BIM Unplugged vol 1 by Megan L Suau

POLITICAL STRUCTURE

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

(80) DISTRICTS

(162) COUNTIES

Executive: President Vice President Prime Minister Cabinet Legislative: Parliament

(1) Member of Parliament Local Council V: (1) Appointed Chief Administrative Officer Elected Officials from counties / sub-counties Departments: Education Health

(1) Member of Parliament Local Council IV: (1) Chairman + Executive Committee of LC III Chairmen

Judiciary: Magistratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Courts High Court Court of Appeals Cabinet Supreme Court

Development / Planning Budgets comprised of several counties

comprised of several parrishes

(967) SUB-COUNTIES

(5342) PARRISHES

VILLAGES

DIVISONS / M

Local Council III: (1) Chairman + Executive Committee of LC II Chairmen Parliamentary Council: speaker / deputy health / development / education NGO officials

Local Council II: (1) Parrish Cheif (government employee)+ Executive Committee of LC I Chairmen

Local Council I: (1) LC I Chairman + (9)Executive Committee Members

A municipality opera A division operates

comprised of several parrishes

comprised of several villages

(50-70) households (250-1000) people

this document is under construction

A municipality operates as a county for an urban area A division operates as a sub-county for an urban area

comprised of several parrishes

comprised of several villages

(50-70) households (250-1000) people comprised of several counties

FOUNDA TIONS / RECIPE CARDS / INSTRUCTION MANUAL

b e lo w g ro u n d to g ra d e

PEOPLE

Spade Eucaplytus poles String line Measuring tape

TOOLS

1 / FIRST CORNER Project manager Foreman

Use pole to mark the first corner.

INSTRUCTIONS Using the measuring tape and string line, measure a 3/4/5 triangle and use the pythagorean theorem 2 2 2 (a + b = c ) to square the first corner. Using plumb bob, mark two adjacent corners perpidular to string line measurements by setting poles into the ground.

TOOLS

INSTRUCTIONS

Using plumb bob, mark two adjacent corners perpidular to string line measurements by setting poles into the ground.

Using the measuring tape and string line, measure a 3/4/5 triangle and use the pythagorean theorem 2 2 2 (a + b = c ) to square all corners.

PEOPLE

Spade Eucaplytus poles String line / measuring tape

2 / SETTING BUILDING FOOTPRINT Project manager Foreman

PEOPLE

Eucaplytus poles / bow saw Hammer / nails Measuring tape Spades

TOOLS

3 / SET A PERIMETER Project manager Foreman Helpers

INSTRUCTIONS Using the FOOTPRINT MARKERS as a guideline, establish a PERIMETER at least 1m / no more than 2m away from the edge of the building footprint. It is not necessary to square or plumb the perimeter edge as it will be used as an armature for string lines and their respective markers throughout the construction process. NOTES: Make sure that you can walk under / over the poles at every point around the perimeter. Plan the placement of the perimeter around future access of materials and people (ie, corners without string line markers can be cut away).

Using the FOOTPRINT MARKERS as a guide, hang STRING LINES across the site where foundation CENTERLINES occur.

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES: String lines must hang freely and CANNOT TOUCH where they intersect. String lines go up and down throughout construction, so it it important to PLAN AHEAD.

MARK where the string line CENTERLINES intersect with the PERIMETER with a nail. Label the CENTERLINE MARKS on the PERIMETER. Tie the string line tightly around the nail MARK.

Measure a 3/4/5 triangle and use the pythagorean 2 2 2 theorem (a + b = c ) at each foundation intersection.

TOOLS

PEOPLE

String line / measuring tape / plumb bob Hammer / nails Permanent marker

4 / HANG STRING LINES Project manager Foreman

Using the MARKS on the PERIMETER, measure the width of the trenches off the CENTERLINE (ie, if a trench is 600mm wide, measure 300mm on either side of the CENTERLINE MARK. Label the TRENCH MARKS on the PERIMETER.

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES: String lines must hang freely and CANNOT TOUCH where they intersect. String lines go up and down throughout construction, so it it important to PLAN AHEAD.

Use string line as before, connect the trench lines across the site.

TOOLS

PEOPLE

String line / measuring tape / plumb bob Hammer / nails Permanent marker

5 / HANG TRENCH STRING LINES

Project manager Foreman

Sand

To transf handful of lowing it t to hang fr

INSTRUCT

PEOPLE

TOOLS

6 / MARK TRENCH LINES

Project manager Foreman Helpers

DIVISONS / MUNICIPALITIES Local Council I: (1) LC I Chairman + (9)Executive Committee Members

comprised of several parrishes

VILLAGES Local Council II: (1) Parrish Cheif (government employee)+ Executive Committee of LC I Chairmen

Development / Planning Budgets

(5342) PARRISHES (1) Member of Parliament Local Council IV: (1) Chairman + Executive Committee of LC III Chairmen

Local Council III: (1) Chairman + Executive Committee of LC II Chairmen Parliamentary Council: speaker / deputy health / development / education NGO officials

(162) COUNTIES

(1) Member of Parliament Local Council V: (1) Appointed Chief Administrative Officer Elected Officials from counties / sub-counties Departments: Education Health

(967) SUB-COUNTIES (80) DISTRICTS

this document is under construction

noitcu rtsnoc rednu si tnemucod siht

The project is concerned with the moment when design and construction overlap and become plastic, indistinguishable processes. The thesis investigates, questions, and critiques current design and construction practices by Western-run NGOs and non-for-profits in East Africa, each with a significant presence in Uganda.

ABSTRACT

Much like robust BIM systems used in industrialized nations, the thesis creates a Toolkit of information stemming from the particularities of design in this region and the emergent and complex relationship between East Africa and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Western supporters. The Toolkit will be suited to the needs and complexities of working in the developing world. It will serve as a collective memory for the failures and successes of the past, as well as a comprehensive manual for those investing in crosscultural designs in the future. 7

Architectural initiatives in developing countries have become popular in recent years with an increase in nonprofit organizations, schools of architecture and young firms engaging in design for empoverished communities. This is due in part to humanitarian ethics; quick turn-around of small-scale projects; creative control that is possible in regions with few regulations; and international visibility and funding available for the work. Firm profiles and organizational structures widely vary in this field, with each organization having few projects that follow a â&#x20AC;&#x153;typicalâ&#x20AC;? or common trajectory. This is due to the multi-variable, complex management of crosscultural projects, including interfacing between Western design teams and local construction teams; transience of Westerners living in-country; inflation effects on construction costs; availablity of materials; corruption at national and local levels; fundraising constraints; and lack of reliable site information (ie, surveys). Improvisation, practical knowledge, and social interaction characterize operations on-the-ground, yet these processes are sometimes in direct conflict with traditional Western managment operations that are inherently imported with the designs. As this type of architectural practice emerges and operations increase, few of these improvised processes are well understood or documented outside of individuals directly engaged in the work. It is also worth noting that, in the case-study country of Uganda, currently 30% of the federal budget is supplied by foreign governments, most significiantly the United States and Great Britian. In addition, many national services are currently provided by over 7000 registered NGOs, many of which are forgein-run. When architects and builders from the West volunteer through an NGO, several unintended consequences can occur: (1) foreigner volunteers can displace Ugandan labor in job markets; (2) foreigners uncomfortable paying typical wages can inflate local markets by employing labor for unprecendent fees; (3) local professionals performing the same services as foreign volunteers may need to lower their fees to compete; and (4) volunteers can create a culture of dependence, even producing mistrust of local professionals with similar training.

In addition, the national government has taken significant actions to decrease foreign independence by increasing the regulations placed on registered NGOS in the 2010 National NGO Policy. This is not to say that humanitarian aid services are doing more harm than good in these emprovised communities, but rather that they must be aware of offseting the outlined issues through their organizational structure. For architects and builders, this means that expertise, and not necessarily labor, is what is most needed in humanitarian work, and that firms working in developing countries must apply the same careful consideration to the formation of their organizational policy as to their designed works. In fact, the biggest impact architects can make in developing nations may not be constructing humanitarian buildings, but teaching professional skills that are not readily available to most local builders.

The outcome of the thesis research will be record the improvised, muti-facted, and sometimes conflicting policies of architectural work in cross-cultural teams. This document - or Toolkit - will be a physical and temporal space which combines the expertise of foreign designers and the practical knowledge of local builders. In making the Tooklit, an architect not only records the successes and failures of the past, but leaves a tangible artifact for the future professionals of Uganda.

What are existing and successful processes for designing and building in East Africa? What are the metrics for “successful”? What are existing modes of operation for design and construction? How can the act of “building” (verb) engage the passive “building” (noun)? what can be learned from a traditional Western process? What can be learned from a traditional Ugandan process? What norms of these two processes should be questioned? What should be the role of an architect or construction manager take in this context?

What is / could be the role of “construction documents” in this process? What are the roles of a traditional construciton document (legal / contractual / informational / replicable)? What is used on a typical site (no Western influence) to specify construction details / structure / etc? What is actually needed to communicate these ideas between a Western design team and a Ugandan construction team? What are other relevant modes of operation (instruction manuals / jigs / open source documents)? What form should these documents take? How could these documents work to promote Ugandan designers?

QUESTIONS

Considering projected population growth and the current climate toward Western NGOs in East Africa, how can foreign non-for-profit construction operations in Uganda be made more transparent and more sustainable?

This is not to say that what was built was inferior to what was intended, but that no level of experience in the design stages could anticipate the complexities of the construction process. Stringent costs, unskilled labor, material limitations, handmade details, and cultural misunderstandings would radically change a project after permit documents were completed (depending on the peculiarities of regional oversight). On construction sites where the Western project manager was in close communication with a Ugandan foreman, this often resulted in a more robust design solution that was (1) economically viable, (2) suitable to scheduling and site conditions, and (3) simple in execution but structurally appropriate. (In particularly remote sites, a foreigner might act as both project manager and site foreman due to a lack of building professionals.) In addition, this close relationship between foreigner and national resulted in an exchange of professional knowledge that was otherwise unrepresented in an office that is removed from field operations. A process ensued in which a Western site manager trained a Ugandan site foreman, who in turn cross-trained skilled laborers in several trades, ie, masons learning carpentry, etc. These skilled laborers were then responsible for teaching unskilled porters a single trade. Many of these new processes were tested and established in the early stages of construction when the workers constructed their own temporary shelters, kitchens, latrines, storehouses, and workshops for the duration of the project.It is important to note that, due to the improvised structure of operational procedures, there is little formal documentation of these observed conditions. In addition, each site in a developing country from emerging urban zones to traditional rural villages - requires its own plasticity depending on available resources and existing modes of operation. However, this observed design/build/educate method does lend itself to particular categorization, regardless of site, which began with traditional design services and extended to include:

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD

preconceptions /

This investigation started with a series of projects designed and built in cross-cultural contexts. Working first in an office and later on a construction site in East Africa, I witnessed a wide disconnect between what was drawn by the Western designers and what was executed in the field by Ugandan nationals. In many cases, this was due to a disconnect between the expectations of Western design practices and realities of on-theground procedures in emergent African cultures.

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD

preconceptions /

(1) Physical proximity to the site The informalities and unknowns of the construction process required Western CMs to not only be in close communication with foremen and laborers, but in close proximity to manage physical progress, worker safety, allocation of funds, government regulations, and any incidence of cultural corruption. (2) Cross-cultural communication The social structure of village-based communities required Western CMs to engage in cross-cultural dialogue with laborers of all skill levels. Verbal communication (mostly in English but also in local dialects) required an understanding of cultural values, such as socialization Hofstedeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power distance theory. Non-verbal communication included drawings and physical demonstrations of building practices. (3) Establishment of worker training program The free training of workers on-site was a cultural shift from traditional building practices, due to the high cost of education and the typical separation of skilled and unskilled laborers. Skilled laborers were willing to teach only after they were assured job security from the CM and foreman. (4) Challenging existing norms of regional building practices Due to the relative lack of building codes, construction safety procedures, and structural expertise, Western CMs usually extended their roles to include self-regulation. Before any procedure implementation, the CM and foreman would exchange thoughts on best management practices. In most cases, the professionals reached a compromise appropriate for the site. These conversations were perhaps the greatest opportunity for exchanging cross-cultural know-how.

MAPS US / Africa geographical features political structures regional tribes

CENSUS DATA population projections foreign aid relations

HISTORY since 1800 since 2000

CURRENT EVENTS 2009 buganda riots anti-homosexuality 2010 kasubi tomb riots world cup bombings NGO policies 2011 museveni re-elected walk to work riots 2012 kony 2012 ebola outbreak

OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT 82 open source ecology

BIM / 84 CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS shop construction

CONSTRUCTION SITES 86 dietmar eberle / peter kaufmann

CAMPS 88 charlie hailey

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY 90 elBulli

FRANCIS KERE ARCHITECTURE Burkina Faso

TYIN ARCHITECTS Norway / Haiti / Uganda

MASS DESIGN GROUP Boston / Rwanda / Haiti

UKUMBI Denmark

BUILDING TOMORROW Joseph Kaliisa

109

ENGINEERS FOR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT Matthew Bloodworth

129

100

BaSiC INITIATIVE Austin, Texas

102

BASEhabitat Austria / Bangledesh

104

ENGINEERING MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL John Sauder Philip Greene Steve + Melinda Hoyt

147 165

MASS DESIGN GROUP James Cody Birkey

223

TYIN ARCHITECTS Andreas Gjertsen

241

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOOLKIT OVERVIEW the catalog the tools the business plan the workshop

246

PART I : THE CATALOG organizational structures project scheduling resource mapping graphic instruction

257

INTRODUCTION abstract

CHAPTER 1 uganda primer

CHAPTER 2 research concepts

CHAPTER 3 93 cross-cultural case studies

CHAPTER 4 firsthand accounts

107

CHAPTER 5 design proposal

246

MAPS 17 US / Africa geographical features political structures regional tribes

CENSUS DATA 30 population projections foreign aid relations

chapter 1

UGANDA PRIMER cultural context /

HISTORY since 1800 since 2000

CURRENT EVENTS 39 2009 buganda riots anti-homosexuality 2010 kasubi tomb riots world cup bombings NGO policies 2011 museveni re-elected walk to work riots 2012 kony 2012 ebola outbreak

VA + NC 96,592 sqm

sudan ethiopia

democratic republic of congo

kenya

somalia

lake victoria rwanda birundi

tanzania

UGANDA 91,140 sqm 23

1991:

population:

urbanization: 15,671,900 1,801,100

rural urban

2011:

17,473,000

10.3%

28,080,300 4,859,500

rural urban

by 2050:

32,939,800

14.5%

rural urban

45,000,000 +/- 83,000,000 +/-

128,008,000

35.2%

global population: 1991

CHINA INDIA US INDONESIA BRAZIL RUSSIA JAPAN PAKISTAN BANGLADESH NIGERIA MEXICO GERMANY VIETNAM PHILIPPINES FRANCE IRAN UK ITALY TURKEY THAILAND EGYPT UKRAINE ETHIOPIA SOUTH KOREA MYANMAR SPAIN UKRAINE CONG SOUTH AFRICA POLAND COLOMBIA ARGENTINA CANADA SUDAN TANZANIA ALGERIA MOROCCO KENYA ROMANIA PERU UZBEKISTAN NORTH KOREA TAIWAN VENEZUELA MEPAL IRAQ MALAYSIA

47 UGANDA

2011

CHINA INDIA US INDONESIA BRAZIL PAKISTAN NIGERIA BANGLADESH RUSSIA JAPAN MEXICO PHILIPPINES VIETNAM ETHIOPIA EGYPT GERMANY IRAN TURKEY DRC THAILAND FRANCE UK ITALY SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH KOREA MYANMAR COLOMBIA SPAIN UKRAINE TANZANIA ARGENTINA KENYA POLAND ALGERIA CANADA IRAQ

37 UGANDA

2050

INDIA CHINA US NIGERIA INDONESIA PAKISTAN ETHIOPIA BRAZIL BANGLADESH PHILIPPINES MEXICO DRC EGYPT

14 UGANDA

from 2025 to 2050 UGANDA

will

have

t h e

w o r l d ’ s

fastest growing population 3 . 3 7 % 37

foreign aid: The contribution of NGOs in the areas of ser vice d e l i v e r y, a d v o c a c y, d e m o c r a c y a n d g o o d g o v e r n a n c e a s w e l l a s c o m m u n i t y e m p o w e r m e n t i s b e y o n d d e b a t e . H o w e v e r, t h e process of NGO sector development, methods of work and the impact of NGO program activities, among other issues, have continued to generate varied and sometimes contradictor y views and experiences. from The National NGO Policy issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, October 2010

Building on effor ts already under way at the State Depar tment and across the government, the President has directed all U.S. Government agencies engaged overseas to combat the criminalization of LGBT status and conduct, to enhance effor ts to protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, to ensure that our foreign assistance promotes the protection of LGBT rights, to enlist international organizations in the fight against discrimination, and to respond swiftly to abuses against LGBT persons. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, December 2011

“Before anyone gives me a lecture about homosexuals and their rights, first talk about railways,” Museveni told delegates at the end of a regional meeting in Kampala attended by five other A f r i c a n p r e s i d e n t s . “ H o m o s e x u a l s a l s o n e e d e l e c t r i c i t y, h o mosexuals also need roads, homosexuals also need railways,” Museveni said to applause President Yoweri Museveni, December 2011 38

7,000+ NGOs

currently

working

Uganda

through:

H E ALTH S E RV IC E A C T IV IT IES (HI V/A I DS) E D UC ATI O N E C O NO M IC EM P O WER M EN T OF COMMUNI T I ES AG RI C ULT U R E TH E E NV IR ON M EN T WATE R A N D S A N ITAT IO N TRAI NI NG A N D C A PA C IT Y BU I L DI NG PE AC E BU IL D IN G A N D C ON F L I CT R ESOLUT I ON

2.62% of GDP funded by USAID $456,800,000

USAID

$16,810,000,000

GDP

0.65% of GDP funded by the UK $109,000,000 USAID / $16,810,000,000 GDP

1/3 OF NATIONAL BUDGET COMES DONOR SOURCES 39

CURRENT EVENTS

2009 Buganda Riots Anti-Homosexuality Legislation 2010 Kasubi Tomb Riots World Cup Bombings NGO Policy Revised 2011 Museveni Re-Elected Walk to Work Riots 2012 Kony 2012 Campaign Ebola Outbreak

BUGANDA RIOTS

Police officials opened fire on Buganda rioters in Kampala, leaving at least 20 civilians dead

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not so much a governmentin-waiting, as a de-facto government. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to take power from central government at all. We just want the legal authority to run our own affairs in a federal system, just as it was in the post-colonial constitution. Apollo Makubuya

Attorney General of the Buganda 17 September, 2009

Should we even discuss these issues with the kings? Or should we leave it to the political leaders? Prince Charles doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk about partisan politics in Britain, and nor should [he]. Yoweri Museveni

17 September, 2009 49

KASUBI TOMB RIOTS

10 SEPTERMBER 2009 The Central Government prevents the movement of the King (Kabaka) of the Buganda Kingdom, Ronald Mutebi, to a large Buganda rally. 12 SEPTERMBER 2009 Buganda rioters clash with security officers in downtown Kampala, leaving 80 dead. 16 MARCH 2010 The Kasubi Tombs, a UNSECO World Heritage Site and the burial place of four Kings of Buganda (Kabaka), catches on fire and is burned to the ground. 17 MARCH 2010 Bugandan mourners at the site, suspecting arson by the Central Government, try to prevent President Museveni and his troops from surveying the site. Riots ensue, leaving 2 civilians dead, 5 wounded.

Kabusi Tombs, 2010

Eventually the president was able to inspect the tombs. He told the crowd that the fire could have been arson but that it would be hard to ever know because the scene had been tampered with. Mr. Museveni also said he would help pay for the tombs to be rebuilt. Jeffery Gettleman New York Times 17 March, 2009

Kabusi Tombs, 2012

SHARP: What is the Buganda Kingdom? Who are the Buganda people?

MALI: The Buganda people occupy the central part of Uganda. TheyS are the largest tribe in the country and also traditionally they are thee most powerful cultural grouping. The most powerful in the sense that politicians rely on the Buganda to rise to power. So any politicianM convincing the Buganda to vote for them as a block definitely will bea assured of political office. So they are quite a significant ethnic group.p i SHARP: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni tried to visit the sitet today, but I gather protestors prevented him. What happened andt how are people reacting? t t MALI: Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re linking this event to what happened last year whent there were riots spread by the government blocking the King ofp Buganda visiting a place he believes to be a part of his kingdom. So that link made these people to think well the government couldS have had a hand in burning down the royal tombs. M SHARP: Just to be clear, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no evidence yet of who or what causedr the blaze? B m MALI: There is not evidence yet of the cause of the blaze. All that wei have around is speculation. t 54

Transcript of interview from Pubic Radio International’s The World, March 17, 2010

ySHARP: And I gather that this particular structure was the last extant eexample of its kind. e nMALI: Exactly. In the 1960’s the then Milton Arbota regime did abolish eall the traditional kingdoms, later exiled the King of Buganda. Even the .palace, the palace where the King used to live was destroyed, it was invaded and destroyed, but this particular place was not touched by ethe government. It was later declared to be a historical site that had dto be protected. Of course, the Buganda have all this treasure. That’s the only think epitomizes their cultural heritage. So it’s the last thing that really meant a lot to them. They say, well they’ve lost a lot along nthe way, but this is the only thing that stood to remind them of their fpast glory. . dSHARP: Joshua Mali, what did the site mean to you in particular?

