Robinsons move in!
This week, a bustle of activity ensued at 321 Nichols Dr., as the home of Audrey and Andre Robinson passed its final inspections, allowing the family to move into their new home! Community and family members delivered numerous truckloads of new furniture and spent the weekend decorating and celebrating.
A few minor details remain on the exterior of the house, scheduled to be completed next week. More pics and final update to follow!
Monday, April 28th:
Tuesday, April 28th:
Friday, May 2nd:
We have officially started post-competition design phase of the project!
LN Arquitectos + Nanda Eskes along side Homeless World Cup, Bola Pra Frente, Nike, and Architecture for Humanity have been meeting and discussing the different scenarios and possibilities that can be added to the winning competition entry.
The project will be broken down in 2 phases:
Phase 1: To be completed in Septembe: will be an initial intervention on the site that will allow the Brasilian Homeless World Cup team have a place to call HOME during their pre-Worldcup training. This space will also set awareness to the Santa Cruz community about the project and everyone involved in it.
Phase 2: (timeline still to be completed): will complete the project attending the requirements made by Bola pra Frente and Homeless World Cup. This phase will include the construction of Bola pra Frente Institute in Santa Cruz, alongside mixed use spaces that will be shared between Bola pra Frente and the community.
DRAFT - NOT FINAL
Urban Think Tank is a multi-disciplinary design firm established in 1993 which focuses on a range of projects from large scale urban redevelopment to small scale private buildings. Though the group has a pro-market approach to working, principles of social welfare, social equity, and environmental sensibility are retained. Projects have included a metro cable line spanning slums in Caracas to business centers. Urban Think Tank’s founder Alfredo Brillembourg and partner Hubert Klumpner also contribute money to the Caracas Think Tank, a non-profit NGO awarding grants to initiatives making differences in the Venezuelan capital’s urban culture. They additionally head Columbia’s academic research studio, SLUM Lab.
Nominees:
Founder Alfredo Brillembourg has an educational background of a Bachelor of Art and Architectureand Master of Science in Architectural Design from Columbia. His second architectural degree is from the Central University of Venezuela. While teaching and lecturing at several schools including Columbia in the SLUM Lab, he is also a member of the Venezuelan Architects and Engineers Association.
Hubert Klumpner joined UTT as a principal in 1998. His education includes graduation from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and a Master of Science in Architectural and Urban Design from Columbia. He is a member of the German Chamber of Architects and a consultant for OEA and UNESCO.
Funding:
UTT garners its funds from private and government donations/fees for projects. Private donations seemingly fund many of Urban Think Tank’s community research projects; however, the specifics of money allocations remain unclear. 10% of revenue is pledged to the Caracas Think Tank whose website no longer exists.
Scalability:
The project list covers everything from dry toilet facilities to park city planning. UTT’s built project list centers around mid-rise building projects, however, one of their metro stations in Caracas has recently opened suggesting their capabilities of building are wide.
Audience:
From slum dwellers to corporate bankers, Brillembourg and Klumpner have engaged and been engaged by a variety of clients. A range of social classes and groups are being affected by this firm. Primarily, projects have been constructed in Caracas. By the SLUM Lab academic studio, Caracas Think Tank, videos and publications released the group seems to desire an improvement in the lives of urban dwellers lacking the resources they need.
Project Description:
Metro Cable Line
Venezuela, Caracas, San Agustin
A metro cable line was proposed by the government to run through slum dwellings. Urban Think Tank worked for them and contacted and presented to architects, planners, locals, and barrio leaders at the Caracas central university who were protesting against the government plan and to put forth alternatives. A selection was then made by the task force of the cable car system. Ideally suited to the terrain, minimally invasive of the existing fabric, and highly sustainable and flexible the system is currently being implemented as a recent station opened. The cable car system, which is integrated with the Metro System of Caracas, is 2.1 km in length and employs gondolas holding 8 passengers each. Metro Cable’s capacity allows for the movement of 1,200 people an hour in each direction saving commuters two hours and ten minutes per trip. There will be two in the valley and will connect directly to the central downtown area. Three additional stations are located along the mountain ridge, on sites that meet the demands of community access, established pedestrian circulation patterns, and also suitability for construction, ensuring minimal demolition of existing housing. Where demolition occurs, the designers have placed public program which critics have called alien to the slum neighborhoods surrounding it.
