a4architect.com

Author: A4KENYA

  • Markup: Image Alignment

    Welcome to image alignment! The best way to demonstrate the ebb and flow of the various image positioning options is to nestle them snuggly among an ocean of words. Grab a paddle and let’s get started.

    On the topic of alignment, it should be noted that users can choose from the options of None, Left, Right, and Center. In addition, they also get the options of Thumbnail, Medium, Large & Fullsize. Be sure to try this page in RTL mode and it should look the same as LTR.

    Image Alignment 580x300

    The image above happens to be centered.

    Image Alignment 150x150 The rest of this paragraph is filler for the sake of seeing the text wrap around the 150×150 image, which is left aligned.

    As you can see the should be some space above, below, and to the right of the image. The text should not be creeping on the image. Creeping is just not right. Images need breathing room too. Let them speak like you words. Let them do their jobs without any hassle from the text. In about one more sentence here, we’ll see that the text moves from the right of the image down below the image in seamless transition. Again, letting the do it’s thang. Mission accomplished!

    And now for a massively large image. It also has no alignment.

    Image Alignment 1200x400

    The image above, though 1200px wide, should not overflow the content area. It should remain contained with no visible disruption to the flow of content.

    Image Alignment 1200x400

    And we try the large image again, with the center alignment since that sometimes is a problem. The image above, though 1200px wide, should not overflow the content area. It should remain contained with no visible disruption to the flow of content.

    Image Alignment 300x200

    And now we’re going to shift things to the right align. Again, there should be plenty of room above, below, and to the left of the image. Just look at him there… Hey guy! Way to rock that right side. I don’t care what the left aligned image says, you look great. Don’t let anyone else tell you differently.

    In just a bit here, you should see the text start to wrap below the right aligned image and settle in nicely. There should still be plenty of room and everything should be sitting pretty. Yeah… Just like that. It never felt so good to be right.

    And just when you thought we were done, we’re going to do them all over again with captions!

    Image Alignment 580x300
    Look at 580×300 getting some caption love.

    The image above happens to be centered. The caption also has a link in it, just to see if it does anything funky.

    Image Alignment 150x150
    Bigger caption than the image usually is.

    The rest of this paragraph is filler for the sake of seeing the text wrap around the 150×150 image, which is left aligned.

    As you can see the should be some space above, below, and to the right of the image. The text should not be creeping on the image. Creeping is just not right. Images need breathing room too. Let them speak like you words. Let them do their jobs without any hassle from the text. In about one more sentence here, we’ll see that the text moves from the right of the image down below the image in seamless transition. Again, letting the do it’s thang. Mission accomplished!

    And now for a massively large image. It also has no alignment.

    Image Alignment 1200x400
    Comment for massive image for your eyeballs.

    The image above, though 1200px wide, should not overflow the content area. It should remain contained with no visible disruption to the flow of content.

    Image Alignment 1200x400
    This massive image is centered.

    And again with the big image centered. The image above, though 1200px wide, should not overflow the content area. It should remain contained with no visible disruption to the flow of content.

    Image Alignment 300x200
    Feels good to be right all the time.

    And now we’re going to shift things to the right align. Again, there should be plenty of room above, below, and to the left of the image. Just look at him there… Hey guy! Way to rock that right side. I don’t care what the left aligned image says, you look great. Don’t let anyone else tell you differently.

    In just a bit here, you should see the text start to wrap below the right aligned image and settle in nicely. There should still be plenty of room and everything should be sitting pretty. Yeah… Just like that. It never felt so good to be right.

    And that’s a wrap, yo! You survived the tumultuous waters of alignment. Image alignment achievement unlocked! One last thing: The last item in this post’s content is a thumbnail floated right. Make sure any elements after the content are clearing properly.

  • Markup: Text Alignment

    Default

    This is a paragraph. It should not have any alignment of any kind. It should just flow like you would normally expect. Nothing fancy. Just straight up text, free flowing, with love. Completely neutral and not picking a side or sitting on the fence. It just is. It just freaking is. It likes where it is. It does not feel compelled to pick a side. Leave him be. It will just be better that way. Trust me.

    Left Align

    This is a paragraph. It is left aligned. Because of this, it is a bit more liberal in it’s views. It’s favorite color is green. Left align tends to be more eco-friendly, but it provides no concrete evidence that it really is. Even though it likes share the wealth evenly, it leaves the equal distribution up to justified alignment.

