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HOW IT WORKS.

1.Visit www.a4architect.com to Register/Log in with your email and password.
You can also log in using your existing Facebook,Gmail or Yahoo mail account. Log in to your Facebook,Gmail or Yahoo mail then visit www.a4architect.com .Or click on the Submit Application tab then click on the Connect with icon of your Facebook, Gmail or Yahoo mail as shown in the image below. You will be logged in and directed to the Submit your Post page.

2.Add new Post describing your request using the post editor on the screen.

To attach a file such as an ArchiCAD or AutoCAD drawing, copy of title deed or PDF,there are 2 methods you can use:

METHOD 1.[recommended when using newer versions of web browsers].
Drag and drop the documents i.e drawings,titles,survey plans into the box as shown in the image below.

Type in the project description in the post box and choose the visibility option i.e Public or Private at the top right hand side of your screen. Choose the relevant Local Authority from the box at the bottom right hand side of the screen. Click on the publish button to send the documents to the relevant Local Authority.

METHOD 2.[recommended when using older versions of web browsers].
Click on the Upload/Insert button below the Title. Click on the select files button to select the file from your computer or url.

Scroll down to find the Insert into Post button.

Click on the Insert Into Post button.

3.Choose Local Authority County from the COUNTY CATEGORIES box on the right hand side of the screen.

MAP

If you require to show the plot/land location, scroll below to the Map and key in the nearest town to your plot/land. A red balloon will appear. Drag it to your plot location using the mouse and the + and – buttons on the left hand side of the map. Scroll to the bottom and click on the ‘save custom map zoom’ on the Map settings.
Thats all.The N.E.M.A/Local Authority can now be able to locate your plot/land and advise you accordingly.

4.Click on the edit VISIBILITY button on the right had side of the screen to change the visibility options. Select PRIVATE if you require your application to be private[will be seen by only you and the Local Authority officials].Select PUBLIC if you require your application to be public.

5.Click on the PUBLISH/UPDATE button on the right hand side of the screen to post the information to your selected Local Authority County.
6.A local Authority representative will contact you on the fees for your particular submission. A representative from www.a4architect.com will also contact you on fees to be paid to www.a4architect.com for using this service.

Premium Services.

www.a4architect.com also offers premium services whereby we respond to Local Authority comments on behalf of applicant and alter drawings as described by the relevant Local Authority departmental comments. Fees for this service vary from Project to Project.

You will now communicate between you and the Local Authority representatives through the Reply inter-phase on your Private application. You can upload more files using the Reply inter phase.

7.After payment of fees, use the REPLY button to upload proof of fees payment.

8.Your submission will now circulate to the relevant N.E.M.A/Local Authority offices for comments and you will be notified of new comments through email. You will be able to read and reply to comments on your application page until final approval is granted.
The comments can also be viewed and replied to using a mobile phone.

ADVANTAGES
1.
Saves on costs associated with physical meetings e.g. time, transport, printing costs.
2.
Saves on costs associated with enabling N.E.M.A/Local Authority to visit site since this can be achieved through use of Digital Maps within www.a4architect.com .
3.
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4.
Feedback between N.E.M.A/Local Authority departments and Applicant is enhanced.
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Premium services available for Applicants who want to outsource application and / or design amendments as per comment sheets to meet N.E.M.A/Local Authority approval requirement. Planning & Local Authority regulations guidance services,Eco-friendly design optimization,Energy and Fire safety design are offered within this package.
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Payments easily done using Mobile Phone Pay Bill services.
Click here for more advantages.

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Contact:
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info@a4architect.com
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Factors to consider when buying land to construct.

Local Authority byelaws .

Each area in Kenya is zoned by the Local Authority and given a set of byelaws that govern. For example, the Nairobi City Council allows for only one single family house to occupy 0.5 acre plot in Karen. Runda and Muthaiga areas.
The same council allows a minimum subdivision of land to 1/8th acre in most other areas whereby the number of family units can be increased such as in the case of apartments.

When buying land for the intention of future construction of apartments, it’s important to clarify with the Local Authority first. An acre of land in Karen currently costs kes 30M. In this acre, one can only construct 2 houses. Next to Karen in Ngong, an acre costs 32m considering a 1/8th acre costs kes 4m.
The reason land in Ngong seems more expensive than land in Karen is because of the different Local Authority byelaws. Land in Ngong can be subdivided into 1/8th acre and highrise flats can be constructed, hence more returns compared to the Karen land.

