ETHIOPIAN SATELLITE PRESCHOOLS COMPETITION - FAQs
1. Do we have to represent our project in both sites, Dillu and Hiddi? Or can we only represent it in one of them?
- The preschools will be built in both sites so it is important to represent your projects in the two of them. The main goal of this contest is to design a model that can adapt to different sites, so having it represented in both plots is a great way to show it.
2. Can we modify the current buildings of the plot?
- No, the existing buildings of the plot are the classrooms of the public Primary School (kids of ages from 7 to 14) and the teacher's residences. We will help Abay Ethiopia to build a new preschool (ages from 3 to 6) in the plots, but we can't modify what's already in there.
3. Where is the entrance of the school?
In Hiddi, the entrance is approximately in the middle of the East side of the plot. You should keep it in that side. In Dillu, the entrance to the Primary School and teacher's houses is in the middle of the North side, close to the well. Since the preschool will be built in the South East corner, the entrance of the preschool can be placed there.
4. What is the approximate budget that the NGO has for each school?
The initial construction of each school will have a budget of 2.000.000 birr (42.000 EUR / 50.000 USD). This does not include the additional program that could be build in the future.
5. Are floods normal in the area?
There are heavy rains, especially during July and August. It can be raining all day long during several days. Buildings are normally elevated one step or two from the ground in order to prevent water to go in.
6. Can the preschool have the same bathrooms that are already built for the Primary School?
No, the preschool in both sites have to include their own bathrooms, independent of those of the Primary School.
7. How will the toilets work? Will they have water to flush or will they be a dry latrine system?
The toilets will work with water to flush. They will have a water deposit that will be filled manually with buckets from the water of the well. The wastewater will go to a septic tank as basic treatment. Those septic tanks are built in situ.
8. In Dillu’s Autocad document there is a layer named “Approximate site area”, which is mentioned in the briefing, in the southeast corner. Do all the elements proposed for the project have to stay on this site or only the classrooms need to stay there?
- The blue highlight must not be trespassed. That corresponds to the current Primary School and the teacher's residence. If the Primary School is to grow someday, it will need that space.
- Highlighted in yellow is where the core of the Preschool will be located. This includes the main program: classrooms, multipurpose space, kitchen, dining room, etc.
- Highlighted in pink is extra space that can be used by the Preschool with secondary program, such as courtyards or sport fields.
- The preschools will be built in both sites so it is important to represent your projects in the two of them. The main goal of this contest is to design a model that can adapt to different sites, so having it represented in both plots is a great way to show it.
2. Can we modify the current buildings of the plot?
- No, the existing buildings of the plot are the classrooms of the public Primary School (kids of ages from 7 to 14) and the teacher's residences. We will help Abay Ethiopia to build a new preschool (ages from 3 to 6) in the plots, but we can't modify what's already in there.
3. Where is the entrance of the school?
In Hiddi, the entrance is approximately in the middle of the East side of the plot. You should keep it in that side. In Dillu, the entrance to the Primary School and teacher's houses is in the middle of the North side, close to the well. Since the preschool will be built in the South East corner, the entrance of the preschool can be placed there.
4. What is the approximate budget that the NGO has for each school?
The initial construction of each school will have a budget of 2.000.000 birr (42.000 EUR / 50.000 USD). This does not include the additional program that could be build in the future.
5. Are floods normal in the area?
There are heavy rains, especially during July and August. It can be raining all day long during several days. Buildings are normally elevated one step or two from the ground in order to prevent water to go in.
6. Can the preschool have the same bathrooms that are already built for the Primary School?
No, the preschool in both sites have to include their own bathrooms, independent of those of the Primary School.
7. How will the toilets work? Will they have water to flush or will they be a dry latrine system?
The toilets will work with water to flush. They will have a water deposit that will be filled manually with buckets from the water of the well. The wastewater will go to a septic tank as basic treatment. Those septic tanks are built in situ.
8. In Dillu’s Autocad document there is a layer named “Approximate site area”, which is mentioned in the briefing, in the southeast corner. Do all the elements proposed for the project have to stay on this site or only the classrooms need to stay there?
- The blue highlight must not be trespassed. That corresponds to the current Primary School and the teacher's residence. If the Primary School is to grow someday, it will need that space.
- Highlighted in yellow is where the core of the Preschool will be located. This includes the main program: classrooms, multipurpose space, kitchen, dining room, etc.
- Highlighted in pink is extra space that can be used by the Preschool with secondary program, such as courtyards or sport fields.
9. Are the common areas, like the open and covered courtyard, dining room and multifunctional space, meant for all the students or only for the preschool’s ones?
All new spaces will be exclusive of the preschool, they won't be shared with the Primary School.
10. Is it necessary to consider a fence/wall to separate the Preschool and the Primary School?
There is no need to create a boundary between the Preschool and the Primary School. They are runned by different organizations (Abay and the Government) but they will share the same plot and outdoor spaces. You can even design paths and green spaces connecting both schools.
11. Is there a limited area to place the Preschool in Hiddi just like the one in Dillu?
In Hiddi the space is way more limited so there's not a delimited area for the Preschool, it can be placed wherever you find it is more appropriate.
12. How many teachers and staff will the preschools have?
Around 15 people will be working in each school.
13. Could you give us more information about Hiddi and Dillu's culture: texts, testimonies, photos, etc.?
You can find a lot of information about the region in Abay's webpage (in Spanish). You just have to go to their "Participa" section and then "Conoce Etiopía" (Get to know Ethiopia). Click here to go to the page automatically translated to English by Google Translate.
14. Where can we get images of Abay's Preschool in Gaba Kemisa?
You can go to Abay's Vimeo channel. You will find there a lot of videos that can be really helpful to see what they have done in the area and what their schools look like. Click here to visit their channel.
15. What are the most common trees, bushes and plants in the area?
You can check this document (page 16/20) to learn more about vegetation in Ethiopia. The area where Abay works corresponds to Moist Weyna Dega/ Moist Dega
16. What is the preschool daily program? And when does the school year start and ends?
The preschools that run Abay Ethiopia are no different than other preschools in the world. The school is intended for kids of a very young age, from 3 to 6 years old. So their activities are very basic. As school subjects they do language (learn how to speak, how to read and how to write), maths (become familiar with numbers and how to count them in sequence, introduction to geometry) and other skills such as art or music. They play a lot and do group activities.
Please have a look at this calendar from a school in Ethiopia. All schools work in a similar way in terms of holidays.
17. What type of community activities are to be foreseen?
Abay Ethiopia organizes a lot of community activities. They vary according to the needs of each place they are established, but they normally organize literacy courses for adults, women empowerment workshops, sewing workshops, talks about breast-feeding and motherhood, agricultural demonstrations...
18. If we propose sports courts for volleyball and other sports. What dimensions, in metres, should we consider?
The sports facilities are something extra, so there is no minimum or maximum space required. The dimensions of the fields can be standardized or they can be the size you feel suits best for the plot. It will depend on each plot if they have space for sport fields or not and what size they are.
19. Can you please detail the program for phase construction of the additional spaces to build after the classrooms.
There are two phases to keep in mind. The first one is the main building, that includes the minimum program that each preschool will have. This program includes 4 classrooms, latrines, a covered courtyard and an open courtyard. After that, the schools should have the possibility to add any additional space once they have the need for it. There is no phase for those constructions or any specific order they will follow. The main goal of this contest is actually to be able to design a model that can be adaptable to the needs of the NGO so the school can grow or be modified according to them. These additional spaces are those of page 11 in the briefing.
Extra information
1. New building in Hiddi's Primary School: The situation of the Primary School in Hiddi was complicated, too many kids in small spaces. For that reason, the NGO Abay Ethiopia has decided to extend the classrooms of the Primary School and they are already building the foundations of a new building. You can find pictures of the new building and the updated CAD plan in the Drive folder we sent you when you completed the registration. This does not affect the program of the new Preschool but since the space is shared with the Primary School it is important to consider this new situation. Flexibility is one of the most important aspects of this contest and this is a good example of why we are asking for that. Things can change and the new building will have to adapt to that.
2. New well in Hiddi: Besides the new classrooms, the NGO has also built the new well in Hiddi. You will find its location in the updated CAD.
3. Available materials: this is a very preliminary phase of the project. We are looking for an idea, a concept that can use the NGO in their future schools. In this phase of the design it is still not necessary to define the exact dimensions of each brick or beam, mostly because we still don't know that information. It won't be until the constructor is selected when we will be able to know the dimensions and availability of all the materials. If your proposal ends up being the winner design, it will be then detailed according to what's available. We recommend you to include details, sections and measurements of your project in your boards, but having in mind that everything will be revised in order for it to be adapted to the local realty.
All new spaces will be exclusive of the preschool, they won't be shared with the Primary School.
10. Is it necessary to consider a fence/wall to separate the Preschool and the Primary School?
There is no need to create a boundary between the Preschool and the Primary School. They are runned by different organizations (Abay and the Government) but they will share the same plot and outdoor spaces. You can even design paths and green spaces connecting both schools.
11. Is there a limited area to place the Preschool in Hiddi just like the one in Dillu?
In Hiddi the space is way more limited so there's not a delimited area for the Preschool, it can be placed wherever you find it is more appropriate.
12. How many teachers and staff will the preschools have?
Around 15 people will be working in each school.
13. Could you give us more information about Hiddi and Dillu's culture: texts, testimonies, photos, etc.?
You can find a lot of information about the region in Abay's webpage (in Spanish). You just have to go to their "Participa" section and then "Conoce Etiopía" (Get to know Ethiopia). Click here to go to the page automatically translated to English by Google Translate.
14. Where can we get images of Abay's Preschool in Gaba Kemisa?
You can go to Abay's Vimeo channel. You will find there a lot of videos that can be really helpful to see what they have done in the area and what their schools look like. Click here to visit their channel.
15. What are the most common trees, bushes and plants in the area?
You can check this document (page 16/20) to learn more about vegetation in Ethiopia. The area where Abay works corresponds to Moist Weyna Dega/ Moist Dega
16. What is the preschool daily program? And when does the school year start and ends?
The preschools that run Abay Ethiopia are no different than other preschools in the world. The school is intended for kids of a very young age, from 3 to 6 years old. So their activities are very basic. As school subjects they do language (learn how to speak, how to read and how to write), maths (become familiar with numbers and how to count them in sequence, introduction to geometry) and other skills such as art or music. They play a lot and do group activities.
Please have a look at this calendar from a school in Ethiopia. All schools work in a similar way in terms of holidays.
17. What type of community activities are to be foreseen?
Abay Ethiopia organizes a lot of community activities. They vary according to the needs of each place they are established, but they normally organize literacy courses for adults, women empowerment workshops, sewing workshops, talks about breast-feeding and motherhood, agricultural demonstrations...
18. If we propose sports courts for volleyball and other sports. What dimensions, in metres, should we consider?
The sports facilities are something extra, so there is no minimum or maximum space required. The dimensions of the fields can be standardized or they can be the size you feel suits best for the plot. It will depend on each plot if they have space for sport fields or not and what size they are.
19. Can you please detail the program for phase construction of the additional spaces to build after the classrooms.
There are two phases to keep in mind. The first one is the main building, that includes the minimum program that each preschool will have. This program includes 4 classrooms, latrines, a covered courtyard and an open courtyard. After that, the schools should have the possibility to add any additional space once they have the need for it. There is no phase for those constructions or any specific order they will follow. The main goal of this contest is actually to be able to design a model that can be adaptable to the needs of the NGO so the school can grow or be modified according to them. These additional spaces are those of page 11 in the briefing.
