Category: A4architect

www.a4architect.com

Phone: +254 721 410684

Karen Village.

Nairobi.

                                                                                                                                  info@a4architect.com

EARTHBAG BUILDING

Earthbag technology is commonly used in South America, Southern parts of USA and some parts of Asia and Europe.Earthbag technology is similar to the ancient Musgum hut architecture found in Northern Cameroon and Southern Chad. The Musgum huts are still standing to date, over 500 years old.

Inverted catenary arch

The Earthbag house dome design is based on an inverted catenary arch.

                   A catenary arch is a curve formed when a chain is held on both ends. Its one of the strongest, most stable natural forces.

Based on these structural principles, the earthbag technology merges with current modern technologies such as reinforced concrete beams so as to offer a solution to housing.

Typology of Units.

The units are designed to have a public space in the front yard and a private back yard as shown below.

The dome is split into 2 floor levels so as to utilize the land space available optimally.

Earthbag House.

These houses can be customized to fit within the available land space and can be designed to have the bedrooms in the 1^st floor level so as to reduce ground level footprint for plots where the land size is small.

Eathbag House, Kericho, designed by www.a4architect.com

Architect Francis Gichuhi

info@a4architect.com

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The extreme left side above is the 4 bedroomed house unit. The front door is to the living room. The 2 domes contain 4 bedrooms, each dome has one bedroom on the ground level and the other on the dome attic level.

In the middle is the 2 bedroomed unit. It has a dome that houses a bedroom in the ground level and another in the dome attic level.

On the extreme right side is the 1 bedroomed unit. It has a dome that houses the living room and kitchen and the bedroom is on the dome attic level.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

gichuhi@aarchitect.com

0721410684

3×3 3mm 6500

4×4 3mm 9500

2×2 3mm 2250.

Chicken wire 1400

2×2 2mm 2300

Mabati colour 3m 1500

Cement kes 550 per bag

Earthbag technology is a form of natural building where soil is filled in bags and stacked up together to form a building wall. The soil can be stacked up to form a dome where the wall also serves as a roof.

a4architect.com organizes trainings on how to self build with the earthbag technology. Training center is located between Matasia and Kiserian as shown in the map below.

[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d1558.0523447309413!2d36.67067511707316!3d-1.4078051623937267!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0xb68185a1d8ea03b1!2sa4a!5e1!3m2!1sen!2ske!4v1631007727687!5m2!1sen!2ske&w=600&h=450]

Earthbag technology is environment conscious.

The a4architect.com earthbag training workshops a a good way for recreation, be it for family, corporate or Government and NGO employees.

The workshops help to enhance bonding and also the training gained can be used commercially to build self homes or as a business whereby graduates can be earthbag home builders in their societies.

Earthbag training workshops are a fun way of learning while at the same time entertaining.

The workshop training includes theory and history of earthbag technology, various earthbag technology walling styles, finishes, 2 level construction methods with stairs and earthbag indoor and outdoor furniture.

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To book for the workshop, contact the below.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

0721410684

gichuhi@a4architect.com

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Restaurant for sale. Next to Lagos Hotel, Lagos road off Latema road, near Odeon.

Seats 21 pax. Rent kes 33000 per month.

1st floor opposite Savanis Bookshop.

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[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d779.066332982583!2d36.82447682914245!3d-1.2819959999415553!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x0!2zMcKwMTYnNTUuMiJTIDM2wrA0OSczMC4xIkU!5e1!3m2!1sen!2ske!4v1629541606756!5m2!1sen!2ske&w=600&h=450]

Call 0721410684

Housing is a physiological need that every human needs.

The demand for housing will increase in tandem with the growing population, accelerated by the fact that land surface remains constant hence more pressure on land to be sustainable.

The current trend worldwide is for Rural to Urban Migration, pushing more and more people into urban areas. This has resulted to Gentrification of most urban areas.

Gentrification, the process where a neighborhood becomes popular with wealthier people, and the poor residents are priced out

Urbanization 

A majority and growing proportion of the world’s population is living in urban areas. The share of the world’s population living in urban areas is expected to increase from 55 per cent in 2018 to 60 per cent in 2030 (UN, 2018). In 1950, 30 per cent of the global population was living in urban areas.

Most of the world’s fastest growing cities are in Asia and Africa. Between 2018 and 2050, the urban population of Africa is projected to triple and that of Asia to increase by 61 per cent, so that by 2050 most of the world’s urban population will be concentrated in Asia (52%) and Africa (21%}

Solution.

A4architect.com offers a solution to housing for land owners in urban areas owning small plots but lacking the finance to construct. A4architect.com works with the land owners to create sectional properties out of these small plots of land, sell a portion of the sectional properties to the market and use the proceeds to finance construction of their own houses.

Get in touch.

Land owners looking to resolve a housing problem around urban areas in Kenya can contact a4architect.com using the below contacts.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

gichuhi@a4architect.com

0721410684

The easiest way to start a rent-free journey in Kenya is to buy 2 portions of and, wait for a few years for the prices to appreciate then sell off one portion and use the proceeds to build on the other vacant portion left.

In case one only has 1 portion, its still possible to use the same concept to raise capital to build your rent free house or a house to bring in rental income.

Sectional Property.

a4architect.com utilizes the new sectional property laws in Kenya to come up with say 5 sectional property portions in a prime 1/8th piece of land whereby the land owner can sell off the 4 portions to raise enough capital to build on the remaining portion.

This is an easy way to ensure you own your house and avoid the monthly landlord visits when rent is due.

Location

Any prime location around the country where the price of the 1/8th portion of land is more than kes 4m is good for this method of raising capital since the portions sold off through sectional properties act ownership will raise sufficient funds to build a moderate 2 bedroomed house on the remaining portion.

Contacts.

Land owners willing to try this method of home ownership can contact a4architect.com using the below email.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

gichuhi@a4architect.com

0721410684

The plot is located in Ruaka, an outskirt of Nairobi city, Kenya.

The plot measures 50 feet by 100feet, approximately a 1/8th acre in size.

The plot is valued at kes 8m.

A4architect.com Sectional Property Financing solution .

Architectural design of 5 independent sectional properties. Each property is designed to hold a 4 bedroomed maisonette or 6 bedsitter units as below.

Sale of sectional Property.

A4architect.com will then sell off 4 sectional property portions to raise kes 6.4m. Each portion is valued at kes 1.6m. 5 portions in the 1/8th plot are valued at kes 8m.

Land Owner rental income.

With the kes 6.4m raised from sale of the 4 sectional portions, land owner can now construct the 6 bedsitter units or maisonette unit on the remaining 1 portion .

This can raise in kes 60,000 per month in rental income for the land owner.

Contacts.

Land owners with 1/8th acre portion of plots in prime areas such as Ruaka, Ruiru, Ruai, Kikuyu, Umoja, Rongai, Nakuru, Mombasa etc are encouraged to contact a4architect.com below for possibilities of ensuring they benefit from perpetual rental income from their land without having to incur heavy bank debt or denting their personal savings.

Architect Fancis Gichuhi Kamau.

gichuhi@a4architect.com

0721410684.