Author: A4KENYA

Architectural design for flats and apartment type buildings in Kenya starts when developer identifies the land that they would like to construct on.

Plot size.

Some plots are smaller, 30ft by 60ft , others are larger, 50ft by 1ft all the way to tens of acres.

Change of User.

Most land in Kenya is registered under agricultural use which allows for only one dwelling in the land. To build a flat, this is categorized as multi dwelling , housing many families hence the county government requires the land owner to change the land user status from agricultural to multi family commercial type. The land owner will need to contact a physical planner to assist in the change of use application. In areas such as Karen, Kawaha Sukari, Ruiru Mugutha, there are neighborhood associations that also need to agree with the new development if it is in tandem with their agreed guidelines.

Return on Investment.

The apartment developer will then need the services of an architect to calculate the return on investment feasibility study for the flats. This will aid the developer to know his or her budget and how long the investment will take to pay back amongst other issues. Target market, design style and other new green building technologies can be incorporated at this feasibility design stage.

Building plan approvals.

The land owner is required to submit architectural drawings from the architect and structural drawings from the structural engineer to the county government for the approval process to start. This takes an average of 4 weeks.

Bills of Quantities.

After the approvals are done, the land owner is required to work with a quantity surveyor to estimate the cost of construction and prepare tender documents to be issued to building contractors for the actual building to commence. Several contractors are invited to quote and the best is selected to carry out the works as per the architectural drawings.

Actual construction.

The building contractor commences the construction works, supervised by the architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and quantity surveyor. Periodic, usually bi weekly site visits are done and continue till completion of the building.

Property Management.

The land owner can also hire a property management company to bring in tenants, collect rent and carry out repairs as the building is running.

Architect Francis Gichui Kamau.

0721410684

gichuhi@a4arhitect.com

Architectural design of Hotel and Mall Bathrooms in Kenya.

Bathroom facilities require to be positioned in locations where they can be naturally ventilated via a window to outside. In cases where electricity costs are not an issue, the toilets can be ventilated via Air Conditioning. Such air conditioned toilets can be seen in Karen crossroads mall.

Covid.

Air Conditioner ventilated bathrooms are ok when the Air conditioners are powerful and running 24 hours a day . This prevents the bathrooms from having a stale unfresh smell . In current times of Covid, there is a need to proper ventilation to keep the air free from Covid virus.

Electricity cost.

In Europe and America, cost of electricity is usually low enough to allow for air conditioning of bathrooms unlike in Kenya where cost of electricity is high and running the are conditioners all da would considerably increase the building running costs. In Kenya , its much easier for the developer to ask their architect to design the bathrooms in such a manner that they can easily be naturally ventilated, saving a lot of money in terms of maintenance costs since naturally ventilated bathrooms cost zero to ventilate.

Solution.

A few hotels around the country, Naivasha, Nakuru etc. also use mechanically ventilated bathrooms. This increases their running costs considerably. Architectural re design to position the bathrooms in locations where they can easily be naturally ventilated is a good solution.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

info@a4architect.com

0721410684

https://goo.gl/maps/FU2PenMWkhENNMat5

1 acre +1/8th acre for Sale, Ngong, Stage 46. kes 24m

Call 0721410684 for more details.

Residential Apartment, Njiru, Nairobi.

The Apartment is built on a 1/8th acre land. There are 4 units per floor on 4 floor levels. The ground floor is raised to allow extra parking spaces.

Bank financing options.

Assuming an interest rate of 12% per annum, and 50% of construction cost borrowing from bank, at a duration of 12 years, the interest rate repayment per month works out to kes 320,000. This equals the monthly rental income for the units so after initial investment of 50% of construction cost, the construction will repay itself from the bank loan in 12 years.

Architect Francis Gichuhi kamau

0721410684

info@a4architect.com

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Foundations on Black Cotton Soil in Kenya.

Areas such as Oloolua in Ngong have back cotton soils which require specialized foundation construction methods.

Some areas like in theabove picture are old stone quarries which have been refilled with soil to ground level. The soil is usually loose hence propert engineering design is required for the foundation.

If the solid rock depth is not so far, columns can be footed at the solid floor level then raised to ground level. A beam is erected at ground level, like 1 foot above the soil to prevent the expansion and contraction of the soil from affecting the ground floor slab. The ground floor slab is then reinforced same way with a suspended level slab then the house walling can commence at the ground floor slab level.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

0721410684

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Wood is a good construction material for school type buildings. It makes the rooms warm and cosy, conducive for the learning environment. It is also easy to dismantle and rebuild elsewhere , similar to prefabricated buildings.

Labour cost.

