we have all probably heard or used before that goes, ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same’. Perhaps the reason why the phrase seems so appropriate is because the letter could have very well been written today and still be relevant. I felt obligated to share this timely letter which reads as follows:

“Recently it was reported that at least two respected Government ministers stated categorically in the House of Assembly that there are no Bahamians qualified to design facilities for the Nassau International Airport. As far as I am aware this statement went unchallenged by the opposition.

Please allow me space to refute such misconceptions as this statement has been made before in connection with other major projects. Before going any further let me state that nothing could be further from the truth.

Bahamian Architects and Engineers have been trained in the finest of universities of the developed world and have had to compete and excel to demonstrate the right to be ranked amongst the graduates of those institutions.

Planning and design of any specialist facility in the Bahamas or anywhere else for that matter requires specialist consultancy advice in the functions, operation, and technology of that facility. This does not mean that the specialist consultant is best qualified to be the lead consultant to develop planning and design concepts that best respond to the social, economic, and physical environment in which that facility is to be placed.

The local Consultant/Architect/Planner is often best situated to direct appropriate response to climatic conditions, locally available construction technology (methods and materials of construction) and cultural lifestyles which are arguably more important in determining the success of the facility.

Helmut Jahn who designed the new highly acclaimed United Airlines terminal in Chicago had no previous airport experience but he was associated with the necessary functional and technical expertise.

What is urgently needed in our country is a philosophy which ensures that with the physical growth and development of our country, opportunities are created for local talent to grow and develop also. We ought to be committed to the principle that all major projects involve local professionals in significant roles at all levels so that the specialist technology used can be transferred to Bahamians. Each project should bring us closer to a command of our own resources.

We have a unique opportunity with the present rate of growth of our country to develop a bank of specialist knowledge that can be utilized locally and be exported as services to other countries in the region.

The local landscape is littered with examples of buildings designed by foreign experts who collected handsome fees and left our shores. In many cases these structures have failed because little or no input was made regarding local physical and social conditions. Many of the buildings failed because the foreign experts failed to understand either the nature of materials and methods in our local climate or the nature of the people and activities to be accommodated.

When there was success the valuable experience which we created opportunity for, is packed up and leaves our shores.

It is essential in order for the local industry to grow that there be a consistent flow of opportunities to develop management and mechanical skills to a level of excellence. Development must develop our people as well as our physical spaces.

Finally in a developed society it is the responsibility of the Legislature to ensure that all development be directed by persons who, by examination, have demonstrated a proscribed standard of competence in planning and design, awareness of local conditions, and knowledge of local planning regulations and building codes.

Simply put, all major development projects ought to be done by persons registered to practice in the Bahamas or associated with persons so registered.

In the decade of the 1990’s no policy maker in this country should feel comfortable to give foreign experts opportunities to increase their experience and wealth in the Bahamas unless they are associated with or consultants to our own highly qualified professionals.”

As I made reference to earlier, the relevance of this letter then and now is somewhat astonishing because ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same.’ Today I believe that we can still say without a doubt that foreign design professionals continue to play key roles in almost every major development that happens in this country, while local design professionals are used merely as rubber stamping agents to secure the necessary building permits from the Ministry of Works and Urban Development.

To translate this into dollars and cents, whereas foreign professionals may earn 10% or more of the development’s construction cost in consultant fees for their efforts, local professionals earn less than 1% in most cases. It is my belief and I am certain the belief of others that the playing field must be leveled by starting around the table where these Heads of Agreement negotiation meetings happen between foreign developers and government officials. Our government leaders must STAND UP for our local design professionals and INSIST that they play a more integral role in the development of this Bahamas.

Besides the wealth of experience to be gained by these opportunities, it just makes good sense also that the majority of the consultant fees associated with these major developments remain in the country, more so now that the government has just recently introduced VAT on goods and services. By continuing to allow foreign consultants to compete with local professionals for these valuable opportunities, our leaders are not only depriving local professionals of potential revenue, but are also decreasing the amount of taxes that the government can collect on the service fees.

This government and successive governments can no longer afford to provide these opportunities for foreign consultants and watch as this revenue leaves our shores. It is now critical that our government leaders BELIEVE in and SUPPORT our own local professionals. Even if mistakes are made along the way, local professionals have earned that right by birth and more importantly have to live here, which is more than we can say for our foreign counterparts.

Dirk K. B. Saunders
Principal Architect
Jackson Burnside Limited