Tamarind Meadows
The next attraction for home buyers
Middle income Kenyans are today spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a home. In the capital Nairobi, new properties in the form of apartments, maisonettes and single unit dwellings are coming up at an unprecedented rate. Francis Makari recently visited Tamarind Meadows, a new residential estate coming up off Mombasa Road..
In order to make their properties more appealing, developers have been forced to be more considerate not only in home design but also in selecting locations for their properties. Home buyers, many of whom have families, are seeking to reside not just in elegant houses but also in those that are located in close proximity to essential services.
They are particularly concerned about schools, shopping centres, health facilities and easy access to main roads linking them to the city centre where many of them commute to work or run businesses. Other critical considerations are availability of clean water, sewage disposal and good security.
In recent years, Mombasa Road has become a popular choice for home buyers and developers have invested heavily in residential properties along this road.
Most of the development has been taking place between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Athi River. Although a large section of this area falls under Mavoko Municipality in Machakos District, it is still regarded as part of the greater Nairobi. Indeed the government has broached the idea of extending the metropolitan to encompass these areas in the future. Home buyers flocking to this area share the common dream of living in an area that has a country-side aura, yet has all the facilities one would expect to find in a city suburb.
One of the newest projects here is Tamarind Meadows, a development by Tamarind Meadows Limited.
Tamarind CEO Joe Mungai says they decided to put up these houses to cater for the middle-income bracket. He says the houses attracted immense interest at the Kenya London Expo last year, a situation that was replicated at the recently concluded Kenya Homes Expo in Nairobi.
Designed by AKA Studio, an architectural practice in Nairobi, Tamarind Meadows consists of 208 residential houses in three distinct designs to cater for different tastes and financial abilities of buyers. There are maisonnettes, semi-detached and detached houses.
Maisonnettes
Each maisonnette sits on a plot measuring 160 square metres, and has three bedrooms. The master is en-suite and comprises both shower and tub. The lounge and diner are well-proportioned, opening up to a spacious kitchen. Buyers are being offered an option for a separate servant quarters.
A unique feature in all these houses is a passage that enables one to access the rear without going through the main house. The architects have carefully designed these houses to give occupants a feel of a fully detached compound even within the maisonette setting.
The semi-detached houses have three bedrooms out of which two share a common bathroom. The master en-suite comes with a bath tub and a shower. A fitted kitchen and a generously-sized lounge/diner are some of the houses’ attractions. A self-contained servant quarters is conveniently located at the back of the house. Each house occupies a 200 square metres plot.
Detached house
The detached house is luxurious and contains three bedrooms, all ensuite. The master bedroom has a bath tub and also features a balcony. The fitted kitchen is large and the lounge and diner are spacious. As in the semi-detached house, there is a self-contained servant quarters at the rear. The total plot area is 264 square metres.
In all the houses, locally manufactured materials have been used except for sanitary ware. Roofing tiles are sourced from Kenya Clay while floor tiles are supplied by Saj Ceramics.
The Estate
Construction works commenced in November 2008 and are being undertaken in three phases with the first phase scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2010. The entire project is expected to be done by 2012 and will cost approximately US$ 12.5 million. However, a show house is ready for viewing by prospective buyers and many units have already been reserved or purchased.
When complete, there will be three recreational parks, a perimeter wall with one gate for enhanced security and adequate street lighting. The roads, driveways and pavements will utilize concrete paving blocks for aesthetics and durability. Landscaping is being given special attention with generous use of trees, shrubs and green areas.
Also envisaged are CCTV and fibre-optic cable connectivity. Water will be provided by the Mavoko Municipal Council and will be boosted by supply from the existing EPZ line. Sewage disposal will be provided on site. According to the architects, sewage treatment will be superior and will enable residents to reuse the same water in watering gardens and flushing toilets, thus cutting down their water bills significantly. Another attraction is the fact that all houses will have solar heating which will enable occupants to save on energy costs. AKA Studio architects Ken Agwaro and David Kitawi, who are overseeing the project, are particularly excited that this will be one of the first “green” estates, a concept that is rapidly catching on amongst developers today.
Challenges
Both Agwaro and Kitawi agree that the government of Kenya has largely neglected developers and left them on their own when it comes to infrastructural support.
“Developers have to provide access roads, sewer and also make arrangements for power, water and other essentials”, they say, adding that this escalates costs which are then inevitably passed on to home buyers.
But they are full of praise for Mavoko Municipality, which they say is more organized and tries to control development, thus ensuring that property values do not plummet due to unplanned construction that could sprout up in the neighbourhood of a well planned environment.