Topography.

Land situated on a sloppy area such as Kigali-Rwanda, Red Hill and Muranga areas poses a challenge when it comes to foundation construction. There will be alot of excavations and creation of soil retaining walls in a steep sloped land. If the cost of the foundation and retaining wall structure is not captured and budgeted for, this can cause a cost overrun in the overall cost of construction as it happens often in Real Estate development projects in Kigali.

Sloped areas have an advantage of being well drained compared to flat lands such as Ruai , Mombasa road South B and C which are on a relatively flat land. Flat lands tend to flood during rainy period. Some flat areas such as around Runda and Membley in Ruiru tend to have very low water tables hence a more expensive foundation type required while constructing.

It’s also important to look out for physical presence of temporary water bodies such as streams, rivers and lakes. The presence of papyrus and long grass should signify periods of flooring. Presence of dry valleys should signify temporary rivers. Lands too close to a water body are prone to flooding when the rivers and lakes break their banks during rainy season.

Naivasha and Narok towns are a good example of flat land that is prone to flooding during rainy seasons. Ground floor slab in these areas should be well raised from Ground level in case of floods.

Soils.

Constructing Foundations in Black Cotton Soils.

Constructing in Black cotton soil comes up with unique challenges. The major disadvantage is that black cotton soil tends to swell during the rainy season and shrink/crack during the dry season.

This shrinkage/expansion tends to push the floor slab upwards, creating cracks on the floor. Buildings constructed in black cotton soils will require deeper overhangs and wider external pavements to ensure rain water is kept off the building. Heavy gauge polyethene paper will also serve to waterproof the soil from the interior. A minimum depth of 1 foot for hardcore will serve to soak out water to keep the soil dry.

Red soil is stable and does not change in volume when wet hence will cost less to construct on such compared to black cotton soil land. In contrast, Black Cotton Soil has a higher bearing capacity than most other soils so if the contractor uses some ingenuity, he or she can save alot of money while constructing.

Simple solutions such as lifting the slab slightly higher form ground level, water proofing the soil inside the foundation and increasing the cement ratio on the ground floor slab can save alot of money that would have been otherwise used in excavating and backfilling the foundation.

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

Comparison between High-rise Bedsitter, One, 2 and 3 Bedroomed flats.

Many developers are at times torn for choice between whether to construct bedsitters, one,two or three bed roomed units for rent.

Assuming the average construction cost for Highrise buildings in Kenya for a building without any fancy finishes to be at Kes 28,000 per m2, we can calculate this as below. These are the types of buildings seen in most Nairobi surburbs such as Ongata Rongai, Kasarani, Umoja and Kikuyu town.

Bedsitter.
Rent. Kes 4,000 Per month.
Construction cost per unit.Kes 600,000.
Repayment period. 12 years.

1 bedroomed.
Rent. Kes 5,500 Per month.
Construction cost per unit.Kes 800,000.
Repayment period. 12 years.

2 bedroomed.
Rent. Kes 8,500 Per month.
Construction cost per unit.Kes 1,200,000.
Repayment period. 12 years.

3 bedroomed.
Rent. Kes 13,500 Per month.
Construction cost per unit.Kes 2,100,000.
Repayment period. 12 years.

Cost of Land.
The repayment period is for the construction cost only without the cost of land which varies greatly from area to area.

Rent amount.
The rents assumed are the lowest possible rents that can be charged around Nairobi suburbs such as Umoja, Kahawa, Kasarani,Kikuyu, Waithaka, Kiserian, Rongai, Kitengela,Ruai and Thika.
For developers who would like to increase their repayment period, the rent can be increased. The repayment period will reduce in the same ratio that the rent increases.

Size of Units.
The size of units have been taken as the least possible for each . The unit size increases depending on the income class of the people that the developer is targeting as tenants.

Low Rents.
For example, if the developer is constructing at Ongata Rongai 2 km or more from the tarmac, the purchasing power of the tenants will be low so he will in turn reduce the size of the units to make them affordable.