MALI: Well the last time I visited that place to do a story; I mean I was dreally, deeply touched by the cultural heritage, by the importance the Buganda attached to this particular place. Just walking through the mausoleum with the guide as he explained to me everything, I found eit quite a treasure. And to go back and find the whole place razed to the ground was a bit emotionally devastating for me. 55

Government troops at the Kasubi Tomb Site, March 17, 2010

People are camped there, they lit fires, they keep on singing the kingdom’s anthem, but there is tension that you can notice. Peter Myiga

Spokesperson of the Buganda 16 March, 2009

Ugandans are calling for Mr. Museveni, who has been in office for 24 years, to step down. He has shown no inclination to do that, and one Western diplomat recently predicted that the prelude to the vote would be “bumpy.” Jeffery Gettleman New York Times 17 March, 2009

ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY LEGISLATION

17 OCTOBER 2009 MP David Bahati’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill is introduced in Parliament, increasing the felony charge to one that is punishable by death under certain conditions 29 NOVEMBER 2009 President Museveni expressed support for the bill. 9 DECEMBER 2009 Parliament drops the death penalty clause under international pressure and threats of cuts to foregin aid from Western supporters. President Museveni withdraws the bill from debate. 19 OCTOBER 2010 Ugandan tabloid published “100 Pictures of Top Homos” and calls for thier deaths. OCTOBER 2011 The bill is re-debated in Parliament and sent to committee.

Front page of Ugandan tabloid

Uganda’s anti-homosexuality legislation is as much a product of resentment against Western influence and donor interference as it is against the country’s gay population. Fred de Sam Lazaro PBS’ NewsHour 5 April, 2012

WORLD CUP BOMBINGS

MARCH 2007 Ugandan forces engage in UN anti-terror combat against Al-Shabaab, a Somalian affiliate of Al Qaeda. Late JUNE 2010 The media wing of Al-Shabaab releases a video warning violence against Ugandan forces for their involvement in UN efforts in Somalia. 11 JULY 2010 Two bombs kill 64 civilians in downtown Kampala during screenings of the 2010 World Cup Final. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility.

As dawn breaks in Mogadishu every morning, a new battle begins against the coalition against the crusaders and their apostates. To start the Mujahideen from advancing toward the presidential palace, the Ugandan Crusaders, supported by their newly trained apostate troops, launched an attack against one of the Mujahideen fronts in the early hours of the morning, and they were to carry out their longexpected major offensive agains the Mujahideen. The Crusaders have now resorted to cowardly confrontations in residential areas. When the Mujahideen became aware of the intentions, they prepared for one of two blessings: victory or martyrdom. In a battle that lasted more than 12 hours, the Mujahideen dealt heavy blows to the enemy, attacking the convoy of Ugandan Crusaders and immobilizing their vehicles. And as the gunfire continued just a stones-throw away from the presidential palace, it was the Ugandan soldiers who paid the heaviest price. Fighting Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s war in a foreign land, the Ugandan Crusaders have been heavily bombarded by the Mujahideen. Not familiar with the brutal streets of Mogadishu, the Ugandan Crusaders were left with no choice but to retreat to their heavily fortified compound and even running away from their vehicles. Since their declaration of a major offensive in the battle for Mogadishu, the Crusaders and their allies have only been fleeing from their posts, while the Mujahideen have been gradually taking over many of the districts in the Northern part of Mogadishu, giving them a strategic advantage as they overlook the seaport and the presidential palace. 64

Transcript of Jihadist propaganda video, “The African Crusaders,” issued by the media wing of Samolian Al-Shabaab, late June 2010

And as their custom is, the Crusaders have made every attempt to hide their losses. Only, this time, the cameras of the Mujahideen have quickly captured the scenes to reveal the truth on the ground and the please the hearts of the millions of Muslims around the world. And if these images are not enough to convey the message to the Ugandan Crusaders, then it’s hoped that the reality on the battleground would be sufficient: that the burning bodies of their colleagues under these vehicles is a painful reminder to the fate that awaits them. For what cause is the blood of your sons being shed on a daily basis here in Mogadishu? Then prepare to receive the remains of your sons in coffins. The choice is in your hands.

Man is treated at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, 11 July 2010, after Al Shabaab bombing during World Cup Final screenings

At a certain point, the chief of policeâ&#x20AC;Ścame and briefed us that there had been three separate bombs at two separate sites. And at that point I think we all appreciated that it was quite a significant, coordinated terrorist attack. Ben Simon

freelance journalist + eyewitness to The Gaurdian

MUSEVENI RE-ELECTED

18 FEBRUARY 2011 President Yoweri Museveni is re-elected to a fourth term, his second re-election since abolishing term limits in 2006.

Over his 25 years running Uganda, Museveni has ushered in a stretch of unprecedented stability and economic growth amid liberalization. Poverty has dropped from 56% in 1992 to 25% last year. Donor dependency has dropped to around 25%. Uganda has become one of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shining successes in the fight against AIDS. And the government is set to start extracting a 2-billion-barrel oil find, which could double state revenues. But infrastructure is crumbling. Education and health services are failing the people. To buy off potential political adversaries, Museveni has added so many new districts that Uganda, a country of 32 million, now has the highest number of sub-national administrative units in Africa and the fourth highest in the world. And the standard of living is still painfully low, with GDP per capita at only $509, according to the International Monetary Fund. Ioannis Gatsiounis TIME.com, 23 April 2011 70

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni during a campaign speechin 2010

I can see myself getting the Nobel Peace Prize for managing the country, especially the army, very well. President Museveni

at his home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura district, April 2011

WALK TO WORK PROTEST

18 FEBRUARY 2011 President Yoweri Museveni is re-elected to a fourth term, his second re-election since abolishing term limits in 2006. 20 FEBRUARY 2011 Presidential Candidate Kizza Besigye rejects the elect results as fraudulent, citing corrupt campaign financing and bribery of officials. 11 APRIL 2012 Besigye leads the first “Walk to Work” demonstration in Kampala, protesting rising fuel prices. Riot police counter with tear gas and Besigye is injured. 14-15 MARCH 2012 “Walk to Work” protest spread to other towns. Protestors and security forces clash, leaving five dead.

Rioters sprayed with pink liquid in downtown Kampala, April 2011, in reponse to attempted arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye

We will not manage to do what they did in Egypt because people here are poor. There is too much poverty in Uganda. Eric Mbiro

student + activist The Gaurdian, 29 April 2011

KONY 2012

5 MARCH 2012 Invisible Children, a US-based NGO, posts online video “Kony 2012.” The video starts a social media campaign to mobilize US efforts to catch Joseph Kony, leader of the insurgent Lord’s Resistance Army. 14 MARCH 2012 At a screening of the film in Lira, a Northern Uganda community affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army, viewers begin to riot. Members of the village said the video confused them and belitteld their suffering. 28 MARCH 2012 “Kony 2012” video surpasses 86,000,000 hits on YouTube.

KONY 2012

Africa’s issues cannot gather much traction in western conscious unless we play to the stereotype that they can relate to: of war, disease, poverty and blood thirsty big men. The filmmakers played to this stereotype and while it offended our delicate African sensibilities, they got the more than the desired reaction from their target audience – the youth of America. But isn’t that how you tell a good story? You find the audience where it is with its preset prejudices and misconceptions and graft your tale on. Paul Busharizi

New Vision: Uganda’s Leading Dialy, March 2012

Residents of Lira (in Northern Uganda) watch Kony 2012 video; Some viewers rioted during the March 2012 screenings

Towards the end of the film, the mood turned more to anger at what many people saw as a foreign, inaccurate account that belittled and commercialised their suffering, as the film promotes Kony bracelets and other fundraising merchandise, with the aim of making Kony infamous.

Malcolm Webb Al Jazeera

2012 EBOLA OUTBREAK

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012 Ebola outbreak kills 19 in Kabaale, Western Uganda.

Health officials at Kabaale isolation camp

The level of care on the ward is, at best, basic. No monitors, no I.V. pumps, no blood pressure cuffs. To me, it looked like the main purpose for the ward was to remove these people from society, to protect the community from this untreatable disease.

Richard Besser ABC News, 5 August 2012

global access + projection meticulous documentation construction detailing fabrication multifaceted input graphic representation toolkit catalogue jigs / fixtures

legally-binding contracts expanding roles of architects proximity and access business structures mutifaceted input

improvised architectures

meticulous documentation

expanding roles of architects

construction detailing

proximity and access

fabrication

mutifaceted input

graphic representation

meticulous documentation

toolkit

construction detailing

improvised architectures meticulous documentation detailing graphic representation global access / projections

chapter 2

RESEARCH CONCEPTS research topics /

meticulous documentation detailing

OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT open source ecology

BIM / CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS shop construction

CONSTRUCTION SITES 86 dietmar eberle / peter kaufmann

CAMPS charlie hailey

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY elBulli

fabrication graphic representation catalogue

global access + projection meticulous documentation construction detailing fabrication multifaceted input graphic representation toolkit catalogue jigs / fixtures

legally-binding contracts expanding roles of architects proximity and access business structures mutifaceted input

improvised architectures

meticulous documentation

expanding roles of architects

construction detailing

proximity and access

fabrication

mutifaceted input

graphic representation

meticulous documentation

toolkit

construction detailing

improvised architectures meticulous documentation detailing graphic representation global access / projections

global access + projection meticulous documentation improvised architectures expanding roles of architects proximity and access mutifaceted input detailing

OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT open source ecology

BIM / CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS shop construction

fabrication graphic representation toolkit catalogue jigs / fixtures

chapter 2

RESEARCH CONCEPTS research topics /

meticulous documentation detailing

CONSTRUCTION SITES 86 dietmar eberle / peter kaufmann

CAMPS charlie hailey

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY elBulli

fabrication graphic representation catalogue

from website: Open Source Ecology is a network of farmers, engineers and supports who, for the last 10 years, have been building the Global Village Construction Set, a set of the 40 different machines it takes to create a small civilization with modernday comforts. The GVCS is like a life-size Lego set, it which motors, parts, and power units can interchange. Thus far, we have prototyped 8 of the 40 machines and have published all of the 3D designs, schematics, instructional videos, and budgets on our wiki. The cost of making our machines are, on average, is eight times cheaper than buying from an industrial manufacturer.

As you can see, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a lot more to doâ&#x20AC;Ś

OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT Open Source Ecology Global Village Construction Set keywords: global access + projection multifaceted input meticulous documentation construction detailing fabrication graphic representation toolkit catalogue jigs / fixtures

from website: We think the industry is transforming. Systemic flaws plague traditional approaches to project delivery. The breakdown can be attributed to teh â&#x20AC;&#x153;throw-itover-the-wallâ&#x20AC;? mentality that exists between owners, architects and contractors. Collaboration and efficiency have been conpromised since the parties to a construction contract typically have opposing goals. Emerging technologies are fostering a collborative rebirth. New processes and protocols are byproducts of the shift in operation approach and are bringing about relational change. The industry is taking note. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to share common goals; intelligent design, quality construction, sustainability and profitability. A Design + Construction Integrator is required to manage these new processes. SHoP Construction is an Integrator. 92

BIM / CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS SHOP Construction keywords: legally-binding contracts expanding roles of architects proximity and acess business structures mutifaceted input meticulous documentation construction detailing fabrication graphic representation toolkit

from interview: The construction site represents the emergence and examination of [all] previously formulated goal[s]. On the construction site, all the essential moments that will ultimately generate quality are already discernaible - in terms of suitability to the context of daily life, emotional reception and meterial longevity. In this sense what excited me the most is the process of emergence, in which the construction site becomes an image and an initial materialization of the process of intellectually developing the project.

CONSTRUCTION SITES Dietmar Eberle / Peter Kaufmann keywords: improvised architectures expanding roles of architects proximity and access mutifaceted input meticulous documentation construction detailing

from Camps: Camps result from the exceptional circumstances of conflict, natural disaster, displacement, and marginality with increasing frequency and ever-greater facility. Because of their rapid deployment and temporal nature, camps register these forces at their earliest stages and thus provide an important gauge for local and global situations. Combining field and event, camp is in effect spatial practice. Camp spaces also lie at the confluence of metal and social space. As a spatial production, whether at the schole of the individual or a city, camp is both field of research and a kind of contemporary field research.

CAMPS Charlie Hailey keywords: improvised architectures meticulous documentation detailing graphic representation global access / projections

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY elBulli keywords: meticulous documentation detailing fabrication graphic representation catalogue

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FRANCIS KERE ARCHITECTURE Burkina Faso

96 TYIN ARCHITECTS Norway / Haiti / Uganda

chapter 3

CASE STUDIES

work by /

MASS DESIGN GROUP 98 Boston / Rwanda / Haiti

100 UKUMBI Denmark / Cambodia / Bangledesh

BaSiC INITIATIVE Austin, Texas

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BASEhabitat Austria / Bangledesh

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FRANCIS KERE ARCHITECTURE Burkina Faso Francis Kere

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TYIN ARCHITECTS Norway / Haiti / Uganda Adreas Gjertsen Yashar Hanstad

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MASS DESIGN GROUP Boston / Rwanda / Haiti Michael Murphy Alan Ricks

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UKUMBI Denmark / Cambodia / Bangledesh Rudanko + Kankkunen

109

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BaSiC INITIATIVE Austin, Texas Sergio Palleroni

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BASEhabitat Austria / Bangledesh Anna Heringer

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BUILDING TOMORROW 109 Joseph Kaliisa

ENGINEERS FOR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT Matthew Bloodworth

chapter 4

FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS interviews with /

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ENGINEERING MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL John Sauder Philip Greene 147 Steve + Melinda Hoyt

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MASS DESIGN GROUP 223 James Cody Birkey

TYIN ARCHITECTS Andreas Gjertsen

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11 July 2012 JOSEPH KALIISA Country Director, Building Tomorrow, Uganda Office

Kampala, Uganda Building Tomorrow, Uganda Office 1h 27m

A discussion with Joseph Kaliisa, Country Director for Building Tomorrow, about the in-coun-

inserts:

try operations, daily office procedures, typical projects, and construction management. (Does not include fundraising efforts conducted within the United States).

Discussion includes: BTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiation in Uganda Land rights and deed negotiations Partnerships with the Ministry of Education Details of BTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in-country model On-site construction management operations

Building Tomorrow-Uganda Rules and Regulation Governing Building Tomorrow Construction Sites Building Tomorrow Academies Handbook About Building Tomorrow Post-occupancy field guides for: Gita Academy

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Megan: This is just to find out about the organization and we’ll kind of dig into the major questions so that when I go back to the States I could explain it to somebody. Joseph: Go ahead. Megan: OK. So, How was the organization founded in Uganda? Joseph: Building Tomorrow started in Uganda in 2006, but the founder and chief is called George Suror, who is found in that place (Indianapolis, Indiana). Megan: He’s an engineer? Joseph: No, he’s not an engineer, I think he did International Development, yes. Megan: And how did you meet George? Joseph: There was a mutual friend between the two of us who had come to do development work in Uganda with the youth. Megan: And he just ended up wanting to do work with the two of you? Joseph: Yes. He knew me, I knew George, and my first contact with George was an email, the second was a phone call and he had a very big voice of a man, whom I thought was about 45 and I ended up getting the truth, he was about, actually 24. And then we met physically. Initially Building Tomorrow was supposed to support existing organization. Megan: Organization that had already raised money and bought land? Joseph: Organizations that were in existence but had problems with schools structures. We did cut out the assessment of a number of them and discovered most of the work they were doing was donor dependent. They had a problem or two managing finances or experience to manage projects. But at the same time, they had the issues that led to the structure, typical bureaucratic decision making, and they needed big budgets to finance their projects. In fact, the biggest problem we discovered was all the organizations needed a lot of money, that at the time Building Tomorrow couldn’t manage. So we deliberately pirated the model that we have actually, and it kept on improving. At the moment, I must say, it is working. Megan: How are operations funded? Joseph: The US office, which is based in Indianapolis, mainly has the fund-raising and raising awareness about issues to do with children in Uganda. So they do the fund-raising, they do advocacy. And we work with over 25 college chapters in the US and each college commits to raise funds through a chapter to raise funds in Uganda. Megan: How many so far have been able to raise the funds? Joseph: I wouldn’t give you a correct answer. George can give you that. He has a database 118

and you can throw him an email very easily. Megan: And what kind of projects does the organization design? Joseph: In Uganda? Megan: Yes. Joseph: In Uganda, our major focus is on provision of school infrastructure for primary school-going children.

Do you think it helps that the country directors for Building Tomorrow are Ugandan? Do you think it helps that when people go out into the field to go build and to go organize that they are Ugandan? I don’t understand.

Megan: Does each school serve P1-P7 (Elementary school)? Joseph: Yes. Our primary school are from Primary 1 to P7. And we run through the Ministry of Education. The other major activity we do is trying to improve the quality of education. Megan: How does Building Tomorrow end up doing that? Joseph: Indirectly, provision of construction for seven classrooms that are safe and comfortable for each children is in itself an improvement, and leads to improvement in education and the quality of education in terms of children’s testing, confident, security, and teacher motivation. Than, if I give you - if you look at that (points outside to shanty construction on the street).

So that alone, kids have a place that’s safe and comfortable, to read from. They sit at a table with paper, that helps motivate the kids to learn, to come to school, to attend school regularly. All the schools we have built have attracted kids who have dropped out of school, so that itself is an improvement. The other direct work to improve the quality of education is we have a department of education headed by qualified and experienced primary school teacher who does research and planning, does training of teachers in our operating schools, in terms of creative and innovative ways of teaching, kind of breaking away from the traditional ways of teaching, and approaches to new tools to children’s learning, and behavior, and general improvement. His work involves working with the teachers, planning with them and training them. He also does and assessment of skill gaps, first actually assessing the skill gaps, then planning then training these teachers through workshops on holidays and weekends. This guy also does hold meetings and workshops with the parent of these kids.

Megan: Is that something that’s common? Joseph: No, no, no. Not at all. Megan: How receptive are the teachers and the parents (to this process)?

I mean that it isn’t George who goes out and starts to organize in the village?

Ah! Now...That would be very different! (Laughter) It would be very difficult. In fact, sometimes people are going to negotiate for prices. They tell you (points to me), “get away.” Because they would want to sell things expensively. And George knows about this - George is a very good negotiator.

We like to talk... our trademark is to bargain.

Joseph: We have a number of handouts. We...First of all, we plan for a year - we plan for

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So, do they – do the students – pay school fees?

each group according to their needs. Most of these parents have never been schooled and most of them will never understand, for example, simple things, homework. So we have set up a system of structure in school where we have to initiate the school management committee, comprised of Building Tomorrow, parents, and the Head Teacher. And that’s, it’s got it terms and responsibilities. If you want references, if you want copies of that - we have copies of what it involves.

No.

It’s free?

It also incorporates what the Education Act - what the Ministry of Education expects them to do. We also have the parents representatives, we call them PTA - Parent / Teacher Association. It’s a group of parents who site together and direct their representatives who work through this and mobilize the bigger preparation of the communities and we meet in general meetings and they learn how the school functions, they learn about their responsibilities, they learn about Building Tomorrow - what it does, our limitations. As you know, we don’t go beyond P7.

So they have been very exciting and they get involved. Each community we work with has it’s own uniqueness, related with the school. We’ve been able to, through the School Management Committee, convince them to put money for lunches for their kids. Also to come, take care of the school so they are kind of the custodians. So we feel the school is there’s, and that makes them get involved with the schools. In fact our schools are called, “communities schools,” because these guys (the community) are very proud of these schools.

Exactly.

So, the government funds the teachers? Yes.

Joseph, you have to understand this, this is like, turning everything I know upside down. (Laughter) Everything I think I know!

Yes! Yes! So, I tell you, the students don’t pay school fees.

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And our initial contracts with parents and the meetings we hold with them is, “look guys, if you donate land, and donate the unskilled labor, the benefit of the returns are you kids will be studying free of charge and they will be studying at a

Megan: And who owns the school? Who had the deed for the land? Joseph: Building Tomorrow. Megan: Building Tomorrow has the deed? Joseph: Yes. Megan: So how do you go about getting that deed for the land? Do you go to the LC (local council)? Joseph: Yes, the LC and the government departments. Megan: Like the federal government? Joseph: Yes, the local government. Megan: And what is that process like, because I know that land rights in the villages are, like, you know, they are taken very seriously. Joseph: Yes. Megan: And so, what kind of difficulties do you have in securing that land? (Laughter)

Joseph: (Gets up an finds land deeds documents) Yes, it’s always difficult. But the way we do it through our Pre-Construction Activities, we...Initially we used to buy land. So you have agreements - you bought the land and you owned the agreements. So someone goes to transfer the land into the names of Building Tomorrow - that’s it. So after the communities appreciated and understood how we function - I mean it’s - we are giving the school to you guys (the community). Now we get land that is donated to Building Tomorrow. Megan: And how difficult is that? Joseph: It’s easy.

nearby school in properly built classrooms and they have a toilet.” So that’s how the whole thing starts and, how can they be able to now not pay school fees because the government is going to pay for the teachers?

Megan: How is it easy? (Laughter) Joseph: It’s easy, I tell you. Megan: Who donates the land? Joseph: The community. Megan: But, who originally...? Joseph: You know, the community is full of different categories of people. There are people with huge chunks of land and there are leaders and people who are - who have a heart for the community. So we’ve got a number of people donating land - like, 3 acres of land. Megan: So these are just wealthy land owners? Joseph: Yes! Someone has got like, 10 acres of land or something. Megan: Is there ever any corruption in it? Do they ever come back and want something? Joseph: There is no way because of what I’m going to show you, OK? (Opens deed book). That man donated 3 acres of land to Building Tomorrow, and made an agreement backed by (the community) and here’s the school (points to photo). And even himself, he is very much involved in the construction in the school. Megan: Has there ever been a case of someone donating the land, and coming back later on, maybe to the community or to the school...? Joseph: No. If you donate the land, you have made an agreement as if you have sold it. And that agreement has to be stamped, has to be witnessed. The best example is here (points to land deed and translates as he reads): This is an agreement to build a school with Building Tomorrow Uganda.

