3 months ago I arrived from Portugal on South African soil to tackle a challenge of building a Football for Hope center in Edendale, a town adjacent to Pietermaritzburg - the capital city of the province KwaZulu-Natal. I was warmly met at the airport by Kevin Gannon the regional program manager for Africa, who had travelled from Cape Town to meet and direct me in my first steps.
Through Kevin I met all key consultants, the center host, brought to date with the project status and presented with Architecture for Humanities role and objectives. It was a fast and thorough induction. Initially I had stepped in to move the project through construction phase, but reality revealed other intentions. The project was tied down to Edendale’s Hospital expansion project (for it lies within hospital ground) which is currently under progress and stuck in a bureaucratic maze of red tape, slowly being trimmed with blunt scissors. Furthermore, it had been decided the building be moved from one spot of the site to the other extremity. This allowed much savings in earthwork and foundation system, but required a small amendment to the bill of quantities. In the wake of the PDA process (that inhibited any construction initiating), soil tests were conducted to ascertain the best foundation system, and all construction drawings were consolidate, both for submission to the municipality and for final adjustments to the bill of quantities. At the same time the team convened weekly with several city officials, informing them of our project progress and upcoming obstacles, and worked together to find reasonable solutions for our undertaking.
It has been a stimulating 3 months – fast passed juggling scheme with several objects of different sizes and shapes. I’ve met many new people, seen South Africa’s rainbow of cultures, and made some new friends already.
But what I’ll really like to see is Edendale kids playing soccer on a new green pitch.
Hopefully Father Christmas will leave us a nice present… :)
Rogério Costa
The quantity surveyor is currently working on project costing, hopefully will be received for review by Friday February 18, 2011
· Luvuyo – Design Fellow is working with Architect of Record to finalize schematic design package while waiting for the costing
· DF awaiting initialing of site plan by the Department of Health as final step in confirming extents of site
· DF to hold off on design progress until estimate comes in.
· DF on leave but attending to project urgent matters
· Physical model is the next task, volunteer sought for assistance
Brief approval received from streetfootballworld signaling the start of schematic design
· Boundary and extent of building confirmed by Department of Health representative aided by center host Whizz Kids United
· Luvuyo – Design Fellow to send latest diagrammatic layout of proposal for initialing by Department of Health
· Luvuyo – Design Fellow working on finalizing a package for costing by Quantity Surveyor and review by Architect of Record since all necessary confirmations have been received
· Luvuyo – Design Fellow to engage Architect of Record for comment and input for furthering design
Architecture for Humanity would like to thank Eco-Insulation for their commitment to donate free insulation towards the construction of the Football for Hope Centre in Pietermaritzburg! They have committed to providing free insulation for ceiling and interior wall cavities!
Eco-Insulation is a South African based company that manufactures sustainable building insulation. Their roof insulation is made in South Africa from recycled paper and milled (cellulose) to optimum density.
For more information please visit http://www.eco-insulation.co.za/.
New Year; New Life. Well maybe not entirely New, but certainly reNewed, as we all return from the yearly interlude with our convictions and resolutions strengthened. And I dare proclaim that 2013 will be FFH-Edendale Year! The year in which we will see another FFH Center materialize. Two crucial steps for this grand objective where accomplished this month. Firstly the construction drawings and bill of quantities where corrected, consolidated and delivered to the contractor for revision. Secondly, the drawings where successfully submitted to the local Municipal office, and have started undergoing the required approval process. Concurrently the PDA process executed by the Edendale Hospital management has too progressed and entered its final stage of municipal approval. All in all, it seems that these three deeds will be finalized, almost simultaneously, during the first half of this year, which is to say that even though we are dealing with different sided issues, they will all come into place like Aztec stone walls, for the construction of FFH Edendale to commence within this period as well.
Other signs, albeit small, like the arrival of Greenfield containers and the opening of a trench to lay down a new electrical cable for the hospital, add to reinforce our enthusiasm and hope of the upcoming construction of FFH Edendale. Our hopes in 2013 are very high, and I’m certain that we will be blessed with a soccer match for Christmas.
Rogério Costa