    Center Align

    This is a paragraph. It is center aligned. Center is, but nature, a fence sitter. A flip flopper. It has a difficult time making up its mind. It wants to pick a side. Really, it does. It has the best intentions, but it tends to complicate matters more than help. The best you can do is try to win it over and hope for the best. I hear center align does take bribes.

    Right Align

    This is a paragraph. It is right aligned. It is a bit more conservative in it’s views. It’s prefers to not be told what to do or how to do it. Right align totally owns a slew of guns and loves to head to the range for some practice. Which is cool and all. I mean, it’s a pretty good shot from at least four or five football fields away. Dead on. So boss.

    Justify Align

    This is a paragraph. It is justify aligned. It gets really mad when people associate it with Justin Timberlake. Typically, justified is pretty straight laced. It likes everything to be in it’s place and not all cattywampus like the rest of the aligns. I am not saying that makes it better than the rest of the aligns, but it does tend to put off more of an elitist attitude.

  • merry xmas

    merry xmas

  • KENYA REAL ESTATE 2012. FUTURE OF 2013.

    KENYA REAL ESTATE 2012. FUTURE OF 2013.

    LAND.
    The year 2012 has seen unprecedented high land values around Nairobi. Land in upper hill shot up from
    KES 200m per acre to the current KES 350m , representing 75% increase in land value.
    Land in Nairobi Suburbs such as Syokimau 1 KM from Mombasa road shot up from KES 1.5m per 1/8th acre to KES 2.2 m for the same, representing 46% increase in value.
    This increase in value has had an advantage to the minority land owners and a disadvantage to the majority land buyers who have had to cough up much more.
    The main reason for the increase in land value is due to normal increase in population while available land for sale remaining constant and influx of cash from overseas into the Kenyan economy.
    This high cost of land has resulted to high cost of houses even though the construction materials prices have not risen much in the last 5 years.

    BUILDING MATERIALS.

    New cost effective building materials have been introduced to the Kenyan market.

    Mazeras stone tiles.
    Even though Mazeras stone has been in Kenya still time immemorial, it was only used in the Coast and a few high end shopping malls such as the Village Market.
    With its cutting into square and rectangular pieces, it has become a popular wall and floor finish due to its relative affordability, high aesthetics ,high strength and low maintenance cost.

    Aluminum Window and Door frames.
    With the onset of Chinese Aluminum shops setting business in Nairobi, Aluminum windows and doors have now been introduced to the mass market due to their affordability and high aesthetics.
    Previously, Aluminum windows and sliding doors were the preserve of very high cost buildings. Currently, most flea markets and shop partitions are done using Aluminum sections. We are now witnessing Aluminum partitions in residential units especially the Master bedroom bathroom partitions.

    MDF and HDF Boards.
    MDF Boards have started to edge out block boards as the main wardrobe ,kitchen cabinet and furniture materials. HDF Floor boards have also become common place in the floor finishes sector.

    LOWS OF 2012.

    2012 has witnessed a collapse of Buildings such as the Westlands and Mlolongo buildings .
    The Government through Ministry of Local Government which is responsible for ensuring building safety have improved the level of inspections since its quite a long time since we have heard of a building collapsing of late.

    FUTURE OF 2013.

    Land Laws.
    The new Land Laws whereby the Land Commission will regulate size of individual land ownership and propose land tax will be a game changer in 2013. Solutions such as Idle land taxation if implemented will result in large land owners selling their land hence reduction of land prices due to oversupply. Idle land taxation will also increase revenue to Government hence more infrastructure such as roads and water supply improvement.

    New Building Materials.
    Prefabrication and new building materials into the market will change the look of new buildings. Panelized housing such as the ones being produced by NHC will redefine how the shape of new buildings will look.
    Flexible curveable building materials such as uPVC ceiling, Onduline roofing sheets and profiled steel sheets will redefine the shape of the house as we know it. There will be more and more curvilinear house styles as house owners seek to quench their thirst for unique housing.

    Francis Gichuhi Kamau. Architect.
    www.a4architect.com.
    info@a4architect.com

  • MYTHS IN BUYING AND SELLING PROPERTY IN KENYA.

    MYTHS IN BUYING AND SELLING PROPERTY IN KENYA.

    Myth No. 1.

    Assumption that large Property Agents always have the latest portfolio of new property.