Wooden construction is labour intensive. With logging bans in Kenya, wood is sourced from Tanzania and DRC, hence transport cost increasing the landing costs in Kenya, making it quite a costly construction method.

Anti termite treatment.

Treatment with anti termite chemicals will keep it safe from being eaten away by termites. The chemical should be applied on the wood and on the foundation around the building. Structural timber should be pressure treated with the anti termite chemicals to ensure the chemical has entered deep into the core of the timber.

Hardwoods.

Hardwoods such as mahogany are good for doors, window frames and floor finishes. Soft woods such as cypress are good for walls and roof support structures. Hardwoods are long lasting and weather proof. Cypress is weatherproof too and more affordable. Other soft wood types such as grevillea and pine are good for indoor structures away from sun and rain since harsh weather makes them warp and weather faster.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

info@a4architect.com

0721410684

Nairobi Foundation excavations. Eastleigh area.

Nairobi region foundation excavations generally reach stable rock at between 1.3 to 1.8m deep.

Langata.

Areas around Langata have a rock level of 1.5m deep but water logged. Same case with areas around Runda where water table is high and houses have to be built literally above swampy grounds.

Excavations here will require a water pump to pump out underground water as work is progressing.

Kikuyu/Waiyaki Way.

Areas towards Kikuyu, Waiyaki way have very deep sols with rock level at over 3 meters deep. Areas towards Mombasa road, Thika road have rock level at around 1.5meters.

Thika road. Ruiru/Juja

Areas along Thika road, Ruiru, Juja , have very shallow rock levels at around 0.5 meters deep, making it difficult to soak wastage from septic tanks hence conservancy tanks instead of septic tanks.

Above is an excavation for a high rise building going on in Eastleigh. The rock level is around 1.5meters deep which is being excavated deeper to create a basement floor.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

info@a4architect.com

0721410684

Comparison of Maisonette row houses vs Apartment block on 50×100 plot in Njiru.

The plot measures 33meters by 21 meters and is located in Njiru, 1 km off main Kangundo road tarmac access.

2 bedroomed Apartment block.

The plot can fit 4 units of 2 bedroomed typology per floor. The area has low rise building types, maximum 3 floor levels. Assuming 3 floors, the plot can accommodate 12 units comfortably.

The cost of construction for these units is kes 33m.

The total rent collected per year will be kes 2.8m. This works out to a Return on Investment of 12 years.

Maisonette row house typology.

The plot can fit in 6 maisonettes ,each comprising of 3 bedroomed typology.

The cost of construction for the 6 units is kes 30m.

The rental income per year from the 6 units is kes 2.5m.

The Return on Investment is 11.5 years.

Conclusion.

Row house maisonettes have a slightly higher return on investment compared to apartment block typology.

Apartment block typology units have a slightly higher rental income than Row house maisonette types.

Row house maisonettes costs less than apartment block types for the same plot size .

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

0721410684

Nairobi, Juja, Nakuru, Mombasa.

Call/Whatsapp 0721410684 for enquiries.

The Real estate trends for 2021 will follow same trends that emerged from March 2020 after COVID introduction.

Single dwelling units.

People will be more focused on individual single dwelling compared to urban living in the city peripheries eg Eastlands.

The areas around Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa cities such as Kajiado, Machakos will see alot of single dwelling home owners moving from the hustle and bustle of urban city dwelling. COVID has made urban dwellers in apartment blocks to re arrange themselves and move to areas where housing is not on high density.

Also, the financial uncertainty that COVID brought along makes alot of potential home owners make their first move towards home security. Areas around the city where land is low priced have seen a sudden explosion as people move from high density apartments closer to the city into their homes.

Commercial office spaces.

Commercial office spaces have witnessed low demand as people learn how to work from home. 2021 will see fewer commercial office space investments as people re adjust and move operations from office to home.

Construction materials pricing.

2021 has brought along with it inflation, coupled with poor Government fiscal policies that have not been favourable to private sector growth.

Prices of building materials are set to rise in tandem with the inflation level and the rising USD vs KES.

Developers will have to seek locally produced building materials eg clay roof tiles, earthbag houses and Masonry stones so as to avoid the high cost of imported building products as the exchange rate between KES and USD widens.

Land Prices.

The value of land has stagnated and in some instances began to lower. This is due to lower demand as economy grows slowly or stagnates. This is now the best time to buy land since the prices will be lower.

Tourism has been affected by flight restrictions, hence fewer international visitors into the country. This has necessitated some hotels to close or readjust to minimal investments so as to be able to operate profitably without international tourists.

Sectional titles.

The new sectional titles law now makes it much easier to sell apartment blocks and row houses. There will be an increase of apartment building owners since its much easier and better to process sectional titles for apartment buildings.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

0721410684

info@a4architect.com