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But how did you even get to the point where the government would pay for teacher salaries? As you know, the government has got an obligation to...For the welfare of education, health, security or citizens.

The Church of Uganda, West Uganda Diocese, we have donated land found in this place, this parish, this sub county district. We are going to put here a block, and because they are doing the surveying now. The Church has donated the land to Building Tomorrow Uganda, to build a school there for the community. The Church has donated this land without anybody forcing them, because we are concerned about the people’s welfare.

So one of the things we do, especially when it comes to the schools we are constructing, we really really go where there is visible and inexcusable places where the government must provide education for the kids in that community.

And that land shall be transferred to Building Tomorrow’s name.

So it becomes very difficult (to say no)…they always say, “oh, we shall squeeze (the budget). We have places were kids are studying under trees.

Those from the Local Government, the District Chairman:

And if you go there with the education officer and make a report and you have all of these things 122

Favored by the Church of Uganda, West Uganda Diocese

Those who have been around (witnessed) for the Church are: Rev. Ben Tetaso, Diocese Education Secretary Rev. Andrew Kichama Muze Depiyse (Mukulu) Those from Building Tomorrow... Those from Ministry of Education Officer...

West Uganda Diocese acceptance to offer 5 acres of land to the community: we the community of ____, Christian greetings and love from Uganda...this is to inform you that the district has donated 5 acres of land to build a school that here...To enable Building Tomorrow to construct a full primary school... So... Megan: OK, but I’ve heard, like with eMI, that you find, in cases, that the LC donates land, or individuals, but what will happen is that once the school fees come, they’ll expect some kind of small payment from that. Joseph: Zip. Zero. Megan: Wow. That’s incredible. That’s really unique. Joseph: Yes. What can I tell you? It was very hard, and we had a debate, me a George whether this would be possible. Megan: And George said “no” and you said, “yes.” Joseph: Well, it was the opposite.

(Laughter) Joseph: It was the opposite, that happened. Yes. So, with all this, and you know, the School Management Committee or the PTA, these lands and the school are protected - very well protected. People in the village - you cannot break that sort of solidarity. It is built - from the School Management Committee, to the Building Committee, from the PTA, to the local leadership to the district. This is a piece of God for the community and everybody respects it. Megan: It’s that accountability. Joseph: Yeah, as opposed as if it were an individual who goes there to do something like this. Megan: Do you think it helps that the country directors for Building Tomorrow are Ugandan? Do you think it helps that when people go out into the field to go build and to go organize that they are Ugandan?

and discussions, and someone says, “I’m going to make seven classrooms, I’m going to put a toilet here, please help and provide teachers,” they feel embarrassed. (Laughter)

Joseph: I don’t understand. Megan: I mean that it isn’t George who goes out and starts to organize in the village? Joseph: Ah! Now...That would be very different. (Laughter) Joseph: It would be very difficult. In fact, sometimes people are going to negotiate for prices. They tell you (point to me), “get away.” Because they would want to sell things expensively. And George knows about this - George is a very good negotiator. We like to talk - to bargain - our trademark is to bargain. Megan: How long does it take before you identify a community that’s in need and you’re able to secure that land? (Laughter) Joseph: Good question Megan: Is it because you have to develop those relationships with the community? Joseph: Good question. Good good good question. Let me see if I can print this (looking at computer) because you ask me very interesting question. (19:03) I’m serious, very very serious about this. That question has come from some guy…I don’t know – Doctor, Doctor M…I’ll remember the name. It’s very interesting. Well, the process may take – it varies – but may take a whole month or even two because, I tell you, there are place where you get land donated and here, the way land is owned, it involves family and for you to be able to gather all the people who are responsible in that family to be part of the agreement and put their signatures (gets up and finds another binder) – let me see – (flips through pages) – aha! Look!

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(On mortar joints): I tell you, four times a year, we sit down with George (Suror, the American CEO), we visit the site and in the evenings we do reviewing and talking and this kind of stuff. I don’t want to praise ourselves for anything – but you walk around and see how much mortar people put between the joints. And we saw which was the best way to come up with this, so, we’re doing it…it’s a Building Tomorrow way to try to change, improve.

Megan: Oh wow. Joseph: (Reading and translating from Luganda) This agreement gives Building Tomorrow… to start construction. We the children of this family who have signed and donated this land are…one, two…to twelve. And the thirteenth never signed. But as long as you have majority – 70% of the family. So, all those people donated land. See all of this (points to thick binder). Megan: Wow. Joseph: The must be around to get your name, your signature, your telephone number. Yes. Megan: That’s less time than I would have thought. Joseph: We think it’s a long time, but…so. Megan: So how are the projects initiated? How do they, kind of, start? Joseph: Initially, years ago, to the districts, and discuss with the planning officers and the district education officer, because usually they have mapped out areas where there is need for school infrastructure. So that has happened, but now we are…people write to us asking for help, they know our telephone number they know our office, they’ve seen the sign posts and they write letters requesting us to go and build, and then we go. Like these guys, they charge and stuff for (inaudible) and the district, they have us learn the district and they…we just go around the county asking. So, the fact that we have a working relationship with the government – because they provide the teachers – there is no single school that can be constructed without the government’s involvement, especially the district. So they, we have to work hand in hand with the education officer – they come, we do the assessment with them, we do part of the preliminary work with them, the number of children. They have to sign an agreement with us that they will provide the budget for the teachers. Megan: So, do they – do the students – pay school fees? Joseph: No. Megan: It’s free? Joseph: Exactly. Megan: So, the government funds the teachers? Joseph: Yes. Megan: Joseph, you have to understand this, this is like, turning everything I know upside down. (Laughter)

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Megan: Everything I think I know! Joseph: Yes! Yes! So, I tell you, the students don’t pay school fees. And our initial contracts with parents and the meetings we hold with them is, “look guys, if you donate land, and donate the unskilled labor, the benefit of the returns are you kids will be studying free of charge and they will be studying at a nearby school in properly built classrooms and they have a toilet.” So that’s how the whole thing starts and, how can they be able to now not pay school fees because the government is going to pay for the teachers? Megan: Is it a typical budget? Once the building is built and the teachers are there, is it an manageable budget? Joseph: What do you mean? Megan: I mean, does it, is it too little? Joseph: Ah, it’s not enough, but the government fully pays the teachers the national salary scale. The teacher in the North, East, West will still get the same amount of money. Like those in our schools, apart from the money to, you know, fund the school – you know books and chalk and furniture – that is small. But the money to pay the salaries is available and it’s paid on time. Megan: So who does pay for the books and the…? Joseph: Ah, this is a very…that’s the biggest problem. Huge. So most of our schools don’t have books or they depend on borrowed books or shared books or…that’s an issue. Megan: OK. Is there any potential, with the government (to fund the books)?

Is there someone on site [at all times]? Yes, the CDO, the site managers, are expected to be on site all the time. Yes... They are, they’re the bosses. If I go there, I have no authority over anything. They have the authority. They are the managers they have the power, we try as much as possible to avoid disappointing them by getting involved. If something is wrong, we usually sit with them and discuss it, and then they are – they should be the ones to pass it on to the other guys because we don’t want to be micro managers.

Joseph: No, very small. Because the government…they tell you they don’t have enough money and that’s a problem. Megan: But how did you even get to the point where the government would pay for teacher salaries? Joseph: Because there’s always a need in specific areas. As you know, the government has got an obligation to...For the welfare of education, health, security or citizens. So one of the things we do, especially when it comes to the schools we are constructing, we really really go where there is visible and inexcusable places where the government must provide education for the kids in that community. So it becomes very difficult (to say no)…they always say, “oh, we shall squeeze (the budget). Places, we have places were kids are studying under trees. And if you go there with the education officer and make a report and you have all of these things and discussions, and someone says, “I’m going to make seven classrooms, I’m going to put a toilet here, please help and provide teachers,” they feel embarrassed. (Laughter). In the past we used to find the Vice President’s office very helpful, we say, “guys,

But they are the ones on site saying, “no do it again, make it smaller?”

Yes, yes, do it better, do it better... It’s their job.

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Have there been any case of corruption either within the organization or at the teaching level that you’ve had to deal with?

help these people,” so we try as much as possible. Now we have the minister of education, we have discussion with him, if things go well, ah, yeah… Megan: How are the designs provided for architecture, structure, civil design?

(Laughter)

Joseph: (Calling to colleague) Jjumba! Mister Jjumba! (To me) Sorry, sometimes I answer by showing you something. Yeah, we usually hire an architect.

It’s a very good question.

Megan: Ugandan?

I just imagine if it has ever happened where [someone] say[s], “Ah, you see, we are mismanaging money!”

Joseph: Yes. Who goes to the site and does site orientation, does the measurements and let’s see if I can…yes. So, like this guy, Jeff, went to one of the sites and came up with this (showing computer screen). So yeah, we have someone who goes to the site and then produces drawings and it goes out.

(Laughter)

Megan: What school was this for (referring to drawings)? Joseph: This was a place called Kandua. Megan: And do they provide the designs for a reduced fee? Joseph: Yeah, of course, yes. Usually, these are people who have relationships, now like these guys were in our previous office, they are almost now like a compound. They knew what we did and some of them really…so the guy knew us and they charge lots of money. I tell you, engineering, to do construction in this country – it’s expensive. Megan: Is the relationship that you have with UVA kind of the exception (where Westerners provide the designs)? Joseph: There you are. So now that we’ve have a very good relationship with UVA. We’ve had a good relationship with Notre Dame and each of those architects and engineers have designed schools for us, so we never paid for any of their schools. So that’s where we are and it works in our favor. Megan: It works in the school’s favor, too. It’s great as a student to be able to do something that gets built. Joseph: Yeah. Megan: And then we talked about this a little bit, but how is the construction managed by your organization? Joseph: First of all, whenever these designs are made and things are done, so we hire – in the past we used to hire contractors who come and do the work. So we just moved away on some of the new sites – like where you will go tomorrow – we run, manage it. We call it in-house construction. So because it is better, it is faster, it is more productive. It’s more quality. More in charge. So we have a Community

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(On keeping costs low): Development Officer – the guy you will meet, who buy all the supplies as required and requested, be part of managing them on site avoiding waste or theft, and does buy more as need arises, and supervises the use of the standards – the construction standards – and procedures. They give me feedback – I will show you – I get pictures from the site to be able to know what is going on – sometimes they take things that are not nice and so you say, “do them again.” Megan: And how often do you see that there is – that you have to redo for quality control? Joseph: (pointing to photos) This what a picture taken of the windows for the school. This is a site that is going on today. So when I see something here (pointing to a crooked window), something straight and here it looks different. So we keep on improving things and changing things. Megan: Those look like nice joints, very tight joints (referring to photo of ISSB). Joseph: Yes, again, this goes into some kind of cleaning (after construction is completed, referring to the brick). Inside it is plastered. But it also moves away from the previous – I’ll show you – see the mortar size? Megan: Yeah. Joseph: OK. It’s kind of uniform. Now, let me show you something else. Megan: Great, I love hearing construction stories. Joseph: Yes, they are quite funny. (Sorting through photos). Ah, it’s another ISSB. Megan: Is this Nakaseeta? Joseph: Yes, it’s Nakaseeta. Megan: Is this one finished now? Joseph: About. In fact, those windows you saw, they start fixing them tomorrow. Anyway, I thought I had pictures where you would see a lot of mortar being wastefully done. Megan: But that instance with the mortar, how did you – was it your CDOs on site that were training people for the smaller joints, or…how did that come about, and how important was that for you? Joseph: I tell you, four times a year, we sit down with George, we visit the site and in the evenings we do reviewing and talking and this kind of stuff. There is no – I don’t want to praise ourselves for anything – but you walk around and see how much mortar people put between the joints. And we saw which was the best way to come up with this, so, we’re doing it…it’s a Building Tomorrow way to try to change, improve.

Transportation is one of the most expensive things – transporting materials from one point to another point. So if we are taking materials to a place that is say, 200km, you would be charged, $300US just to drop them off and come back. So what we usually do, because we know the roads, the highways... what we do it tell one of the staff, “go on [Entebbe Rd] and stop a truck and tell them, “...how about if I gave you $100US and you take for me these 100 bags.’”

Megan: Did you make a gauge for it? Like, if you get a mason, and he’s used to doing it one 127

way… (how do you change)? Joseph: I want to find…we’ve seen where people use mortar in joints and it’s a kind of waste – it’s just too much. And we’ve asked engineers and they have no reason – they say, “oh that will be covered through plastering,” – and it kind of looks funny. But, honestly speaking, we just try as much as we can. Megan: And plastering is expensive? Joseph: Yes, plastering is expensive. Megan: It’s just – it’s a big issue and it seems like you’ve been able to find a solution for it. Joseph: No, I don’t know – I mean, feel free to…I mean, even this one we tried to reduce the gauge. It’s always a problem, they try to put too much. Megan: Is there someone on site all the time saying…? Joseph: Yes, the CDO, the site managers, are expected to be on site all the time. Yes. Megan: And they are the ones…? Joseph: They are, they’re the bosses. If I go there, I have no authority over anything. They have the authority. They are the managers they have the power, we try as much as possible to avoid disappointing them by getting involved. If something is wrong, we usually sit with them and discuss it, and then they are – they should be the ones to pass it on to the other guys because we don’t want to be micro managers. Megan: But they are the ones on site saying, “no do it again, make it smaller?” Joseph: Yes, yes, do it better, do it better. They have to. It’s there job any way. What can you do? It’s there job. Megan: So what is the role of the community in the design and construction process. And this is a question I’m asking all the organizations, so I’m a little aware of what that is… Joseph: Ay, that questions. I’m going to tell you something funny. The community is not involved at all in the design. No, honestly speaking, they won’t let you. Probably it’s a good thing for us to consider, but at the moment, no, we’re not consulting with them at all. They’re just on the receiving end. Megan: And in the construction process, they’re doing all the of the unskilled labor on a volunteer basis? Joseph: Yes. If you look here (looking at photo of brick and mortar), it’s too much. Megan: About 2 inches.

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(On BT’s model): Joseph: I think this way we’ve started. Ah, just too much (Laughter) Joseph: So, in terms of doing work during construction, they’ve been very helpful. By the way, some of them know even the ratios (for mixing concrete) – we’ve had a situation where they advised, so they have ideas, these guys. There are limitations, but they have ideas. Megan: And then after the building is completed, what is the role of Building Tomorrow with the school? Joseph: Our role there remains in terms of the capacity building for the existing teachers in the schools, empowering the families and communities and School Management Committees. And we have now set up an academic board for all our academies, on Saturdays. How our teachers, how our academies interact face to face. They have a committee of professionals who design test and exams and share ideas.

But the running day-to-day management of the school is in the hands of the Head Teachers. And we have a system where, at every beginning and end of term we have a meeting with the Head Teachers in this office (in Kampala). And the idea is, we want to know what has worked and what has not worked. (Looking for photos on computer) So these are Head Teachers in the meetings. I think I reduced the size. But yeah, we sit every term twice. Our Education Officer visits the school almost every week. We know by numbers how many kids are at school at the end of each week, in all of our schools, through text messages. So, basically, we leave the running of the day in the hands of the Head Teacher.

Megan: Have there been any case of corruption either within the organization or at the teaching level that you’ve had to deal with? (Laughter) Joseph: It’s a very good question. I just imagine if it has ever happened where [someone] say[s], “Ah, you see, we are mismanaging money!” (Laughter) Megan: But I mean has there ever been a case where…? Joseph: One of the issues is, say, we have been able to, since 2006, I think make sacrifices in terms of doing things with less. Our work is known for doing it with less but have quality. And our other major element is to be accountable and transparent. In fact, we usually say, ours is a glass house.

We’ve had a situation, there was an engineer who came an assisted Gita (Academy), and so he was trying to come up with a bill for Gita, and we told him how much many we spent and he said, “no.” And he had to call George and ask and

I am really really comfortable in terms of our model. I really feel good and proud of it, because, as a Ugandan knowing how the community oneness and togetherness have died. And seeing people coming together in the community, offering land – land is very expensive in this country. It’s gold – people are dying and killing each other because of land. Land is expensive, land is everything people own here.

So for us t o b e ab l e t o g e t : [ 1] fre e l and and [ 2] have t he c ommuni t y worki ng and [ 3] have t he g ove rnme nt p rovi d i ng t he b ud g e t for t e ac he rs, I t hi nk t he mod e l i s worki ng . 129

Has there ever been a case were the community maybe stole things from the site or tried to rip off Building Tomorrow? Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

said, “it seems I am not getting enough information from Uganda, because it’s not true – you can’t spent that money and put up a school.” So, for him, the school – for the same school and same status – it was (would be) about $30,000 more (than we spent). So there are some people who believe, or don’t believe, you can construct a school with as much as we’ve constructed.

And one of the things we do to save money is, for example, transportation. Transportation is one of the most expensive things – transporting materials from one point to another point. So if we are taking materials to a place that is say, 200km, you would be charged, like $300US just to drop them off and come back. So what we usually do, because we know the roads, the highways, and we know that most vehicles go in those places to pick and bring them here (Kampala), so what we do it tell one of the staff, “go on that road (Entebbe Rd) and stop a truck and tell them, ‘guys, I am going to that place – Gita – how about if I gave you $100US and you take for me these 100 bags.’” I mean, the guy already has the fuel because he was going there, and you are giving him an additional – it could be half the price you would spend.

So through those kinds of things we’ve managed to save and that helps us to keep the quality of the building sound. It’s not something that everybody would want to try – people would need to comfort. They simply buy a truck and put on everything. I know these things very well – I have done them before. Where I worked, we had an organization that was based in Texas, and money was just flowing. And you don’t waste anybody’s time by standing by the road and waiting for a truck going to Mbale or Soroti. No. We would even, actually, we would go in advance, like a day before and find those trucks and say, “Do you intend to go to Mbale? I intend to go to Mbale on this date and have things to take, so if you are going there, let me know.”

How do you deal with theft? It has happened. More than one site.

It’s a big shame, and for some people it can be very discouraging because you are trying to help people and help communities improve but it has happened. We have lost…we lost iron bars, we lost cement, we lost an ISSBmaking machine. We have arrested people. We have attended court sessions.

Megan: Is there any difficulty in that and that kind of bargaining? Can you always find someone who is willing to do it? Joseph: Yes, people are willing to do it because it’s an income to them, and for us, it can be (inaudible) if you’re not careful, because someone wants to do something immediately and it is done. But I think that’s what has helped us to keep up, to keep our construction costs low, to have a kind of a culture that is accountable, a culture that is transparent, a culture that insures you do a little be more with this money, you know? Sorry (answers text message). Megan: It seems like you’ve figured out a system of working with the community. You’re both accountable to each other and you don’t have the community trying to rip off Building Tomorrow. I mean, that’s the most unique thing, and maybe it’s because I’ve worked with Western organizations and so, when you come into a community as a Westerner, there’s no shame in taking more – you know? So do you think that’s a huge part of what keeps Building Tomorrow in a good relationship with each other? In an honest relationship with each other?

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Joseph: I didn’t get it clearly, what do you mean? Megan: I mean, has there ever been a case were the community maybe stole things from the site or tried to rip off Building Tomorrow? Joseph: Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Megan: So how do you deal with theft? Joseph: It has happened. More than one site. It’s a big shame, and for some people it can be very discouraging because you are trying to help people and help communities improve but it has happened. We have lost…we lost iron bars, we lost cement, we lost an ISSB-making machine. We have arrested people. We have attended court sessions. There was one of our lands, that we bought in 2007 before we started getting free land, someone wanted to cheat us again and say, “oh you guys have gone beyond what I sold to you.” We have taken them to court, we have called police and we recovered that. Megan: What measures are in place to prevent that on the site? Joseph: Now what we do, initially our staff used to commute back and forth from the site. Now we have housing for staff at the site. We have a system of record keeping and a store, so we hire store worker and a side house for the CDO – you’ll be able to see this tomorrow. So there is a system at the site of how many has been delivered, have much has been received and signed, and the store and someone issues and signs and receives, so we know how much has been used every day. In terms of reporting what I use – I usually do the stuff – I usually have a 6 o’clock telephone conversation of what has happened at each site every day. You know, kind of feedback, and the needs, and anything new. So, we have an inventory book. The other side (in the US) we have a lot of paperwork there. We have those things here.

What measures are in place to prevent that on the site? Now what we do, initially our staff used to commute back and forth from the site.

Now we have housing for staff at the site. We have a system of record keeping and a store, so we hire store worker and a side house for the CDO – you’ll be able to see this tomorrow.