    Large property Selling firms always have any new properties emerging for sale into the market.
    Some people believe that large Property Agency firms have a portfolio of any new property in the market. This may result in people giving up if the large Property firms tell them that their desired property is not available in the market.

    The best source of information for new property up for sale is in small time Agents and individual brokers. These usually get the information faster than the Larger Property firms. For instance, an individual or corporate body could be looking to buy an acre of land in Upper Hill . Their first point of reference will be in the 5 largest property Agencies. The highest chance is that these agencies will not have such land for sale. The individual or corporate will then believe that such a property is not available. If they were to also contact small agencies for the same, they would be surprised at the number of acres available for sale in the same region.

    Myth No. 2.

    Assumption that the Local Authority has approved the property construction.

    People assume that once they buy a building after following due diligence, there can be no other risks pertaining to the property. There is a possibility of buying a building that has been condemned by the Local Authority for various reasons. Maybe the owner did not seek the Local Authority approvals while constructing . In such a scenario, maybe he or she constructed without adhering to Bye laws such as observation of building line setback or ground coverage. Such situations are remedied by demolition. The new owner will be surprised when the Local Authority come calling asking him or her to demolish.

    Myth No. 3.

    Assumption that property is always structurally sound.

    People assume that once they buy a building, structural defects can not affect them.
    Its quite common these days to meet people who bought houses then the walls and floors begin to crack soon after occupation. This results in complex legal arguments as to who is responsible. With the onset of the new Construction laws in Kenya, Building contractors for private houses will now be required to be registered by the Government hence ease of regulating them. Before this law, only Contractors doing Government works were required to be registered. This will assist the property owners to trace the contractors when such defects occur. The Best Practice internationally is that the contractor gives a 6 months warranty period for patent defects such as leaking roofs, blocked pipes, broken door frames and handles e.t.c. For Latent defects such as structural cracks, falling walls and roofs, sinking foundations e.t.c, the Best Practice is a 6 year liability period. Now with the current laws, it will be easier for property owners to have a recourse once such defects happen.

    Myth No. 4.

    Assumption that buildings last forever.

    Buildings have a lifespan, usually 50 years depending on the type of materials used to construct.
    Some people have bought buildings without carefully analyzing the materials. It’s possible to buy a building then discover that the walls are made of soil blocks hence a very short lifespan. It’s also possible to buy a building then discover that the roof trusses have all been eaten up by ants hence a very short roof lifespan. When buying a property, careful analysis as to the costs of renovation is important to avoid situations where you buy the property at a premium only for you to redo the whole complete house all over again.

    Francis Gichuhi Kamau. Architect.
    0721410684
    info@a4architect.com

  • PEB

    DiSCUS Pre Engineered Steel Buildings [PEB] Pre Engineered Steel Buildings [PEB], their availability and extent of use in kenya

  • Kasarani Roysambu Shopping Mall

    Cost Item Kshs %
    Land 120,000,000.00 19
    Preliminary 10,000,000.00 2
    Construction 400,000,000.00 62
    External Works 20,000,000.00 3
    Contingency 8,000,000.00 1
    Professional fees 32,000,000.00 5
    Project Management fees 8,000,000.00 1
    Transaction Advisory fees 8,000,000.00 1
    Marketing 4,200,000.00 1
    Financial Charges[8% of construction cost depending on financiers] 32,000,000.00 5
    Total 642,200,000.00 100

    Financing Plan Kshs %
    Developer[Land,50%Transaction Advisory,70%Professional & Project Management fees, 50% marketing fees] 154,100,000.00 24
    Equity Provider 154,100,000.00 24
    Debt Finance 317,200,000.00 49
    Presales 16,800,000.00 3
    Total 642,200,000.00 100

    PROFIT
    TOTAL SALES FOR 5000 M2 800,000,000.00
    TOTAL EXPENDITURE 642,200,000.00

    NET PROFIT 157,800,000.00

    % Profit Margin 24.57178449

  • NAIROBI PROPERTY VALUES Q and A.

    NAIROBI PROPERTY VALUES Q and A.

    1. Some houses are fetching up to between Sh110m and Sh200m, do you know a more expensive residential house in Kenya?
    The price of a house is mainly dictated by the price of the land it sits on.
    Currently, 1 acre of land in Gigiri near the UN Complex is going for KES 150m. Add the cost of construction, say KES 40m. This brings the value to KES 190m. Some residential houses in upper hill area where an acre of land is going for KES 300m will cost over 300m. Buyers of such property usually demolish to pave way for high rise developments that can utilize ground plus several other floor levels.

