Open Architecture Network

In case you were wondering why there were no updates thus far, well I am here to put those questions and fears to rest.

A new hero with the special ability of updates has been added to this global team of superheroes.
A young designer with a passion to extend a helping hand to those living right next door to him. We often say if only I can get this then I would do that. Well I say, based on what I have I can do this. Time for wishing and waiting just is not there.

I will be engaging and working closely with all parties so as to keep everyone including you the reader up to date. Some might call me a 'mole' in the organisation but it is we moles that keep everyone motivated and involved in the projects being done.

Thanks for the warm welcome to the rest of the team and looking forward to the successful completion of the projects.

P.S. It is my first update and will get better along the way so less criticism and more encouragement.

week of April 9th

The main focus of the work on the project this week was completing the electrical and plumbing systems for the house. Early in the week we finished a few small projects to ready the house for post inspection activities. We continued to work on the installation of the electrical wiring through out the week. The plumbing subcontractor also started working on the house Tuesday evening. We finished the week by fire-caulking the holes made in the top plate for the electrical wiring.

This was a week of long waits at the job site punctuated by moments of quick response. On Monday morning we completed a few small fixes, such as changing the pressure gauge on the gas system to the house, that we needed to accomplish to pass our inspections; we called in the inspections early in the week and were then left to wait patiently for the city code officials to arrive and inspect the house. On Tuesday we passed the electrical rough-in inspection with no complications. Wednesday was an exciting morning as we had to sprint to fix an improperly installed dryer vent to pass our mechanical inspection and we also found out that our plumber had not called in the plumbing re-inspection for the plumbing rough in. By 10:00 a.m. we had fixed the dryer vent and passed both our mechanical and plumbing inspection. On Thursday we passed the last inspection we need to pass to continue, the framing inspection. We ended the week by cleaning up the job site and installing blocking to prepare for a group of volunteers from a local church who will install insulation and sheet rock next week. We also spent time this week designing elements of the building that we will not be able to complete in our time here in Biloxi so that we can document the ideas and communicate them to those who will complete the project for us.

Week of April 9th

The main focus of the work on the project this week was completing the electrical and plumbing systems for the house. Early in the week we finished a few small projects to ready the house for post inspection activities. We continued to work on the installation of the electrical wiring through out the week. The plumbing subcontractor also started working on the house Tuesday evening. We finished the week by fire-caulking the holes made in the top plate for the electrical wiring.

Week of April 16th

Work continued on the electrical rough-in; we are learning as we go. We also demolished and restructured the back porch with the help of Greg and other volunteers from Hands On. By the end of the week we were able, with their aid to complete the decking on the back porch as well. We also began to frame the stud wall of the screened in front porch. Work also continued on our electrical rough-in, which we were finally able to complete on Saturday. On Friday we had a plumbing inspection, which we failed. On Saturday we addressed a few tasks to prepare for the Mechanical inspection and to address issues from the failed plumbing inspection. Hopefully, we can have our plumbing, mechanical and electrical inspections on the Monday of next week.

In attempting to design a educational facility catered to combat literacy, several issues will be addressed to fully understand the social issue of literacy. the process begins either at home or at school.

Several techniques here in the united states, especially in mega cities such as New York, educational techniques are used to combat literacy. Depending on the curriculum, field trips, class room instruction and the learning center ideas.... adults working in the library in order to sharpen their skills on reading and writing.
space will be carefully examined in order to attempt a reasonable design for both children instruction and adult instruction.

The pre-school model and the elementary school model are two models that attempt to combat literacy. .
the pre school model, which i understand while the parents are also at school ,also, children, also, at school are learning activities in different class rooms . There is social parent support at a library.

the elementary school model, which i understand public schools collaborate with public high schools on learning material.....
as , I see the emphasis is equality for all young and old.

in other, words adult learning centers are incorporated to the mix of the children education..
this design will attempt to explore posability on incorporating small adult centers??

attempt to explore

So, in conclusion,family programs mixed with formal education depending on the education philosophy of the educator will. the
questions that will need exploring. will these facilities adaptable for both children and adults. The design philosophy of the structure. what characteristics will it incorporate.

This week we again had a small but dedicated crew of undergraduates from Mississippi State University working at the house. On Monday we started them on framing larger rough openings openings to fit the vinyl replacement windows found in the EBCRC warehouse. They worked consistently through several work-site redesigns as we figured out the window sill and trim details on the fly. After two weeks of spring break dedicated almost solely to working at the Nixon house ourselves we all went through a little withdrawal when we had to spend most of the day in class and on studio work. Thursday morning we met with the Mechanical Sub-Contractor and gave him a check to cover materials. He is planning to come early this week and begin work. On Friday had a classroom session in the house and learned how to do an electrical Rough-in. Mike Grote supervised as we set boxes and strung wire between them. In the afternoon the Mississippi State students wrapped up the last two windows and Omar hung the two refurbished front doors, while the last of the electrical work was completed. We also took the time to sort through the enormous “scrap pile” on the side of the site and move most of it out to the street for debris removal and do a thorough site cleanup. We left the house for the weekend with all the windows and doors closed – a major milestone. (nb – at this point Menalik, the giant Akita who lives in the back yard, is standing in for a back door, and doing a very good job of it.)