Megan: The housing that’s on site – is it something that’s temporary or for the duration of construction? Or is it something you leave after the fact? Joseph: It’s just for the duration of construction because the staff has to move away from their site to another site, so usually we pay, like $10 per month. And you, in the local village things are very cheap, so. Megan: What would you say is an example of a successful Building Tomorrow project and then an unsuccessful Building Tomorrow project? And it can be hypothetical, too – because there might not be an unsuccessful project? (Laughter) Joseph: I am really really comfortable in terms of our model. I really feel good and proud of it, because, as a Ugandan knowing how the community oneness and togetherness have died. And seeing people coming together in the community, offering land – land is very expensive in this country. It’s gold – people are dying and killing each 131

other because of land. Land is expensive, land is everything people own here. So for us to be able to get free land and have the community working and have the government providing the budget for teachers, I think the model is working. Two, staff, you know me, we now feel very comfortable with the construction standards and procedures than we were in 2006. Megan: Is that something that you just had to figure out as the organization grew? Joseph: Yes, it was just an improvement, you know. You know, if it’s a graph, it’s going up. It’s improvement every month – positive, positive, positive, positive. Things like, better, better, better. Construction stuff is part in terms of knowing what to do to make a structure that is sound, that lasts for a number of years. Megan: So have you developed your own standards for construction? Joseph: (Getting up) Yeah, we have. Megan: Is it possible to get a copy? Joseph: Yeah. (Looking for files) I can get a copy, sure. I’m sure I have it. Megan: Joseph, when it comes to the landowners, has it just ended up being people who hear about Building Tomorrow and decide they want to donate land? Joseph: It has all been different. I’ll give you an example. People who have donated land to us have come from different – (to colleague) – Mister Jjumba! Mister Jjumba! – (To me) it has all been very different.

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For example, we went one place where someone had donated to us three acres of land. And then, you know, we called a meeting for the village and people came and so as we were making speeches and what – (to Jjumba, speaking Luganda). As we were making the speeches someone came up and said, “you know what, guys? I think that land, part of it is my section of land.” So I told them, “we cannot go ahead. I will not go ahead with this project until you people have sat and sorted out yourself.”

So the people were very upset. People were very very upset, and they saw they were losing the opportunity because we are saying, “no, we cannot move ahead.” So someone stood up and said, “guys, we can’t lose this chance. Is it possible for Building Tomorrow to come to the next village and we will give you 3 acres of land?” Well, we agreed because it was within the area that the villages were supposed to serve.

So we agreed, went to meet on the land and went to discuss and cross-checked things and we discovered that this was OK. So, that’s how the next site for Notre Dame University was found for the school. (Trying to print out standards and procedures) I hope you find that useful and I can send it to you by email.

Other places, other areas, people go to the district and say, “we heard you, we saw you on TV with this organization, is it possible to reach us to them, since we all are in the same district,” because that’s what happened in one of the districts. People went and asked the education officer. These local leaders – they keep on…they have feelers and they have this kind of information.

Megan: I had another question, but I can’t remember now. I have some that are particularly about what it’s like, day-in, day-out, on the construction site, but I might wait to ask the CDOs about that. If you want to tackle some, that’s OK, too. Joseph: You need to go there and meet those guys. Megan: What was the other question? We talked about land, we talked about issues with the community. The model. Joseph: I am trying to get you this thing (the Construction Standards and Procedures), because, being an engineer… Megan: Yeah, it would be most helpful. Joseph: (Looks for Standards and Procedures) OH! Yes, here – “Rules and Regulations Governing Building Tomorrow Construction Sites.” This is old, old, but I think it could be, it’s basically some guidelines. Megan: Within your organization – we talked about this a little earlier this morning – but within your organization, you have, how many foreman at the moment? Joseph: Right now, we have 4 sites and each site have a foreman. You know, 3 are really the most active because the last one – I mean the forth one – is done. Megan: And so those foreman live on site? Joseph: Yes, because work starts at 8am and ends at 5pm and it’s very far (from Kampala). It’s not something that’s near. Megan: And then, the CDOs live on site as well? Joseph: Yes, and so they come, you know, to the office for request for funds… Megan: Requisitions and stuff? Joseph: Yes, requisitions. Megan: And then, the skilled laborers you have? Joseph: What do you mean, skilled labor? Megan: Masons, carpenters…

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Joseph: Five on each site. Megan: Five on each site? Joseph: Yeah. Megan: And then you said 8-10 community volunteers? Joseph: Depending on whether it’s a good day or not. (Laughter) Megan: And who is in the office? Joseph: Here? Who do you think? Megan: There’s you. Joseph: Me! (Laughter) Joseph: Me. Megan: How do you determine…is it the foreman who make the team of skilled labor? Or do they all go through Building Tomorrow? Joseph: No, we usually have a staff meeting and we determine these things as a team. Yeah. Those guys know a lot. CDOs, so they know who to veto and when to veto. Megan: I just remembered the other question - $60,000US per school… Joseph: Under $60,000US. Megan: Does that include all of the overhead costs…? Joseph: Like, salaries and staff? Megan: Yeah. Joseph: No, that’s purely what the colleges, campuses raise is not at all goes to anybody for salary costs. Megan: That’s just for construction? Joseph: Yes. Megan: Is additional fund-raising done to cover those costs? Joseph: Yeah, yes.

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Megan: So those are all the questions I have. Joseph: Oh really? Megan: I can ask some more. Joseph: I can tell you to go away? Megan: Yes, Vio! (Laughter) Megan: Am I staying too long? Am I taking up too much of your time? You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be polite. Joseph: No, no. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of those things.

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20 July 2012 MATTHEW BLOODWORTH Vice Chair

via Skype: Virginia / Cardiff, Wales

Engineers for Overseas Development, Wales Office

46m

A discussion with Matthew Bloodworth, Vice Chair of the Wales chapter of Engineers for

inserts:

Overseas Development, regarding EFODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement in Uganda and his experience as a short-term Construction Manager.

EFOD Field Progress Written Report

Discussion includes:

EFOD Field Progress Photo Report

EFODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiation in Uganda Organizational structure of short-term, rotating UK teams Construction details Particularities of working through a Western NGO Ugandan building culture from a Western perspective

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Megan: I’m just going to look in at people who do construction management in East Africa, and asking questions about the difficulties, and how the organization gets structured and how you combat all of the cultural and structural problems that come along. Matthew: Okay. Megan: Just starting with basic questions; and this is stuff that I could find online, so you can, not answer it if you don’t want to. [Laughter] Megan: How is EFOD founded in Uganda? Matthew: How’s is it founded in Uganda? The background of EFOD is that it founded by a chap called Ian Flower in 2001, yeah. Megan: Okay. Matthew: That was a draw of breath for a question. It was founded by Ian Flower back in 2001, he already had contact in Uganda, so the natural first place to go was Uganda. He was involved with another charity called Salt Peter Trust and we already knew people, we had a support network over there. We were not limited to Uganda, but it’s just where we happened to be aware of a need and have the support network. Megan: Okay, cool. How are your operations funded? Matthew: They’re funded by a number of different sources. The actual projects themselves, ordinarily funded by the NGOs themselves, so an NGO would come to EFOD and say, “We have a project, we’ve got the need, we’ve got the brief, we’ve got the funding, we just need somebody to actually help us design and build it;” so the capital costs are normally funded by the charity. Sometimes we will do fundraising to supplement their fund if they need it.

In terms of funding for the actual volunteers to go out there, it’s all self-funded, so what that’s mean over the last couple of years, we’ve been very lucky in Cardiff, for there’s a funding stream from the [inaudible 00:01:59] and the Government, that’s been available to us. We’ve been able to use that for flights and a combination of things, but often it’s, people either raise money in terms of sponsorship or they’ll fund it themselves off their own back, or they’ll get funding from their companies, to go out. EFOD itself doesn’t … we raise, 15 grand a year by various fundraising activities, but that’s mainly as a backup part if we need to dip into it at any point.

[00:02:29] Megan: If you could put a label on the projects that you do, is there a specific project that you guys do, or would you say it’s more diversified?

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Matthew: No, it’s fairly diversified. You could label it as development need or a project to help community development; it’s as broad as that. At the moment we are working on a bridge in Zambia, we are working on the Phase One of a school in Uganda, also you know that we worked on an orphanage and a medical center in Uganda. They’re all just community-need driven. Megan: That comes from just from whomever it is that you’re partnering with, whatever NGO is in the country that you’re working with? Matthew: Yes, and… Megan: Okay. Do they… Matthew: [Carry on 00:03:20]… Megan: Sorry. Do they then secure the land? Is all of that on their shoulders? Matthew: Yes. Megan: Okay, good.

When you got on the ground were there any changes in that project that you realized that needed to made, that you could then easily make because [the design] was in-house? Yes, yes, that’s exactly it. We got together and we said, “Look….” I mean, it was better than that, it was even during the design stage you could sit ‘round and if you were in the same team...it helps.

Matthew: That’s how the projects have gone to date, and maybe in the future when we are not … where it’s not able to help them get land and do what they’d expect generally, the [inaudible [00:03:39] come to us already with land, a need and money, and partners in-country. Then we will act almost like an assistant consultancy. We will be a onestop-shop consultancy for the architectural and engineering design, and then on-site supervision. Megan: Are you currently architectural design, or is it mostly engineering? [00:04:08] Matthew: For the project we are doing at the moment, [Shalom 00:04:12] we are only providing the engineering because the client came with her architect. We’d much rather … for the CASSO Orphanage, we were a one-stop-shop so we had our own architectural team you on board, and it was an awful lot better just because we were all one team as opposed to the client’s side and the consultancy side. From several different backgrounds, and it was lot of easier to interface. Megan: When you got on the ground were there any changes in that project that you realized that needed to made, that you could then easily make because it was in-house? Matthew: Yes, yes, that’s exactly it. We got together and we said, “Look….” I mean, it was better than that, it was even during the design stage you could sit ‘round and if you were in the same team, as obviously, you’re a meant to be all be on the same team anyway, but if you’re actually on the same team it helps. It just helps with the discussions, and he’s already had some presentation.

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Is there a good story... about the pitfalls of that time lag between teams going out? I’ve got a good example of the troubles that we’ve encountered... Every time a new team goes out the first thing everybody does on site is come to us and say, “Ah, the last team... said that they would send the pay rise with you guys; so we are having this pay rise, right?” Of course, you’ve only just arrived in country, you’re just trying to work who is who, what’s what, what’s going on, and immediately you’re being hit with, “We are getting a pay rise, aren’t we?” That seems to be on stable trick is they soon realize the weakness with the way that we do things, is the gap between things. Once a team has been there a week, it’s too late, they’ve already found their feet, you’ve got to hit them as soon as they get out, and the guys will, say, very quickly realize this, and so anything they want, they’ll ask you the first day. 140

The architect that was working with us could appreciate why we were having difficult doing some of the things he was asking, but we could, on the flip side, appreciate why it was important what she was asking us to do. Yeah, it made it a lot easier. It would have been a lot more difficult to changed things with the selected project, because the architects already had her own ideas when she came to us. The building, for instance, is now in the … is curved, all of it, not a straight wall in place.

Megan: I was looking forward to seeing that one. Matthew: Yeah, it looked awesome, it really does, it looks really, really cool, it’s just not very practical to use, but anyway. Megan: How is the organization, from the top to the porter on the site? How is the organization structured? [00:06:01] Matthew: EFOD has a Board, so that runs EFOD as a charity in the U.K. There are then different branches out of the U.K. which are based in different geographic locations. Each group has its own committee; generally the group will only be undertaking one project at a time, so the Group Committee and the Project Management Team are often pretty similar. Generally there will be a committee and then maybe another … a Project Management Team, within a project there will be a project manager, there will then be team leaders for the different disciplines.

You’ll have architectural, structural, and infrastructure typically. We don’t normally get involved in any MEP so much because that’s not so much to do out there, so you then have team leaders, and then below that you have the teams. In-country, we’ll then send out pairs of engineers to see about the budget, to either supervise or offer technical support for construction. On site, technically, we’ll have a foreman who runs the site. You’ll then have a team leader for the various teams typically that’s labor, and just diggers, so just manual labor.

Then you have carpenters, then you have masons, they will each have team leader, they’ll be run by the foreman, and the foreman will sit alongside the EFOD engineers, so that the foreman is running the site, and we are then feeding into the foreman; now then…

Megan: When you… sorry. Matthew: No, go on. Megan: When you have a team go out, when you have two of your team members that go out onto the site, is it a continual cycle of people that are on the field, or do you end up having a lag where there’s basically no one there but the foreman and the skilled labor team leaders?

Matthew: It depends on the project, and the funding, and the volunteers, so there are a lot of variables. On, say, this project, we’ve been almost back-to-back because we thought that we were going to be able to do the program quicker than we’ve actually managed to achieve it. We thought that we had enough volunteers, enough money to send people back-to-back; which was the preferred way to do it. For both CASSO and Medical Center, we had one or two-week gaps in between the four teams going out; when it was just left for the foreman to run site. [00:08:33] Megan: I guess, getting into a specific, is there a good story you’ve got about the pitfalls of that time lag between teams going out? Matthew: I haven’t got a story; I’ve got a good example of the troubles that we’ve encountered. The kinds of problems that we encountered, is that every time a new team goes out the first thing everybody does on site is come to us and say, “Ah, the last team for us is we were going to get a pay rise. They said that they would send the pay rise with you guys; so we are having this pay rise, right? Megan: Mm-hmm (Affirmative). Matthew: Of course, you’ve only just arrived in country, you’re just trying to work who is who, what’s what, what’s going on, and immediately you’re being hit with, “We are getting a pay rise, aren’t we?” That seems to be on stable trick is they soon realize the weakness with the way that we do things, is the gap between things. Once a team has been there a week, it’s too late, they’ve already found their feet, you’ve got to hit them as soon as they get out, and the guys will, say, very quickly realize this, and so anything they want, they’ll ask you the first day.

It’s money or its, “If you could bring a football boots for me,” or … it’s always something, so that’s the biggest pitfall about it all, and continuity is the other with it, because obviously things are discussed with the last … the last team discussed something and then the next team that’s out there, if that information is being lost between the two teams in a briefing, then the information can get lost.

[00:10:14]

It’s money or its, “If you could bring a football boots for me,” or … it’s always something, so that’s the biggest pitfall about it all. Continuity is the other with it, because obviously things are discussed with the last … the last team discussed something and then the next team that’s out there, if that information is being lost between the two teams in a briefing, then the information can get lost.

Megan: Okay, and so when… Matthew: The usual time I’m sure, I’ll have good, entertaining stories, but none springs to mind I’m afraid. [Laughter] Megan: No, no, that’s great. That’s what I was anticipating, and there’s, each NGO that I’m talking to, they each have a very unique model, and it really … there’s things about it that really work, and then there’s always things about that hit the culture in the wrong way. There seems to be no perfect way of doing it, of course. 141

Matthew: No. Megan: Just to know how you’re going to deal with those struggles once you hit the ground. Matthew: What we’ve done in the end, is we are getting better at this as time goes on, and the way we are getting around it now is our briefings … our debrief from out last team, and the briefing of the next team, is all captured in a very formatted … a very rigid format of handover notes, so we aren’t losing that information because it’s just a lot more rigid how we are capturing it. That is helping an awful lot. In other words … the best thing that we’ve thought of, and if you find a foreman that you trust or somebody on site that you trust as somebody who stands below him, so in the three. The foreman at the top, you are below the foreman, feeding back up to him, and the foreman runs everybody else through that way; he’s top dog and you’re … as long as you trust him, not to be screwing you over, then he’ll basically shield you, the NGO. As you say, there’s no better way of doing it. Megan: How do you go about finding a foreman that you trust? Matthew: Good question. Largely it’s people we know, so it would be the medical center, it was somebody from the church who had been given to as, “This is the guy you need as your foreman,” and he was, he was very good, very useful.

For the Catholic scheme we initially had one chap working as foreman, but actually, the guy was the head mason, was far and away a better guy, so after a few months we just realized that, and so rather than him being recommended he just demonstrated his worth, and we were just able to say, “Well actually, you’re really good, do you want to be the foreman instead?” That’s generally how we do it. It all comes through recommendation or observed competence.

Megan: The system has gotten a bit more rigid in terms of continuity. What did you do to make that, what does that mean exactly, when you say, make more rigid? Matthew: What I mean, is before, when a team comes back we have a debrief for that team, and then we brief the next team, and capturing all of our information between the debrief and the briefing of the next team because the team is coming back knackered, and the team is going out green, where they’re inexperienced about what exactly it is to go on site at that moment. They don’t have the right questions in their minds, so we were finding we were losing a lot of information between in that process.

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What we’ve done is we’ve just tightened it up; the debriefing that’s a set of questions that we ask and get answers for. There’s a set format of document that the guys have to fill in, in order to try and capture as much information, and then there’s a set way that we brief the next team, so it’s basically the same thing we’ve always been doing but just making sure we are doing it in a slightly more organized way.

Megan: Would I be able to get a set of those documents…? Matthew: Yeah, I… Megan: …just to see what it is that you… Matthew: I can send you just one of the handover notes from one of our teams, because basically we build those progress reports. We have those progress reports. We give the progress report as it is from the last team to the next team, and then we edit it ever so slightly and circulate it to the wider audience, just so people can see. Every few weeks you’ve something in your Inbox, at EFOD, just to remind you that we are here. Yeah, I can send you one of those, let me just write that down. Megan: All right, cool. I think everybody has their comprehensive list of stuff to check off and to look and it would just be helpful to see what yours is. Matthew: Yeah, I’m just [inaudible 00:14:44] other people’s, because a lot of it relies on people being able to … being fairly switched on about these things when we are handing over stuff, and all always relies on just defining system that we have in place out there, so there is a laptop with all the information on it, and providing people file it properly and keep a site diary up-to-date, there should be enough information stored on site, and within the handover for people to answer any questions that come up. That’s the plan anyway. It’s always nice to have a nice plan, isn’t it? Megan: Yes, it sounds good. Are there any opportunities for education or training of the workers when you get on site? Matthew: Yes and no. The yes, normally relates to the compressed blocks, just because nobody really uses those, but they’re brilliant. Whenever we go to a site we tend to train up whoever is there, or whoever is willing to be trained up to use these block presses. That’s always a good training thing. There’s always a bit of residual training of just people generally being interested in what you’re doing, asking questions, “Why are you doing this way? Why are you doing this?”

A great story is one of our chaps had a standard hammer with a wooden handle. He would try to say, “Okay, we’ve just got to do this [landing [00:16:11], and this is the way that we are going to do this landing,” because they were screwing up something proper. The carpenter on site said, “Ah, well my hammer is much better than your hammer, because it has a metal handle,” and he thought the metal handle is stronger than wood, much better.

I’ve got to say, “Well, probably isn’t actually,” and so after a bit they both tried each other’s hammers, and of course, you hit the nail in with a hammer with a metal handle, and it doesn’t … it resonates, it gives a lot of shock into your hand. If you hit it with a wooden handle, then it doesn’t, and so by going through the process of explaining, demonstrating, showing the other that he could hit a hammer in and then just the nails, actually the hammer was better, it builds confidence that what we are

[How do you] deal with those struggles once you hit the ground? When a team comes back we have a debrief for that team. And then we brief the next team, and capturing all of our information...because the team is coming back knackered, and the [new] team is going out green [and] they’re inexperienced about what exactly it is to go on site at that moment.

They don’t have the right questions in their minds, so we were finding we were losing a lot of information between in that process.

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Did you ever have a particular detail that you were trying to execute, that was just really difficult to get across...and either had to be changed or had to be reassessed...? Trusses were a good one, we were trying to do trusses in CASSO, and the truss, they weren’t uniformed symmetrical trusses, they were asymmetrical...We were trying to use wooden nail plates to get the connections to work, and it just … it was awful. We changed the truss design entirely.

The guys on site hated doing it the way that we’d first planned. They were quite right, it was a rubbish design. On paper it worked, but it wasn’t very userfriendly to build.

saying is right, and then suddenly we get listened to. Megan: Yeah, cool. Matthew: Yeah, that’s the main education thing that we have on site. We don’t specifically go out to educate or train locals, not in the least, because we are … once we are engineers and so know how stuff goes together. If you were to put somebody to lay bricks next to an engineer who is trying to lay bricks, I guarantee you the person who lays brick for a living would have a nicer wall by the end. There’s no point in us trying to train trade skills, because we are not very good at them ourselves. Megan: Did you ever have a particular detail that you were trying to execute, that was just really difficult to get across and for you to … whether it was infrastructural or structural or architectural, that just wasn’t getting across, and either had to be changed or had to be reassessed the way that you were executing it? Matthew: Trusses were a good one, we were trying to do trusses in CASSO, and the truss, they weren’t uniformed symmetrical trusses, they were asymmetrical just to get the roof to just fit as it was designed. We were trying to use wooden nail plates to get the connections to work, and it just … it was awful, so we did a number of them, and then we learned from the experience of the first few buildings, and when we designed the central block, we changed the truss design entirely, so instead of being single boom and single upright cord, single boom and single cord, it was twin boom and single cord. Which meant that you were able to sandwich the cord between the boom and bolt it on new nail plates, and the real onus of doing it that way, was that the guys on site hated doing it the way that we’d first planned.

They were quite right, it was a rubbish design. On paper it worked, but it wasn’t very user-friendly to build. It was their idea to use double boom and single cord, and so their idea … seeing their idea incorporated into the design then built, and they had an awful lot more buy-in into those trusses, and they turned out really. We’ve got loads of examples of that sort of thing, but yeah that’s a good one of them.

Megan: When it comes to these changes that happen on the field, how do you … is that just part of the continuity of checking to make sure that one team knows what the team before it had done in terms of…? Matthew: Yeah. Megan: …changing things? Matthew: The team that’s making the change will alter the drawings by hand. They’ll then brief the next team that that’s what happened, and then, in a perfect world, once they say, we’ll put a team one, team two and team three. The first team will make the change by hand. They’ll brief team two, whiles team two are in country, hopefully, over that two or three-week period, and that change will then be made to the

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drawing s and in the U.K., so team three can then go out with an updated set of drawings. Megan: Okay, cool. Matthew: That’s the plan anyway. Megan: Okay, I understand about the plan, it doesn’t always go… [Laughter] Matthew: Yeah, that’s what it was like. Megan: What would be an example of; I guess two questions, a successful project by your organization, and then an unsuccessful one? These can hypothetical because I’m sure there are no unsuccessful projects by EFOD.