    2. Which areas are houses generally expensive and why?
    Muthaiga, Gigiri and Upper hill. This is because the areas have perfect city council zoning controls and services and are in close proximity to UN, USA and British High commissions.
    3. What type of people usually buy such houses?
    International bodies such as countries for their ambassadorial residences. NGOs affiliated to UN and World Bank.
    4. Considering Kenya’s GDP, what makes some houses in Kenya so expensive?
    Presence of UN complex and Kenya’s geographical position in relation to mineral exploitation in the larger East Africa region.
    5. Does a buyer of a home worth Sh200 million in Kenya get value for his/her money?
    For the International organizations, it makes business sense. The occupants will not have to travel far from their places of work, mainly, USA Embassy, UN Complex, Israeli Embassy and British High Commission. The occupants also feel safe and secure in this era of terrorism.
    6. There are people who argue that most Kenyans are moving from paying rent to paying extortion fee (servicing outrageous mortgages). What is your take?
    The mortgage rates in Kenya are quite high. The construction costs are relatively constant and for the last 5 years , have not increased by a large margin. On the other side, the land prices have increased by very high margins during the same period. This has resulted to very high house costs.

    A simple calculation before buying a house can enable a buyer to project the advantages. For example, if someone bought a 3 bedroomed flat in Kileleshwa 5 years ago for KES 10m and 20% interest rate for 10 years, the monthly bank payments will be KES 200k.
    They will have paid a total of KES 200k x 12months x 10 years = KES 24m.
    The property appreciation rate on average for Nairobi is 20% per year. This means that after 10 years, the property will be valued at KES 30m. They will have made a net capital gain of KES 6m.
    This shows that the mortgages are working well for people who will care to do simple capital gains calculations. The calculations could give negative capital gains for properties which are not appreciating at a high rate.

    Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.
    http://www.a4architect.com
    +254721410684.

  • Real Estate Investment Options and Considering the Pros and Cons

    Real estate investment is one of the most popular investment options, other than stock and forex trading and investment. In fact, many high profile investors, and billionaires, and the market watchers are of the view that it is better and safe to invest in the real estate and the market. This is because, both stock and forex investments are much more complex, and involves risks at various levels.

    Real estate investment options

    There are various ways through which you can invest in the real estate market. The primary stages are very simple, and are not as risky as the forex or stock investments. So, the different real estate investment options are:

    1. Rental: If you are having problems with making the mortgage payments as you are also required to manage, all of the other types of home and the maintenance costs, renting out your property can be a good option. This is in fact, you may be able to earn through the rent in a continuous rent from the tenants. So, you may be able to make your mortgage and your house too, through the money earned in the form of the rent. This is also going to help you with the capital appreciation, if the property value improves over the time. However, you will have to give sufficient effort with regards to this, and have enough patience too.

    2. Trading: Under the trading option, you will be required to buy properties and resell those within short time span. You may be able to make huge profits through this option. This trading process is commonly known as flipping – of the properties. If possible, you can buy the undervalued properties and get to sale these at a little more high cost. You won’t be required to invest any more money with regards to the development of real estate property. However, this option is a bit more complex than the previous type.

    The other two options are working with the investment groups, and REIT or the Real Estate Investment Groups.

    Pros of real estate investment

    Some of the pros of real estate investment are:

    Tangible assets: If you invest in the real estate, you may be able to see that this option is more tangible. This is because, you are able to see the property you are actually investing in.

    Tax benefits: You may be able to claim the deductions with regards to you tax returns like, the amount paid towards the maintenance of your property and also the cost of the loan, and also the charges of the agents and so on.

    The long term benefit: the rental price is ever increasing, thus is a good option with regards to the long term investments.

    Cons of real estate investment

    There are various cons of real estate investment too, and these are:

    No high liquidity: If required to sell off, you may have to do that at a low price.

    Bad tenants: You may be required to deal with really bad tenants.

    The ongoing cost: You will have to bear all kind of maintenance costs.

    So, these are the pros and cons of real estate investment. You will have to weigh these, in order to decide, if you should at all invest in the same.

  • Syokimau plot for Sale

    Am looking for residential plot for sale- 1/8th or1/4 at Syokimau preferably with entry through the JKIA resort club. Will appreciate your feedback.