High Rents.
For example, If the developer is constructing at Ongata Rongai next to tarmac or in Kileleshwa for example, the purchasing power of the would be tenants is high so the rents charged will be high too. The developer will then ensure that the rooms are more spacious and the finishes are more classy so as to ensure he can reap the highest rents possible.

Francis Gichuhi Kamau,Architect.
info@a4architect.com

Demystifying Myths about Imported vs Local Construction materials.

Local construction materials have over time proven to be more superior to imported materials. Most of the old bungalows in Upper Hill and Kilimani in Nairobi City were built 60 to 70 years ago by the colonial government. They have stood the test of time without any visible sighs of cracks and other failures.
This is so because most of the materials used in their construction is local.

Walling finishes.

These old houses have utilized hand dressed masonry stone walling. Use of steel reinforced concrete above the door and window openings is very minimal. This is replaced by arched masonry and long cantilevered masonry stones.
The exteriors have been finished through manual chiseling of the exterior stones into various patterns. This requires little or no maintenance as opposed to the new exterior imported materials such as cement and polymer based wall coatings.
A good example is Maki apartments along Ngong road. They have utilized natural clay bricks as the external finish. Over the years, the beauty and style has stood the test of time and has not faded.

Roofs.

Most of these old houses have used clay roof tiles. These are locally manufactured. They get better and better with age. They don’t fade and their rain water can be harvested for human consumption. Currently , clay tiles cost kes 600 per m2. The stone coated steel tiles cost kes 2000 per m2. These tiles contain lead based paint which fades over time. Their rain water cannot be consumed by humans due to the chance of lead chips poisoning . Stone coating is a factory imitation of clay roof. Stone coated roof tiles cost 3 times more than the real thing. These are imported while clay roofs are local. Due to the hype in marketing, people tend to buy the expensive tiles not knowing that there are other options which are more superior and much cheaper.
A good example is the elegant Ngong racecourse Nairobi Business Park. Notice the use of clay roof tiles which get better with age.

Other locally produced roof materials are slate stones. Though it’s not common to see people using slate stone/Mazeras as roof, these usually make very aesthetically appealing roofs at a fraction of the cost of stone coated steel roofing tiles.

Wardrobes and cabinets.

Locally produced block boards do not contain formaldehyde, a compound contained in the glue that is used in manufacture of MDF boards. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
The locally manufactured block board lasts longer and can endure moisture far much better than the imported MDF boards.

Floor tiles.

Locally produced clay and concrete floor tiles are cheaper, longer lasting and more stylish than the imported ceramic tiles.
Most classy joints in Nairobi such as the Savannah coffee house along Loita Street have utilized locally produced Mazeras tiles to come up with a very stylish floor finish. Such a floor finish costs less and looks far much better than imported floor finishes such as HDF wood plastic floors .

Conclusion.

Kenyans should embrace locally produced material and use creativity to try out different combinations and patterns . Locally produced materials outlast the imported ones and cost less. They also help in creating employment and reducing capital flight.
Francis Gichuhi Kamau, Architect.
Info@a4architect.com

Roofing In Kenya.

1. what constitutes a good roof?

A good roof is the one that satisfies the house owner’s taste, style and budget and keeps the elements of nature at bay.
Each person has an individual taste or liking for a particular style of roof. Some people prefer gable,hipped,steep,flat or even green, with plant material growing on it. Some people would prefer the roof to communicate about their social status by putting up the most expensive and unique roofs in their neighborhoods.

2. Factors to consider when choosing the right kind of roofing

Climate.
In snowy or very rainy climates, a steep roof, over 35 degrees in pitch assists in preventing the rain or snow from stagnating hence leakages.
Some roof materials such as clay and concrete tiles are good insulators hence prevent the interior of the house being too hot during sunny periods. In hot areas, these are very suitable.

Budget.
The cheapest roof material is grass thatch. This is seen in most traditional huts. This costs around kes 200 per m2. The most expensive roof materials in Kenya are copper felt, transparent insulated roofs and stone-coated steel roofing . Insulated transparent roofing costs approximately kes 5,000 per m2.
These are used mainly for small portions of the roof e.g the skylight areas.

3. Roofing options available in the market, and a rough estimation of how much it may cost
Below is a list of various roofing options available and their costs, beginning with the cheapest to the most expensive per m2.