It was their idea to use double boom and single cord, and so their idea …

Seeing their idea incorporated into the design then built, and they had an awful lot more buy-in into those trusses, and [it] turned out.

Matthew: Yeah, [inaudible 00:20:05] well done. I think that … I’ll talk about EFOD Cardiff because that’s what I know most about. Obviously, remembering the EFOD, we’ve got three other EFOD Groups that’s always successful in their own. I’ve already said that one of our … the medical center was a really successful project because it went on in three phases. The foundations were laid because we’ve completed the previous projects early, so a team that had nothing to do so they laid the foundations.

We then went back three years later and did the bulk of the structure. We then went back another year after that and went through and did the finishes, so it was phased, and the phasing was largely due to funding. The phasing didn’t detract from the completion of the project, and that was a really good thing. To design and complete the structure of the EFOD project is just really impressive; it’s a really good scheme.

[00:22:04] Similar to the [inaudible 00:22:09] the cast off on each was a really good scheme, for a slightly different reason. We had a very, very short time scale to get it done, because of the deadline when the children needed to be in there, because where they were living at the moment … at the beginning was going to be demolished. It was quite nice to have a target, and we hit that target, and we got everything in, and it all worked and it went very well, so that’s a really good example.

A bad example; we do quite a bit of incinerators, so we do small-scale incinerators, for the hospital waste, so instead of having the hospital waste going to a skip, the skip then getting played in by the kids, you could see why that’s a bad idea. We installed a few incinerators and these things are great, they really are good, unfortunately they are too efficient, in some cases, which means that they burn through the lids.

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It doesn’t happen immediately, but they burn through the lids over a number of years. So whilst I wouldn’t say that’s a failure of a project, it’s something that would happen to not go back and help maintain because you obviously want them to succeed, and they were put in there because they were needed. Partly to do with the materials that were available, but partly to do with the design and we are still working on how exactly we can resolve that.

Megan: With the medical center, you said there was … you went and laid the foundations and then it was three years before the funding came back and the team was able to go out and do the bulk of the structure. Matthew: Yeah. Megan: Is that part of the game plan, just making sure to really accurately phase your construction with the funding that’s coming in? Not to overreach just to get a project completed before it’s…? Matthew: Yes. Megan: Okay. [00:24:00] Matthew: It’s exactly that, it’s full of [inaudible 00:24:04] in more recent schemes of almost being too ambitious, thinking that we can do everything at once, when really whatever driver you might think you have, the money is the driver, without money you can’t build the project. If the money isn’t in place, then you can’t do it, so you’ve got to … we’ve been focusing on aligning the project’s, say, closely with what funds are available.

In the example of the medical center, there was actually a civil conflict between laying the foundations and doing the superstructure as well. We were going to go back to it, but they were at war so it wasn’t really the best place to be.

Megan: Yeah, understandable. When you send a team out, and they go back-to-back, is it over a course of just a few months? Matthew: What, the whole project? Megan: Yeah. Say, you have this larger-scale project where you break it up into phases, would you say that you send a team out? What would be the duration to lay the foundations for the medical center? Matthew: Probably too big a question without a specific project in mind. Obviously laying the foundation for something that’s like the medical center will be different from laying the foundation for something that’s half-sized the medical center. What we’ll often try and do, we’ll often try and align our teams going out to site, with one of their key things that are a bit unusual to the guys on sites. 146

(On budgets):

I mention it as a good example because actually, they’re good in laying foundations, they’ve been laying those for quite a while, so if you were to have somebody there at the beginning to set out, and make sure the first few bits of foundation went down correctly. Then say, “Right, probably you’ve just done that, repeat that all the way ‘round here.” You could probably leave them for a couple of weeks to get on with that, and then the next thing you would need the team like to supervise, would be setting out the walls on top of the foundations.

[00:26:03] The duration of the CASSO Orphanage, and we were on that fulltime, we didn’t have back-toback teams, but we had teams of one or two-week breaks, and the duration of that was almost bang on a year to produce four dorm blocks, essential block, and admin block and two toilet blocks on a Greenfield site. Megan: Taking a generic project, what would you say are the really critical points that you wouldn’t want to proceed without having someone from EFOD on site? Matthew: If we are taking a project where we haven’t got a contract involved where it’s us and we are running a foreman. The critical things will be shutting out, getting the foundations going, the foundations are say … they can then, to an extent, put them down themselves. You can look to set out the walls. I’m assuming that there’s going to be a building…

Whatever driver you might think you have, the money is the driver, without money you can’t build the project. If the money isn’t in place, then you can’t do it, so you’ve got to …[align] the projects... closely with what funds are available.

Megan: Yes, sorry. Matthew: …where we are allowed … we’ll put down walls. Megan: Sorry, I was forgetting about the walls. Matthew: You know what, they’ll see the walls starting to go up and you’ll probably then leave them to an extent. One of the things if you were going to start leaving, we don’t really like to leave the team, after [inaudible 00:27:20] to lay it out on site, but one of the things you do, you just have to be aware or you just could be very strict. You could say, “We are going away, we’ll be back in two weeks. By that point you would have achieved this. If you haven’t achieved that then we are not paying you, unless you’ve got a good reason obviously. If what you’ve done is really poor quality then we are taking it down and doing it again.”

We’ve had to rip walls down in the past just because we had a double-skinned wall on one of the buildings, and the engineer turned his back for half-a-day, went to town to buy something, came back and they thrown up half the wall without tying it together.

They knew they should have done it, they knew better and they knew exactly what they had done wrong, and so the wall had to come down and be done again, in their own time. You’ve just got to be a little bit ruthless, and remember the action. All

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these guys, they do know exactly what they’re doing, in terms of the construction, so if they’re doing it wrong, then it’s not a case of they’re not as good at it as we expect them to be, it’s a case of them knocking around. Just don’t stand for it. Megan: Good. I’m glad to hear it, it makes me feel a little bit better about decisions I’ve made on site. Matthew: Yeah, yeah, we shouldn’t think we are too soft and we are doing them a favor being out there, but realistically we are not, they’re getting paid good money to do a job they know how to do. Megan: Yep. Was I a bit… Matthew: What I’m saying, we are laying the walls, without going out, of course, you could let them lay the walls, you don’t want to let them cast … you’re going to want to be there to cast the ring beam. You definitely want to be there to make the first truss, and you want to be there when the trusses went up. Everything else around that, if you were putting it up, you just gathered some team … you’ve probably let them do everything else themselves. They could put the roofs on themselves; they could build blocks of walls themselves. Once everything is set out and they know what they’re doing, everything else is sort of a quality control thing. Megan: Yeah, exactly. Are there any particular … how do I put this … misconceptions about structure that you’ve encountered that you’ve had to combat when you go on site? For instance, one of the biggest things that I’ve had to deal with is just the issue of putting a ring beam at the lintel height. Other things like the idea that more mortar makes the wall stronger, those kinds of things. I’m just wondering what your library of typical issues might be. [00:30:05] Matthew: The two biggest ones we have; is if you try to compact, so you try to compact back around the foundations. If you pour water on it, it will make it compact better … that’s not right. You have to compact [inaudible 00:30:19], and the other big one is, more cement makes it stronger. We have lost inordinate amount of cement to the more cement makes it stronger rule, but in actual fact more cement makes it crack. The thing is people won’t even believe us.

On most sites we’ve built just dummy walls, just up on site and said, “Right, here’s my wall with my mix in it, here’s yours with your mixing it, let’s have a look at them in a week, shall we?” Come back and we are going to look, “Your wall is falling to pieces, my wall is still fine, let’s build it my way, shall we?”

Megan: In saying that, in technical terms you guys to mockups then, sometimes on site? Matthew: We do mockups if there’s a detail that we are not quite sure how it will work. We also do largely mockups that [inaudible 00:31:16] there, and to demonstrate how

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(On quality control): things work, so it’s not so much … it might not be so much about the construction of it, and how the walls are actually going to look, but it’s more so to do with how cement works. How concrete works, and mortar works, but yeah we do the mockups, we do mockups but they’re not always as you might think of them as an architect. Sometimes they have to demonstrate different points. Megan:

Have there been any other demonstrations that you’ve done over the years?

Matthew: Yeah, we did … the project we are doing at the moment, we weren’t quite sure how all of the ISSB blocks, or how the wall … how the internal walls were going to tie into the external walls, so we did just a mock up panel, just to one side, just to work out how all the piers were going to work, how the wall ties were going to work, how the [inaudible 00:32:08] was going to work.

We did … whilst the foundations are going down, we built us a little wall and put every different kind of jointed angles that were going to occur in the rest of the project, on that example panel just to make sure it will tie together. Also it’s gets useful, so if there’s not somebody there … if there’s not any mason there supervising, you can say to the chap who’s called you, “Well just go and look at the example panel, and it’s example number three, third in from the left.”

Megan: That actually brings up a question. I went to one of the Building Tomorrow sites that you had worked with previously in [Inaudible 00:32:47]. Matthew: The DITA School? Megan: Yes, I went to DITA, but then there was another school that was built with ISSB, and their corners were just brick, how do you deal with making a … Do you put concrete in your ISSB? Do you make a form with the brick? Or, is it just concrete at the ring beam? Matthew: We use the concrete in the ring beam … the way that we are building things now, is that we are building out of the walls, if they were long length of wall we are putting piers in, if they’re internal walls, the brick of the wall panel anyway, then you can put so many piers, and then we are putting a concrete, a reinforced concrete ring beam at ring beam level. Megan: The piers are just ISSB, or they’re filled with concrete? Matthew: No, ISSB. Megan: Okay, cool. Matthew: Yeah, we are not filling with concrete. A good example is the central block, that CASSIO is all piers, and the piers are actually closer than they need to be really, because we envisaged the work between the piers, we call it the bench, so it was the architectural features that they came up with to try and make the piers less, just piers, more something useful.

We’ve had to rip walls down in the past just because...the engineer turned his back for halfa-day, went to town to buy something, came back and they thrown up half the wall without tying it together. They knew they should have done it, they knew better and they knew exactly what they had done wrong. And so the wall had to come down and be done again, in their own time.

You’ve just got to be a little bit ruthless... All these guys, they do know exactly what they’re doing, in terms of the construction, so if they’re doing it wrong, then it’s not a case of they’re not as good at it as we expect them to be. It’s a case of them knocking around. Just don’t stand for it. 149

Are there any particular … how do I put this … misconceptions about structure that you’ve encountered that you’ve had to combat when you go on site? I’m just wondering what your library of typical issues might be. The two biggest ones we have; is if you try to compact, so you try to compact back around the foundations. If you pour water on it, it will make it compact better… that’s not right. And the other big one is, more cement makes it stronger. We have lost inordinate amount of cement to the more cement makes it stronger rule, but in actual fact more cement makes it crack. The thing is people won’t even believe us.

On most sites we’ve built just dummy walls, just up on site and said, “Right, here’s my wall with my mix in it, here’s yours with your mixing it, let’s 150

[00:34:07] Megan: I love that word, “architectural feature”. Matthew: Yeah. Megan: Like flim-flam. Matthew: It won’t stand up, this is useful flims, I mean we all came through it together incorporating things we need in engineering, useful and productive. Megan: I have very specific questions about all of the other projects, but I feel like maybe that some investigating I should do on my own, just not to waste your time. Matthew: You can do it right … you can [inaudible 00:34:39] if you like, I wouldn’t mind. Megan: I might just wait because I’ve got these … just sheets and sheets of questions about really specifics of drawings and what not. I don’t know if you have any drawings of the three projects in Soroti. Were there just three? Matthew: Yeah. There’s an incinerator as well, but there are three large-scale projects. Yeah, we’ve got drawings for the whole lot. Is there any in particular you’re interested in, overall site plan, so you get an idea what’s going on? Or, is it the details? Megan: Yeah, mostly site plans, floor plans, I guess sections in details, which might be the whole lot, I don’t know, that sounds like it might be everything. Yeah, just determining how it is that you all have tackled these issues of building; if that’s okay, if it’s fair game for me to take a look at and use… Matthew: Yeah. Megan: …potentially in my thesis, that would be great, if not, that’s okay too. Matthew: No, no, no. I’m sure I can forward that over. I’m [inaudible 00:35:53], so I’m thinking about what we’ve actually got that can be useful, but no, that should be fine, I’ll forward those over. Megan: Okay, great. Again, if there’s any particular things that come up, that you think of, any details that really were just significantly changed, or the overall design that was significantly changed as a result of the design and construction process.

That’s the key point, so the final drawings will be great; it will give me a lot of information, but then really being able to relate to professors and people that I’m working with. The idea that there’s nothing that’s set in stone until you actually go and build it.

Matthew: Yeah, sure. Megan: Will be an important thing to relate. Yeah, but then I guess my last question is;

what are … and this is just general. What are the particular difficulties of working in Uganda, and is there any additional parting information that you would have for someone wanting to do work there? Matthew: There are few difficulties. What’s the biggest? The biggest difficulty is being a muzungu, and that’s a difficulty for a number of reasons. As you know, from our point of view the difficulty raised is it’s perceived that money grows on trees in the West, we’ve got more money than we know what to do with, so why do your best at a good price for it. That’s difficult. There’s also the difficulty, of where they’re doing work, we are thinking … we are earning value because we are doing things well, and we are coming with more money than might be otherwise available, but at the same time we’ve got to focus on building capacity in country,

Actually, if we are doing a lot of the work and then taking a lot of the skill back to the U.K. with us, or back to the States with you, then we could be potentially doing more, which I guess is your question, right, the education?

have a look at them in a week, shall we?” Come back and we are going to look, “Your wall is falling to pieces, my wall is still fine, let’s build it my way, shall we?”

Megan: Mm-hmm (Affirmative). Matthew: That’s one problem. The other problem is understanding work ethic, and understanding how everything works out there, who you should speak to, the hierarchy within the organizations.

The fact that it’s not unreasonable to have a four-hour lunch break it’s bloody during the middle of the day, so it makes perfect sense to have a four-hour lunch break. Start a bit earlier, finish a bit later, and have a big lunch break. Just understanding how it works out there can help an awful lot. The other difficulty we find is that a lot of perception, as we were talking about a minute ago; people out there, “They haven’t got a clue, they don’t really know what they’re doing.”

The thing that having got … in actual fact that’s seldom true, we found actually the carpenters are better than a lot of the guys who know back in the U.K. The masons really are very good. The rendering they do is just … is better than anything you’ll see over here, and so to take them for fools is naïve, but what it also means is that, if they are playing on the fact that we think they don’t know what they’re doing, then we are taken for fools. It’s saying if they do something wrong, they know what they’ve done, they know they shouldn’t have done it, make them do it again.

At the end of the day, this is … it is for example towards how it will end, it’s the story of people who are volunteering their time, but if you pay someone to do a job, get them to do the job properly, because it’s exactly the same as if you’re working on a site anywhere across the world. Give anyone an inch, they’ll walk a mile.

Megan: Yeah. Matthew: It sounds harsh, but the more we go out, the more we get hardened to people taking advantage of us. It’s not uncommon for people to, “How much is that?” [Inaudible

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(On skilled workers):

Actually, the carpenters are better than a lot of the guys we know back in the U.K. The masons really are very good. The rendering they do is just … is better than anything you’ll see over here, and so to take them for fools is naïve. If you pay someone to do a job, get them to do the job properly, because it’s exactly the same as if you’re working on a site anywhere across the world. Give anyone an inch, they’ll walk a mile.

00:40:01]. [00:40:02] Megan: Yeah, that’s understandable. Matthew: The presentation going … because I’m hungry so I’m going… Megan: Well done, well done. Matthew: There are those two things. Megan: Anything else? Matthew: I have a story about it actually, in terms of real [inaudible 00:40:19] back there. I supposed it would be health and safety is also a big one, health and safety there, it’s just slightly different kettle of fish out there. It’s very much a case of trying to get people to understand whether things are … slightly different than we would in the U.K. I guess. Megan: Have you had any dangers or any breaches of safety on your job sites? Matthew: We have one actually, and there’s a good example of it actually in terms of our health and safety procedure as it is. With the block presses, you know how the block presses work, right. Megan: Mm-hmm (Affirmative). Matthew: You compact it and then you put it over your head. One of the guys went to his … he used a block press operator, he didn’t quite manage to lock the handle in, so when jumped on it to put it down, to compress the block, it slipped out of the tooth and smacked him on the head, almost blind the poor guy, it was … and we hadn’t even identified it as a risk. We just haven’t seen that coming, and so now, anyone who operates one of our block presses had a hard hat. Luckily the guy was okay, but it’s things like that … and we do these toolbox talks as well.

There’s the obvious one of the guys mixing cement with their feet, with their bare feet, that’s sort of the good one. We are stopping all of that thing, people jumping down 20-feel holes, unsupported, which is a great [inaudible 00:41:55]. Those are some of the examples.

Megan: Okay, great. [00:42:02] Matthew: I suppose actually, the other only thing I’d say, and this is a bit off topic, it’s probably … if you’re writing about EFOD, it’s worth remembering that EFOD is the generally a training organization, we train project engineers or graduate construction professionals, that’s why we send out … we might send out 20 people throughout 152

the course of the project, and you’ll argue that more fish [inaudible 00:42:21] to send out one person, we send out a lot more, and the benefit is that what we do at a development scheme, we are also training graduate engineers.

Otherwise, the first question anyone always ask is, “Why are you sending 20 people out?” As long as you bear that in mind when you’re thinking about what we do, it makes sense, if you weren’t aware of it already, then the question will be asked.

Megan: Thank you for that, because the organizations that I’m looking at. There’s one … you guys fall in the middle of these two extremes of … Building Tomorrow is all Ugandan in country, entirely Ugandan-run and volunteers, and what not, and then the organization that I work with there’s always one Western construction manager on site.

I think it’s interesting to see a model where you have this kind of … and arguments can be made for both, but I like the idea that in one extreme you have a crosscultural exchange all the time. I like on the other side, that you have a little bit more responsibility given to the nationals, and so I think that EFOD is a really interesting example because it … you’re saying that there’s something to be learned and to be trained on, coming out of university by going to these places.

[00:44:00]

You’re hoping that your own people are going to be trained, but also that your wanting to train up nationals as well. That’s really why I wanted to use you all as a case study, because I think it’s a happy medium between the two. Not so happy sometimes, I’m sure, but…

Matthew: Yeah, about the fun doing that. Megan: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so those are the questions that I’ve got. Matthew: Okay. Megan: For the time being. Matthew: No, that’s cool. Feel free to call whenever you need. I’ll send over the progress reports, and I’ll pick out some drawings for the … I can guarantee a couple of the schemes, I’m not sure I can find for the other schemes, but… Megan: Yeah, well I’ve been trying … [Crosstalk 00:44:46] Matthew: I’ll have a think about that, but I’m sure I’ve got some good examples.

What are the particular difficulties of working in Uganda...?

The biggest difficulty is being a muzungu (white foreigner), and that’s a difficulty for a number of reasons. As you know, from our point of view the difficulty raised is it’s perceived that money grows on trees in the West...That’s difficult. There’s also the difficulty, of where they’re doing work, we are thinking … we are coming with more money than might be otherwise available. But at the same time we’ve got to focus on building capacity in country, Actually, if we are doing a lot of the work and then taking a lot of the skill back to the U.K. with us, or back to the States with you, then we could be potentially doing more [harm than good].

Megan: Okay, cool. Thank you so much, Matt, I really appreciate it. Yeah, it’s more helpful than I’m sure you realize, and yeah, good talking to you.

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[Are there] demonstrations that you’ve done over the years? Yeah, we did.... Whilst the foundations are going down, we built us a little wall and put every different kind of jointed angles that were going to occur in the rest of the project, on that example panel just to make sure it will tie together.

Also it’s gets useful, so if there’s not somebody there … if there’s not any mason there supervising, you can say to the chap who’s called you, “Well just go and look at the example panel, and it’s example number three, third in from the left.”

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Matthew: Not a problem. If you need anything else; either call or drop me an email. Megan: Okay. Matthew: If you don’t get anywhere with that long list of questions you have, I’m sure I can look … bit of typing on them … onto some of them. Also, the other thing, we would like to send out another team at some point, in the not too far future, probably August sometime. If there’s anything that you, too, come across and you think to yourself, “God, I wish I’d taken that photo whilst I was in Uganda,” we may be have that. Megan: Okay, cool. Matthew: Maybe I can help you with that if you need that. Megan: All right, I will do. Thank you very much. Matthew: Call us. Matthew: All right, yeah, awesome. Megan: All right. Good to chat. Matthew: All right, yeah.

13 July 2012 JOHN SAUDER Director, Project Leader, Architect, and former Construction Manager, Engineering Ministries International, East Africa Office

Kampala, Uganda Engineering Ministries International, East Africa Office 61m

PHILIP GREENE

inserts:

Project Leader, Structural Engineer, and former Construction Manager Engineering Ministries International,

Sketches from field notebooks

East Africa Office

A discussion with John Sauder and Philip Greene of Engineering Ministries International, East Africa, regarding their past experiences as full-time Construction Managers in Uganda.

Discussion includes: Construction details Particularities of working through a Western NGO Ugandan building culture from a Western perspective Advice for future construction managers

155

[Could you] paint a picture of what a successful day is on a job site and what an unsuccessful day is on a job site? John:

An unsuccessful day is when there is communication or cross-cultural breakdowns, expectations aren’t met or have been miscommunicated. Were there any communication breakthroughs that you had? John: Yes, I think probably closer to the end of the project there was more of an understanding of what the expectations were in terms of quality. Some of the foremen involved and other craftsmen and technicians were able to more intuitively make decisions, not be micromanaged in that process. 156

Megan: I’m basically just wanting to talk to you guys about your construction management experience. A lot of that ends up being storytelling as well. I have some questions that I want to kind of start the conversation, and you can either just go through them methodically. You can answer them or you guys want to kind of branch off and just talk about whatever you want to talk about that you think might be relevant.

