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  • Utawala Eastern Bypass Feasibility Study

    WWW.A4ARCHITECT.COM

    Project: Development in Kenya, Nairobi.
    Client:
    Location: Utawala, Nairobi.

    AUGUST 2018

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    This is a project proposal for development on a parcel of land situated at Utawala, Nairobi.

     

    OPTIONS BASED ON ONE FLOOR LEVEL DEVELOPMENT

    Development has potential for 4 floor levels construction.

    The income can be scaled up per floor to a maximum of 4 floor levels.

     

    Built up area per floor. 400m2.

    Number of rooms per floor. 30

    Construction cost per floor. Kes 16 m

    Monthly Income per floor at 30% occupancy. Kes 800,000

    Return on Investment. 2 years

    https://travel.jumia.com/en-gb/kenya/o19412/seasons-airport-hotel-nyayo-highrise

     

    https://travel.jumia.com/en-gb/kenya/o452/fahari-hotel-embakasi

     

    1. WAREHOUSE

    Built up area per floor. 400m2.

    Number of Warehouses per floor. 4

    Construction cost per floor. Kes 7.2 m

    Monthly Income per floor at 90% occupancy. Kes 108,000

    Return on Investment. 5.5 years

     

     

    1. 2 BEDROOMED APARTMENTS

    Built up area per floor. 400m2.

    Number of Units per floor. 7

    Construction cost per floor. Kes 12 m

    Monthly Income per floor at 90% occupancy. Kes 107,000

    Return on Investment. 9.5 years

     

     

    1. 1 BEDROOMED APARTMENTS

    Built up area per floor. 400m2.

    Number of Units per floor. 11

    Construction cost per floor. Kes 12.3 m

    Monthly Income per floor at 90% occupancy. Kes 99,000

    Return on Investment. 10.4 years

     

     

    1. BEDSITTER APARTMENTS

    Built up area per floor. 400m2.

    Number of Units per floor. 20

    Construction cost per floor. Kes 12.5 m

    Monthly Income per floor at 90% occupancy. Kes 108,000

    Return on Investment. 9.6 years

     

     

    PHASED CONSTRUCTION
    In order to ease the impact of the overall cost of the development it is proposed to carry out the construction in phases to be jointly agreed on with the client. The Phase can be per floor, with a maximum of 4 floor levels.

     

    COMPETITION
    In the locality of the planned development, there exist several properties which are either owned by the residents or are rental properties. The closest competition for 1 bedroomed units comes from an apartment block 50 meters further inside.

     

     

    These are however further from the main road, hence less desirable.

    These existing 1 bedrooms are at 100% occupancy and bedsitters have only 1 unit vacant, meaning the demand for this type of accommodation is high.

    There is also a neighboring apartment block, The Trafford Centre,  that is also 100% occupied, with bedsitter and 1 bedroomed units.

    SALES PROJECTIONS
    The plot is located on the 2nd row from the Eastern bypass, hence very convenient for access, including long lorries which can use the alternate wider access road to the land.

    Wide access suitable for long lorries.

    The plot is located at a high point relative to the front row plots, hence very visible from the main road, making it easy for potential tenants to view the property from the Eastern Bypass, increasing the sales/occupancy rates.

    Prepared By
    Francis Gichuhi
    www.a4architect.com
    +254 721 410684
    A4architect.

     

  • Two story Earthbag house

    Two story Earthbag house

    Earthbag houses are a cheap alternative housing method that are created by filling bags with earth materials. These bags are made out of three main element earth, tubular bags and barbed wire. These are mostly done by the people planning on moving in, which unfortunately is very manually demanding. when adding a floor plan to earth bag house construction plans should be added when putting up multiple levels especially; It is not recommended to put more than two stories when building an Earthbag house they need to be carefully designed to consider the special requirements.

    Despite two story Earthbag houses being discouraged it doesn’t mean they can’t be build, but the engineering required to build may be very complicated and some may require a cement foundation. Earthbags can be made up of an any type of soil but knowing the different compositions and mixtures of soil could help, curtain types of composition could provide stronger walls and may also provide more stability, builder primarily use a mix of clay and sand, the clay acts as a glue to hold the sand together while the loose and gritty particles from the sand provide stability. Coarse, jagged sand helps the other sand by giving it multiple sections to adhere to the clay. No matter the mixture, topsoil should not be used. Debris found in topsoil may decompose and weaken the structure.