Development:
The firm has seemed to move away from corporate private clients in recent years and in the direction of projects affecting slum improvement, but their chronology ends in 2003. Projects like the Vertical Gym and publications on Caracas show a more of an “urban acupuncture” approach which make smaller gestures to improve the city as a whole. The securing of design consultation on the cable line project displays their increasing breadth of work.
Recognition:
2005 Semifinalist in the ideas 2005 competition sponsored by IESA, Mac Kinsey, Banco Mercantil, etc. with urban think tanks GV project.
2005 Grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany
2002 Grant from the Federal Culture Foundation of Germany for the urban research project CARACASCASE
2002 Award Worldbank, Development Marketplace, InfoDev, Washington D.C.
2002 Grant from the Architecture League of New York (WorldView/Caracas website) The NY State Council on the Arts, New York
2001 First Prize, YMCA Competition, Caracas
1994 First Prize for City of Sports, Vienna Design from the National Olympic Committee in Rome
1993 Beata Inaya Award, Rudolph Schindler Foundation, Los Angeles
1993 City of Vienna Award for the Advancement of Architecture
1990 City of Salzburg Award for the Advancement of Architecture
Assessment:
The group covers a diverse territory of private and public projects which the Curry Stone Design Prize ultimately can not control. Though publications like The Informal City and projects like the Metro Cable line appear to be doing work that can improve the working and living conditions of unorthodox residents, a consistency in UTT’s work is lacking. Money for this firm could mean a more informative communication strategy for getting Brillembourg and Klumpner’s ideas out into the public.
Attending:
Isaac Mugumbule (IM)
Kevin Gannon (KG)
Axel Stelter (AS)
Killian Doherty (KD)
Tom Calhoun (TC)
Eugene
Satu Jackson (SJ)
Kimberley O’Dowd (KOD)
Action Items:
>Cape Town to post call notes on FFH Internal OAC site
> Design Fellows need to locate and copy standards of practice in country of work
> KOD and KG to follow up with Mike after call to make sure all is OK / touch base
> All: copy SJ on all payment correspondence
> KG: Namibian tender contract to Joyce for review (after review by KG and KOD)
Minutes:
KG:
> Design Fellows need to locate and copy standards of practice in country of work
This is requested by sfw and FEFA
Ex: Annex – contract assembled with standard of practice in Kenya
Copy of official document must be furnished
Relative to contractor, builder
Warranties
Level of insurance and liability coverage
Health and safety standards
Standard payment practice
Need to find in Mali and Kenya? Yes (as well as all other countries)
Mike cannot join call – cell has trouble receiving calls from US
> KOD and KG to follow up with him after call to make sure all is OK / touch base
KOD: SF to have copy of everyone’s passport and emergency contact info
> All DF’s + KG – please submit passport and contact information
protocol for communications
KG: Requests should be as direct as possible
To field: direct to person who needs to respond
CC: FYI only
Limit info shared with Jan until we know exactly what the communication is
KOD: SJ is tracking all payments that need to go out for reporting to sfw
> Copy SJ on all payment correspondence
All contractual information goes to Joyce – however, it must be cleared by KG and KOD prior.
> Namibian tender contract – SON (Special Olympics Namibia) – KG to verify requirements and who is signing (ask Eugene and Jono?), then review with KOD, before sending to Joyce for review
FYI: VAT cannot be handled up front – needs to be handled later –
KG: no action needed from SF on contracts at this time
FEFA and sfw to revise annex in all cases to read: 5 year warranty on the work OR whatever is the standard of practice in the country of work
Esperance site
required: site plan and basic floor plan
KD: no basic costing will be submitted.
KOD: have the requirements been reviewed with sfw? Yes
KD: will submit plan, site plan, perspective, and section
Will send to schematic to 3 contractors for baseline contracting
KOD: template needs to updated re: deliverables to make sure everyone is on same page / Esperance. All submittals must be reviewed by Kas before submitting.
KD: will draft up agreement / contract and send out
Sfw said this is conditional to committing to a trip to Rwanda
Ie: Rwanda trip will not be approved until contract is signed
KOD to submit to Kas / JE
In SD at this point – submittal due on Monday – SF NEEDS to review
Final approval due on 11th
Will pick up conversation offline / or in another call Friday.
Monday, March 3rd:
Tuesday, March 4th:
Wednesday, March 5th:
going to permit!