What I’m trying to capture is the kind of chaos that happens between getting a drawing set that you could to break ground and actually moving into the building and having it be done. I know you guys have a lot experience with that, so I’d like to get the two of you together. I’m sure you’ll feed off of each other and that kind of stuff.

John:

The last person you interviewed was Steve Hoyt, right?

Megan: Yes. John: Great. Megan: Everybody has their story. John:

I won’t be quite as colorful.

Megan: No, no, no, no. I guess to kind of start out like if you could paint a picture of what a successful day is on a job site and what an unsuccessful day is on a job site. You can qualify those terms. John:

Successful and unsuccessful day?

Phillip:

You can go first, John.

John:

An unsuccessful day is when there is communication or cross cultural break downs, expectations aren’t met or have been miscommunicated. For me, personally, I wasn’t on the job site every day, so it was more about I’d be out there sometimes three days a week, but maybe on the job for three or four hours each time. It was more about driving up to the project and seeing what had been done in the last couple of days and being extremely frustrated with what you’re seeing.

Megan: Was that because you were just living in a far away location from the project? John:

Yes, because we were an hour away and because I was involved in so many other aspects of what the ministry was doing, I wasn’t able to dedicate all of my time to just being on site. We had a lot of interns working through the [inaudible 00:03:00] program and that was kind of how we managed that. There was mobilizing one or two interns, letting them be the on-site daily presence and then checking in on them a couple times a week. Yes, it’s usually communication breakdowns that were the most frustrating.

Megan: Were there any communication breakthroughs that you had?

John:

Yes, I think probably closer to the end of the project there was more of an understanding of what the expectations were in terms of quality. Some of the foremen involved and other craftsmen and technicians were able to more intuitively make decisions, not be micromanaged in that process. We begin to start to see some of that happening, but it took a while. A lot of it was not necessarily that I knew everything that needed to be done and it was just me not communicating it or them not understanding it, but it was me figuring out what needed to be done and how that differed from their perspective.

Phillip:

It probably had to do a lot with your personal relationship with those people. You beginning to understand the way they think and what they expect to hear and learning their ways of saying things and them learning to interpret you but it’s not necessary that you or I should say that I can communicate in this culture really effectively. It’s that over time communicating with Fred became easier. Not communicating with all [inaudible 00:05:18] but somehow we came to understand each other better through that relationship.

John:

That’s true.

Megan: Was there a particular design detail that you remember just being very difficult to execute in the field or that it was drawn that way or whether it was something that you came up with on the fly? Phillip:

Yes, these prefab steel parts that get cast into the concrete and they have to be cast precisely in the right place so that something that could be framed into it later. That was a very foreign thing, especially like dimension control in general. Dimension control is so difficult.

Megan: Was that something that, again, they just learned quality over time in terms of it was new or was it just kind of always difficult? Phillip:

John:

It was always. It got better because half of our men learned how to read a tape measure over the course sort of the course of the year, roughly half, and then we needed to know how to read a tape measure. Whereas before the tape measure was just being used as like a piece of string that you hold up to something and then don’t let go of where you’re holding it and move it over, even though you [inaudible 00:06:50] image. That part made dimension control a bit easier. You know how to read a tape measure, but when do you use a tape measure and when the dimension of the building may have come off from what you did yesterday. Connection is the hardest. It’s the hardest to visualize and it’s the hardest to understand how when a connection is drawn on paper according to the actual actions make that happen in the field. We have this idea that we were going to secure all of our trusses to the ring beam with these angled plates that we were going to anchorbolt into the ring beam is after the fact. We could get our truss basing just the way they wanted it and all that stuff.

We begin to start to see some of that happening, but it took a while. A lot of it was not necessarily that I knew everything that needed to be done and it was just me not communicating it or them not understanding it, but it was me figuring out what needed to be done and how that differed from their perspective. Phillip:

It probably had to do a lot with your... relationship with those people. You begin to understand the way they think and what they expect to hear and learning their ways of saying things and them learning to interpret you. It’s not necessary that you or I should say that I can communicate in this culture really effectively. It’s that over time... somehow we came to understand each other better through that relationship. John: That’s true.

157

Was there a particular design detail that you remember just being very difficult to execute in the field? Philip: Yes, these prefab steel parts that get cast into the concrete and they have to be cast precisely in the right place so that something that could be framed into it later. That was a very foreign thing, especially like dimension control in general. Dimension control is so difficult. It got better because half of our men learned how to read a tape measure over the course of the year. Whereas before the tape measure was just being used as like a piece of string that you hold up to something and then don’t let go of where you’re holding it and move it over.

Looking up at a hammer drill to a generator that could barely power the hammer drill and going through 10 times more drill bits than we expected and trying to find a drill bit that’s, I think, is any kind of substantial quality, it’s a huge challenge. Drilling all these holes, sinking all these anchor bolts on every tress is the dumbest idea. It’s the worst connection ever.

Megan: Did you just have to go with it? I mean, you just had to grin and bear it? John:

Yes, once we have the ring beam cast, there wasn’t really any other option because we couldn’t strap it; we’re using exposed rock. That was one of the reasons why we didn’t use the strapping and then we just didn’t want to cast something in the ring beam because we didn’t think we would get the spacing right. It was good afterwards.

Phillip:

Yes, it was good and the generator didn’t work.

John:

Didn’t work. Yeah, it worked but it was a pain.

Megan: Was there a design detail that you either saw on paper that you were trying to implement and it just wasn’t working or just something that you kind of designed in the field as you were going along or just something that wasn’t specked out in the drawings that you designed in the field? John:

Yes, almost everything.

Phillip:

I’m glad you know that, too.

John:

The roof, the doors, the windows.

Megan: Did you enjoy that process of figuring it out or was it just painful? John:

Actually, I did but I was under qualified and I screwed up a lot. It would have been nice to have more help with that or to have had more experience. I never designed a window before, but it was fun. It was fun to be creative and then come up with something that felt like the Wild West. Somebody’s got to do it.

Megan: Was there anything that you had to dig down and do again or did you all just kind of make it work? Phillip:

We had to redo, especially windows. We had to redo a few windows.

Megan: What about you, John, anything? John: Redos? Megan: Redos or designing on the fly. John:

158

We didn’t have a really detailed set of plans, but we probably had more plans than we’ve ever had before or since on any other project between construction manage-

John: ment work.

Yes, we stuck to the drawings pretty well because we developed them and we did the drawings and we kind of knew what we were getting into. We didn’t detail. We didn’t detail, so that’s why we were trying to design more on the fly. There were definitely processes that we tried to implement but didn’t work very well.

Megan: Like what? John:

Like trying to raise a water tower, a metal water tower take stand manually instead of using a frame or just with the system approach.

Megan: What happened? Phillip:

Well, we got halfway up and then it fell over. It was almost like slow motion and it started to come down and then everyone just like abandoned ship. It fell over and hit this gravel pile and it kind of rolled over on top of one of the workers.

Megan: Oh, my God. Phillip:

Connection is the hardest. It’s the hardest to visualize and it’s the hardest to understand how when a connection is drawn on paper according to the actual actions make that happen in the field.

He was okay. He had to take two or three weeks off work. He definitely got the wind knocked out of him. It’s stuff like that we’re it’s like, “What’s the right process here?” and then letting yourself get convinced that you can do it the local way or wanting to save money. You got to make that big decision.

Megan: How were workers educated on site to execute specific things that might have been kind of foreign to them? Just like with the tape measure, how did--I mean, was it just kind of seeing you do it and then figuring it out? Phillip:

No. We had, like, over our lunch hour, we had a little training thing for anybody who was interested. We required our masons to go and then everybody else who wanted to go came. It was like a series of lessons that was about reading in inches and reading in centimeters.

Megan: Cool. Phillip:

The bulk of it focused on what happens in between one inch and then the other inch: there is a half, there’s a quarter, there’s an eighth, there’s a sixteenth. That was very, very compensating to be able to do that. Some of it was training, like actually training that we set aside to do. Then there was every day training of the masons were training the helpers to lay bricks. That was happening every day.

Megan: Did you have any other kind of short lessons. There was the tape measure one. Was there any others that were needed? Phillip:

Well, there were probably plenty that were needed, but none that we scheduled, though.

159

Was there a design detail that you either saw on paper that you were trying to implement and it just wasn’t working or just something that you kind of designed in the field as you were going along or just something that wasn’t specked out in the drawings that you designed in the field?

Megan: Did you guys have any mockups or tests of particular details or whatever? John:

Megan: Were there any details or any parts of the construction process that were particularly satisfying to work out and to complete? Phillip:

I think figuring out the whole load bearing stone block masonry system was satisfying, how that came together for us in the end. It’s just extremely frustrating in the beginning in trying to quarry your own rock, trying to set up the quarry and not having the right extra keys, not having the right tools. The quarry is five hours away from the job site, getting the block transported there. Then as the Kenyan masons were brought in to train the Ugandans, you could see the Ugandans picking the skill up on how to shape the block over time.

They got faster and faster. They got paid by the foot. You could see the amount of feet of stone that they were shaping every day was increasing and then how they were able to lay the block and finish it off. Yes, it was rewarding to see them as individuals get trained up in the process and then to see that it was a building at the end of the day. The buildings were functioning well with that system.

John:

Yes, almost everything. Phillip:

I’m glad you [did] that, too.

Megan: I didn’t realize that you guys used mason blocks on that project. Phillip: Yes. Megan: Was it just all cut? I mean, just like a large stone comes in and gets cut by hand? Phillip:

John: Actually, I did but I was under qualified and I screwed up a lot. It would have been nice to have more help with that or to have had more experience...

We didn’t detail. We didn’t detail, so that’s why we were trying to design more on the fly. 160

We didn’t do any mockups, but there were times when we will take a section and have a lot closer supervision and just have them doing a little bit and then make comments as we were going about doing the work on how to do it better differently.

Yes, it gets cut in these rough, rough blocks quarry and then shipped in big dump trucks down the project site and then they just dump it in a big pile, and they shape one side of it or if it’s a corner they’ll shape two sides. In some cases we had three sides exposed, but mostly it’s just one side. We’re going to lay it on a straight line and measure the line. It’s the number of feet. They get paid by the foot.

Megan: What was that organizational structure that was on site? There were you guys overseeing the construction. On both cases, you had interns but we are in kind of a similar situation in terms of the responsibilities and roles on the site. Then you had the foreman and then you had skilled laborers and your unskilled laborers. Is that pretty much what worked? Phillip:

We had working foreman. Unlike a guy like Richard or whoever, he’s just managing people. We had a working foreman or our head mason and then another working foreman who oversaw everything but could do all of that stuff himself. Not by himself but could engage in that work himself while he was overseeing it. I work mostly with those two foremen.

They were out on the job site all the time. I was carrying most of the purchasing and

accounting, project accounting. They rule everything. Those foremen were responsible for the workers under their trades. There were a few other casual workers that were probably working more for me than for them doing other miscellaneous tasks on the job site, contract labor, dig the self-pit, use dimensions in as much to finish the job.

The interns’ role was a working role as well. A lot of them would--most of them got engaged in the work itself, but they were there to be eyes and ears and make sure that the buildings were being built according to plan, to take on some things for trivial quantities, check on levels square, manage some of those other laborers that were kind of not managed directly by those two foreman being managed by the interns.

I never designed a window before, but it was fun. It was fun to be creative and then come up with something that felt like the Wild West. Somebody’s got to do it...

Megan: Was there any temporary structures that you had to build on site over the course of the construction, either for the workers or, I guess, for the workers’ materials? Phillip:

Toilet, the latrine and a cook house kitchen.

Megan: Your doors and windows, were they manufactured on site or off site? Phillip:

Off site.

John:

Off site. Everything, we’ve manufacture on site, even the trusses. We didn’t have power out there, so we installed solar panels, which is one of the last steps, though.

Megan: Oh, I didn’t realize you installed something else like that. How did that process go? John:

Well, the whole solar system was funded by the embassies and embassy grant, so we designed it with a distributor here in town. They inspect all the product and then we bought everything so that we could provide all of our accounting to the embassy for the grant stored in Jinja.

There were a few things like even the distributor made the frames that the panels were mounted on. It was comprehensive package. There are a few things like beefing up the structural system where we had a hot water, solar hot water tank mounted on the roof and see things that we were trying to put in place, running conduit, putting in textures and stuff like that. Then, the distributor came out and we shipped all the materials out to the site and basically all got installed one day.

Megan: Would you recommend that process of cleaning solar panels? Was it maintained well? John:

It went well. I think it’s being maintained well because there’s no other option. It’s not like a supplementary system which people have to understand the value that others maintain. It’s bad enough—it’s better than darkness.

Megan: Two more questions. Why would you say that changes mean to occur on the construction site between what’s proposed in design and what gets built? What 161

(On unsucessful processes):

are good reasons for these changes to happen, to help someone understand the context?

John:

There were definitely processes that we tried to implement but didn’t work very well. Like what? John: Like trying to raise a water tower, a metal water tower take stand manually instead of using a frame or just with the system approach.

John:

Megan: Changes in the design process or changes to the initial design that you’re given as a contractor or a manager. John:

Phillip:

You mean in the steel hardware? It was something that I was accustomed to in North America. It’s cast and plate steel buckets using everywhere and I liked the look of it, so aesthetics, and then objected to what we see around her a lot is a timber member cast into a bunch of gruff. Like they’d knock out a brick, stick a timber member there and then fill the voids with mortar. It’s like a combination of materials that’s sort of is not right. This wet, cured thing that’ll cure and shrink and then the middle will be snug and then besides, you have this timber member just dying in a bunch of mud, which just looks funny.

I’m just trying to get away from what I saw and didn’t like and conventional construction then replacing that with something that I saw and did like and then we processed it and it probably looks good. It’s probably, in the end, better, but the process could be worked out, but it didn’t really go that well.

Phillip:

162

I remember saying I think we know it’s frustrating at the casting placed steel hardware that anything that anything that requires real precision in the assembly during the erection I should say should be avoided. Stuff that you can field measure and install all it ago is way better than something that has to align with pre-cast bolt holes or something. It sort of goes back to dimension control. That decision is hard. It depends on how you do precision is probably not a good idea. How did I do?

Megan: Good. I guess another way of putting it is what was the reason behind your decision-making in the field? You had to make a decision that propose a change or design something anyway. For the roof, what informed that decision-making, the roof design from the [inaudible 00:27:01]

What happened?

Changes in the current system?

Megan: What are the particular difficulties of working in Uganda, in terms of construction managing? John:

Particular to Uganda?

Phillip:

The cultural barrier, obviously, trying to communicate cross-culturally is wicked hard, trying to overcome bad habits that are just built into conventional construction.

John:

Trying to communicate and force the value of craftsmanship, taking pride in your work and wanting to do a good job versus just get the job done.

Phillip:

Quality, we are really after the quality. That reminds me that I should have answered the other question, too, about—you asked about something that came out really well or got the detail or design that is successful or something like that.

Oh, my God.

The one that came to my mind is using a nailing pattern. We did all these timber trusses, like these barrel trusses where each strut, at the top corner and the bottom corner we proposed this nailing pattern. It was like a template that was made out of cardboard and had holes lined up and so you actually draw where you want the nail to go, precisely where you want it to go, and it was in this geometric pattern that I thought looked cool, and it ended up looking really cool. There was a comment from the foreman who said that made it meaningful to me. He said, “You know, sometimes you think you know a thing really well and then you find you know nothing.” That’s what he said about the nailing pattern. Some days, “You go and you just drive the nails? You drive them where they go, okay” Then they all sort of stood back and looked at the nailing patter and saw, “Hey, with a little bit of climbing and measurement, it can look really fine and not just being functional.” It was just like that. The reason why I really like that story is because Fred didn’t just do what I asked to because I asked him to, he bought into it, too, eventually, especially with using the template and part of it was fixed on time and we used the template in the end, and so, even his eye for equality became sharper.

Megan: Just looking ahead to kind of what I’m going to be doing with all this information in the future, do you think that there is a potential to have some kind of worker camp idea for managing a construction site where there is this kind of regional education and westerner and national kind of whether it’s an idea of bringing more education to the site in terms of worker advancement in technology and whatnot, and design, even, and do you think that there’s a place for that here? I’m working on the assumption there is. Any suggestions on that kind of… John:

Phillip: He was okay. He had to take two or three weeks off work. He definitely got the wind knocked out of him.

It’s stuff like that we’re it’s like, “What’s the right process here?” and then letting yourself get convinced that you can do it the local way or wanting to save money. You got to make that big decision.

Training of workers?

Megan: Yes. John:

Skilled excavators, for sure. I don’t know what you mean by worker camp.

Megan: It just that it seems like in the construction you have a space that’s allotted to you that you can make good use of in terms of kind of whether it’s using their own housing to test out certain techniques or whatever it is you want to do.

You think that there is kind of all of these auxiliary things that are needed to drive construction any way, like, kitchen and latrines and that kind of stuff, to use those as kind of testing grounds for the main building that you’re actually there to build as a training facility almost, I guess, whether it’s permanent or temporary.

John:

That’s what the group is doing. They’re building and training camps aren’t necessarily a training ground, but the buildings are being reused for other functions after they leave and there is this community that develops there between ex-pat volunteers and local workers, all working together to construct this project for the community.

163

Why would you say that changes mean to occur on the construction site between what’s proposed in design and what gets built? What are good reasons for these changes to happen?

I think it works in the context where there’re huge amounts of aid dollars available, and it’s a specific kind of project, water supply system. It’s easy to replicate that system no matter where you’re at.

In our case, we’re involved in not only projects that have a huge range of typology and function but also from very small to very large and from very well-funded to money trickling and every so often not really knowing what to expect or predict. Any kind of established system becomes really hard to implement, especially if it’s something that has to happen on site. If you’re going to go to that particular site, you’re going to set up this camp. You’re going to implement this program and it’s going to require these resources.

Being able to replicate that effectively means that you probably have to have really good sources of funding. There are things that are often present and really large aid organizations, the UN and things like that, but hard to implement on a small scale. You feel like there’s a system out there for a smaller scale project. I don’t know what that looks like, but there is something that would work in that context.

John:

Anything that requires..precision in the assembly during the erection I should say should be avoided. Stuff that you can field measure and install all it ago is way better than something that has to align with pre-cast bolt holes or something. It sort of goes back to dimension control. That decision is hard.

164

Megan: Well, that’s all I’ve got. Do you guys have anything else? Thank you, I know you guys are busy. Phillip:

You’re welcome.

John:

One other thing I’ll add on the challenges is that written contractual agreements are very difficult, not impossible to enforce. An agreement between you and the client, an agreement between you and the employee, an agreement between you and a subcontractor, an agreement between you and a [inaudible 00:36:48] supplier or a [inaudible 00:36:51] transporter.

I tend to think that if there’s enough forethought goes into crafting an agreement that covers all these contingencies and they sign it and you sign it that all of your problems are going to be solved or mitigated. We found that time after time, the agreement pretty much on paper doesn’t really mean much. You have to engage personally and relationally with that person. If they want to argue about the terms and conditions, then you have to go through that process with everybody and it’s just a part of life.

Phillip:

Who will want to argue about the terms after they signed it.

John:

After they signed it. They will always come back and try and change the terms. They’ll come back and they won’t fulfill this piece of their obligations but they will fulfill this part. How do you respond to that? You can’t refer to a piece of paper. It all has to be worked out face to face. It takes enormous amounts of time and energy.

Phillip:

That’s a good word.

John:

It’s a challenge.

(Break - Interrupted Audio)

Were there any details or any parts of the construction process that were particularly satisfying to work out and to complete?

Megan: How much of it ended up sticking?

Phillip:

Megan: Thank you very much. It’s good just to get your perspective. I’ve talked to Steven too much about it, so it was good to talk to you guys. Phillip:

Philip :

It’s cool. We’ll see what you came up with..

The floor plan? The floor plan stuck pretty well. There was no furniture layout, so I didn’t put furniture with it. [laughs]

Megan: All of the interior beds and everything? The stacked brick and everything? Philip:

All the interior beds, I did that. The stacked brick.

Megan: How did you, how did you figure that out? Was it just kind of about figuring it out? Philip:

Yes. Sketching different things and asking Ingrid what she wanted. Weighing whatever we do, built beds, like timber built beds that we bring in, or we built in place and Ingrid kept insisting that they have to be strong, they have to be solid … indestructible. That’s kind of what led me to use these built-ins. There was a place that she had been to where she liked the built-in look.

Megan: A lot of it was done kind of one-on-one with Ingrid, then? Philip: Yes. Megan: Ok. That’s pretty cool. Philip:

Yes. It really just happened over one meeting. I sketched out six or eight different options with tons of different things. Some of them were really developed and some of them were really rough. I sat down with her one day over tea and she immediately selected and she wanted them. Then, working with the masons to see if that was really smart to do that, stacking bricks. Are they really going to hold up under somebody’s weight? They liked it.

Megan: Yes? Where did you come up with the idea with the bond? Did you just start seeing it elsewhere? Philip:

I took a photo of the kitchen that Steve built. Because it’s built all with the end of the bricks showing. She said it’s too busy. She wanted to just do a single, stretcher course wall throughout and I had to push her to consider doing a [00:02:00] doublethick wall. For safety.

I think figuring out the whole load bearing stone block masonry system was satisfying... It [was] extremely frustrating in the beginning in trying to quarry your own rock... Then as the Kenyan masons were brought in to train the Ugandans, you could see the Ugandans picking the skill up on how to shape the block over time.