    Two story Earthbag houses are available on the internet ranging from about $200-$400, although those are basic floor plans as they recommend the user to seek advice from a constructer or engineer. These plans do not come with electrical wiring and plumbing setup. Looking at different two story Earthbag houses most of the blue prints for sale have a theme and give it a netter overall aesthetic, the houses have multiple levels and are fairly big; some are used as shelters when if an incident occurred e.g. tsunami and earthquakes

    The bottom floor is split into section with some of walls containing thinner layers and supported by a wooden frame or a cement layer used as the plaster because of how strong cement is. The houses do not commonly have as many rooms upstairs although the space is similar, with even some houses only having bedrooms upstairs.

    When constructing a two story Earthbag you may run into a few difficulties besides construction, because it is not widely known or used, dealing with building officials like banks and insurers may be difficult. Despite the integrity being tested it is not included in the building codes in most places except in the city of Hesperia and in San Bernardino County in California, thanks to architect Nader Khalili’s work with local building officials.

  • Malindi SeaView resort for Sale

    Seaview Resort is situated along Malindi-Lamu Road, Malindi
    municipality, Kilifi County. It lies to the immediate north of
    Eden Rock Hotel, approximately 120 meters south east of
    African Pearl Hotel and a further 400 meters South of Woburn
    Residence. Malindi Central Business District is approximately 2
    kilometers south of the property.
    (See appended location map identification purposes).
    THE PLOT: The property comprises three (3 No.) plots of regular shape and a
    gentle eastward gradient towards the Indian Ocean. The plots
    have mainly sandy soils with coral outcrops to sections. Portions
    773 & 774 have frontages to Malindi-Lamu Road whereas
    portion 10807 has a frontage to the Indian Ocean spanning to 110
    meters.
    The boundaries are marked by a coral stone perimeter wall to the
    western side, a coral-rubble wall on the eastern side and chainlink
    fence to the southern side. Boundaries are open on the ocean
    side.
    IMPROVEMENTS: (a) General Description:
    Sea View Resort is strategically located just off the Malindi
    Central Business District and having frontage to both MalindiLamu
    Road and the beautiful white sandy beach of Malindi.
    This is a hotel facility set on a site extending to approximately
    12.3 acres. This ensures guests have ample relaxing space in the
    gardens and also they can enjoy horse riding within the facility.
    The compound is planted with well-manicured lawns, mature
    palm trees and indigenous trees.
    The property blends in very well with the natural environment
    providing a tranquil resting atmosphere.
    Improvements on the site comprise;
     A conference facility with cloak rooms
     Restaurant block
     Kitchen block
     Three (3No.) bedroom blocks
     Three (3 No.) cottages
     Swimming pool
     Garden gazebo
     Pizza oven
     Horse stables
    (b) Construction
    i. The conference facility
    The conference facility is set on the northern side of the property
    and next to the restaurant block.

    Market Value: KShs. 265,000,000.00
    (Read: Kenya Shillings Two Hundred and Sixty Five Million
    Only)

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  • Musgum houses, Cameroon.

    Musgum houses
    Musgum houses are sun dried clay huts that originating from Africa, the name Musgum comes from a northern province Cameroonian and Chadian tribe, they speak the language Musgu and live between the river Chari and Logne. The Musgum people from Cameroon construct their mud houses from compressed sun-dried mud.

    Earth is used as a building material due to it being more environmentally acceptable when creating low cost housing, because production of cement releases large amounts of carbon emissions . They are compared to adobe structures or variants of cob structures, which are made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material such as sticks, straw, and/or manure.

    Adobe is “essentially a dried mud brick, combining the natural elements of earth, water, and sun. It is an ancient building material usually made with tightly compacted sand, clay, and straw or grass mixed with moisture, formed into bricks, and naturally dried or baked in the sun without an oven or kiln.” (source from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-adobe-sustainable-energy-efficient-177943) .

    Musgums houses are built in multiple shapes e.g. reverse v shape, tall domed or conical dwellings. Musgums are no longer popular, due to them being considered out of date; however very few Musgum people still build them.