Extra information
1. New building in Hiddi's Primary School: The situation of the Primary School in Hiddi was complicated, too many kids in small spaces. For that reason, the NGO Abay Ethiopia has decided to extend the classrooms of the Primary School and they are already building the foundations of a new building. You can find pictures of the new building and the updated CAD plan in the Drive folder we sent you when you completed the registration. This does not affect the program of the new Preschool but since the space is shared with the Primary School it is important to consider this new situation. Flexibility is one of the most important aspects of this contest and this is a good example of why we are asking for that. Things can change and the new building will have to adapt to that.
2. New well in Hiddi: Besides the new classrooms, the NGO has also built the new well in Hiddi. You will find its location in the updated CAD.
3. Available materials: this is a very preliminary phase of the project. We are looking for an idea, a concept that can use the NGO in their future schools. In this phase of the design it is still not necessary to define the exact dimensions of each brick or beam, mostly because we still don't know that information. It won't be until the constructor is selected when we will be able to know the dimensions and availability of all the materials. If your proposal ends up being the winner design, it will be then detailed according to what's available. We recommend you to include details, sections and measurements of your project in your boards, but having in mind that everything will be revised in order for it to be adapted to the local realty.
frequently asked questions (faq) - general questions
1. Are the competitions restricted only to students or professionals?
- No, competitions are open to all architects, designers or thinkers who want to show the world their solution to the issues we propose .
2. Is there any age restriction?
- Participants must be at least 18 years old.
3. Is my team able to submit more than one proposal?
- You are free to submit more than one proposal as long as you register each one separately and pay its correspondent fee.
4. Can we upload more than two boards in the proposal?
- Each team must upload only two (2) boards, size A1 (594x841 mm / 23.4 x 33,1 in) either landscape or portrait. If a team submits more than two boards only the first two will be sent to the jury.
5. I am studying civil engineering, can I participate?
- Yes! People from other disciplines can also participate, such as engineers, philosophers, sociologists, photographers, etc.
6. What is the size of the submission materials?
- The boards must be size A1 ( 594x841mm or 23.4x33.1 in)
7. Do we have to use all the files The Archstorming Team sent us?
- It is not mandatory to use the files we sent you after registration, although it is recommended to do so since it will form you a better picture of the site.
8. I have registered and completed the payment more than 24h ago but I haven't received any material yet, is anything wrong?
- If you have registered and completed the payment you should receive one mail, with your order ID and the material to download. If after 24 hours you still don't have the email, please check your spam folder. If it's not there either, please send an email to info@archstorming.com
- No, competitions are open to all architects, designers or thinkers who want to show the world their solution to the issues we propose .
2. Is there any age restriction?
- Participants must be at least 18 years old.
3. Is my team able to submit more than one proposal?
- You are free to submit more than one proposal as long as you register each one separately and pay its correspondent fee.
4. Can we upload more than two boards in the proposal?
- Each team must upload only two (2) boards, size A1 (594x841 mm / 23.4 x 33,1 in) either landscape or portrait. If a team submits more than two boards only the first two will be sent to the jury.
5. I am studying civil engineering, can I participate?
- Yes! People from other disciplines can also participate, such as engineers, philosophers, sociologists, photographers, etc.
6. What is the size of the submission materials?
- The boards must be size A1 ( 594x841mm or 23.4x33.1 in)
7. Do we have to use all the files The Archstorming Team sent us?
- It is not mandatory to use the files we sent you after registration, although it is recommended to do so since it will form you a better picture of the site.
8. I have registered and completed the payment more than 24h ago but I haven't received any material yet, is anything wrong?
- If you have registered and completed the payment you should receive one mail, with your order ID and the material to download. If after 24 hours you still don't have the email, please check your spam folder. If it's not there either, please send an email to info@archstorming.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) - MOZAMBIQUE PRESCHOOL
Q. I understood from the drawings that our site is the rhomboidal one. However, I did not understand the part which is almost a triangle. Is the triangle area also for school or not? Can we use that part in our design proposal?
A. The triangle area is not part of the plot. You can’t use it for the proposal. Only the red area can be used.
Q. I had a query about the nature of disabilities the children of the school might have. Are there students who are visually impaired? What does the term "disability" mean in the context of pre schoolers?
A. The school Assa is going to create will accept all kind of students, especially those that are in risk of social exclusion. That means that the school will have students with all kind of disabilities. Taking that into account, the design should be inclusive for visually impaired students as well as kids in wheelchairs or with other physical limitations. There is not a list of disabilities that will be accepted in the school, since what we are looking for is to create a school that will accept everyone regardless of their condition.
Q. Are all children educated in the designed school will be disabled or are they together with other children?
A. Non-disabled children will be in the school too since they can suffer from a different social exclusion (for example extreme poverty).
Q. What is the age range for the Preschool? Should we consider from 0-5 years old?
A. the school will accomodate students from 0 to 5 years old. Each class will have a minimum
of 25 students.
Q. Is there any opportunity to get EPW (weather data) file from the site or some nearest place on the coast?
A. You can download it here.
Q. What will the school schedule be?
A. The kids will go to school Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 15:30.
Q. What's the size of the tree?
A. The tree is approximately 8 meters height with a diameter of 9 meters. It is important to note that, even though it is not a firm decision, the most probable thing is that they will cut down that tree (since it produces an alcoholic fruit that could be dangerous for kids). They will be replanting the whole site with new trees, so it is up to you where to place them.
Q. Is it better to choose local wood?
A. Definitely yes. Once the competition phase is over, and a project for its construction is chosen, a fundraiser will be made for the school. This is a complicated process in which it is often difficult to reach the ideal amount of money. For that reason, making a design as economical as possible is very positive. In short, compressed earth blocks and local wood can be an excellent option.
Q. Is there any rule or requirement to leave site margins? if yes can you please specify how many meters on all sides.
A. No, there's not a requirement to leave site margins.
Q. Toilets are regular contemporary toilets or dry latrines?
A. The school will have regular toilets.
Q. Are there any particular requirements for sewage treatment?
A. The school will have a septik tank to treat the wastewaters. Make sure the water tank and the septik tank are located where they work best for those spaces using water (bathrooms, kitchens, dining room, teacher’s room and infirmary).
Q. In terms of the project cost, is there any fixed budget that you would like us to respect?
A. There's not a fixed budget for the school. After the competition is over and the winning proposal is chosen, the NGO's will run a funding campaign. Of course the cheaper is the building, the better, since we are talking about NGO's that work with limited resources and getting funding for such a complex like that, is very difficult.
Q. How will the children be transported to the school?
A. There is no need of transport, further, there is almost no possibility of transport since there are only small path and narrow gravel lanes. Children are walking from the area close-by, up to approximately two km distances.
Q. The windows need to de close using a proper frame with glass or could be also open?
A. Sometimes, it is quite windy and the wind is bringing sand and dust with it. Therefore, it is better to have closing windows. Further, closed windows can protect better against outside heat. If hot winds are entering the rooms, it will get hot inside, too.
Q. I understand that the weather is in general really hot in the warm season and that buildings try to protect from it, but there are some days/period in winter in which some direct sun can be wanted, right?
A. Real "winter days" are scarce. The area is about 60 m above sea level and therefore it won't get as cold as it can get in mountainous areas. Highest temperatures in winter 2018/2019 reached 38° C and even in winter times it is quite usual to have hot but dry days.
Q. Which is the predominant wind in the area?
A. Predominantly, wind is coming from the sea side (eastern / southern directions), but sometimes, winds are coming from the landside (western, northern directions), bringing heat and dust from the Kalahari Desert.
Q. What type of meals do kids usually eat at school? At what times do they eat?
A. Usually staple food is xima (mielie meal, cooked with white maize meal) together with a sauce, usually made out of leaves like spinach, manioc leaves, cabbage leaves etc, not very often meat. Further, rice is basic food as well, if not xima, then rice.
Q. Which specific types of wood are usually used in construction in Mozambique?
A. Mainly pine woods are used. For windows, also sometimes some kind of hardwood are used, but those are very expensive.
Q. You said toilets will be regular and not dry latrines. The question that occurs for us is what is the water source that is used for them? Is it the reservoir of 16 m3 or is it just used for kitchen needs? Also, do you plan on using piping system of some kind (using pumps or just rely on gravity)?
A. Water might be a problem; a proper source must be drilled. The 16 m³ water cisterna is for fetching rainwater that is much more clean than ground water. The cisterna could be bigger if roofing could be used entirely.
Q. How will the school fulfill the water needs, except for the water tank and the septik tank, is there some other pipe connection that will bring fresh water to the building?
A. Fresh water shall be brought by both the cisterna as well as by pumped ground water. In this rural area, no canalization exists, therefore, waste water should be led to a septic tank.
Q. What building laws are there available regarding septic tanks?
A. As far as we know, there are no laws regarding septic tanks in Mozambique. The only important laws are found under http://www.mgcas.gov.mz/st/FileControl/Site/Doc/1991regulamento_dos_centros_infantis_e_infantarios.pdf, see page 336 ff (pages 23ff in the document)
Q. What are the native and the most suitable species of trees to implant in the project?
A. There exists a huge variety of trees. Very famous are mango trees, coconut trees (a little bit dangerous), mafurre trees (local fruit), amongst others. Further, Yellow and Red Acacia trees are known.
Q. Does the site for the preschool flood regularly? If yes, can you please share some statistics.
A. The side is located in a rather sandy area in an altitude of about 60 meters above sea level. There is no danger of being flooded. Rain water will drain downhill since the terrain is found on a slight slope hill.
Q. Is it obligatory to have all the mentioned functions in the program under the same roof (all in one building)?
A. No, you can design as many different buildings as you need.
A. The triangle area is not part of the plot. You can’t use it for the proposal. Only the red area can be used.
Q. I had a query about the nature of disabilities the children of the school might have. Are there students who are visually impaired? What does the term "disability" mean in the context of pre schoolers?
A. The school Assa is going to create will accept all kind of students, especially those that are in risk of social exclusion. That means that the school will have students with all kind of disabilities. Taking that into account, the design should be inclusive for visually impaired students as well as kids in wheelchairs or with other physical limitations. There is not a list of disabilities that will be accepted in the school, since what we are looking for is to create a school that will accept everyone regardless of their condition.
Q. Are all children educated in the designed school will be disabled or are they together with other children?
A. Non-disabled children will be in the school too since they can suffer from a different social exclusion (for example extreme poverty).
Q. What is the age range for the Preschool? Should we consider from 0-5 years old?
A. the school will accomodate students from 0 to 5 years old. Each class will have a minimum
of 25 students.
Q. Is there any opportunity to get EPW (weather data) file from the site or some nearest place on the coast?
A. You can download it here.
Q. What will the school schedule be?
A. The kids will go to school Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 15:30.
Q. What's the size of the tree?
A. The tree is approximately 8 meters height with a diameter of 9 meters. It is important to note that, even though it is not a firm decision, the most probable thing is that they will cut down that tree (since it produces an alcoholic fruit that could be dangerous for kids). They will be replanting the whole site with new trees, so it is up to you where to place them.
Q. Is it better to choose local wood?
A. Definitely yes. Once the competition phase is over, and a project for its construction is chosen, a fundraiser will be made for the school. This is a complicated process in which it is often difficult to reach the ideal amount of money. For that reason, making a design as economical as possible is very positive. In short, compressed earth blocks and local wood can be an excellent option.