They got faster and faster. They got paid by the foot. You could see the amount of feet of stone that they were shaping every day was increasing...

Megan: Ok. Was that because of the height of the wall? [laughs] Were you just kind of… You wouldn’t want to do a single stretcher course anyway for any building? Philip:

For bearing walls, no. It’s an International standard. It has to do with the ratio, 165

Yes, it was rewarding to see them as individuals get trained up in the process and then to see that it was a building at the end of the day...

Megan: What ended up developing the truss design? Was there anything in particular …?

[Another] one that came to my mind is using a nailing pattern...It was like a template that was made out of cardboard and had holes lined up and so you actually draw where you want the nail to go...it was in this geometric pattern... and it ended up looking really cool.

Philip:

There was a comment from the foreman who said that made it meaningful to me:

Megan: I know, what I especially like is the slim profile and the open ... It’s a nice design, the way you do it. And then the glass blocks, too. How did you discover the glass blocks?

He said, “You know, sometimes you think you know a thing really well and then you find you know nothing.” That’s what he said about the nailing pattern. Some days, “You go and you just drive the nails? You drive them 166

height-to-thickness ratio in the walls. Once I convinced her to go with the doublethickness wall, then I said, “Do you want to stack the bricks like that and then see what it looks like?” She said, “No, it’s too busy.” Then, it was a compromise. It just worked out that our bricks were roughly twice the length that they were width, so we could do two bricks side-by-side, it’s almost equivalent to one brick this way. Almost.

There was nothing in the drawings about how the roof was framed, how the roof extended wall-to-wall. I don’t know how they [laughing] left out the joists, especially with the kind of unique roof shape they had. They had to have thought through it, but they didn’t. That’s a parallel chord thing they’re just going to have to just … We do top-cord bearing parallel-cord trusses a ton in California. They’re everywhere, but, they’re not done here. A really unique weird idea, but we have weird clients. [laughs] They liked it.

Megan: Why, why were timber columns … was it just because you wanted it or Ingrid wanted it, or … ? They are just becoming a new thing, too. Philip:

Philip:

Technology. I liked it. I forget, I forget if I just chose it just because I like the look of it. It also seemed to make more sense because it was so tall. I can’t remember exactly why …

Ingrid, I think, suggested she’d like to have glass block in there somehow. If it were going to be inserted, maybe it could be in a pattern that was replicated throughout the site. Sort of a theme. I had one of the interns come up with a … It was so hard because the glass mason has a particular dimension. It was a very exact measurement. Precisely 8 by 8 foot. But, the bricks are a very unpredictable dimension and, of course, it didn’t work out perfectly. You had to do; you can fit two glass masonry on top of each other vertically within five courses of brick. [laughing] But, then if you wanted three glass masonry, you couldn’t do it, because it just would not fit with the clay masonry coursing. So, you had to do either two or four.

Megan: Was that all done in drawing or just measuring it out on the site? Philip:

What I did was I measured what was built in the toilet block and I drew it up. I just drew a whole page of that and brick layout. [laughing]

Megan: Do you have all of these drawings from that time? [laughs] Philip:

I have some. I have some. You want to take a look? [laughing]

Megan: Yes, I would.

Philip:

I, I had John Juan sketch out, I think maybe he even cut out paper squares that resembled the size of the glass masonry and put them around on the page to fit in with the pattern of the bricks. Then he came up with this one, he came with like five different options, and we took them to Ingrid and she said, “I like this one.” So, we got it. It was so hard, though, because it had to fit vertically in the coursing and then horizontally, too. You couldn’t leave a little clay piece of brick like this long. You had to leave some sizeable chunk of clay brick.

Megan: [inaudible 00:06:08] In the, in the, the bathroom when you walk in the vent, the turned brick? Was that where you were having to deal with the regular metal vent and decided to not? Or, was that something … ? Philip:

I forget. I don’t think anything was designed there. [laughing] I’m not sure there was even an opening designed there. We decided on doing this and John, at that time, gave me this book about this architect working in India and all these crazy ideas. Really innovative and awesome ideas. He inspired me to do that angled block thing, and Ingrid liked it.

Megan: The outdoor sink with the bathroom. It has a really nice shape to it and everything. Was that something that kind of … ? And what is that? Is that brick that has been plastered over? Ok. Philip:

Yes. I think so. Outside that’s true, but the inside seems more cast concrete.

Megan: Cast concrete. Philip:

Because they don’t go all the way to the ground. But, the outside one is a laundry sink. Ingrid has a laundry sink at her tree center that’s sort of like that and she said she wanted it like this, but different, so we just …

Megan: Is it usually giving her options and letting her pick one? Is that usually the …? Philip:

Yes. Yes. [inaudible 00:07:38]

where they go, okay” Then they all sort of stood back and looked at the nailing patter and saw, “Hey, with a little bit of climbing and measurement, it can look really fine and not just being functional.” It was just like that.

The reason why I really like that story is because Fred [the Foreman] didn’t just do what I asked to because I asked him to. He bought into it, too, eventually...we used the template in the end, and so, even his eye for equality became sharper.

Megan: It seems like a unique process. Philip:

Yes, it was easy. It was hard, too.

Megan: But, it seems like there’s, you don’t get to do the iterative design process that they talk about in school ever. [laughs] Philip:

I don’t remember doing that. [laughs]

Megan: Maybe in architecture school. But, it’s kind of cool to see it, out of all places here. Which, I mean, I’m sure it’s even more, it can be frustrating because of all the challenges built in here plus you have this added issue of having to provide options. People to even see the ones that weren’t picked.

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What are the difficulties of working in Uganda?

Philip:

Phillip:

Megan: Yes. File them away for future use. [laughing] Is that it, John?

The cultural barrier, obviously, trying to communicate crossculturally is wicked hard, trying to overcome bad habits that are just built into conventional construction. John: Trying to communicate and force the value of craftsmanship, taking pride in your work and wanting to do a good job versus just get the job done. Phillip:

Quality, we are really after the quality.

John:

For future use? [laughs]

Yes. Funny how I haven’t looked at this in years. There’s so much architecture speak in here. I have to figure out what I’m trying to say.[laughing]

Megan: Great! That’s [inaudible 00:09:01]! [laughing] Philip:

Is this your master’s thesis?

John:

Yes. [laughing]

Philip:

Oh, my gosh! You’re awesome! You liked architect, architectural language back then?

John:

I promise, I can’t even … I’ve read this paragraph twice and I can’t figure out … [laughing]

Philip:

Let me pull out my standard procedures and …

John:

I think I was a little smarter back in grad school. [laughing] Interesting.

Megan: No, it’s the language. You lose the language when you’re not around natives. [laughs] John:

Yes, that’s right.

[00:10:09] Megan: Is it ok if I scan it? Make a copy? John: Yes. Philip:

I’m kind of embarrassed to bring this in.

Megan: No, that’s great! Philip:

I really hope I can find the original drawing that Brad printed out for me and go build it. This is, I’m sure there’s like a test, we were trying to figure out how the brick coursing worked in windows. Oh, my gosh. This is ridiculous. There’s how the truss designs developed.

John:

That’s alright. I’ll just give you some of my old notebooks.

Megan: You did great! Yes, of [what it’s like on the field]. Those are great! [laughs] Philip:

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Look at that! I designed that. [laughing] I designed the truss on that page. [laughs]

(On detailing): Megan: Those are great! Philip:

Oh, my gosh. I had no idea how to do this earthwork. I was such an idiot. I was still such a novice.

Megan: It’s like you guys are going through your high school yearbook. John:

I know! [laughing]

Philip:

I, I interviewed how many people? 46 people in one morning, one day. For labor positions. [laughs] Oh, man. This is good. I guess these are drawings instead of notes. [inaudible 00:11:54]. Ok, yes. That was the floor plan.

Philip:

Oh, but there was a furniture plan, but we deviated from it, and the windows changed entirely.

John:

We have...drawings, but then...you design details in the field. Just draw them in a notebook, and then … whatever.

Megan: Yes, they almost have to. Is this not there or is it just …? Philip:

They put it there but it didn’t need to be because the trusses are standing this way [inaudible 00:12:25]. I want to see this other one. So, like even the porch … [laughs]

Megan: If it’s way better than … [laughs] It seems like it’s almost, is it taller now? No, it doesn’t look so from the other side. This is the bad side. Philip:

But like here, they didn’t show any trusses there. It’s like, they thought it would be rafter-framed? [laughing] This is my, my dual, my construction set.

Megan: Yes. This is it. Cool! Philip:

Oh, yes. This was another option. What if we do flat-bottom trusses, what they would look like. But then you have to do this double ring beam thing.

Megan: So, then they were just able to put the slants on the slants of the ring beam. So, if you wanted to do a ring beam that ended flat, it would be a good idea to use that. Cool! That’s so funny. Elevation? Philip:

Oh, this is like a plumbing drawing. I don’t know how to do … Here are different ideas for the vents, vent lines like you asked. Here it shows what that is, a window? Timber window with bars? And then they have these, you’ve seen those machines.

Megan: Then you realized there wasn’t enough room on these drawings. [laughs] Ow! [00:14:00] Philip:

This is kind of interesting! Look at that! That was the place I was at. [laughing] John Juan did that. It would be cool if I could find … Here’s a nice drawing.

Megan: That is a nice drawing. [laughing] Is that shingles?

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Do you guys have anything else?

Philip:

John:

One other thing I’ll add on the challenges is that written contractual agreements are very difficult, [almost] impossible to enforce. We found that time after time, the agreement pretty much on paper doesn’t really mean much. You have to engage personally and relationally with that person. If they want to argue about the terms and conditions, then you have to go through that process with everybody and it’s just a part of life. After they signed [the agreement] they will always come back and try and change the terms. They’ll come back and they won’t fulfill this piece of their obligations but they will fulfill this part.

No, those are the last decking, two-bar decking that was used. This was for the toilet. This was for the door.

Megan: Oh, my gosh! Wait, yes, they’re stacking under, so then all the roof stacks on it. Philip:

Mm-hmm. Then the roof stacks on it.

Megan: Cool! Did you not need purlins then because this was just standing all the way across? Philip:

Right. Yes, those were the purlins.

Megan: Cool! Very nice! Philip:

This was that steel bucket that the truss runs into. One of the steel buckets.

Megan: How did you figure out the civil design? Philip: Civil? Megan: Is that all figured out or did you have to make any changes to it at all? Philip:

It was a little bit more developed. I just, I didn’t know any of that civil servitude told me, more or less. It changes a bit, but it was laid out. And instead of having them both go to one septic tank and soffit, we just had them go do their own septic tanks, their own septics.

[00:16:05] Megan: Ok. So they both, I mean they both kind of let out around there. Philip:

Yes.

Megan: And they’re Albuquerque’s? Philip:

Yes. I’m glad we didn’t do that. [laughing]

Megan: Wow, that’s great! Philip:

I’m trying to figure out. I think this is where the bed, I wonder if I still have my original bed picture. This is guardrails for the bed. Once the beds were built they said, “Those are unsafe.” So, then here’s like, here’s what we ended up doing, I think. Something like this. These little bars that go under the mattress? They bend up over the frame and go up. And they’re secured, screwed to the wood slats under the mattress. So, yeah. No kits. They said we didn’t use timber. We just needed a whole rod iron thing.

Megan: Ok. How did you know how to draw these?! Philip: 170

[inaudible 00:17:07]

Megan: You might be the only one in the office who still draws. Philip:

There’s the laundry sink. [laughs]

Megan: Oh, yes. There it is. Yes. Philip:

That’s the one that’s actually, you can tell the [Intella 00:17:14] Tree Center. But, I drew it, I measured it, and I did something else. And that ends. What I really want is the bed sets. [inaudible 00:17:42] Ingrid had a man this one day say, “Can you pass that other concrete to me?”

[00:17:56] Megan: [inaudible 00:18:12] Philip:

She was having lounge chairs down by the river that were being stolen, in the middle of the night in our community… ran off with them.

Megan: I should do that. I think I have it at home, at Home, home. I think I have the original GSF plan that they were handed and asked to build, and she said, “I want to read the Bible.” I don’t think this will work in Africa. Philip:

How do you respond to that? You can’t refer to a piece of paper. It all has to be worked out face to face. It takes enormous amounts of time and energy. Phillip: That’s a good word. John: It’s a challenge.

Oh, yes. This is John Juan doing layouts for the deck. I don’t know, do you want these? Would they be useful to you?

Megan: Yes, sure! They would be very useful. Is it ok? Philip: Yes. Megan: I can make copies and bring it back. Philip:

Yes, that would be nice.

Megan: Yes, that, that’s what Evan did anyway, just trying to sketch details on the sites. I’ll put them in here. Philip:

Have the two of you been thinking about how you’re going to do [inaudible 00:19:36] ?

Megan: Yeah. Philip:

I think I prefer stuff like this. Authentic masonry. What’s that guys name?

John:

[Laurie Baker]?

Megan: Is he the one in India? [00:19:54] John:

Yes. One of, India’s like a breeding ground for those who… That was when Larry 171

Kahn did the project that was mostly brick. It had huge arches, and … This whole discussion, conversation with Rick Olesco. I was like, “Perfect. Look at this! What is that?” Philip:

This is where the bed came from.

John:

See, he did all this.

Philip:

Trampoline? See? Trampoline! That’s your idea.

Megan: Is that a real axon entropy? In Cincinnati? That’s what it looks like. John:

We have the actual drawings, but then, that’s how you design details in the field. Just draw them in a notebook, and then … whatever. If somebody wanted to do something with block.

Megan: This is all from group labor? John:

Yes. This is … Half of this here. Just stuff. Captured from the house. My sketches are a lot rougher than Joe’s, definitely.

Megan: This is great! Can I make a copy of this, as well? John:

You can just look through here and see it. In your first book, devotionals? “Why did Jesus choose to come as a servant?” [laughing]

Philip: Amazing! Megan: That’s great!

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7 July 2012 STEVE (+ MELINDA) HOYT Construction Manager, Architect Engineering Ministries International,

Kampala, Uganda Hoyt Home

East Africa

2h 3m

A discussion with Steve and Melinda Hoyt, a husband and wife working with eMi with

inserts:

considerable experience in full-time Construction Management in Uganda. In particular, the discussion centers around eMi East Africa’s first Construction Management project - Music for Life - for which Steve was the Head CM.

Music for Life - the primary school for the world-renown African Children’s Choir - is located in Entebbe and has set the standard for eMi’s current and future work in Construction Management.

Post-occupancy field guides for: Music for Life Primary School Good Shepherd’s Fold Orphanage Mto Moyoni Retreat Center

Discussion includes: Construction details On-site construction management operations Particularities of working through a Western NGO Ugandan building culture from a Western perspective Advice for future construction managers

173

Megan: No curse words please. Steve:

For the record, nothing I say counts. I’m not held responsible for anything.

Megan: I have the questions that you saw, there’s different categories, like dealing with the region and the municipalities, dealing with the sites, civil, architectural and structural, construction and then post-occupancy. Anything like after construction was completed. I’ve got all these questions for the Free Gender projects and then also for Music for Life.

I think that if we’re just going to start with Music for Life while I’m in Jinja can try to fill out everything that I know about the other three and then fill up the other stuff later.

Steve:

Did you show that to John?

Megan: No, I didn’t. I should have shown it to John. I had this one. I talked with John. Then I’ve got questions just about general construction management. Would you like to start with project-specific thing? Steve:

You decide.

Megan: Let’s start with project-specific because we might actually get some of these questions answered. Okay, so for Music for Life, all of these questions are going to pertain to the community, municipalities, that kind of stuff. Yeah. We’ll see. If you don’t have it, that’s fine if there just isn’t any answer to a question. Steve:

Or when I refuse to answer.

Megan: Or if you refuse to answer! Answer withheld! Steve:

No comment?

Megan: No comment! Were there any municipalities that were consulted during the design or construction? Steve:

What do you mean? [00:02:00]

Megan: Were there any local authorities? Steve:

I wasn’t very good at that, but … the main one was wetlands and NEMA.

Megan: What is NEMA? Steve:

NEMA is an environmental management, something, which just set backs for near the river and [lights 00:02:28].

Megan: Okay.

174

Steve:

Supposedly, they’re supposed to protect the environment.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Then we dealt with the LCs, the local council, and also the RDC at some point on that project.

Megan: What’s RDC? Steve:

I’m not sure what that stands for, but he’s essentially the governor of that area but he’s not elected, he’s appointed. That’s my understanding anyway and I was dealing with him because he was trying to steal the sand off the beach of Music for Life.

Megan: Oh really? I hadn’t known. Steve:

It turns out the LCs were involved as well.

Megan: Okay. Were you on the project trip? Who did the project trip? Steve:

I led the project trip.

Megan: You led the project trip. On the project trip, do you remember if there were any design changes that happened because of local involvement? Was there a change in scope or anything like that? Steve:

Oh. Okay. All the other stuff that I said was for the construction aspect.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

The NEMA, all we had to do is show NEMA that we were more than 200 meters from the setback. The setback was 200 meters and all of our buildings were outside the 200 meters, but we still had to get a environmental impact study done.

Megan: Oh okay. [00:04:00] Steve:

Of course, the environmental impact study had to be done by somebody they recommended and all they did was take our report that we did for the project and just copied it then sold it to us for 1.5 million.

Megan: Shillings? My gosh. Steve:

Steve: Of course, the environmental impact study had to be done by somebody they recommended and all they did was take our report that we did for the project and just copied it then sold it to us for 1.5 million...I had to go through it and proofread and fix all their mistakes...It was really just a big tax.

No, we didn’t deal in the local authorities in any sort of way on the design trip. That was only for the construction. I thought we were talking about construction?

Megan: We’re talking of both. I’m sorry! Steve:

Were there any municipalities that were consulted during the design or construction?

Not dollars.

Megan: Right.

It was a private consultant or whatever that they … Steve:

Well, yes, but the private consultant was somebody who worked for them from another district, so they’re all in it together... They wouldn’t let us write our own even though we wrote it. 175

(On corruption): Steve:

There’s a constant battle fighting the corruption.

Steve:

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Can you give an example?

The land ownership was an issue. They had bought the land. We went to the land, to get into rent to clear it and the local men surrounded me and were going to beat me up because I was clearing the land so…

I turned around and I realized they were all telling me to go home with all my millions... because they thought I owned it...and they thought it was a private school for very rich kids, private college. They didn’t believe that it was for Music for Life [school for the African Children’s Choir], they 176

Well, yes, but the private consultant was somebody who worked for them from another district, so they’re all in it together.

Megan: Okay. All right. Steve:

They wouldn’t let us write our own even though we wrote it.

Megan: Have you ever had to go through anything else like that in terms of … Steve: Here? Megan: Yeah, or was it just because of that setback? Steve:

For me personally, in Good Shepherd’s Fold we had to deal with the local and building plan building review and all that stuff again. It was just more symbolic giving them money, but when they asked for bribes, I always refused. Like NEMA; NEMA we could have it approved within a week or within a month, but the only thing we were going to NEMA for approval for is to build that football bench or I’d do any kind of work within the 200 meter setback but so we didn’t really care because we could still build, so we didn’t pay any bribes. It took about a year and a half to get any kind of approval for them. It was right after that the RDC was trying to steal sand.

It was right after that, the RDC was trying to steal sand with false documents and stuff like that.

Really? Steve:

It was really just a big tax.

Megan: It was a private consultant or whatever that they … Steve:

Steve:

It really was …and the fact I had to go through it and proofread and fix all their mistakes.

Megan: Yeah. Okay. During the design it was in the project that was just with Music for Life being consulted. Sorry. [00:06:00] Steve:

Oh, yeah, just basically after the children’s choir to any design partner. Probably should have known to ask more questions because at that time I didn’t know anything about all the local government stuff.

Megan: Okay, so there’s a learning curve on that whole process? Steve:

I let it on the design team. I’d be more apt to ask about local questions than I did. I think the only thing that I knew from that design trip was that there would be a setback. The NEMA setback is the only thing we knew about.

Megan: Okay. Were there any unintended consequences of not consulting?

Steve:

The consequences were that the LC had nothing to do with me but the local ministry didn’t really have a good access and they still don’t. To this day, they don’t have good access into the property and they are in court about it now.

Megan: That’s because of running to the LC’s? Steve:

The LC’s sold them land that didn’t really belong to the LC’s. It’s the LC’s. The government. You know.

Megan: Oh. Yeah. Okay. Steve:

I think LC’s stand for Local Counsel but I’m not about to…

Melinda: Yeah. Local Chair? Steve:

Local Chair. Yeah, Chair.

thought I was lying...So they were telling me to go home and I guess the men were all drunk and stuff like that.

I look back and all the guys on the job site were surrounding us to make sure that I didn’t get killed.

Megan: What villages does the project serve or is it just pulling from all over Uganda? Steve:

Music for Life?

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

Actually, it’s mostly Uganda but they have other east African countries’ kids. They serve the poor, the destitute. Not necessarily orphans, but destitute kids, so it takes kids with it’s talent to sing and ability to learn and educates them really all the way through university. That’s their primary school. Some day they’d like to have a secondary school I guess. [00:08:00]

How did it get resolved? Steve: It turns out it wasn’t …

Megan: All right, cool. This I’ve kind of touched on previously, were there any local, political issues that surfaced during the process of construction or design and did it impact the designer construction at all? Steve:

We’re talking about Music for Life, right?

Megan: Music for Life. Steve:

Yeah, the corruption impact was caused by having to fight corruption. There’s a constant battle fighting the corruption.