Progress this past week has been slow. The main reason for our low productivity is the lack of secure funding for the project. The majority of funding will come from the homeowner with the difference made up by the EBCRC in donated funds and materials. To our knowledge, both the EBCRC—the organization that will have use of the house to provide lodging for volunteers—and the homeowner want the project to proceed. However, an agreement on what will be paid for and by who has not been fully worked out between the EBCRC and the homeowner. We have been able to continue work with small purchases made by ourselves, salvaged materials, and donations by individuals such as John Cuningham, an architect from Minneapolis. These purchases have allowed us to continue work while we have had volunteer labor in the form of students from the University of Minnesota and Mississippi State University.
The house is now ready for plumber and mechanical sub-contractors to begin work; but we’ve had some hang ups. The homeowner arranged to have a volunteer contractor from a out of town plumb the house, which would have reduced significantly one of the major costs of the project. However, for the volunteer to work in the house a local plumber was needed to obtain a plumbing permit from the city. The volunteer ultimately decided not to take on the project, citing a lack of time to complete it prior to his departure from the area. Two factors lead to the delay. First, time was short, as we did not find out about the volunteer plumber until Sunday afternoon. On Monday we found a local plumber who was willing to meet the volunteer and get a plumbing permit from the city to allow the volunteer to work. The meeting between the local plumber and the volunteer did not occur until Tuesday evening and by Wednesday morning the volunteer decided that he did not have sufficient time to complete the project. Second, the local plumber charged a fee to get the permit from the city. As no standing agreement between the EBCRC and the homeowner existed regarding who would pay for such an expense we were left with little to do but wait until such an agreement was made officially. We also have a bid for the instillation of heating and AC for the house, but were again waiting for the payment agreement between the two parties to proceed. An agreement, as of March 22, was made between the EBCRC and the homeowner regarding material purchases and payment of sub-contractors, so we should now be able to proceed with these parts of the project in the next week or so.
Work has continued on the house during the week, despite these setbacks. Students visiting from Mississippi State University completed repairs to some rotted rafter tails and soffit boards, scraped paint and removed the old windows. The EBCRC has obtained a plumbing permit, to expedite the process should another volunteer plumber located. Lumber has been purchased to allow us to reframe the rough openings of the windows to accept windows donated by the EBCRC. Next week we will be able to install the new windows, re-hang the exterior doors and complete the scraping and sanding of the exterior siding.

Cape Town

- due to a 3m the servitude for the stormwater pipe crossing the FFH site on the Northern boundary (from Nakanye street towards bicycle path), the entire building was shifted towards the GF Football Pitch

- as a result of the 3m servitudute, the front stoep/ canopy (front of multifunctional spaces) encroaches the VPUU site

- A. Graham confirmed that the building can be built up to the southern boundary and that the stoep / canopy can fall outside onto the sports precinct (this should be authorised through a letter of consent from Gert Bam, Director of Sport and Recreation, which A. Graham will prepare.)

- A. Graham confirmed the consent of the surrounding neighbours will be dealt with concurrently to the processing of the building plans and must be resolved prior to there approval. The properties to be approached for consent have been identified and consent will be requested in terms of the City's standard "consent letter". The VPUU team will assist with respect to consulting the property owners for consent.

- A. Graham will prepare a letter of power of attorney from Gert Bam, Director of Sport and Recreation in order to authorise the FFH Team to submit the plans on behalf of the City Of Cape Town

- Tendering process to be delayed with up to 1 week due to the delay of submission of construction documents

- construction documents, structural information and finishing scheduled to be delivered to the QS Abu Varrachia for preparation of RFP documents

Next steps:

- arG to submit Friday, 13th of February, construction drawings to Cedric Daniels, Urban Planning Department CoCT; response expected by Monday, 16th of February, for a quick compliance check against the Site Development Plan, SDP

- after Daniels' confirmation, Alastair Graham will arrange for Gert Bam, Director of Sport and Recreation to sign the plans and application forms for formal submission

- once we have Gert Bam's signature we are good to submit the construction documents to the Khayelitsha Planning / Land Use Management Department.

- 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.