Q. Is there any rule or requirement to leave site margins? if yes can you please specify how many meters on all sides.
A. No, there's not a requirement to leave site margins.
Q. Toilets are regular contemporary toilets or dry latrines?
A. The school will have regular toilets.
Q. Are there any particular requirements for sewage treatment?
A. The school will have a septik tank to treat the wastewaters. Make sure the water tank and the septik tank are located where they work best for those spaces using water (bathrooms, kitchens, dining room, teacher’s room and infirmary).
Q. In terms of the project cost, is there any fixed budget that you would like us to respect?
A. There's not a fixed budget for the school. After the competition is over and the winning proposal is chosen, the NGO's will run a funding campaign. Of course the cheaper is the building, the better, since we are talking about NGO's that work with limited resources and getting funding for such a complex like that, is very difficult.
Q. How will the children be transported to the school?
A. There is no need of transport, further, there is almost no possibility of transport since there are only small path and narrow gravel lanes. Children are walking from the area close-by, up to approximately two km distances.
Q. The windows need to de close using a proper frame with glass or could be also open?
A. Sometimes, it is quite windy and the wind is bringing sand and dust with it. Therefore, it is better to have closing windows. Further, closed windows can protect better against outside heat. If hot winds are entering the rooms, it will get hot inside, too.
Q. I understand that the weather is in general really hot in the warm season and that buildings try to protect from it, but there are some days/period in winter in which some direct sun can be wanted, right?
A. Real "winter days" are scarce. The area is about 60 m above sea level and therefore it won't get as cold as it can get in mountainous areas. Highest temperatures in winter 2018/2019 reached 38° C and even in winter times it is quite usual to have hot but dry days.
Q. Which is the predominant wind in the area?
A. Predominantly, wind is coming from the sea side (eastern / southern directions), but sometimes, winds are coming from the landside (western, northern directions), bringing heat and dust from the Kalahari Desert.
Q. What type of meals do kids usually eat at school? At what times do they eat?
A. Usually staple food is xima (mielie meal, cooked with white maize meal) together with a sauce, usually made out of leaves like spinach, manioc leaves, cabbage leaves etc, not very often meat. Further, rice is basic food as well, if not xima, then rice.
Q. Which specific types of wood are usually used in construction in Mozambique?
A. Mainly pine woods are used. For windows, also sometimes some kind of hardwood are used, but those are very expensive.
Q. You said toilets will be regular and not dry latrines. The question that occurs for us is what is the water source that is used for them? Is it the reservoir of 16 m3 or is it just used for kitchen needs? Also, do you plan on using piping system of some kind (using pumps or just rely on gravity)?
A. Water might be a problem; a proper source must be drilled. The 16 m³ water cisterna is for fetching rainwater that is much more clean than ground water. The cisterna could be bigger if roofing could be used entirely.
Q. How will the school fulfill the water needs, except for the water tank and the septik tank, is there some other pipe connection that will bring fresh water to the building?
A. Fresh water shall be brought by both the cisterna as well as by pumped ground water. In this rural area, no canalization exists, therefore, waste water should be led to a septic tank.
Q. What building laws are there available regarding septic tanks?
A. As far as we know, there are no laws regarding septic tanks in Mozambique. The only important laws are found under http://www.mgcas.gov.mz/st/FileControl/Site/Doc/1991regulamento_dos_centros_infantis_e_infantarios.pdf, see page 336 ff (pages 23ff in the document)
Q. What are the native and the most suitable species of trees to implant in the project?
A. There exists a huge variety of trees. Very famous are mango trees, coconut trees (a little bit dangerous), mafurre trees (local fruit), amongst others. Further, Yellow and Red Acacia trees are known.
Q. Does the site for the preschool flood regularly? If yes, can you please share some statistics.
A. The side is located in a rather sandy area in an altitude of about 60 meters above sea level. There is no danger of being flooded. Rain water will drain downhill since the terrain is found on a slight slope hill.
Q. Is it obligatory to have all the mentioned functions in the program under the same roof (all in one building)?
A. No, you can design as many different buildings as you need.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) - EMERGENCY HOUSING MEXICO
Q. Can you share any other information about local building materials, their cost, and their dimensions? Or websites where this information is available?
A. This page http://www.mexico.generadordeprecios.info/ is a very complete data base with building materials and their cost in Mexico. It is in Spanish, you can use Google to translate the page (link here). Also, Home Depot can work as a reference for costs and typical material dimensions in Mexico (http://www.homedepot.com.mx/materiales-de-construccion).
Q. What types of wood are available in Mexico?
A. The NGO uses mainly pinewood for the current houses, and that’s the easiest wood to get. But again, you can use the type of wood you find more appropriate. To have a reference, and as said before, you can use the Home Depot web page: http://www.homedepot.com.mx/materiales-de-construccion/madera-dimensionada
Q. Are they able to saw the wood, or do they buy the pieces of wood with standard measures?
A. They have a workshop where they saw the pieces, generally buying 2''x2 '' and 2 "'x 4" bars of pine wood. There they saw them in the measures that they need and prefabricate the pieces that later are mounted in the place.
Q. What machineries are available in the workshop?
A. The machines available in the workshop are:
Escuadradora felder k700s
Cepillo felder d951
Canteadora felder a941
Machihembradora felder f700z
Sierra Ryobi rts10g
Sierra DeWalt dw721kn
Sierra de guillotina DeWalt
Clavadora beltek th-cn70
Engrapadora beltek sf2640s2
Clavadora beltek th-bf1850s3
Q. How many workshops do you have in the country?
A. They only have one workshop in Mexico City.
Q. How long does the prefabrication work in the shop currently take, and how long does it take to build the house on site?
A. The workshop is able to make 5 houses per week, and a house is built in 2 days on site.
Q. The trucks that transport the pieces / modules, are they own, or do they always rent? If so, what measures does the truck have?
A. The trucks are rented. To see the measures you can check this page: http://corpustrailers.com/equipo/12/cajas_secas/caja_seca_de_53_ft
Q. Is there a plan for making several units in one location or only individual family units in any possible location?
A. They normally build several units. The minimum amount they have every built is 10, and the maximum 150.
Q. What do these locations look like (context), in forests or among informal areas or desert like areas...?
A. You can find different types of locations, some of them are in forests, others in metropolitan areas. For example, they are currently building in:
- San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca
- Agua Fría, Oaxaca
- Jardines de San Juan Ajusco
- Tlalpizaltli, Ciudad de México
Q. How long should the house last (a month, a year,..) ?
A. The house is supposed to be temporary (a year maximum), but sometimes people don't have enough resources and live there permanently. It is obviously not the desired thing to do since it is a very basic house, but at least they have a place to live.
Q. Can you indicate to us what the price or Glass/ windows are in Mexico?
A. You can use the Home Depot wepage in Mexico to have a reference of the prices: http://www.homedepot.com.mx/search/ventanas#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&
Q, To what extent should we assume that the basic water infrastructure, such as water and sewage, is in place? Do you assume an area where no such infrastructure exists?
A. You should assume that there's no sewage, water, electricity or gas in the place. Keep in mind these places are very rural and the house is meant to be temporary, so there are times that you'll find some of the services but there are also other times you won't find anything.
A. This page http://www.mexico.generadordeprecios.info/ is a very complete data base with building materials and their cost in Mexico. It is in Spanish, you can use Google to translate the page (link here). Also, Home Depot can work as a reference for costs and typical material dimensions in Mexico (http://www.homedepot.com.mx/materiales-de-construccion).
Q. What types of wood are available in Mexico?
A. The NGO uses mainly pinewood for the current houses, and that’s the easiest wood to get. But again, you can use the type of wood you find more appropriate. To have a reference, and as said before, you can use the Home Depot web page: http://www.homedepot.com.mx/materiales-de-construccion/madera-dimensionada
Q. Are they able to saw the wood, or do they buy the pieces of wood with standard measures?
A. They have a workshop where they saw the pieces, generally buying 2''x2 '' and 2 "'x 4" bars of pine wood. There they saw them in the measures that they need and prefabricate the pieces that later are mounted in the place.
Q. What machineries are available in the workshop?
A. The machines available in the workshop are:
Escuadradora felder k700s
Cepillo felder d951
Canteadora felder a941
Machihembradora felder f700z
Sierra Ryobi rts10g
Sierra DeWalt dw721kn
Sierra de guillotina DeWalt
Clavadora beltek th-cn70
Engrapadora beltek sf2640s2
Clavadora beltek th-bf1850s3
Q. How many workshops do you have in the country?
A. They only have one workshop in Mexico City.
Q. How long does the prefabrication work in the shop currently take, and how long does it take to build the house on site?
A. The workshop is able to make 5 houses per week, and a house is built in 2 days on site.
Q. The trucks that transport the pieces / modules, are they own, or do they always rent? If so, what measures does the truck have?
A. The trucks are rented. To see the measures you can check this page: http://corpustrailers.com/equipo/12/cajas_secas/caja_seca_de_53_ft
Q. Is there a plan for making several units in one location or only individual family units in any possible location?
A. They normally build several units. The minimum amount they have every built is 10, and the maximum 150.
Q. What do these locations look like (context), in forests or among informal areas or desert like areas...?
A. You can find different types of locations, some of them are in forests, others in metropolitan areas. For example, they are currently building in:
- San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca
- Agua Fría, Oaxaca
- Jardines de San Juan Ajusco
- Tlalpizaltli, Ciudad de México
Q. How long should the house last (a month, a year,..) ?
A. The house is supposed to be temporary (a year maximum), but sometimes people don't have enough resources and live there permanently. It is obviously not the desired thing to do since it is a very basic house, but at least they have a place to live.
Q. Can you indicate to us what the price or Glass/ windows are in Mexico?
A. You can use the Home Depot wepage in Mexico to have a reference of the prices: http://www.homedepot.com.mx/search/ventanas#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&
Q, To what extent should we assume that the basic water infrastructure, such as water and sewage, is in place? Do you assume an area where no such infrastructure exists?
A. You should assume that there's no sewage, water, electricity or gas in the place. Keep in mind these places are very rural and the house is meant to be temporary, so there are times that you'll find some of the services but there are also other times you won't find anything.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) - AFRICAN SCHOOL PROJECT
Q. Should housing be part of the site shown in CAD?
A. Yes, the housing should be included in the area marked in the CAD file.
Q. Will housing be phased like the classrooms?
A. Although we haven’t been asked for that explicitly, it would definitely be a good option to also phase the housing, for example designing a model that could be repeated any time they need a new house.
Q. Are the existing structures in the site going to be demolished?
A. Yes, all current structures and buildings you can see in the pictures and on satellite images will be demolished, so you don’t have to consider them for your design.
Q. Do the house units need to be designed or just roughly massed to show scale?
A. All parts of the project have to be designed, since if your proposal is the winner it will be built and they will need as much information as possible. If you decide not to specify a part of your project, they may build those buildings in their traditional techniques and resemblance.
Q. What does this line mean?: "It is not mandatory to have all the spaces on an only construction".
A. That means that it is not necessary that the school is designed in a unique building. In Malawi, they normally design buildings separated in small ones, creating outdoor spaces in between.
Q. Can each of the classrooms exist as separate structures or does the school have to be one building that includes the classrooms, storage, library, etc.?
A. That’s exactly what we mean in the previous question.
Q. To what extent can the topography of the site be modified?
A. The current site is basically flat and that’s what you should consider for your proposal, no major topography modifications will be done.
Q. Will the NGO be able to procure curved solar panels for roofs that are non-planar?
A. The NGO will install basic solar panels, so the answer of the question would be no, no curved solar panels will be procured by the NGO.
Q. Can I know the site dimension?
A. Approximately: area: 10.700 m2, and dimension: 70 m x 160 m
Q. On page number 12 of the briefing it mentions one floor buildings. Does that imply ground or ground and first?
A. That only implies ground.
Q. I have not received any confirmation emails that I paid nor a link to downloads.
A. After completing your payment, you should immediately receive an email with your order ID and a link to download the material on it. Your order ID is your registration number. Please, if you haven’t received any email after completing the payment, send us an email to info@archstorming.com
Q. Do we have a sense of square footage requirements for the programatic elements? classrooms, dorms.
A. About the square meters of each space, you just have to be logic, taking into consideration the total area you have and the program we gave you. The different areas must be thought to host 100 students. There is not a minimum nor maximum square foot requirement for the spaces, although spaces should not be too big so budged doesn't increase too much.
Q. How is rubbish dealt with? is it burnt? buried at landfill?
A. The rubbish will be accumulated temporarily in a hole made in the land. They recycle part of it, but what can not be recycled because of the limited resources they have, is burnt.
Q. Is there any provision/requirement for sewers? or, given the dry latrine requirement, shall we design our own grey water systems for irregation etc?
A. Since there isn't any sewer provision, you can design your own water system to reuse the grey water for irrigation. You must consider the most economical system, always thinking that resources as water, are a really important point in these countries.
Q. Animal area - is this for pets, livestock, grazing animals, chickens, all of the above?
A. The animal area is for livestock, farm animals (chickens, cows...) Not for pets.
Q. What are the most commont trees of the area?
A. The three most common spices of the area are (in its Chechewa name): mtondo (link), msoloo (link), and mbawa (link).
Q. What electric system will be used to transport the energy from the solar panels to the building?
A. We usually use armored cable, it can be installed underground.
Q. Do the dormitories have to be divided by sex?
A. Yes, and they should be located in separated buildings.
Q. The trees currently in the project area have to be maintained?
A. Although it is not 100% mandatory to preserve them, the jury will evaluate positively to maintain the maximum amount of trees possible.
Q. Are the trees marked in the DWG a good reference to know where the actual trees are?
A. Yes, you can use the DWG provided after registration to know where the trees are.
Q. Is there a rough figure for the area of photovoltaic panels required?
A. We estimate around 50 m2.
Q. How many water tanks should we consider?
A. You should consider 4 elevated water tanks, with a capacity of 20.000 liters each. You can elevate them using its own structure or placing them over a roof (you can see examples in the folder “Material pictures”, provided after registration).
Q. How many dry latrines should we contemplate for the project?
A. 20 for the school, 16 for the dormitories, and one for each teacher’s house.
Q. How many showers will be needed in the student’s dormitories?
A. From 16 to 20 showers.
Q. These showers should be communal?
A. No, the showers should be divided into individual stalls.
Q. The student’s dormitories should have their own latrines, independent to those from the school?
A. Yes
Q. Since it is traditional in a lot of houses in Malawi, in the teacher’s houses, the shower and latrines should be outside the house?
A. The latrine should be located outside the house. The kitchen and shower are normally in a different building connected to the main house by a patio, that could be maintained like this, but we are also open to new suggestions.
Q. Is bamboo an easy material to get? Could we use it for the project?
A. Bamboo is almost extinguished in the area, we could build a building or two in this material but definitely not the whole school.
Q. How many computers will the computer lab have?
A. 30 computers.
Q. Is there any information about the prevailing winds orientation? Are there any differences between different periods of the year?
A. The winds come from the lake, so they come from east to west. And yes, august is the month when winds are stronger.
Q. Can the bedrooms be intended as an only room with three beds?
A. Since families are pretty big in Malawi, it is definitely better to design 3 separated bedrooms and a living room.
Q. Are kitchen stoves traditional or electric?
A. The kitchen should have a space for gas stoves. You can also consider a second space used for traditional cooking, where they use wood to cook.
Q. In order to size solar panels, what kind of elements can we use for the kitchen of the canteen room?
A. Fridges and freezers.
Q. The student’s dormitories should be divided into smaller groups, or it should be one big dormitory for the 50 boys and one for the 50 girls?
A. It would be better if they are divided into groups of 6 to 8 students per dormitory.
Q. How big is the storage room? what should be stored there? tables and chairs too? or only chalkboard materials, teacher materials etc.
A. You can design different storage rooms. We mainly need one for the food in the kitchen area and one for the school material (including tables and chairs, teacher materials, etc.)
Q. What type of dry latrines are used currently?
A. We currently use pit latrines, but it could be interesting to empty them and use the fecal sludge to create compost. You can use a different type of latrine in order to accomplish that. A good option is raised latrines.
Q. The teachers also use latrines, or they use regular toilets?
A. The teachers can use double-tank latrines (also known as two-pit system toilets) to minimize the use of water.
A. Yes, the housing should be included in the area marked in the CAD file.
Q. Will housing be phased like the classrooms?
A. Although we haven’t been asked for that explicitly, it would definitely be a good option to also phase the housing, for example designing a model that could be repeated any time they need a new house.
Q. Are the existing structures in the site going to be demolished?
A. Yes, all current structures and buildings you can see in the pictures and on satellite images will be demolished, so you don’t have to consider them for your design.
Q. Do the house units need to be designed or just roughly massed to show scale?
A. All parts of the project have to be designed, since if your proposal is the winner it will be built and they will need as much information as possible. If you decide not to specify a part of your project, they may build those buildings in their traditional techniques and resemblance.
Q. What does this line mean?: "It is not mandatory to have all the spaces on an only construction".
A. That means that it is not necessary that the school is designed in a unique building. In Malawi, they normally design buildings separated in small ones, creating outdoor spaces in between.
Q. Can each of the classrooms exist as separate structures or does the school have to be one building that includes the classrooms, storage, library, etc.?
A. That’s exactly what we mean in the previous question.
Q. To what extent can the topography of the site be modified?
A. The current site is basically flat and that’s what you should consider for your proposal, no major topography modifications will be done.
Q. Will the NGO be able to procure curved solar panels for roofs that are non-planar?
A. The NGO will install basic solar panels, so the answer of the question would be no, no curved solar panels will be procured by the NGO.
Q. Can I know the site dimension?
A. Approximately: area: 10.700 m2, and dimension: 70 m x 160 m
Q. On page number 12 of the briefing it mentions one floor buildings. Does that imply ground or ground and first?
A. That only implies ground.
Q. I have not received any confirmation emails that I paid nor a link to downloads.
A. After completing your payment, you should immediately receive an email with your order ID and a link to download the material on it. Your order ID is your registration number. Please, if you haven’t received any email after completing the payment, send us an email to info@archstorming.com
Q. Do we have a sense of square footage requirements for the programatic elements? classrooms, dorms.
A. About the square meters of each space, you just have to be logic, taking into consideration the total area you have and the program we gave you. The different areas must be thought to host 100 students. There is not a minimum nor maximum square foot requirement for the spaces, although spaces should not be too big so budged doesn't increase too much.
Q. How is rubbish dealt with? is it burnt? buried at landfill?
A. The rubbish will be accumulated temporarily in a hole made in the land. They recycle part of it, but what can not be recycled because of the limited resources they have, is burnt.
Q. Is there any provision/requirement for sewers? or, given the dry latrine requirement, shall we design our own grey water systems for irregation etc?
A. Since there isn't any sewer provision, you can design your own water system to reuse the grey water for irrigation. You must consider the most economical system, always thinking that resources as water, are a really important point in these countries.
Q. Animal area - is this for pets, livestock, grazing animals, chickens, all of the above?
A. The animal area is for livestock, farm animals (chickens, cows...) Not for pets.
Q. What are the most commont trees of the area?
A. The three most common spices of the area are (in its Chechewa name): mtondo (link), msoloo (link), and mbawa (link).
Q. What electric system will be used to transport the energy from the solar panels to the building?
A. We usually use armored cable, it can be installed underground.
Q. Do the dormitories have to be divided by sex?
A. Yes, and they should be located in separated buildings.
Q. The trees currently in the project area have to be maintained?
A. Although it is not 100% mandatory to preserve them, the jury will evaluate positively to maintain the maximum amount of trees possible.
Q. Are the trees marked in the DWG a good reference to know where the actual trees are?
A. Yes, you can use the DWG provided after registration to know where the trees are.
Q. Is there a rough figure for the area of photovoltaic panels required?
A. We estimate around 50 m2.
Q. How many water tanks should we consider?
A. You should consider 4 elevated water tanks, with a capacity of 20.000 liters each. You can elevate them using its own structure or placing them over a roof (you can see examples in the folder “Material pictures”, provided after registration).
Q. How many dry latrines should we contemplate for the project?
A. 20 for the school, 16 for the dormitories, and one for each teacher’s house.
Q. How many showers will be needed in the student’s dormitories?
A. From 16 to 20 showers.
Q. These showers should be communal?
A. No, the showers should be divided into individual stalls.
Q. The student’s dormitories should have their own latrines, independent to those from the school?
A. Yes
Q. Since it is traditional in a lot of houses in Malawi, in the teacher’s houses, the shower and latrines should be outside the house?
A. The latrine should be located outside the house. The kitchen and shower are normally in a different building connected to the main house by a patio, that could be maintained like this, but we are also open to new suggestions.
Q. Is bamboo an easy material to get? Could we use it for the project?
A. Bamboo is almost extinguished in the area, we could build a building or two in this material but definitely not the whole school.
Q. How many computers will the computer lab have?
A. 30 computers.
Q. Is there any information about the prevailing winds orientation? Are there any differences between different periods of the year?
A. The winds come from the lake, so they come from east to west. And yes, august is the month when winds are stronger.
Q. Can the bedrooms be intended as an only room with three beds?
A. Since families are pretty big in Malawi, it is definitely better to design 3 separated bedrooms and a living room.
Q. Are kitchen stoves traditional or electric?
A. The kitchen should have a space for gas stoves. You can also consider a second space used for traditional cooking, where they use wood to cook.
Q. In order to size solar panels, what kind of elements can we use for the kitchen of the canteen room?
A. Fridges and freezers.
Q. The student’s dormitories should be divided into smaller groups, or it should be one big dormitory for the 50 boys and one for the 50 girls?
A. It would be better if they are divided into groups of 6 to 8 students per dormitory.
Q. How big is the storage room? what should be stored there? tables and chairs too? or only chalkboard materials, teacher materials etc.
A. You can design different storage rooms. We mainly need one for the food in the kitchen area and one for the school material (including tables and chairs, teacher materials, etc.)
Q. What type of dry latrines are used currently?
A. We currently use pit latrines, but it could be interesting to empty them and use the fecal sludge to create compost. You can use a different type of latrine in order to accomplish that. A good option is raised latrines.
Q. The teachers also use latrines, or they use regular toilets?
A. The teachers can use double-tank latrines (also known as two-pit system toilets) to minimize the use of water.
frequently asked questions (faq) - hope dental center
1. I was wondering if I could get more information as to the size of parking lot required, its proximity to which particular program, and also is it both public and private?
Its our understanding in zoning code 6.3 Minimum Required Parking Stalls the word "lot" should be interpreted as "space(s) or stall(s)".
Its a private parking lot for staff and patients. This main parking lot should be easily accessible to Building 1 Ground Floor described in project briefing
2. Regarding patients who will use the Clinic – Will trainees and fully qualified dental practitioners offer the free, humanitarian dental services on site at the Clinic, or will mobile dental trucks serve these patrons?
No free dental services will be offered at HOPE dental Center. It is a private clinic and training center with goals to generate profit and trained dentists. The profit and trained dentists will then be sent out to the villages for humanitarian dental services.
3. Regarding accommodation space – will this be for short or long term stays, and for staff and their families, or dental trainees?
Both long and short term mission teams or individual volunteer missionaries will use accommodation spaces. These spaces are not intended for staff and their families or dental trainees
4. Regarding the chapel – is this space intended for group worship, pastoral care, or general quiet space for individual prayer? Is there a particular Christian denomination this space should serve?
Yes its intended for staff team worship approx. 20-30 people and can also be flexible for other uses such as general quiet space for prayer…no specific denomination requirements for this space
5. Regarding the warehouse – should we provision road-space and facilities for larger semi-trailer capacity delivery trucks, or should we design for smaller trucks/vans?
Yes, allow for larger semi trailer trucks delivery
6. Should we preserve the pedestrian ways marked in green on the autocad keyplan?
No
7. Is it recommended to create a connection between the dental center plot and the neighboring vacant square land?
No
8. Where is the playground from the photos on the layout?
There is a school located approx NW of project site and flat dirt area along the east side of property.
9. Regarding the Kigali Zoning Regulations document: what is the pedestrial walkway (8.1 in de document)? Should it be considered?
These pedestrial (patience, staff, missionaries and doctors) will be accessing the HOPE center on foot and should be considered into site design. Yes, incorporate 2m covered walkway around the building fronting the main road as noted on zoning requirements.
10. Regarding the Kigali Zoning Regulations document: is the required parking for clinic same as commercial? Is the parking for accommodation same as hotel? Is the required parking for office building same as commercial?
Yes, the clinic and warehouse are considered "commercial" in the document, and the accommodation building is considered "hotel".
11. Regarding the Kigali Zoning Regulations document: in 6.5, minimum dimensions, 7m travel aisle for parking should be considered?
Yes, incorporate 7m wide travel aisle as noted, may be intended for two way traffic.
12. Is the kitchen of the Building #1 23m2 or 45m2?
There was a mistake in the briefing, the kitchen of the Building 1 should be around 45m2.
13. Do buildings have to be three separated? If yes, do they need indoor connections or the buildings do not have to be connected roofed?
The NGO envisions the complex as three different buildings. There's no need to connect them even though you are open to do that.
14. Which activities will be held in the dental laboratory of Building 1? Is it possible to think about it as a separate space from the rest of the building or is it considered a vital space for the activities of the dental center?
It is a space for dental laboratory where crowns and dentures the patients need will be made in support of the dentists. It is a very important space for the dental center and should be kept in the same building.
15. Why is there a "VIP entrance"? Is it an entrance just for the patients or is it also related to the first floor activities?
VIP entrance is for VIP patients we anticipate will be coming to HOPE dental center to receive dental care. It is to give them higher level service and privacy with separate entrance and waiting area. It is mainly related to ground floor, although they can access to the first floor too if there's any activity in the conference room or they want to go to the cafeteria.
16. What do you mean by patio? Internal courtyard of a building or sort of deck space for the rooms?
It can be treated as courtyard space or deck space from room. Main criteria is it be mainly an exterior space that should appropriately relate to the adjacent connected interior spaces.
17. In regards to the new road that would be created on the site, what is the required building setback that would have to be considered for such a road?
The new road will limit the new front of the building. In the Kigali Zoning Regulations document we have sent you, you can see the setbacks requirements in the 4.0 BUILDING SETBACK section. Since this new road will be in the front of the building, and the plot size is above 250m2, there are no setback requirements.
Its our understanding in zoning code 6.3 Minimum Required Parking Stalls the word "lot" should be interpreted as "space(s) or stall(s)".
Its a private parking lot for staff and patients. This main parking lot should be easily accessible to Building 1 Ground Floor described in project briefing
2. Regarding patients who will use the Clinic – Will trainees and fully qualified dental practitioners offer the free, humanitarian dental services on site at the Clinic, or will mobile dental trucks serve these patrons?
No free dental services will be offered at HOPE dental Center. It is a private clinic and training center with goals to generate profit and trained dentists. The profit and trained dentists will then be sent out to the villages for humanitarian dental services.
3. Regarding accommodation space – will this be for short or long term stays, and for staff and their families, or dental trainees?
Both long and short term mission teams or individual volunteer missionaries will use accommodation spaces. These spaces are not intended for staff and their families or dental trainees
4. Regarding the chapel – is this space intended for group worship, pastoral care, or general quiet space for individual prayer? Is there a particular Christian denomination this space should serve?
Yes its intended for staff team worship approx. 20-30 people and can also be flexible for other uses such as general quiet space for prayer…no specific denomination requirements for this space
5. Regarding the warehouse – should we provision road-space and facilities for larger semi-trailer capacity delivery trucks, or should we design for smaller trucks/vans?
Yes, allow for larger semi trailer trucks delivery
6. Should we preserve the pedestrian ways marked in green on the autocad keyplan?
No
7. Is it recommended to create a connection between the dental center plot and the neighboring vacant square land?
No
8. Where is the playground from the photos on the layout?
There is a school located approx NW of project site and flat dirt area along the east side of property.
9. Regarding the Kigali Zoning Regulations document: what is the pedestrial walkway (8.1 in de document)? Should it be considered?
These pedestrial (patience, staff, missionaries and doctors) will be accessing the HOPE center on foot and should be considered into site design. Yes, incorporate 2m covered walkway around the building fronting the main road as noted on zoning requirements.
10. Regarding the Kigali Zoning Regulations document: is the required parking for clinic same as commercial? Is the parking for accommodation same as hotel? Is the required parking for office building same as commercial?
Yes, the clinic and warehouse are considered "commercial" in the document, and the accommodation building is considered "hotel".
11. Regarding the Kigali Zoning Regulations document: in 6.5, minimum dimensions, 7m travel aisle for parking should be considered?
Yes, incorporate 7m wide travel aisle as noted, may be intended for two way traffic.
12. Is the kitchen of the Building #1 23m2 or 45m2?
There was a mistake in the briefing, the kitchen of the Building 1 should be around 45m2.
13. Do buildings have to be three separated? If yes, do they need indoor connections or the buildings do not have to be connected roofed?
The NGO envisions the complex as three different buildings. There's no need to connect them even though you are open to do that.
14. Which activities will be held in the dental laboratory of Building 1? Is it possible to think about it as a separate space from the rest of the building or is it considered a vital space for the activities of the dental center?
It is a space for dental laboratory where crowns and dentures the patients need will be made in support of the dentists. It is a very important space for the dental center and should be kept in the same building.
15. Why is there a "VIP entrance"? Is it an entrance just for the patients or is it also related to the first floor activities?
VIP entrance is for VIP patients we anticipate will be coming to HOPE dental center to receive dental care. It is to give them higher level service and privacy with separate entrance and waiting area. It is mainly related to ground floor, although they can access to the first floor too if there's any activity in the conference room or they want to go to the cafeteria.
16. What do you mean by patio? Internal courtyard of a building or sort of deck space for the rooms?
It can be treated as courtyard space or deck space from room. Main criteria is it be mainly an exterior space that should appropriately relate to the adjacent connected interior spaces.
17. In regards to the new road that would be created on the site, what is the required building setback that would have to be considered for such a road?
The new road will limit the new front of the building. In the Kigali Zoning Regulations document we have sent you, you can see the setbacks requirements in the 4.0 BUILDING SETBACK section. Since this new road will be in the front of the building, and the plot size is above 250m2, there are no setback requirements.
frequently asked questions (faq) - african house design competition
1. Is it mentioned in the brief that the porch for corral and crop storage should be adjacent to the house. It is suggested that the cattle space is nearby the house too? Or can it be more distant?
The cattle should remain where it is now, or at least very close. They have cows and goats which are pretty big animals, and therefore is better to have them a little bit far from the house. The corral will have small animals such as chickens, ducks or rabbits, which can be close to the house.
2. Should we design a unit with the entire bedrooms together? Or we can think it as two or three separate smaller houses?
You can do separate buildings but always keeping in mind that it will be the same house, and therefore will only have one kitchen, one living room, etc. We are not looking for 3 or 4 different houses.
3. There are two paths for the neighborhood huts. Should we consider leaving enough spaces for cattle to pass through the site too?
Yes
4. Should the indoor kitchen have a fireplace suitable for cooking too?
Yes, they cook inside when it rains.
5. Is it desirable that Nico has his own smaller house?
Yes, Nico's house will stay as it is now and it will be used by him and his wife.
6. The pastures for cattle and the cattle must be in two different places?
The family has asked us to keep them where they are now.
7. What are the dimensions of the water tanks?
Although the exact size can be decided by you, we think that a 4000 liters water tank can be enough. You can use bigger ones if you find it necessary.
8. Can you also tell us the other contour intervals on both sides of “1431” on Site Plan? Even if we have to consider the site to be flat.
Please see that if you click on each line, the name of the layer will give you that information.
9. Exactly how many Numbers of adult resident Cows/Bulls and Goats do we have to consider?
Although the number of animals are constantly changing, you can consider 9 cows and 15 goats.
10. What are the nominal dimensions of the ‘baked’ Bricks at your place?
Since they are manually made, their size can vary according to your proposal, but they are currently making them in an approximate size of 30x18x8 cm.
11. Water source was seen in a video. Do you anticipate piped supply in the near future?
Yes, the town actually has a well, and although its water pump broke and they are fixing it, we expect it to be fixed by the time the house starts its construction.
12. Based on nearby wells / tube-wells, what could be the level of Water Table (underground water depth) on the site?
A depth of 4 to 5 meters can be considered.
13. Is electricity supply expected to reach our site once there you make a more 'permanent' residential complex?
Yes, the national electric company brought electricity to the town recently, and bringing it to the Jorejick house is a possibility.
14. In the price list the prices are specified by region but Arusha and Manyara are not found, which region do we take as reference for project costs?
This list works as a reference, just to have an idea of how prices work in Tanzania, but we expect an error since we don't have the actual prices of the Arusha region. In any case, you can use, for example, the prices of Mtwara Region of the PDF, which is not one of the most expensive ones.
15. Can we have more price references of building costs?
We’ve just got some other price references that Paulo and Sonia have sent us. These prices are taken from Nico's house construction.
Bricks - 200tsh unit (€ 0.080)
Cement - 15,000tsh 50kg bag (€ 6)
Metal roof plate 2.5m x1m approx. - 23.000tsh (€ 9)
Two-leaf windows - 40,000tsh (€ 16)
Doors (metal at the entrance, wood the rest) - 200,000tsh (€ 80)
Truck full of sand - 50,000tsh (€ 20)
Wood beams (4,5 meters long):
3''x2'' = 10.000 Tsh (€ 4)
4''x2'' = 14.000 Tsh (€ 5,5)
2''x2'' = 7.000 Tsh (€ 2,75)
6''x1'' = 13.000 Tsh (€ 5,15)
8''x1'' = 25.000 Tsh (€ 10)
10''x1'' = 36.000 Tsh (€ 14,25)
We are working on getting more prices. We will let you know as soon as that happens.
16. Would all the bricks in the house be made by the family?
The bricks will be locally made. The bricks that you see in the videos are actually not made by the family, but by Agato, who is a local constructor and a family friend. Regardless of who will finally be making the bricks, they will come from a nearby constructor.
17. Are there any limitations on the materials in the price list?
No, you can use any material from that list.
18. What kind of purification system do they have to be able to drink the water from the source? Would it be possible to collect, purify and use the rain water (to drink, cook and shower)?
They take the water directly from wells or from sources like the one you can see in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP3WdHTBnco). Sometimes they boil it but other times they drink it directly, which actually causes them to have terrible diseases. The rainwater collection option is actually very much needed considering their problem with the water, so yes, we do recommend it.
19. Should furniture be included in the 20,000 euros?
Yes, that budget is a maximum that the family has set. That amount of money is actually a lot for a family in that region of Africa, so it should be more than enough to cover the project. And actually, it is desirable to adjust the budget as much as possible. The jury team will highly evaluate those proposals that use the money very efficiently.
20. Do I have to present a calculation that shows the expenditure of 20,000 euros?
Although it is not mandatory, we do prefer it if you can show us the numbers (you can place them in the board or in the text file). (Just to make it clear again, it is not necessary to spend all of the 20.000€ set as maximum)
21. Is the collected rainwater used for what needs?
The collected rainwater can be used for the shower, latrine, cooking, cleaning and even for drinking if it is purified.
22. The cost of the workers is to be considered within 20,000 euros or only the cost of materials?
Everything must be included within the 20.000 euros.
23. Do you have any examples of traditional dwellings of the Iraqw tribe?
The Iraqw tribe actually builds exactly like the huts that the Jorejick family has now. You can google "Iraqw tribe hut" and you'll find some images (example here)
24. Are you looking to keep the traditional architecture for the project?
The most important thing for this project is that it can be easily built using local materials, and that you keep it as cheap as possible. We are not looking for a particular look in terms of architecture aesthetics. You are free to give it the style you want as long as you respect those three rules (easy to build, local materials, cheap).
25. Can you provide further information regarding the distribution of people in the bedrooms; gender, age, number of people?
According to Paulo and Sonia, they normally don't even sleep in the same hut every night. They change beds and huts every now and then, and basically end up sharing beds and spaces with different people every night. For that reason it is very difficult to establish who will be sleeping in each room. The house should have 6 bedrooms and each bedroom should have 2 to 3 beds, so they can distribute as they like every night.
26. Is it usual for people to share common spaces in the same building in which they have their bedrooms or are separate units assigned for such purpose?
Yes, it is very usual considering that their huts only have one single space. At the end of the day that fact is the cause why they only use the huts to sleep or cook when it rains. The lack of a decent space forces them to spend most of the time outside.
27. Is the area subjected to flooding during the rain season?
Although it rains a lot, the water drains very efficiently in that ground and it normally doesn't flood.
28. Is Nico's house considered part of the 6 bedrooms?
No, the 6 bedrooms will be built in the new house. Nico and his wife will live in Nico's house.
29. Can the neighbors path be modified?
No, you should keep the path as it is now.
30. Is the access point at the lower edge fix or is it along the length of that side of the plot next to the pasture of the cattle?
It is along that edge.
31. Does the family need one entire home for the twelve members, Which means all of them will share the same entrance? Or they prefer some kind of detached House? If so, in their opinion, How many detached units would the design provide and for which members of the family?
They will be using an entire house for the whole family. Take into account that most of them are actually very young or even small kids. They will need different rooms, but all in the same house.
32. How many neighbours go through the site? Can you specify their path and routine?
Two families go through the site, their paths are marked in this page with two arrows. They are families of 8 to 10 people (each family). Their routine is very similar to every family in the zone. Kids that are able to go to school go every day from Monday to Friday, and if they have to buy anything from the town they also cross the plot to go to Getamock.
33. In the briefing, its says that it needs 2 showers and 2 latrines. My doubt is about the 2 latrines: Is it for simultaneous use or for case of mantenence, that one is going to be interdit and the other will be on use?
They are for simultaneous use.
34. Is there a maximum size for the jorejick's house?
No, there is no maximum size, but take into account that the price should be as low as possible so that will influence the house size.
The cattle should remain where it is now, or at least very close. They have cows and goats which are pretty big animals, and therefore is better to have them a little bit far from the house. The corral will have small animals such as chickens, ducks or rabbits, which can be close to the house.
2. Should we design a unit with the entire bedrooms together? Or we can think it as two or three separate smaller houses?
You can do separate buildings but always keeping in mind that it will be the same house, and therefore will only have one kitchen, one living room, etc. We are not looking for 3 or 4 different houses.
3. There are two paths for the neighborhood huts. Should we consider leaving enough spaces for cattle to pass through the site too?
Yes
4. Should the indoor kitchen have a fireplace suitable for cooking too?
Yes, they cook inside when it rains.
5. Is it desirable that Nico has his own smaller house?
Yes, Nico's house will stay as it is now and it will be used by him and his wife.
6. The pastures for cattle and the cattle must be in two different places?
The family has asked us to keep them where they are now.
7. What are the dimensions of the water tanks?
Although the exact size can be decided by you, we think that a 4000 liters water tank can be enough. You can use bigger ones if you find it necessary.
8. Can you also tell us the other contour intervals on both sides of “1431” on Site Plan? Even if we have to consider the site to be flat.
Please see that if you click on each line, the name of the layer will give you that information.
9. Exactly how many Numbers of adult resident Cows/Bulls and Goats do we have to consider?
Although the number of animals are constantly changing, you can consider 9 cows and 15 goats.
10. What are the nominal dimensions of the ‘baked’ Bricks at your place?
Since they are manually made, their size can vary according to your proposal, but they are currently making them in an approximate size of 30x18x8 cm.
11. Water source was seen in a video. Do you anticipate piped supply in the near future?
Yes, the town actually has a well, and although its water pump broke and they are fixing it, we expect it to be fixed by the time the house starts its construction.
12. Based on nearby wells / tube-wells, what could be the level of Water Table (underground water depth) on the site?
A depth of 4 to 5 meters can be considered.
13. Is electricity supply expected to reach our site once there you make a more 'permanent' residential complex?
Yes, the national electric company brought electricity to the town recently, and bringing it to the Jorejick house is a possibility.
14. In the price list the prices are specified by region but Arusha and Manyara are not found, which region do we take as reference for project costs?
This list works as a reference, just to have an idea of how prices work in Tanzania, but we expect an error since we don't have the actual prices of the Arusha region. In any case, you can use, for example, the prices of Mtwara Region of the PDF, which is not one of the most expensive ones.
15. Can we have more price references of building costs?
We’ve just got some other price references that Paulo and Sonia have sent us. These prices are taken from Nico's house construction.
Bricks - 200tsh unit (€ 0.080)
Cement - 15,000tsh 50kg bag (€ 6)
Metal roof plate 2.5m x1m approx. - 23.000tsh (€ 9)
Two-leaf windows - 40,000tsh (€ 16)
Doors (metal at the entrance, wood the rest) - 200,000tsh (€ 80)
Truck full of sand - 50,000tsh (€ 20)
Wood beams (4,5 meters long):
3''x2'' = 10.000 Tsh (€ 4)
4''x2'' = 14.000 Tsh (€ 5,5)
2''x2'' = 7.000 Tsh (€ 2,75)
6''x1'' = 13.000 Tsh (€ 5,15)
8''x1'' = 25.000 Tsh (€ 10)
10''x1'' = 36.000 Tsh (€ 14,25)
We are working on getting more prices. We will let you know as soon as that happens.
16. Would all the bricks in the house be made by the family?
The bricks will be locally made. The bricks that you see in the videos are actually not made by the family, but by Agato, who is a local constructor and a family friend. Regardless of who will finally be making the bricks, they will come from a nearby constructor.
17. Are there any limitations on the materials in the price list?
No, you can use any material from that list.
18. What kind of purification system do they have to be able to drink the water from the source? Would it be possible to collect, purify and use the rain water (to drink, cook and shower)?
They take the water directly from wells or from sources like the one you can see in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP3WdHTBnco). Sometimes they boil it but other times they drink it directly, which actually causes them to have terrible diseases. The rainwater collection option is actually very much needed considering their problem with the water, so yes, we do recommend it.
19. Should furniture be included in the 20,000 euros?
Yes, that budget is a maximum that the family has set. That amount of money is actually a lot for a family in that region of Africa, so it should be more than enough to cover the project. And actually, it is desirable to adjust the budget as much as possible. The jury team will highly evaluate those proposals that use the money very efficiently.
20. Do I have to present a calculation that shows the expenditure of 20,000 euros?
Although it is not mandatory, we do prefer it if you can show us the numbers (you can place them in the board or in the text file). (Just to make it clear again, it is not necessary to spend all of the 20.000€ set as maximum)
21. Is the collected rainwater used for what needs?
The collected rainwater can be used for the shower, latrine, cooking, cleaning and even for drinking if it is purified.
22. The cost of the workers is to be considered within 20,000 euros or only the cost of materials?
Everything must be included within the 20.000 euros.
23. Do you have any examples of traditional dwellings of the Iraqw tribe?
The Iraqw tribe actually builds exactly like the huts that the Jorejick family has now. You can google "Iraqw tribe hut" and you'll find some images (example here)
24. Are you looking to keep the traditional architecture for the project?
The most important thing for this project is that it can be easily built using local materials, and that you keep it as cheap as possible. We are not looking for a particular look in terms of architecture aesthetics. You are free to give it the style you want as long as you respect those three rules (easy to build, local materials, cheap).
25. Can you provide further information regarding the distribution of people in the bedrooms; gender, age, number of people?
According to Paulo and Sonia, they normally don't even sleep in the same hut every night. They change beds and huts every now and then, and basically end up sharing beds and spaces with different people every night. For that reason it is very difficult to establish who will be sleeping in each room. The house should have 6 bedrooms and each bedroom should have 2 to 3 beds, so they can distribute as they like every night.
26. Is it usual for people to share common spaces in the same building in which they have their bedrooms or are separate units assigned for such purpose?
Yes, it is very usual considering that their huts only have one single space. At the end of the day that fact is the cause why they only use the huts to sleep or cook when it rains. The lack of a decent space forces them to spend most of the time outside.
27. Is the area subjected to flooding during the rain season?
Although it rains a lot, the water drains very efficiently in that ground and it normally doesn't flood.
28. Is Nico's house considered part of the 6 bedrooms?
No, the 6 bedrooms will be built in the new house. Nico and his wife will live in Nico's house.
29. Can the neighbors path be modified?
No, you should keep the path as it is now.
30. Is the access point at the lower edge fix or is it along the length of that side of the plot next to the pasture of the cattle?
It is along that edge.
31. Does the family need one entire home for the twelve members, Which means all of them will share the same entrance? Or they prefer some kind of detached House? If so, in their opinion, How many detached units would the design provide and for which members of the family?
They will be using an entire house for the whole family. Take into account that most of them are actually very young or even small kids. They will need different rooms, but all in the same house.
32. How many neighbours go through the site? Can you specify their path and routine?
Two families go through the site, their paths are marked in this page with two arrows. They are families of 8 to 10 people (each family). Their routine is very similar to every family in the zone. Kids that are able to go to school go every day from Monday to Friday, and if they have to buy anything from the town they also cross the plot to go to Getamock.
33. In the briefing, its says that it needs 2 showers and 2 latrines. My doubt is about the 2 latrines: Is it for simultaneous use or for case of mantenence, that one is going to be interdit and the other will be on use?
They are for simultaneous use.
34. Is there a maximum size for the jorejick's house?
No, there is no maximum size, but take into account that the price should be as low as possible so that will influence the house size.
frequently asked questions (faq) - senegal elementary school
1 - Is there any rule or requirement to leave site margins? If yes, can you please specify how many meters on all sides?
No, there is no setback requirement in the plot. Actually, one of the current classrooms is built now in the limit of the south facade.
2 - Is there a maximum size for the school?
There is no minimum or maximum size for the school. The only requirement regarding dimensions is that each classroom has to be 63 m2.
3 - Are there specific requirements for the maximum height of the building?
No, there are no requirements regarding the height of the building. Keep in mind though that we are looking for something easy to build by local people so it has to be something reasonable.