    Musgums are a type of “earth architects”. The huts have simplistic approach design often resembling the shapes of beehives or shells. These structures are usually nine meters/ thirty feet tall. The extraordinary height provides a comfortable climate during hot days. These settlements form a compound, a cluster of units linked by walls. The domed huts of the Musgum people are built in shaped mud, a variant of cob. cob building is the most widely used technique in the world, since no tools are needed.

    The Musgum buildings are an example of cob buildings and feature geometrical raised patterns. The technique used during construction is called mud coil pottery. during this method, the mud layers are placed spirally with each lift of about0.5m. each lift is allowed to be added before the next one is added. The doorway is heavenly framed and really marks the entrance. Musgum houses are designed to be very solid, even though they have no foundation.

    They have thicker walls at the base and thinner walls at the top of the construction to improve the houses strength. The top of the houses has an opening to allow for air circulation, resulting in the sensation of freshness. The structure is highly textured, which allows for individualization of the surface. These veins are also used as a drainage.

    The Musgum structures require frequent maintenance of the coating, here the veins help the people to climb on top of the house. Shape is very close to the catenary arch, which is the ideal form to bear a maximum weight with minimal materials. Traditionally women were in charge of maintaining the huts

    Typically farm complexes consisted of five huts, these were made up of one house for the house holder, two for the women, one as a kitchen and one for the livestock, the hut made for the livestock was usually the biggest one. space is provided if the house holder has kids or another wife.

    All the houses are connected together using clay with one shared entrance and exit, although if there is a flood the small hole on top of the huts could be used as an exit but is sometimes closed during the rains to stop water from entering.

  • Earthbag houses in south America

    Earthbag houses in south America
    Earthbag houses are a cheap alternative housing method that are created by filling bags with earth materials. These bags are comprised of three main element earth, tubular bags and barbed wire. Different regions fill the bags with different or additional materials e.g. in Colombia earth bags are filled with plastic as well as the earth materials because plastic does not degrade for thousands of years, it is covered with adobe or plaster so that the plastic does not offgas or degrade.

    Adobe is “essentially a dried mud brick, combining the natural elements of earth, water, and sun. It is an ancient building material usually made with tightly compacted sand, clay, and straw or grass mixed with moisture, formed into bricks, and naturally dried or baked in the sun without an oven or kiln.” (source from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-adobe-sustainable-energy-efficient-177943) In the Philippines long sandbags add stability, but using barbed wire between layers of shorter sand bags, is also fine.

    It takes much longer to fill the long bags than the short ones. Building with earth materials is an ancient practice that has been updated recently to accommodate modern living. The earth bag method was created by an Iranian architect called Nader Khalili. It is at the low cost of $28 a square foot, the low cost is complimented by a gentle environmental impact, making it a promising solution for low income Areas.

    Khalili was working in Iran creating adobe houses in Iran’s country side teaching villagers how to make their home, however when he came to the United States of America, he realized that adobe homes weren’t always practical but the earth elements could still be used. Khalili soon created supeadobe which was made by stacking sandbags on top of each other like they were bricks and using barbed wire as a type of mortar; he was asked by Nasa to create a housing method that would require minimal amount of materials.

    Earthbags can be made up of an any type of soil but knowing the different compositions and mixtures of soil could help, curtain types of composition could provide stronger walls and may also provide more stability, builder primarily use a mix of clay and sand, the clay acts as a glue to hold the sand together while the loose and gritty particles from the sand provide stability. Coarse, jagged sand helps the other sand by giving it multiple sections to adhere to the clay. No matter the mixture, topsoil should not be used. Debris found in topsoil may decompose and weaken the structure.

    When creating the Earthbags, the Bags should be filled on-site, right before they are placed. Earthbags can be filled in many ways e.g. As the walls get higher, bags could be lifted in place partially filled and then finished by handing up cans of dirt.

    As bags are filled, they can be sewed closed with a twine, but this isn’t essential. some builders have constructed bag stands that hold a big bag upright, that way person can shovel soil into it. An alternative would be to place the open end of the bag, folded in with neat corners, against the sealed end of the adjoining bag. Tightly placing the bags keeps them closed and ensures the wall’s structural strength. Bags should be placed where the bags on the previous row meet so that they are covered by the bags on the subsequent row, just like brickwork. After a row of bags has been laid, the tamper presses the bags down into place.