Mali

- FFH to finalize brief for concept design

- FFH, SFW & Architecture for Humanity trip to Bamako in February 22nd - 27th

- Rob Venneker and Erwin Nijsingh from Greenfields to join the team in Mali

- expand pool of local architects on the ground as a result of difficulties in establishing a reliable communication

- look into alternative option of local civil engineer - remote designer combo

- French speaking design fellow to join Eugene in Mali to facilitate research on the ground

Kenya

- FFH, SFW & Architecture for Humanity trip to Nairobi in February 28th - March 6th

- FFH Concept Design Competition on the OAN opened February 12th - 26th

- Invited architects:

--- Dr. Alfred Omenya - Green Arch/Eco-Build Africa

--- Andrew Gremley - Pharos Architects

--- Joseph Mukeko - Tecta Consultants

--- Abdulmalik Gikuchi

--- Tom Anyamba - Mazingara Systems Architects

--- Peter Makachia

--- Edward D.G. Mugo - EDG Atelier

- pre-selection of architects by the 3rd of March, in order to meet with Eugene in Nairobi

Namibia

- FFH to finalize brief for concept design

- architects on standby:

--- Frenus Rörich - Architecture & Design for People

--- Dirk Theunissen - BartschArchitecton Architects

--- Christelle Smit - Christelle Smit Architect

--- Deidré de Waal - Deidré de Waal Architect

--- Hugo Scheepers - Hugo Scheepers Architects

--- Paul Munting - Jaco Wasserfall Architects

--- Eva Fritz - Marley Tjitjo Architects

--- Nina Maritz - Nina Maritz Architect

Since the first charrette (May 2008), a small working group continued to work and collaborate to finalize the master plan and program. That information was used to hold an additional Charrette over January 16-17, 2009. The charrette was a success, complete with fresh ideas, coffee and bagels. The result was a better understanding of design approach, and also the needs and constraints of the site. Under files, you will find the product of the charrette.

The next steps include formalizing our designs and producing marketing material to raise funds on the school's behalf.

01

On Monday of this week we began thinking about how the floor plan might be better adapted to fit the program of volunteer bunk housing, while still being easy to convert back into a single family home when that use was ended. On Wednesday a new twist was thrown into the project when we heard that a volunteer church group would be coming the following Monday to put a new roof on the house. This suddenly turned a potential, future project into an immediate need. As a component of our Construction Management course we put together a cost estimate of the renovation project. We produced a first draft for Thursday and then spent the weekend focusing on ways to make our original design and estimate more cost effective and environmentally friendly. The initial estimate was $27, 618.20, including a 7% contingency.

Cape Town

Next steps confirmed with Alastair Graham regarding submission procedure:

- FFH will prepare the construction drawings with the buildings moved forward, to accommodate the servitude, and the platform crossing our site boundary into Precinct 3

- FFH will present the building plan drawings and Form ready for submission; A. Graham will assist us in obtaining the signature of Gert Bam, Director of Sport and Recreation as the owner Department.

- A. Graham will provide the necessary consent form after your discussion with Land Use Management and Building Control in Khayelitsha

- A. Graham will assist FFH in the submission of the construction documents at the Land Use Management and Building Control in Khayelitsha

Friday 05 February 2009 - send drawings to AfH for approval

Monday 09 February 2009

- receive comments from AfH

- send drawings to FFH

- meet VPUU to discuss submission drawings (meeting is proposed in the email, I suggested 10 am but you are free to change so that it suits you)

Tuesday 10 February 2009

- receive comments from FFH

- obtain Gert Bam's signature - facilitated by Alastair Graham

Wednesday 11th of February - assuming that all the above steps go well and that Alastair G. does everything he commits to, we should be good to submit

Kenya

- FFH to finalize brief for concept design on Monday

- FFH, SFW & Architecture for Humanity trip to Nairobi in February - dates to be confirmed on Monday

Mali

- FFH, SFW & Architecture for Humanity trip to Bamako in February - dates to be confirmed on Monday

- Rob Venneker and Erwin Nijsingh from Greenfields will join the team in Mali

- expand pool of local architects on the ground

Namibia

- FFH to finalize brief for concept design

- architects on standby

Cape Town:

27th of January - Tuesday 10 am SF / 7 pm SA - internal conference call regarding budget

28th of January - Wednesday - FFH conference call 9 am SA time

29rd of January - Thursday morning at Project Planning meeting - Re-submission of SDP

Namibia:

- 8 architects are on standby for our package for submitting a concept design on the OAN - FFH will provide us with a SON brief beginning of next week

- received cost estimation

Kenya:

- we have an initial estimate

- 6 architects on standby

Mali:

- 4 architects on standby

- received estimation

- as previously mentioned, need support from French speaking volunteer

- it might be more practical to have just a local site architect

Ghana:

- established communication with ca 50 architects. will confirm next week number of interested offices.

- in contact with the President, Executive Director and Chairman of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors - Quantity Surveying Division. Expected preliminary estimation next week.

Rwanda:

- had difficulties finding local offices - they are not enrolled in the Africa Union of Architects

- on the bright side many Kenyan firms offer their services in Rwanda - expect feedback next week