Grass thatch. kes 200.
Iron sheets Gauge 32. Kes 250.
Iron sheets Gauge 30. Kes 300.
Clay Tiles. Kes 600
Concrete tiles. Kes 700
Onduvile tiles. Kes 900.
Bitumen sheet shingles tile. Kes 1200.
Slate stone tiles/Mazeras.Kes 1500.
Wooden tiles. Kes 1800
Stone-coated steel tiles. Kes 2000
Transparent insulated roof. Kes 5,000.
Copper felt tiles.

4. Many clients are torn between the ‘mabati’ roof vis a vis the tile roof. What is a better option, and why?

Mabati roofs are lighter than tiles. This saves on roofing timber truss costs and reduces the chances of the house wall cracking due to excess weight.
Mabati roofs are viewed as lower class compared to concrete and clay tiles hence can significanly reduce a property’s rental or capital gains value.
Painted mabati and concrete roofs usually fade. This fading means that their paint material can find its way into the rain water harvested from their roofs into your tank. Paint material is very harmful to human health, causing very serious brain defects to young children and high blood pressure in adults. Clay tiles are made out of natural clay
soil so the rain water can be safely harvested for human consumption.

5. What determines the kind of roofing I choose for my house?

Each region has its own roofing style. In Southern Africa around the Kalahari desert where the climate is dry, the general style is flat roof since it rarely rains. In the middle part of Africa around the tropical rain forest, the general style is steep slope except for the savannah where we see flat roofs such as characterized by the Manyatta designs.
In the northern part of Africa around the Sahara, it rarely rains. Flat roofs are the norm.

Francis Gichuhi Kamau, Architect.

Joint Venture Partnerships for creation of Gated Communities.

Joint Venture partnerships for creation of gated comminutes are an advanced step in enabling the creation of wealth in real estate through provision of housing.
Land owners with a minimum of 0.5 acre land to hundreds of acres can utilize this method to enable Capital gains in Real Estate.

Two type of Joint Venture.

Type No. 1.

Joint Venture for the construction of Houses for sale.
In this type, the land owner teams up with an Equity partner who provides the funds to construct houses which are later resold and profits shared as per mutual agreement. The advantage of this type is that the Joint Venture partners will obtain a higher profit .

The disadvantage is that the Land Owner will have to wait for a long time, several years before profits start to trickle in. As we know, time is money. The longer profits take to come, the more the profits are eaten by inflation. A million shillings now will be worth 10% less after one year assuming an average inflation rate of 10% per annum.

Another disadvantage is that the land owners is wholly dependent on the economic performance since purchase of complete houses is a costly affair which can only be achieved through lower mortgage rates. Mortgage is also dependent on formal employment which rises when fiscal economic situations improve.

In case fiscal economy does not improve or deteriorates, the land owner is at risk of economic quagmire since the land title is usually charged to a bank in the Joint Venture. In case the bank does not receive its repayment, partial or full auction can take place, with the land owner bearing the brunt.

Good example of this is the Four Ways Junction project along Kiambu road or the Everest park housing estate at Athi River opposite KMC.
As the saying goes, the higher the risk, the higher the returns and vice versa.

Type No. 2.

Joint Venture Partnership in Sectional subdivision of land for sale.
In this type of a Joint Venture, the land owner teams up with an architect whose role will be to come up with a master plan for the gated community .

Examples include Longonot Gate Estate,Tatu city, Thika Greens, Buffallo Hills all located in Kenya.

In this case, the main difference is in that no actual construction takes place. The land is designed and 3D graphic images and videos are developed which assist the would be buyers to visualize how the finished estate will look like. The buyers are provided with pre-approved house designs which they can choose and construct.

This type of JV has the advantage of being able to offload the land quite fast hence faster time period for the land owner to get their profit. This type also has very minimum risk for the land owner since the title does not get charged to a bank hence negating any risk of loss of land through auction.

In this type of JV, all the land owner needs is to team up with a very creative architect who will come up with the 3D visuals and videos then arrange for the land ownership documentation for the new buyers through sectional titles or sub lease documentation.

The turn around time from beginning to end is much shorter so the land owner’s profits can be safeguarded form inflation.

Francis Gichuhi Kamau, Architect.
www.a4architect.com

Growing Money For The Construction Industry.

