Recent updates were rather visual and you check the images of a few KDF meetings in Khayelitsha, the community meeting(including a site visit with the team), the site neighbors (while we were introducing them to the project) and recent design developments in the overview.
Things have been moving very fast: we are expecting approval for the construction drawings any day now (it's like in childbirth, you never know when it's going to happen) and want to advertise for tender within next weeks. So, if things go according to the latest schedule, groundbreaking will take place beginning of May.
Exciting, exciting! In parallel that will free some of our time to look into more creative details of the project like involving the Khayelitsha kids into the design of a mosaic on site. As you can also see in the site pictures, the surrounding open space is coming to completion. Things are taking shape!
Very exciting!
BIG community meeting in Khayelitsha on Sunday, the 15th of February - organized by GRS (thank you, James!) in collaboration with KDF, VPUU and Architecture for Humanity.
- pictures coming soon!!!
So far:
- after a preliminary approval on the 23rd of January we have obtained the official Site Development Plan approval from the City of Cape Town "Department of Spatial Planning and Urban Design" and "Sport and Recreation Directorate" on the 30th of January
- the final SDP package contained the following drawings which you can view in the slideshow and on the workspace:
001 - Urban context plan
002 - Locality plan / Site Analysis
003 - Site development plan
004 - Ground floor plan
005 - First floor plan
006 - Sections
007 - Elevations
008 - Perspectives
009 - Greenfields Pitch
010 - Greenfields technical specifications
011 - Motivation that sets out the intended use of rooms and spaces and that clarifies how it is intended that the building will be operated and managed
- in the midst of all the official procedures we had a site visit on the 3rd of February. Please check the pictures on the slideshow. It is getting exciting as VPUU is moving fast. They will start paving first week in February.
Next steps:
- meeting with the CoCT Department: Planning and Building Development Management in Khayelitsha on the 3rd of February we will define the next steps for the building plan submission
- after 2 successful meetings with the landscape department of VPUU we are currently jointly developing a landscape design which will both integrate the FFH Center in the bigger precinct and underline it's independent character
- in parallel a tender committee has been established in order to organize the tendering process which will start once we submit the construction drawings
Key development points:
- GGRS submitted business plan and 2-year operational budget to FFH
- Land contracts between sfw and City of Cape Town are to be signed
- GRS presentation before the Khayelitsha Development Forum Executive Committee – 5 October 2008
- KDF invitation to GRS to have Centre booth at Khayelitsha Festival – 24 to 26 October
- GRS began design development process with Architecture for Humanity; – 27 October 2008
- arG Design selected as local design team
-Design development will be completed by 21 January 2009
-Projected date of completion for Khayelitsha Centre – 31 May 2009
- GRS held high level stakeholder meeting held 27 October 2008
Attendance of stakeholder meeting:
- Office of the Premiere, Western Cape Coordinator for 2010 FIFA World Cup
- 2010 City of Cape Town
- VPUU
- Khayelitsha Development Forum
- Western Province Department of Health
- Western Province Department of Education
- Western Province Department of Sports and Culture
- Grassroot Soccer
- Football for Hope
- streetfootballworld
- Architecture for Humanity
- arG Design
- sfw Festival Team
- GRS beginning community engagement process in Harare 4 November
- Centre Manager position advertising closed 31 October
Next steps:
- FFH approval of business plan
- CoCT signed MOU
- Sign sfw and GRS MOU
- Complete design phase for Centre Construction
outch! I have a feeling I should have started updates quite a while ago.
I have now been 1 month 1/2 in South Africa. The start is always abrupt, but thanks to an amazing team, we were able to move forward quite fast. For a quick overview I will introduce the team.
In South Africa we have:
- Paola Peacock Friedrich (originally from Mexico) representing Football for Hope
- James Donald ( from Jo'burg, just recently moved to the Western Cape) - he is the 'client' by representing Grassrootsoccer, along with Kim Kennedy a GRS intern from the US who already decided to extend her stay
- Verena Grips (German since 3 years living in CPT) from arG design is in charge of the design
- Eugene da Silva ( South African) is the main Architecture for Humanity contact. He is a local architect, splitting time between family, Footballl for Hope and his own office.
- I am the lucky design fellow (Romanian) to be part of the team
In Europe:
- Madleen Noreisch from FIFA (based in Switzerland)
- Jan Lubbering from streetfootballworld (based in Berlin)
- Katrin Elsemann, also streetfootballworld, she will be joining us soon in Cape Town
Of course, none of this would even be happening without our San Francisco based Architecture for Humanity team leaders: Kate Stohr - AfH Co-Founder - and Kimberley O'Dowd AfH - Program Manager.
In case you were wondering, through bi-weekly conference calls at unusual hours we do all get together.
Let me walk you through a few of the major steps that happened so far. I'll promise more up to date updates from now on.
- 27-10-08 we had a Khayelitsha FFH Partner's Workshop
- 11-11-08 we were very excited to meet the kids from Khayelitsha at a workshop at Kwamfundo Senior Secondary School, which is right across our site
- 08-11-08 Verena uploaded on the OAN a site analysis as well as 3 conceptual layout options
- 12-11-08 we met with the representatives of VPUU to discuss certain aspects regarding the site and infrastructure as well as general guidelines. VPUU is a Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading programme initiated by the City of Cape Town
- 15-11-08 Verena has further developed 3 different design approaches. This was the departure point for the current plan
- 09-12-08 design walk through held by Verena with the rest of the team. You ca find in both slide show and on the workspace the latest plan and 3D images
- 10-12-08 - submission of Site Development Plan - waiting for the City Council's comments and we hope to get final approval before summer Holidays.
- the MOU has been signed this week
- business plan is also almost done and ready to be signed
We focus now mainly on the Site Development Plan and all the paperwork surrounding the building plan application.
Will update soon.
Happy Holidays from a very summer-y South Africa!
It's been a while since someone updated you on the excitement happening in Khayelitsha and for that past six months I've had the honor of front row seats. Since the last update, we went to tender, selected a contractor, started construction and for the first time, the world was introduced to 20 Centres for 2010!
Construction is now in full swing and we are scheduled for completion in just two short months, November 6th to be exact! I have been posting construction photos regularly and adding additional info as it comes in, I hope you've been watching!
Our team is incredible! It includes a contractor name Clive who is flexible, dedicated, and community oriented. arG, our local heroes, have offered their time, both day and late, to give Grassroot Soccer a design that honors their vision. Our personal motivation is the GRS team!!!! Watching James, Xolani, and the rest of the team work their magic on the field... chills down you're spine. Kiiloooo! is now part of the AFH vocabulary!
With assistance from GRS and arG we are collaborating on a community workshop that will result in a beautiful mosaic mural at the entry wall. It is a project that will express the true spirit an incredible collaborative effort.
Our latest project report by arG (08/20/09) included the following details:
The site works proceed according to the agreed schedule. Until now the earthworks
are completed, concrete slabs are cast and the brickwalls are partly up
until lintel / sill height. All waterproofing elements and the first fix for electricity and plumbing have been integrated satisfactorily.
The majority of labor is provided by the local area, issues within the neighboring
communities have been resolved under the initiative of the Contractor, supported
by the Khayelitsha Development Forum.
The site is well organized and clean, all safety requirements are met and no incidents have been noted.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned.