This week, we bring you innovative building designs that not only catch the eye but are also cost and labour efficient. From as low as N3.7m these buildings are also very quick to build with some completely constructed in just about two weeks. <br/><br/>
When building a new house, the first major concern for the man in the street is cost. Recent articles have revealed that a three bedroom bungalow averagely costs over N7m to build (exclusive of 20-30% contractor overhead) and could reach up to N20m depending on the quality of finishing used. Part of cost is labour and contractor overhead which often shoot up if the construction period extends beyond expectation. <br/><br/>
Consequently, you will be concerned with the time it takes to complete a building project. Building a house, especially during the rainy season can be a very problematic with lots of delays and possible mishaps during construction stretching the timeframe for the project. <br/><br/>
Roll in these new building types and you cut down not only on time but also your overall cost while having very unique designs. <br/><br/>
After discovering this design in London’s Greenwich area some years back, Dapo Ojo kept tabs on the project and found that it was started by some British architects as an experiment to see if affordable and energy efficient buildings could be constructed out of containers. The success of the project ensured its permanence and the architects found out that by using the right insulation materials the temperature inside the container houses could be constant for long stretches of time. <br/><br/>
Following another research into a Dutch university’s housing system using the same design, he came back to Nigeria and started off with a single container which he reconfigured into a reception area and two offices complete with two toilets. Executing it perfectly, he decided to move on to a full sized 4 bedroom home. <br/><br/>
Using shipping containers for building has many advantages part of which is that they are built to be water and air tight allowing the temperature in the container to be maintained for long periods. This means that if you put on your air conditioner for about 2 hours and then switch it off, the interior will maintain that temperature for some more hours and this has implications for your energy bills. Shipping container houses are extremely energy efficient if proper lagging material (insulation) between the outer container wall and the finishing of the interior wall is used. <br/><br/>
Generally, this design is estimated to save between 30% and 45% off the cost of traditional buildings. Since containers come with ready-made walls and floors, you do not spend anything on these. Finishing costs are virtually the same they are the same price so, like traditional buildings, the level of finishing determines the overall cost. <br/><br/>
The main challenge with using containers is that they are constant in dimensions and typically cannot be expanded vertically. This means that a shipping container which has a 3-metre headroom would come to a height of around 2.5 – 2.6 metres after fitting in the ceiling material, eliminating space for attaching ceiling fans, chandeliers or other hanging fixtures. The lattice structure of the container prevents any interference with the base or top without compromising its structural integrity. This allows only lateral expansion and to construct a storey building out of containers, other materials have to be incorporated. <br/><br/>
Despite this flaw, the design saves a lot of time and is very portable such that if you are tired of one area and have land in another, you just simply move the containers and re-install in the new location. Interesting, did I hear you say? <br/><br/>
The Prefabricated Modular Design
This design, from Unitek Modular Builders (Nigeria) Ltd., offers quick to set-up, easy to maintain, cost and labour efficient modular housing construction system. It was introduced to aid the resolution of the housing shortage problem and upgrade the living environment in Nigeria. <br/><br/>
The design is structured with light gauged steel coated with thin shell concrete. This can be produced in local factories with high quality control and sustainability enabling the manufacturing of up to five houses per week. Houses produced are affordable, durable, sustainable, energy efficient and environment friendly. <br/><br/>
The process involves rolling core steel into studs using a roll former. The 16-day construction starts with the framing, when the studs are assembled into wall panels and roof trusses. At this time, the preparation of the foundation also starts and takes seven days to be ready. The framing of both panels and trusses takes a day each. The panels are attached with reinforcing meshes and later filled with concrete which cures over three days. By this time, the foundation is fully ready. <br/><br/>
The pre-casted panels are then moved, along with the trusses, to the site where installation is done. The panels are braced and installed onsite for about two days with another three days for the installation of roof trusses, purlins, insulation and roofing. Just before the installation of the roof trusses is the positioning of sanitary wares. The final two days sees the fixing of doors, windows and other details. At the end of the 16th day, your house is ready to be inhabited. <br/><br/>
There are presently two housing types: the Types A and B. Type A is a 90sqm two bedroom bungalow which has a factory cost of N5.5m while Type B is a 120sqm three bedroom bungalow and has a factory cost of N6m. However, the total cost still depends on the installation location as well as the quantity and type of soil used for foundation. <br/><br/>
The Straight and Squiggle
James Inedu George of Hub Ct Technologies produced this design out of the desire to give low income clients something to cheer about and kick against the current architectural trend in Nigeria. His design, which costs just N3.7m, is a building of approximately 150 square meters in area. <br/><br/>
The building’s program is divided into two: Straight and Squiggle, with the occupant of the house arranging the spaces in the way which best suites him or her but basically, it involves one half of the building with walls at regular angles and another half of the building with curved walls both internally and externally. The straight areas could for example involve three bedrooms, all of them being ensuite, the master bedroom being approximately 30 square metres and the other bedrooms being approximately 25 square metres and a kitchen which is approximately 20 square metres. The squiggle areas could consist of the “living space” which is approximately 40 square metres, made up of the living room and dining. It is through this area that the building would be accessed, via a triangular front porch. Due to the shapes of the various rooms, there would be a spatial distortion, such that the rooms might give the illusion of being larger than they actually are. <br/><br/>
The partition walls would be made of polycarbonate material and finished with tyrolene mixed with black or white paint. The structure is covered by a lean-to roof which helps to collect rainwater for flushing and keeping the green areas green all year long. Cooling of the building is achieved through the flow of air through the squiggle spaces, the green area’s natural cooling, and the reflective nature of the finishing of the building which would make sure a lot of the heat is reflected off the building. Composite Louvre walls would be used extensively in the construction and these walls would be able to open and close, thereby keeping down the noise levels from generators and road traffic. It should be noted that the cost of burglary proofs is not included in the N3.7m total cost. The N1m set aside for finishes include basic floor finishes, lighting and painting. <br/><br/>
When asked about the design, the architect said “Our hope is for the building to be built in the near future by a process of industrialization. Our method of creating affordability is a system of grouping. We build only where necessary. As such, the built parts can be assembled industrially and brought to site. So our building is a straight bar of continuous construction and squiggled line, full stop.” <br/><br/>
The IKAL Series
This is a range of turnkey contemporary homes that are available to you from N15m. These houses are produced by Kuramo Homes & Projects, a subsidiary of the same company that manufactures the popular Kuramo Doors. They are precision built and finished by in-house architectural, engineering, construction, manufacturing and fit-out teams. <br/><br/>
The series starts with the IKAL 302/303, which are three bedroom bungalows all the way to the IKAL 414/515/516, range of four and five bedroom detached houses. The specifications include three to five bedrooms with sizes of 117sqm to 440sqm. They will be fitted with doors, kitchens and wardrobes all with the Kuramo quality. The floor tiles, bathrooms and light fittings and fixtures are all top-notch with the extra option of using designer kitchens and bathrooms as well as home automation systems. <br/><br/>
All homes are available in three variants: Shell, Completed and Developed. <br/><br/>
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New Building Practices that Save Cost & Time >> This week, we bring you innovative building designs that not only catch the eye but are also cost and labour efficient. From as low as N3.7m these buildings are also very quick to build with some completely constructed in just about two weeks. Dipo Afola By: Vivian otusi 31/05/2012 Read more... Comments(0)
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LEKKI BUSINESS DISTRICT >> WTES Ltd intends to develop a 10.9hectare site at the Lekki Maiyegun Tourism zone into a modern
market.
The project is part of a 61.08 hectares mixed development known as Lekki Business District.
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