    This keeps the earth from shifting and keeps each layer level. The compression also forces the dirt inside the Earthbag to become a solid self-supporting form, that way if a bag was to be removed, the dirt wall would still stand. Between each layer of bags one or two strands of barbed wire is placed along the top of the row to hold the next row of bags in place. Even if the barbed wire pokes a hole in the bag, the tamping of the dirt ensures that the wall remains solid; the barbed wire may cause holes but large holes can be patched using duct tape. Ounce complete the wall should be plastered as soon as possible to avoid exposure to the sun for long periods of times

    When constructing an Earthbag you may run into a few difficulties, because it is not widely known or used, dealing with building officials like banks and insurers may be difficult. Despite the integrity being tested it is not included in the building codes in most places except in the city of Hesperia and in San Bernardino County in California, thanks to architect Nader Khalili’s work with local building officials. Still, even if a bank is interested, there might be other difficulties.

    Because Earthbag houses are rare, it is difficult in many areas to find a similar home. Banks use evaluated values of comparable homes to set a base value for the loan applicant’s home. If there are comparable homes, but haven’t been on the market in the past six to nine months, then they can’t be used as comparable values. If an appraiser can’t determine the value of the home, then banks can’t give the money to the person to build or buy the house.

    When working with Earthbags you should look at these qualities
    Can it stand a large amounts of pressure without stretching or breaking
    Cheap for common use
    How long will it last without degrading, especially when covered or protected by plaster
    Earth bag are the newest form of green architecture made up of many pros and cons, the cons are mainly due to the hard labor that a person has to do putting the house together and unless you have friends and/or willing to help out it will take a long period of time, strenuous to your body or will be expensive to hire workers to do it for you.

  • 4 Bedroomed Bungalow for sale, Westwood park, Karen

    4 Bedroomed Bungalow for sale, off Westwood park road, Karen.
    Sitting on 1/2 acre land.

    Kes 58 Million.

    info@a4architect.com

  • Blue Gum Tree for House Roofing, Karen, Nairobi

    Blue Gum Tree for House Roofing, Karen, Nairobi

    Mature Blue Gum harvested for roofing is usually reddish in colour. Its usually termite proof and has got very good strength, long lasting and weather proof.

    Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.
    info@a4architect.com
    0721410684

  • Ancient African Architecture

    Ancient African Architecture has got alot of technology from which current housing needs in Africa can heavily borrow from to solve lots of issues.

    The earliest forms of Architecture are in Egypt, the Pyramids.
    Various architectural styles form all the way from North Africa/Egypet/Tunisia down to the West, Central and East Africa till Southern Africa/Great Zimbabwe areas.

    North Africa.

    Pyramids of Giza, Egypt.

    Pharaoh Khufu began the 1st and tallest of the 3 pyramids of Giza in 2550BC, followed by his son Pharaoh Khafre in 2025BC. Pharaoh Khafre also built the Sphinx.The 3rd Pyramid was built by Pharaoh Menkaure in 2490 BC
    These were constructed 5000 years ago and designed by Architect Himiunu, who was Pharaoh Khufu’s adviser.
    Recent Gene research on Pharaoh Ramses III indicate that his origins were in Sub Saharan Africa. His Y chromosomal haplogroup E1b1a is very numerous in Western Africa.

    http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33553

    Sedeinga Pyramids, Sudan.

    Between 2009 and 2012, a group of pyramids were discovered in Sedeinga, Northern Sudan
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedeinga_pyramids

    These are 2000 years old.

    Meroe Pyramids, Sudan.

    Further below, still in the Sudan, there are the Meroe Pyramids, which has the most number of pyramids out of the Sudan sites.

    The tips were broken down in the early 1800s by Italian Giovanni Belzoni
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Battista_Belzoni

    Nubia Kingdom in Sudan was established 4500 years ago.

    Walls of Benin.