Thursday, February 28th:
Friday, February 29th:
Saturday, March 1st:
Monday, February 11th:
Friday, February 15th:
Monday December 3rd
1. Cape Town
AFH & GRS launched high school competition for the Mosaic Project
entry deadline October 5th
Construction meeting held on September 2nd, see photos on the OAN
Pending Items:
Caretaker flat payment awaiting VPUU
ESKOM, pending quotes from Drucon
arG submitted designs for the tower, AFH to forward to team
building plans pending, SFW/arG/AFH currently pursing
Next steps: Revised design drawings to reflect budget expected from arG
2. Mali
Current Phase: Schematic Design
Final SD package to be delivered next week for final approval, package to be distributed to SFW September 7th
AMPJF has submitted design comments that included modifications to the current design brief, SFW to coordinate, AFH to address budget impact
3. Kenya
Council approval challenge, MYSA's existing buildings have not been approved through council, AFH is problem solving!
A meeting with Peter and Henry has been scheduled for next Monday 7th September to discuss how to best proceed with getting the approved drawings of existing structures
MOU for Barker & Barton Kenya (QS) and Gumbi & Associates (Structural Eng.) are being worked on by Kimberley
Isaac working together with MYSA to put together a list of potential donor companies that will contribute towards the shading device and external landscaping for the centre
AFH has initiated tender documentation phase, local architect Andrew working on the drawings
Isaac to meet with a potential donor for the external landscaping pavers
4. Namibia
Team site visit complete, photos and report will be posted next week
Team evaluated SON's program needs and will adjust the design
SD package with entire program needs will be submitted next week for review
MOA signed on behalf of the ministry on Wednesday September 2nd
5. Rwanda
FFH/SFW/AFH site visit completed August 24th - August 29th
Paola submitted site visit report
6. Ghana
SFW/AFH to coordinate site visit in early October
New member added
This month we welcomed the addition of our newest member to the team. Peter Wanjau, an electrical contractor, of PM Electrical Works & General Contractors. He has done a lot of work for various companies in Kenya and will now be working with us on the centre.
As it stands the professional team is now complete and the project is moving along with all parties communicating and working towards the successful completion of the project.
DD package approved
The Design Development package was also approved and we have moved on to the Technical Documentation stage. You view the latest uploaded DD package. All consultants are currently busy working hard on their share of the project and hope to meet the set out deadlines as per the schedule.
We look forward to completing most of the Technical work during this coming month of September. Keep reading and I will do my best to keep you all up to speed.
Conference Call Notes: July 23, 2009
- Kimberley O’ Dowd
- Christine Lara
- Isaac Mugumbule
- Eugene Da Silva
- Claire Lubell
- Unifying Element
- Schedule posted on OAN, Unifying Element site
- Budget Discussion
- Awaiting approval of design brief from SON
- Design Fellow Mike will come to Capetown August 17th
- Soil test bid came in extremely high, team to evaluate if it's needed
- Update on council submission and changes
- Costing
- Structural engineer quote has been confirmed and he will be brought onto the project
- Pending:
- Isaac to verify that we can plug building into electrical and sewer without major adjustments, costs, and city approval
Attendance:
OLD Conference call number used
Dialing in Reference: US 978.964.0031
Guest Code: 3232346#
General:
ideas discussed: words embedding into the building using local materials such as the seating in arG's original proposal
Cameron suggested a projector idea and giving back something to the community
Follow up workshop to be scheduled for next week
Khayelitsha:
need updated drawings that reflect the BOQ and what was discussed
next budget meeting to be scheduled by arG-Alastair, on holiday thru mid Aug.
Namibia:
Next steps: Send SON's approval of the brief to Paul and Nina
Jhono to work on schematic design with Paul and Nina for next week
Jhono to research Contractors
AFH to arrange site visit to meet contractors and initiate Design Development
Mali:
AFH will work on design internally and submit by the deadline date
Kenya:
Isaac indicates that we can only submit the overall area of the building
Changes after submitted to council can be made as long as the building is not larger
April and Jason are clear on scaling down to 150 sq. m
Kimberley stated that the containers can be used as long as they are designed appropriately
DD date postponed and deadline will be met by design team
Isaac to meet with QS and discuss how to deliver BOQ
• Robinson residence complete
• Final punch and cleanup (interior, exterior & yard)
• Awaiting final homeowner sign-off...