The cost of materials has also been going up, thus pushing up the overall cost of the project to the detriment of the developer and ultimately the home buyer.
Challenges notwithstanding, the architects feel the project is on course and will soon join a handful of excellent residential addresses on the increasingly popular Mombasa Road sector.
Project Team
Client: Tamarind Meadows Ltd
Architects: AKA Studio
Structural and Civil Engineers: Pharma Consulting Engineers
QuantitySurveyors: Getso Consultants
Electrical Engineers: Ravco Consultants
Mechanical Engineers: Webstone Consulting Engineers
Main Contractors: China Zhonxing Construction Co. Ltd
Plumbing Sub-Contractors: China Zhongxing Construction Co. Ltd
Electrical Sub-Contractors: Coronation Electrical Works Ltd
Landscape Designers/Contractors: Refuge Gardens
About the Architects
AKA Studio is a young architectural practice established just four years ago by two partners, Mr Kennedy Agwaro and Mr David Kitawi. However, both have a combined practicing experience of nearly twenty years and were active in their professions before teaming up to form AKA Studio. Mr Agwaro holds a Masters degree in Architecture from Kiev Institute of Civil Engineering in Ukraine while Mr Kitawi has a first degree in Architecture from the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
But in just that short period, the firm, which also undertakes interior design and project management, has managed to bag a number of significant projects mainly in the commercial and residential genre.
“We pride ourselves in providing quality in design and execution of projects”, says Agwaro, who has both local and international experience.
He reckons that they are now among the busiest consultancies in residential projects.
Besides Tamarind Meadows, their portfolio includes luxury townhouses and apartments in affluent Nairobi suburbs. Among them are Woodgreen Villas comprising 13 plush units and Tamarind Garden consisting of 17 townhouses. Both projects are in the up-market Lavington area.
They are also behind Elan Park, another residential development coming up off Mombasa Road. AKA Studio were also involved in the design and contract management of Valley View, an expansive residential estate in the same area. Others are Diamond Park estate and the proposed Hillcrest Park in Nairobi.
Both Agwaro and Kitawi are optimistic about the future of their consultancy, and project that in the coming years, they may make a foray into property development to utilize their skills in syndicated or joint-venture projects. They would also like to carry out projects across the regions as they feel adequately equipped to undertake such projects.
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Extelcoms House gets a Makeover
Background
The Refurbishment project for Ex-telecoms House was initiated by Telkom Kenya Limited in June, 2007 soon after France Telecom bought a controlling stake from the then ailing Telkom Kenya. The new management immediately recognized the need to transform the company into a modern telecommunication service provider. This transformation required a paradigm shift from the conservative and out-dated ways of the original Telkom Kenya. The new management sought a dynamic and a more innovative outlook in its operations hence the introduction of the Orange Brand.
Client’s brief
The objective of the consultancy was to facilitate the refurbishment and rebranding of the 30 year old Ex-Telecoms House on Haile Selasie Avenue, in Nairobi’s CBD. The consultants were challenged to transform the near- obsolete facility into an ultra-modern office to host all the technical departments of the giant telecommunications company.
Kick Off
The Project commenced in August, 2008 and was handed over in January, 2009.
Purpose of the project
The project comprises the following components:
• Meeting Rooms
The client required 9 meeting rooms all with state of the art conference facilities.
• Reception
A welcoming reception was key to portray the values of the client with a comfortable waiting lobby and an efficient and secure visitor control setup.
• Training Rooms
The client proposed 3 training rooms of different capacities for instructing staff on new technologies.
• Restaurant
A restaurant with a full kitchen was provided on the first floor
• Open Offices 6 floors of offices to house the various technical departments were considered.
• Executive Offices
Executive offices to house technical managers
• Call Centers
3 floors of call centre facilities including a staff break out with various games and café.
Unique Designs
1. Meeting Pods were located at the centre of every office space to encourage teamwork within the working environment. The meeting pods also double up as staff breakouts.
2. Three disabled toilets were considered on alternating floors to cater for the needs of the physically challenged visitors and staff.
3. Look and Feel: The interior fittings and décor are designed to reflect the values of the company. The blend of the client’s corporate colors and natural colors captures the imagination of staff and visitors alike.
Materials used
The following are the main materials that have been used in the project
1. Gypsum Partitions
2. Glass and Aluminum Partitions
3. Carpeted floors in offices
4. Granito Tiles in lobbies
5. Mahogany Door frames
6. MDF fittings
7. Acoustic and gypsum Ceiling
Challenges
The short contract period was a challenge. The project was to take 3 months from design to occupancy. This necessitated the consultants and contractors to work beyond normal working hours in order to realize the tight deadlines.