4 - Is it obligatory to have all the mentioned functions in the program under the same roof (all in one building)?
You can have separate buildings; it is not necessary to have all functions under the same roof.
5 - Are you looking to keep the traditional architecture for the project?
The main goal is to build something with local materials and easy to learn by the local people. Its appearance doesn't have to follow the traditional architecture if you don't want to, that is up to you.
6 - What will the school schedule be?
The school schedule will be from 8am to 12pm and then from 3pm to 7pm from Monday to Friday. Also, from 8am to 12pm on Saturday.
7 - Can you provide further information regarding the distribution of people in the school; gender, age, number of people?
Classroom level 5eme: 30 students, 17 girls, 13 boys
Classroom level 4eme: 35 students, 15 girls, 20 boys
Classroom level 3eme: 42 students, 24 girls, 18 boys
Classroom level 2nde: 67 students, 24 girls, 43 boys
Classroom level 1ere: 45 students, 25 girls, 20 garcons
Classroom terminale section L2: 65 students, 35 girls, 30 boys
Classroom terminale section L1: 54 students, 20 girls, 34 boys
The organization of the school is making last decisions about who will be finally using the school, since there are a lot of kids to be relocated and there are also some other schools in the town. Last news that have arrived to Let's Build My School state that the users of the school will finally be kids from 13 to 17 years old (so it would be more a High School rather than Elementary School), and two classrooms could be used as Vocational Education (a school for young adults (from 18 to 26) where they would learn about common skilled jobs in the area.
8 - Can you share any other information about local building materials, their cost, and their dimensions? Or websites where this information is available?
Marsassoum is in a very remote area of Senegal. Getting industrial building materials is very difficult and that is the reason why "Let's build my school" looks for something built only using local materials. There are no web pages about building material companies in the area, and therefore it is very difficult to know the prices. For now, the files in the 3. BUDGET folder sent after registration are a good compilation of prices that we've been able to find.
9 - Are there any limitations on the materials in the price list?
As said before, you can use other materials as long as you make sure they are available in the area. To give you an example, if your design uses recycled plastic bottles, it is not mentioned in the price list, but it is very probable that we are able to find the material in the area. In general, common recycled materials such as tires, cans, bottles will be easy to find.
10 - Is the area subjected to flooding during the rainy season? If yes, can you please share some statistics?
No, since its creation there hasnt been any flooding in the vicinity of the school and surroundings.
11 – Based on nearby wells, what could be the level of water table (underground water depth) on the site?
The well built in the plot has a depth of around 4 meters and it can’t barely get any water, so we would say that at least 5 meters.
12 – What are the dimensions of the water tanks?
They are not really used to have water tanks in their buildings. Water supply comes directly from water wells and taps. We have not been able to find a seller of water tanks in the area, but we could maybe get it from a nearby city such as Ziguinchor. Another option is to build it ourselves.
13 - What are the nominal dimensions of the clay bricks at your place?
The clay bricks are built on site so they can be any size you find appropriate. Some possible sizes are L40cm x W20cm x D5cm/10cm/11cm/12cm
14 - What is the predominant soil type in the region?
The predominant soil type is clay.
15 - How will the school fulfill the water needs, is there any pipe connection that will bring fresh water to the building?
There's no plan on fulfilling the water needs connecting any pipe to the school. The school will manage to function with the well and the collected rainwater if your design considers it. If that's not enough, they'll go to the nearest public well.
16 - Can we change the place of the well?
The well is going to be demolished so you don't have to consider it anymore.
17 - Toilets are regular contemporary toilets or dry latrines? If the answer is dry latrines, what type is used currently?
They are currently using pit latrines, which are the most basic. Any improvement in that area will be highly evaluated.
18 - Are there any particular requirements for sewage treatment?
There are drainage channels in the streets and paths of the village which dump the water in the river.
19 - How is rubbish dealt with? Is it burnt? Buried at landfill? Recycled?
The rubbish is generally burnt within the school vicinity behind the classrooms.
20 - What are the native and the most suitable species of trees to implant in the project?
The most common and suitable are mango tree and kassia tree.
21 - Are we able to find wood for construction in Marsassoum? What are the measures and prices?
Yes, we have been able to find a local vendor that sells wood that can be used for the structure in Marsassoum. We can find either bamboo or wooden beams and their sizes are:
Length can be 2,4,6 and 8 meters and diameter 6/7/8/9/10/12 cm for both wooden beams and bamboo.
Prices are 5000 FCFA for 4m length and 8 cm diameter or 6000 FCFA for 6m length and 9cm diameter. You can use this reference to estimate other size prices.
22 - Are they able to saw the wood, or do they buy the pieces of wood with standard measures?
The pieces of wood come in standard measures of 2, 4, 6 and 8 meters of length.
23 - Is bamboo an easy material to get? Could we use it for structural elements of the project?
Yes, and besides the structural bamboo detailed in the previous questions we can also find non-structural pieces with a diameter of 6mm to 12mm that can be used for fencing or create panels, for example a woven bamboo wall.
24 - How will the children be transported to the school?
Most of the students go to school walking for those living in the area. The students living in further villages such as Marsassoum Santos, Taiba, Djibabouya, Manguir, Diafar douma, Santos go to school by bike.
25 - What type of meals do kids usually eat at school? At what times do they eat?
They bring a snack for the morning break or buy something (a sandwich or sweets) from the street around the school. They go home for lunch time and come back after lunch for afternoon classes. If we create a canteen in the school, they would be able to have lunch there.
26 - Can we build a 2-story building?
Regarding the 2-story building. Yes, that is a possibility. But take into account some things:
1. The NGO has never built 2 story buildings.
2. It can be more expensive to build 2-story buildings since it is more complicated.
3. Most importantly, it has to be built by volunteers and local people, so keep in mind that the construction has to be easy.
If you consider these three aspects and you make sure your design respects them, you are free to build a 2-story building.
27 - Is rammed earth construction a convenient or common method used in this area?
Building with earth in the area is common as it is the main available material. The technique of rammed earth is not known. Usually, they do bricks with an earth mix. Unfortunately, the current bricks they are making are not stabilized which make the building collapse before 5 years. If you decide to make bricks, they would have to be stabilized.
28 - When you describe “roof” in excel, are you talking about sheet its metal sheets? What do you mean be “metal stick” and wire netting?
The section roof includes the metal structure and the corrugated metal sheets with fixings and workmanship.
The metal sticks and wire netting are related to the superadobe construction. We used metal sticks to fix one bag with the other below and the wire netting to wrap the walls made of superadobe before applying the coating layers.
We have added a document in the 3.BUDGET folder of the material where you will be able to find more specific prices for metal bars and panels.
29- Could the school's access door be moved?
Yes, the current access to the school can be moved to a different place.
30 - Is the mandated 63 square meter classroom required to be a 7m x 9m rectangle, or can the proportions/shape be altered?
Official schools built by the Government have to be 7x9, but in this case proportions can be altered as long as the size is around 63m2.
31- Is the fence around the school going to be demolished?
It is going to be rebuilt for sure since it is in very bad conditions currently, so you can propose a new one in your designs.
32- Considering that the well almost has no water, can we demolish it?
Regarding the well, we've been talking to the school organization in Marsassoum. We've asked them about the well and considering that almost no water was coming out of it, we all have decided to demolish it. It made no sense to preserve something that was useless and was limiting your design possibilities.
33 - For the Senegal Elementary School competition, what is the projection in front of the latrine already on site?
That's the latrines deposit, you may see it better in this picture, that you can find in the material folder. The latrines evacuate to this deposit, which also has a ventilation system with the pipe on the left corner.
34 - Can we reuse the materials shown in the pictures of the current school? E.g. woven bamboo walls and metal roof.
Yes, you can reuse the materials of the current school. Keep in mind though that some of these materials are in a pretty bad condition (some woven bamboo walls are broken, some panels are bended, etc). But yes, anything that can reduce costs is welcome.
35 - How big are the polypropylene bags? Is there a variety of bag sizes?
W400mmx800mm
W550mmx950mm
36 - Is straw available in the area?
Yes, it is.
37 - Is lime available in the area?
Yes, it is.
38 - We can't find the project area on google maps. Can you give us a link to the exact location of the area?
https://goo.gl/maps/MWXCaByewXv8XufV7
39 - What vegetables are grown in the area?
Millet, rice, corn, and sorghum are the primary food crops grown in the area.
40 - Can wooden beams be cut in half?
Yes, they can.
41 - Does the project have to have a fence or a wall separating the buildings from the street, or we can settle the buildings right on the edge of the plot, so that the windows would open directly to the street?
As long as there is a gate that we can close when the school is closed, there is no issue having the building going to the border of the land straight on the street. Wherever there is no building there would have to be a fence of some type because otherwise people could get inside of it at any time.
42 - How open would the community be to a thatched roofing solution?
As long as it is a long lasting and efficient solution there is no issue. You can use any material you want as long as you make sure it doesn't have to be rebuilt every rainy season.
43 - We haven't come across any examples of traditional architecture in this region, can you share some examples of vernacular architecture of the village?
Please have a look at this page to learn more about the vernacular architecture in the region: https://pourquoijaimelesenegal.com/decouvertes/merveilles-du-senegal/660-casamance-l-habitat-traditionnel-diola
44 - What is the approximate Height of the adjacent building on the north side of the site?
The approximate height of the building is 5 meters.
45 - Is the concrete slab in front of the current latrine block an alternate latrine position?
No, that's the current latrine deposit. The latrines evacuate there, which also has a ventilation system with the pipe on the left corner. See picture “20151227_134613” in the Pictures folder of the material.
46 - Is the actual class furniture going to be preserved or are we able to design a new one? if we are, are we still using the same budget?
You can decide to preserve it or to use new furniture. If you decide to use new furniture, it must be included in the same budget.
47 - In what form is laterite available locally (raw blocks, wet clay, powder)?
It only exists in the soil a few kilometers away, we don’t have any blocks there or any other form. The soil there is really rich in clay so if we build using that material we will have to do tests on site to measure how much clay we have on the soil and work from there with the correct composition to create blocks.
48- What are the actual plot limits?
After talking to the local promoters of the school in Marsassoum, we've been able to clarify that the actual plot of the building can be extended around 1 meter in the North-West corner and 6 meters in the South facade, occupying part of what now is being used as street and water drainage. With that change, we are able to gain almost 250 very useful square meters.
Please be aware that there's an electric pole in the South-West corner of the plot. It should be kept outside the school. See second 30 of the video AROUND SCHOOL in the material folder.
We have updated the AutoCAD file of the material we've sent you with the new changes. You will se a new layer with a proposed new limit.
No, there is no setback requirement in the plot. Actually, one of the current classrooms is built now in the limit of the south facade.
2 - Is there a maximum size for the school?
There is no minimum or maximum size for the school. The only requirement regarding dimensions is that each classroom has to be 63 m2.
3 - Are there specific requirements for the maximum height of the building?
No, there are no requirements regarding the height of the building. Keep in mind though that we are looking for something easy to build by local people so it has to be something reasonable.
4 - Is it obligatory to have all the mentioned functions in the program under the same roof (all in one building)?
You can have separate buildings; it is not necessary to have all functions under the same roof.
5 - Are you looking to keep the traditional architecture for the project?
The main goal is to build something with local materials and easy to learn by the local people. Its appearance doesn't have to follow the traditional architecture if you don't want to, that is up to you.
6 - What will the school schedule be?
The school schedule will be from 8am to 12pm and then from 3pm to 7pm from Monday to Friday. Also, from 8am to 12pm on Saturday.