There are various types of crops that are planted to be consumed mainly by the construction industry. They are a source of income to many people who work in industries related to the construction.

Bamboo.
Bamboo can be grown and harvested to be used in making furniture, fences,flooring,curtains and partition walling. There are various varieties of bamboo, some sort, some fast growing e.t.c

Bamboo belongs to the grass family, explaining why it grows very fast. China is the world’s largest producer of Bamboo. In Kenya, we have bamboo farms in Western Kenya, Thika and parts of Rift Valley such as Molo.
In Africa, Ethiopia is the largest producer of Bamboo.
Bamboo in Kenya naturally grows in the cold regions of Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon and the Mau region.
New species have been introduced that can grow in tropical regions such as Kibwezi and parts of Coast province.
Bamboo farming is very crucial in alleviating poverty since it requires very minimum processing to make the final product.
The Bamboo shoots can also be consumed as food.
KEFRI supplies various seedlings in Kenya depending on the climate of the area to be farmed.

Sisal.

Sisal grows well in Arid areas such as ,Mogotio near Nakuru,Thika and Vipingo in the Coast.

Sisal is used to make wall paper, floor carpets , ropes and cloth material.
Sisal farming does not utilize any pesticides hence advantageous to the environment.
Brazil is the world’s largest producer. Kenya is among the top 5 exporters. Rea Vipingo exports most of the sisal through the Mombasa port.

Cypress and Eucalyptus trees.

Cypress and Eucalyptus trees gives good returns after approximately 10 years of growth.
These are mainly used in roofing and furniture. Cypress is especially good in outdoor furniture making. These require little or no maintenance .
Eucalyptus trees can also be used to drain sewerage water in soak pits and conservancy tanks due to their unique ability to suck water from the surrounding soil into the atmosphere.

Francis Gichuhi Kamau, Architect.
www.a4architect.com

How To Reduce Roof Costs by Going Green.

The cost of a roof is mainly dictated by its ability to insulate from sun during hot days while keeping a natural, rustic roof. To achieve such features, roof manufacturers go to great lengths such as using acrylic paints containing small sand granules on steel sheets. This enables the steel sheets to appear rough and rustic and also insulate during sunny weather.
Unfortunately, to achieve this, the costs are quite high, approximately KES 1900 per m2 of surface area.

Solution.
Use of Green roofs whereby live plant material is planted on the roof surface will achieve insulation and give good rustic aesthetics at a lower cost.
Plants that require no maintenance such as Sedum can be planted to creep on the roof surface. To increase aesthetics, different varieties with different shades and textures can be planted.
This can ensure your roof gives you the insulation and beauty while saving money and helping reduce the Carbon footprint in the atmosphere.

Notable Green roofs.
Chelsea Football Club Training grounds roof, designed by AFL Architects, has a 1000m2 surface of Sedum plant.

http://www.barbourproductsearch.info/chelsea-football-club-training-ground-news015698.html

Another notable Green roof project is Architect Susanne Zuniga’s residence in Portland, USA.
The roof has a very low slope, whereby Sedum has been planted and a waterproof membrane used to prevent water from seeping into the house.

http://zuniga-arch.com/ecoroofs.html

Kenyan roofs.
It would be interesting to see Kenyans try out these new Green roofs to break the monotony from the usual Mabati/Steel ,concrete and clay tiles used commonly.

Weight.
Use of soil to aid the Sedum growth increases the total roof weight. Luckily, Sedum requires a very minimal depth of soil to grow, around 100mm deep hence reducing the total overall weight of the roof considerably.

Edible roof Gardens.
In some instances, edible plants have been planted on roof surfaces. The provide the obvious advantage of food production .
Researchers such as Sandy Thai of the University of California have come up with detailed reserch on edible roof gardens such as the one below.
http://lda.ucdavis.edu/people/2009/SThai.pdf

Conclusion.
Green roofs offer advantages in terms at superior aesthetics, better insulation and reduced cost of construction.
Careful selection of the plants to ensure they are hardy and require minimum watering is important. The more people embrace such Green roofs, the more we reduce the Carbon footprint in the atmosphere.

Francis Gichuhi Kamau, Architect.
www.a4architect.com
0721410684.

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