    These were constructed between 800 to 1500 BC.
    This wall was constructed over a period of about 600 years in Benin City, Benin, West of Nigeria.
    The wall was constructed to protect the inhabitants of Benin Kingdom, the Edo people. The wall was destroyed in 1897 by the British.
    The wall was 16,000 km in length .

    The British invaded Benin during the 1897 Benin Massacre and Invasion. Read more on it here https://oldnaija.com/2017/03/17/benin-massacre-and-expedition-of-1897/



    The technology used by the people of Benin to construct such a boundary wall made of just earth was very impressive. If such house building technology can be utilized for our current time, this can bring construction cost for boundary walls significantly much lower.

    Ghorfa Granaries, Tunisia.

    These are 15th century constructions for storage of granary and living.

    500 years ago is quite recent compared to the 4500 years time range of the construction of the Pyramids.

    Ginna House, Mali

    In Dogon area of Mali, the spiritual leaders were housed in multi storey earthen structures.

    These building typologies were constructed in the 15th century, with a heavy Islamic leaning culture.

    Musgum houses, Northern Cameroon.

    These were earthen structures designed along the catenary curve profile, saving alot of materials in construction cost by using gravity as the main support strength .

    The walls form a very visible facade for display of earthen art, which also is functional in being used as scaffolding for people to climb when they want to repair .

    Gede Ruins, Kenya.

    These were constructed 1000 years ago.This comprises of a city in 45 acres of land. There are complex drainage systems incorporated in the bathrooms from the well to the bathrooms and from the bathrooms into the septic tanks.
    The city was abandoned in the 16th century when the Portuguese came to the East African coast.

    The Great Zimbabwe

    This was constructed 1000 years ago and took 300 years to complete construction of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe.
    This was a centre of trade. The walls were constructed using stone.
    The city fell in the 15th century, same time as the fall of Gede in Kenya.This marks the same time Portuguese explorer Antonio Fernandes entered the area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe





    In between, there is the Ingombe Ilede and Kilwa ancient cities in Zambia and Tanzania.

    Kilwa.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilwa_Kisiwani

    Kilwa city flourished in the 9th century AD.

    Ingombe Ilede

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingombe_Ilede
    This city flourished in the 13th century during the Mwenemutapa empire.


    Ingombe Ilede means sleeping cow in Zambian dialect.

    Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.
    info@a4architect.com
    0721410684

  • Musgum Earth Architecture, Cameroon.

    The Musgum are an ethnic group of people living in North Cameroon and Southern Chad.

    They have for thousands of years developed a unique form of earth architecture for their houses.

    A picture depicting a Musgum Chief’s homestead in the 1850s. Notice the Dome houses in the background.

    Catenary arch.


    The shape profile of the Musgum houses are in the form of a catenary arch. Catenary arch is the strongest shape form that is naturally occuring that gives the lowest use of material. This is also similar to the Nubian archs that have characterized Nubian house architecture for thousands of years.

    Exterior wall patterns.

    The exterior of a Musgum house is hand made into patterns that are both aesthetic and functional.
    These patterns aid in assisting workers to climb on top as scaffolding during repair and also aid in directing rain water to the ground to prevent wearing out during the rainy periods.

    There are mainly 2 design patterns used.

    Curved wall.

    The Musgum people could achieve this centenary curve using basic rudimentary tools, something that even with the current tools available, is still a tall order and we need to use Computer Aided Design to achieve this.



    Notice the smooth curve achieved in the above house, perfect workmanship.

    The Musgun houses had 2 cone shaped buildings linked together by a flat roof vertical wall structure, forming architectural balance that brought out the aesthetic appeal.

    South American / Colombian earthbag architecture.

    South American architects have drawn this inspiration and have come up with modern architecture based on earth, very closely similar to the Musgum architecture.

    Ancient African Architecture.

    a4architect.com is in the forefront of reviving this ancient African architecture which is most suitable to resolve current housing requirements in Africa.
    Musgum architecture uses soil at 95% of the total building material uses, hence saving the environment , keeping construction at a low cost and ensuring buildings that are a work of art, buildings that use their facades to placate and beautify the environment.
    a4architect.com has documented the construction techniques used and is currently using them to implement similar houses in Kenya.

    Architect Francis Gichuhi kamau.
    info@a4architect.com
    0721410684