7 - Can you provide further information regarding the distribution of people in the school; gender, age, number of people?
Classroom level 5eme: 30 students, 17 girls, 13 boys
Classroom level 4eme: 35 students, 15 girls, 20 boys
Classroom level 3eme: 42 students, 24 girls, 18 boys
Classroom level 2nde: 67 students, 24 girls, 43 boys
Classroom level 1ere: 45 students, 25 girls, 20 garcons
Classroom terminale section L2: 65 students, 35 girls, 30 boys
Classroom terminale section L1: 54 students, 20 girls, 34 boys
The organization of the school is making last decisions about who will be finally using the school, since there are a lot of kids to be relocated and there are also some other schools in the town. Last news that have arrived to Let's Build My School state that the users of the school will finally be kids from 13 to 17 years old (so it would be more a High School rather than Elementary School), and two classrooms could be used as Vocational Education (a school for young adults (from 18 to 26) where they would learn about common skilled jobs in the area.
8 - Can you share any other information about local building materials, their cost, and their dimensions? Or websites where this information is available?
Marsassoum is in a very remote area of Senegal. Getting industrial building materials is very difficult and that is the reason why "Let's build my school" looks for something built only using local materials. There are no web pages about building material companies in the area, and therefore it is very difficult to know the prices. For now, the files in the 3. BUDGET folder sent after registration are a good compilation of prices that we've been able to find.
9 - Are there any limitations on the materials in the price list?
As said before, you can use other materials as long as you make sure they are available in the area. To give you an example, if your design uses recycled plastic bottles, it is not mentioned in the price list, but it is very probable that we are able to find the material in the area. In general, common recycled materials such as tires, cans, bottles will be easy to find.
10 - Is the area subjected to flooding during the rainy season? If yes, can you please share some statistics?
No, since its creation there hasnt been any flooding in the vicinity of the school and surroundings.
11 – Based on nearby wells, what could be the level of water table (underground water depth) on the site?
The well built in the plot has a depth of around 4 meters and it can’t barely get any water, so we would say that at least 5 meters.
12 – What are the dimensions of the water tanks?
They are not really used to have water tanks in their buildings. Water supply comes directly from water wells and taps. We have not been able to find a seller of water tanks in the area, but we could maybe get it from a nearby city such as Ziguinchor. Another option is to build it ourselves.
13 - What are the nominal dimensions of the clay bricks at your place?
The clay bricks are built on site so they can be any size you find appropriate. Some possible sizes are L40cm x W20cm x D5cm/10cm/11cm/12cm
14 - What is the predominant soil type in the region?
The predominant soil type is clay.
15 - How will the school fulfill the water needs, is there any pipe connection that will bring fresh water to the building?
There's no plan on fulfilling the water needs connecting any pipe to the school. The school will manage to function with the well and the collected rainwater if your design considers it. If that's not enough, they'll go to the nearest public well.
16 - Can we change the place of the well?
The well is going to be demolished so you don't have to consider it anymore.
17 - Toilets are regular contemporary toilets or dry latrines? If the answer is dry latrines, what type is used currently?
They are currently using pit latrines, which are the most basic. Any improvement in that area will be highly evaluated.
18 - Are there any particular requirements for sewage treatment?
There are drainage channels in the streets and paths of the village which dump the water in the river.
19 - How is rubbish dealt with? Is it burnt? Buried at landfill? Recycled?
The rubbish is generally burnt within the school vicinity behind the classrooms.
20 - What are the native and the most suitable species of trees to implant in the project?
The most common and suitable are mango tree and kassia tree.
21 - Are we able to find wood for construction in Marsassoum? What are the measures and prices?
Yes, we have been able to find a local vendor that sells wood that can be used for the structure in Marsassoum. We can find either bamboo or wooden beams and their sizes are:
Length can be 2,4,6 and 8 meters and diameter 6/7/8/9/10/12 cm for both wooden beams and bamboo.
Prices are 5000 FCFA for 4m length and 8 cm diameter or 6000 FCFA for 6m length and 9cm diameter. You can use this reference to estimate other size prices.
22 - Are they able to saw the wood, or do they buy the pieces of wood with standard measures?
The pieces of wood come in standard measures of 2, 4, 6 and 8 meters of length.
23 - Is bamboo an easy material to get? Could we use it for structural elements of the project?
Yes, and besides the structural bamboo detailed in the previous questions we can also find non-structural pieces with a diameter of 6mm to 12mm that can be used for fencing or create panels, for example a woven bamboo wall.
24 - How will the children be transported to the school?
Most of the students go to school walking for those living in the area. The students living in further villages such as Marsassoum Santos, Taiba, Djibabouya, Manguir, Diafar douma, Santos go to school by bike.
25 - What type of meals do kids usually eat at school? At what times do they eat?
They bring a snack for the morning break or buy something (a sandwich or sweets) from the street around the school. They go home for lunch time and come back after lunch for afternoon classes. If we create a canteen in the school, they would be able to have lunch there.
26 - Can we build a 2-story building?
Regarding the 2-story building. Yes, that is a possibility. But take into account some things:
1. The NGO has never built 2 story buildings.
2. It can be more expensive to build 2-story buildings since it is more complicated.
3. Most importantly, it has to be built by volunteers and local people, so keep in mind that the construction has to be easy.
If you consider these three aspects and you make sure your design respects them, you are free to build a 2-story building.
27 - Is rammed earth construction a convenient or common method used in this area?
Building with earth in the area is common as it is the main available material. The technique of rammed earth is not known. Usually, they do bricks with an earth mix. Unfortunately, the current bricks they are making are not stabilized which make the building collapse before 5 years. If you decide to make bricks, they would have to be stabilized.
28 - When you describe “roof” in excel, are you talking about sheet its metal sheets? What do you mean be “metal stick” and wire netting?
The section roof includes the metal structure and the corrugated metal sheets with fixings and workmanship.
The metal sticks and wire netting are related to the superadobe construction. We used metal sticks to fix one bag with the other below and the wire netting to wrap the walls made of superadobe before applying the coating layers.
We have added a document in the 3.BUDGET folder of the material where you will be able to find more specific prices for metal bars and panels.
29- Could the school's access door be moved?
Yes, the current access to the school can be moved to a different place.
30 - Is the mandated 63 square meter classroom required to be a 7m x 9m rectangle, or can the proportions/shape be altered?
Official schools built by the Government have to be 7x9, but in this case proportions can be altered as long as the size is around 63m2.
31- Is the fence around the school going to be demolished?
It is going to be rebuilt for sure since it is in very bad conditions currently, so you can propose a new one in your designs.
32- Considering that the well almost has no water, can we demolish it?
Regarding the well, we've been talking to the school organization in Marsassoum. We've asked them about the well and considering that almost no water was coming out of it, we all have decided to demolish it. It made no sense to preserve something that was useless and was limiting your design possibilities.
33 - For the Senegal Elementary School competition, what is the projection in front of the latrine already on site?
That's the latrines deposit, you may see it better in this picture, that you can find in the material folder. The latrines evacuate to this deposit, which also has a ventilation system with the pipe on the left corner.
34 - Can we reuse the materials shown in the pictures of the current school? E.g. woven bamboo walls and metal roof.
Yes, you can reuse the materials of the current school. Keep in mind though that some of these materials are in a pretty bad condition (some woven bamboo walls are broken, some panels are bended, etc). But yes, anything that can reduce costs is welcome.
35 - How big are the polypropylene bags? Is there a variety of bag sizes?
W400mmx800mm
W550mmx950mm
36 - Is straw available in the area?
Yes, it is.
37 - Is lime available in the area?
Yes, it is.
38 - We can't find the project area on google maps. Can you give us a link to the exact location of the area?
https://goo.gl/maps/MWXCaByewXv8XufV7
39 - What vegetables are grown in the area?
Millet, rice, corn, and sorghum are the primary food crops grown in the area.
40 - Can wooden beams be cut in half?
Yes, they can.
41 - Does the project have to have a fence or a wall separating the buildings from the street, or we can settle the buildings right on the edge of the plot, so that the windows would open directly to the street?
As long as there is a gate that we can close when the school is closed, there is no issue having the building going to the border of the land straight on the street. Wherever there is no building there would have to be a fence of some type because otherwise people could get inside of it at any time.
42 - How open would the community be to a thatched roofing solution?
As long as it is a long lasting and efficient solution there is no issue. You can use any material you want as long as you make sure it doesn't have to be rebuilt every rainy season.
43 - We haven't come across any examples of traditional architecture in this region, can you share some examples of vernacular architecture of the village?
Please have a look at this page to learn more about the vernacular architecture in the region: https://pourquoijaimelesenegal.com/decouvertes/merveilles-du-senegal/660-casamance-l-habitat-traditionnel-diola
44 - What is the approximate Height of the adjacent building on the north side of the site?
The approximate height of the building is 5 meters.
45 - Is the concrete slab in front of the current latrine block an alternate latrine position?
No, that's the current latrine deposit. The latrines evacuate there, which also has a ventilation system with the pipe on the left corner. See picture “20151227_134613” in the Pictures folder of the material.
46 - Is the actual class furniture going to be preserved or are we able to design a new one? if we are, are we still using the same budget?
You can decide to preserve it or to use new furniture. If you decide to use new furniture, it must be included in the same budget.
47 - In what form is laterite available locally (raw blocks, wet clay, powder)?
It only exists in the soil a few kilometers away, we don’t have any blocks there or any other form. The soil there is really rich in clay so if we build using that material we will have to do tests on site to measure how much clay we have on the soil and work from there with the correct composition to create blocks.
48- What are the actual plot limits?
After talking to the local promoters of the school in Marsassoum, we've been able to clarify that the actual plot of the building can be extended around 1 meter in the North-West corner and 6 meters in the South facade, occupying part of what now is being used as street and water drainage. With that change, we are able to gain almost 250 very useful square meters.
Please be aware that there's an electric pole in the South-West corner of the plot. It should be kept outside the school. See second 30 of the video AROUND SCHOOL in the material folder.
We have updated the AutoCAD file of the material we've sent you with the new changes. You will se a new layer with a proposed new limit.
49 - Is it possible to find rectangular sections for wooden beams?
The members of the NGO have not traveled to the site yet and therefore it is difficult to know the exact type of materials that they will be able to buy. We know now some price references and sizes but it won't be until the construction starts when we will know the details of the materials that are actually available. In this phase of the project it is important to remark that we are looking for a general idea that will be detailed once the winner is chosen. If your project ends up being the winner, the NGO will try to find all the materials that you propose, and if any of them are not available the project will have to be modified to fit the materials that they do have. Having said that, resources like wood, clay, rocks, etc. are very easy to find so you can propose any type in your design and we will manage to find them. We think that we won't have much problems finding rectangular sections.
50 - If we choose to build on the limit of the plot, is it possible for the roof to overhang the boundary?
Yes, the roof can pass the boundary of the plot.
The members of the NGO have not traveled to the site yet and therefore it is difficult to know the exact type of materials that they will be able to buy. We know now some price references and sizes but it won't be until the construction starts when we will know the details of the materials that are actually available. In this phase of the project it is important to remark that we are looking for a general idea that will be detailed once the winner is chosen. If your project ends up being the winner, the NGO will try to find all the materials that you propose, and if any of them are not available the project will have to be modified to fit the materials that they do have. Having said that, resources like wood, clay, rocks, etc. are very easy to find so you can propose any type in your design and we will manage to find them. We think that we won't have much problems finding rectangular sections.
50 - If we choose to build on the limit of the plot, is it possible for the roof to overhang the boundary?
Yes, the roof can pass the boundary of the plot.