Megan: Can you give an example? Steve:

The sand was a big one. The land ownership was an issue. They had bought the land. We went to the land, to get into rent to clear it and the local men surrounded me and were going to beat me up because I was clearing the land so…

Megan: Really? Steve:

Yeah. In fact, I turned around and I realized they were all telling me to go home with

177

all my millions and stuff like that, because they thought I owned it and the local community thought I owned the property and they thought it was a private school for very rich kids, private college or something. They didn’t believe that it was for Music for Life, they thought I was lying and getting it built and that there would be just rich kids paying a lot of money to come to school there and now they know better, but they didn’t believe that, so they were telling me to go home and I guess the men were all drunk and stuff like that. I look back and all the guys on the job site were surrounding us to make sure that I didn’t get killed. Megan: How did it get resolved? Steve:

It turns out it wasn’t …actually, there’s another organization, I’m not going to mention the name of another Christian organization that was very corrupt. They just ended up spending a lot of money on a piece of property and they never got their money back. It’ still not resolved. Actually, they bought another one and now there’s squatters. There’s squatters on it.

Megan: Okay. What was the intended benefit for the project? In which ways did the design achieve or not achieve that intention? [00:10:00] Steve:

Giving the kids a school? A better, nice environment to study and learn and sing.

Melinda: Safer. Steve: Safer. Melinda: Outside of the riot zones of Makarere [where Uganda’s largest university is located]. Steve:

Yeah, they used to be over by the Makarere you know, or [inaudible 00:10:17]

Melinda: Not get gassed anymore. Steve:

They get gassed once so often, gassed even in the compounds.

Megan: Really? Steve:

It’s a more beautiful location. It’s a nicer environment. It’s doing all that.

Melinda: Safer, by far. More room. They have space to play. They don’t have [inaudible 00:10:39] that’s as small, little tiny parking lot like the size of our drive way, pretty much. For how many students? Steve:

They didn’t have any place to play before.

Melinda: They didn’t have any place to play before at all. Steve:

178

Its true. They had nothing. Now they have a lot of room to play and a big huge soccer pitch.

Megan: How many students go?

What was the intended benefit for the project?

Steve:

Right now they get about 150, something like that. 75 and 75. It was only designed for 100, but they got more kids than their limit.

Megan: Okay. Melinda: 50 per dorm. Megan: This is the first phase that was just completed? Steve:

It’s still not 100%. They’ve still got plaster work to do and things.

Megan: Okay, and they’re raising money for phase two? Steve:

I think so. Yeah.

Megan: Are there any other special concerns regarding regional or cultural issues? Steve:

Government and stuff? No.

Megan: Okay, or the community? Steve:

No. Community… I think they’re fine with it. [00:12:00]

Megan: Okay.

A better, nice environment to study and learn and sing...Safer. Melinda: Outside of the riot zones of Makarere [where Uganda’s largest university is located]. Steve:

They get gassed once so often, gassed even in the compounds.

Melinda: Did you talk about that right away? You sure … Steve:

I already talked about the piece of land that they surrounded me about.

Megan: Access? Melinda: It was a right of way issue. Steve:

There was the sand trying to be stolen and then there’s the right of way.

Megan: Where is it located in the…? Steve:

Well the piece of property that they bought but that they didn’t really own was up here.

Melinda: Thought they bought. Steve:

Yeah that they thought they bought and they spent money on. Now they’ve bought another piece that’s up here somewhere.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

I think it’s in here. Where is it … This is different as you know because the kitchen is over here and the dining room out here. So we do have a set of plans somewhere 179

(On the dangers of adjacencies): Steve:

They’re having problems with the military base. Bullets flying from the south side. Melinda: Training grounds.

that’s very different from what you’re seeing here. Megan: Yeah. I need to go to the office and print out the drawing. Steve:

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Steve: About a half a kilometer... The local people would get killed and they like to make gardens and stuff so they just take care of the funeral and they’d all go away until the next person died. It hit the ground near a couple of students while they were playing and it went through some windows.

Steve:

Steve: Apparently that’s not happening any more. 180

Over there that’s supposed to be able to drive down and come in like this.

Megan: Right now it’s this, coming in…how did you come in yesterday? They come in right here.

Megan: Right through there? Steve: Yeah. Megan: Okay. Moving on to site design. Is there any special attention to grading on the site? Steve:

When we did the first phase, not including the pitch, is that what you mean?

Megan: Yeah, the first phase and then …you talk about the pitch. Steve:

Yeah, we pretty much just scraped the lot and tried to get our elevations right before when we built the buildings and did a decent job of that and everything… it’s not as much about grading as drainage, dealing with the drainage ditch that we have in there. I showed you that.

Megan: Right. Steve:

Yeah. We just used what was already there [00:14:00] and then of course we ended up grading the football pitch.

Megan: Right, and so that was all done… Steve:

Hasn’t anything been done about it yet?

They bought this piece of land, about an acre.

Megan: Okay.

Steve:

How far away is that?

Because there’s administrative buildings right here instead of right here. It is different though.

[Inaudible 00:14:05] very special attention.

Megan: Sorry, If you could repeat that was on like 21 days or something? Steve:

Yeah, it took 21 days to do that. Too many days. 21 to 25 days, maybe it was 25 days.

Megan: That was all done by bulldozer?

Melinda: Steve:

One big bulldozer. D8K CAT.

Megan: That was all managed by…? Steve:

[Inaudible 00:14:31] Aaron Hazen and of course I manage Aaron, but in this case Aaron knew more about excavating than I did so I just helped him with the cultural stuff and dealing with a subcontractor. Had to watch his back and make sure nothing ...

Megan: Yeah. Cool. Site access? Steve:

Just talked about that.

Megan: I know we just talked about that. Means I’m doing my job well! Where it is, marked on plan. Steve:

[Inaudible 00:15:01] answer your question down below.

Megan: Right, and what is designer’s bond to entry … talked about that…okay, site adjacencies in the surrounding villages. Tell us a little about that. Steve:

They’re having problems with the military base. Bullets flying from the south side.

You know, any adjacent building or anything that’s going on that can be a detriment to the kids, you’re usually thinking sound pollution, you know...High voltage, wiring ... You’re not thinking stray bullets!

Megan: Okay. Melinda: Training grounds. Megan: How far away is that? Steve:

About a half a kilometer, enough so bullets can… I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Will you guys excuse me?

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

It was coming near which site of the property it is in case you need that.

Megan: Yeah, from the south side you said, yeah? Steve:

The local people would get killed and they like to make gardens and stuff so they just take care of the funeral and they’d all go away until the next person died. [00:16:00] It hit the ground near a couple of students while they were playing and it went through some windows because [inaudible 00:16:05] at the time.

Megan: Hasn’t anything been done about it yet? Steve:

Apparently that’s not happening any more. I’ll be back in a little bit yeah.

(Break) Megan: Okay. That’s crazy. 181

Melinda: Yeah. It’s insane really. Casualties of war. Megan: Yeah. Right. Melinda: Casualties of not preparing proper firing range! Megan: Right! Melinda: Or he is saying, proper training techniques! Ah. He’s back is he? Yeah, so it makes you want to either go from tear gas which doesn’t kill you to one that can. Megan: Right. Bullets. Melinda: It’s nice. Pressure. Perfect time. Big nice place to play if you can avoid the firearms. Megan: Right. Melinda: As long as you play in a weaving pattern I guess! A zigzag pattern! Megan: Yeah. Can you imagine, if they ever did anything like that anywhere else? I mean, people go to jail for the rest of their lives. Melinda: Yeah. No, I can’t imagine. There’s only restrictions on firing ranges and things. Proper restrictions on firing ranges. Megan: Right. Just about everything. Melinda: Yeah, now you think about, [00:18:00] you know, any adjacent building or anything that’s going on that can be a detriment to the kids, you’re usually thinking sound pollution, you know. Megan: Yeah! You’re not thinking… Melinda: High voltage, wiring anywhere, anything like that. You’re not thinking stray bullets! Megan: Right! Melinda: It’s just insane. Steve:

Okay, anyway. What’s next?

Megan: The way that the building is oriented it’s just mostly north south further site. Steve:

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No, I mean east and west, but other designs, and that’s on the first phase, but the dormitories, part of the school block goes north-south. The dogleg has a school going that cuts across the property. The way it was really designed about putting the buildings on the outer edge of the property to kind of give a visual privacy, to me seemed more important than the sun issues, so in ventilation, like you know we tried to get a lot of cross breeze and stuff like that in the overhang of the porch of the shade on the walkway on a school block helps a lot. [00:20:00] The lining the

property of the building seemed to make more sense to us as a team because it was more about giving them privacy and everything is focused towards the center of the campus. Megan: Yeah. Was there any agricultural production that’s being done on one side or your side? Steve:

There is now.

Megan: There is now? Steve:

Yeah, they’re growing bananas and stuff.

Megan: Well, okay then. Steve:

They’ve got, like here, there’s bananas and they’re growing some other stuff up there. I don’t know what it is though. Not that much. Not that much, just a couple [inaudible 00:20:34], but they’re not doing much agriculture. Very little. Almost nonexistent.

Was there any agricultural production that’s being done? Steve: There is now. There is now? Steve: They’ve got, like here, there’s bananas and they’re growing some other stuff up there. I don’t know what it is though. Not that much.

Megan: It’s just for …

It’s just for …

Steve:

The students consumption.

Megan: The students. That wasn’t something that was part of the original plan. Steve:

No. We didn’t design it.

Megan: How do they deal with this irrigation, just all natural rain fall and stuff? Steve: Yeah. Megan: Okay. Any specific landscape design or … ? Melinda: Drainage. Drainage defines the landscape! Steve:

The students’ consumption. The students. That wasn’t something that was part of the original plan? Steve:

We didn’t design it.

Yeah, we have a serious amount of water comes there [inaudible 00:21:11] drain across that school, with those parallels as a contour…

Melinda: It’s torrential. Megan: Yeah? Steve:

… well they’re a part of the school block so you get those torrential, yeah. We have a ditch up above that helps reduce that as well.

Megan: Yeah. I’d like to draw it, as a middle section of the … that ditch and everything. Steve:

If I can show you…where’s the drawing? Oh I can show you on the

183

Megan: On the planning… Steve:

Yeah. Let me show you because there’s a couple of things.

Melinda: Do you want some colored pencils or something to … Melinda: Yeah … thanks. Steve:

This here ...

Megan: That’s north. There’s the school. It’s a water plan. Steve:

Oh I’m sorry. It’s okay. No that’s good. [00:22:00] This doesn’t look out the way I normally … so this drain runs in front of the class here so you’ve got this ditch that runs the same direction.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

You’ve got the runoff from the roof. It goes down into a drainage ditch and then you just have a surface ditch if you will that’s very relatively shallow that comes around the corner as well, so all the rain it comes down here, it diverts here, and whatever floods over is taking another…What is my problem? I can’t really recall…but the runoff goes down into the drainage. That make sense?

Megan: Yeah, and then it all came down … Steve:

Then it turns a corner and it just goes down it like…and then up here, we ran another just a ditch, cuts across like this so the rain hits just dug a ditch in the ground and the rain when it hits this and it comes this way now down the spout.

Megan: Okay, so it goes that …that drains down to the lake there. Steve:

Yeah and the torrential rains I think almost fills up. It’s so much.

Megan: Okay, so I mean hopefully, during the torrential rain, it’s just collecting from there to there? Steve:

Pretty much and then off the roof.

Megan: And off the roof. Steve:

We get all the surface that comes off the roof and here and here.

Melinda: That’s where they got the … announced they had a rain catch barrel that sat on the corner there. Steve:

Barrel yeah.

Megan: Then this one that’s down here if this is the new pitch, so it’s about here? Really large. 184

Steve:

Yeah. It goes all the way down to this end though, something like that, yeah.

Megan: Then you got a ditch up here. Steve:

On the top of the embankment and another one at the bottom.

Megan: Yeah, and another one at the bottom. Steve:

Steve: No. There is no water. That close to the lake even.

Yeah. [00:24:00]

Megan: Okay. Any pipes or anything that’s going through there? Steve:

There [are] no well capabilities in the site?

Pipes? No, just surface.

Megan: The surface. Okay. Security. How is security achieved and are there any specific security and economic issues, theft or anything like that? Steve:

Yeah. Someone came in and cut off the copper for the lightning protection. They came over the fence and took it right off the building.

Megan:

Did they have a full time guard?

Steve:

Yup, and he was probably part of it.

What kind of problems do they have with National Water? Just with supply? Steve: It shuts off, yeah.

Megan: Okay.

It just shuts off. [Is it] a political issue?

Steve:

When the school first opened they had some theft as well, right away and then it all seems to have gone away. They still have people who steal.

Megan: Any issues during construction? Steve:

Well we made a policy that if anything gets stolen …

Megan: Okay. Any other special considerations with site design? Steve:

Besides what?

Megan: To site design besides, anything else that you thought of? Steve:

No. One thing that happened…okay, National Water [inaudible 00:24:57]

Just National Water. It’s just bad. We all have problems like that but now they’ve got 150 kids and they need water more, so …

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

It turns out it wasn’t so reliable so we’ve had some problems with water because it was all…we had rain water catchment design…we’ve done a little bit of that, not a whole lot, and yeah so…but then a Water for Life or Life Water, I don’t know. They came up [inaudible 00:25:47] I couldn’t find any water.

Megan: Really?

185

What’s the difference between [a soak pit and a leach field]? Steve:

The soak pit is just a hole in the ground and you usually need to have hard core, big rocks in it and the black water goes down into the soak pit.

Steve:

We’re going to do some sort of rain water catchment or something.

Megan: There is no well capabilities in the site? [00:26:00] Steve:

No. There is no water. That close to the lake even.

Megan: What kind of problems do they have with National Water? Just with supply? Steve:

It shuts off, yeah.

Megan: It just shuts off. Do they know if it’s a political issue? Steve:

Just National Water. It’s just bad. We all have problems like that but now they’ve got 150 kids and they need water more, so …

Megan: Yeah. Right. Civil design. Talk about this a little bit. How’s water stored? Is it above or below ground? Steve: Above. Megan: What’s the capacity?

Okay.

Steve:

Megan: Do they even need electricity to run it or is it all gravity.

It’s assumed that the dirt is going to clean it, it goes much deeper into the ground, just a big pit and you put black plastic over the top and you cover it with dirt.

Okay. Steve: This is by far the cheapest way to go. Got it?

Steve:

20,000 liters. Four different tanks.

No, it’s all National Water. It’s just stored from National Water up in those tanks. Tank stats.

Megan: Okay. How is electricity supplied to the site? Steve: UMEME. Megan: What’s it’s regularity? Steve:

I don’t know. They’re all wired for backup. They have a generator, so I don’t know what its regularity is. Just like anything else around here, you never know.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

I don’t know, yeah.

Megan: And water is supplied through National Water you said. Steve:

They have it all wired for inverters so eventually they’ll … I have inverters. Now what was your question?

Megan: Water supplied through National Water. No well on site. Okay. How is waste water dealt with? Is it the latrines, are they flushing toilets?

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Steve:

Squat flush.

Megan: Squat flush? Steve:

Yeah. [inaudible 00:27:55] and they didn’t like that idea.

Megan: Why didn’t they like it? Steve:

Because it was different. [00:28:00] They wanted flush, so they use a lot more water than they needed necessarily. We even tried to talk to them about compost and toilets and [inaudible 00:28:07] and no, so we ended up with flush toilets.

Megan: They didn’t like it because it wasn’t something that they were used to in the Ugandan sense, or in the Western sense? Or in a … Steve:

No. Composting toilets actually will take a lot of maintenance, so they just didn’t want it. That’s your way.

Megan: That was the Westerner’s decision or…?

The leach field is a field, a series of PVC pipes with holes in the bottom. What it does is it spreads it out over a much larger area and then supposedly the black water is cleaned within half a meter to a meter of drop.

Steve: Yeah. Megan: It’s almost like the opposite if they don’t want flushing toilets, they want latrines. Steve:

Westerners don’t?

Megan: No, it seems that lots of [inaudible 00:28:44] ministries. They want latrines but they don’t want the flushing. Steve:

They want squat flush or [inaudible 00:28:53] but composting toilets, we tried that and tried to get [inaudible 00:29:03] Chaplain Entebbe and they built them, but they didn’t maintain them.

It cleans it in a less deep...? Steve: Yeah. Real tight, it sits on the surface just below the ground here.

Megan: What does it take to maintain them? Steve:

Well not [inaudible 00:29:14] but the composting toilets, we had to shut them off for so long and they turned and opened up because of the compost while using the other one and you had to do all these rotating stuff and they just didn’t…

Megan: They didn’t do it. Where are they located?

It’s advantageous if you aren’t able to go down very far before hitting water or anything like that?

Steve: Who?

Steve:

Megan: The latrines and toilets? Steve:

Right.

The dorms.

Megan: They’ve got the ones in the dorms and then the ones Steve:

There’s one in each dorm. There’s one in the school block at Dog Lake on the end 187

Was that glass detail, something that’s been done before? Steve: No. I did it. If you look…

there. That’s pretty much it. There’s also the employee … Megan: Administrative toilet. Steve:

Megan: What’s the diagram of that? They got the flushing latrines and then it goes to where? Steve:

That’s important! Write that down! That’s the kind of little stuff that I mean to draw out and make sure that I record.

The glass sticks out because it’s a nice perfect edge. A piece of glass is nothing better than that. It doesn’t grow mildew and stuff like that that concrete does.

We had scrap glass. I said, why don’t we just use that?

Septic tank. [00:30:00]

Megan: Okay, and then does it go anywhere else? Steve:

Latrine. I mean silt bed or leach field.

Megan: Depending on what side it’s on? Steve:

Steve: It doesn’t mean someone else didn’t, hasn’t done it before...

Administrative toilet. Same place.

On the kitchen side of the property it goes to a leach field. On the school block siding, the dormitory on the school block side and the school block it goes into a septic tank.

Megan: What’s the difference between the two? Steve:

Which one? Soak pit and leach field? The soak pit is just a hole in the ground and you usually need to have hard core, big rocks in it and the black water goes down into the soak pit.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

It’s assumed that the dirt is going to clean it, it goes much deeper into the ground, just a big pit and you put black plastic over the top and you cover it with dirt.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

This is by far the cheapest way to go. Got it? The leach field is a field, a series of PVC pipes with holes in the bottom. What it does is it spreads it out over a much larger area and then supposedly the black water is cleaned within half a meter to a meter of drop so it cleans.

Megan: It cleans it in a less deep ... Steve:

Yeah. Real tight, it sits on the surface just below the ground here.

Megan: It’s advantageous if you aren’t able to go down very far before hitting water or anything like that? Steve: Right. Megan: Was that the difference between the two sides, and that’s why this was made? Steve: 188

Yeah one side we got favorable conditions, the other side not.

Megan: Okay. All right. Is there ever, with the leach field, do you have an option of doing any kind of like bioswale or bio … like can anything grow in it or anything? Steve:

Yeah we do have that. That’s not what we did there, [00:32:00] but there is the type that they grow certain plants and stuff that help clean it. I don’t know what that’s called.

Megan: Do those pipes get … it comes from the septic and it gets piped in? Steve:

Yeah it all comes down and you have like this final inspection chamber if you will and then one big pipe comes down like this and it dumps into that and it’s got a … basically part of the water goes into this pipe, part goes into this pipe, and another part goes like this.

Megan: So all the pipes are parallel? No. To the flow. Steve:

These are all parallel to each other, yeah, and they are in the same direction as the flow. It doesn’t have to be though but in this case it was, and so it drops down in here and we got this little ledge that makes it nice and even and I use a piece of glass to do it because we just couldn’t do it with the motor and so the glass gives you a nice straight edge and then so the water hits it and part goes just flows, little bits flow like this out into the fingers and each one of these has little holes in them.

It just lifts up maybe like a quarter inch. You can’t even break the glass. When it’s flowing really fast, it will overflow and then go into the other pipes. I wanted even [flow] when it was going slow to trickle into all the pipes because I couldn’t live with that one pipe thing. It was just going to clog it up. So, that’s what it was.

Megan: Was that glass detail, something that’s been done before? Steve:

No. I did it. If you look…

Megan: That’s important! Write that down! Melinda: He’s so humble. Megan: That’s the kind of little stuff that I mean to draw out and make sure that I record. Steve:

If you look at it in section…it doesn’t mean someone else didn’t, hasn’t done it before. I didn’t know that though.

Megan: But that’s a viable solution. Steve:

You get this little block right here. This stops it from splashing, right? All the black water might hit that and has to go around it, and then here you’ve got this piece of glass that sticks out like this. Here‘s the bottom.

Megan: Right. Steve:

The glass sticks out because it’s a nice perfect edge. A piece of glass is nothing better than that. It doesn’t grow mildew and stuff like that that concrete does.

Megan: Yeah.

189

Steve:

Once it goes over the top like this, these pipes which is these ones, so it comes over just evenly, it flows into those, so this is a…yeah…and this is a base of mortar. [00:34:00]

Megan: Okay. Melinda: It slows the flow down in sort of an evenly distributes to all the pipes. Steve:

This slows the flow down, then it comes around the top of that if you’re looking at the plan though and this is the pipe that comes in…it’s that pipe. Then you’ve got this block right here and then it just [ponds] stops all the flow and it just …then you’ve got this piece of glass that comes all the way across like this and you got your different pipes on the other side and below the piece of glass.

It comes over this, and it does that tiny little waterfall, and it’s nice and even, part of it goes here, part of it goes there, part of it goes there, until it’s an even flow and each one of these has an even channel, it takes them right into that piece of glass so it has no ways to go once it goes over the glass.

Megan: So this is just to block it and bring it around? Steve:

Yeah, and it blocks it and just creates some ponds up. When it gets to the top of the glass, it flows over.

Megan: Okay, but its black water and gray water that’s going in there? Steve:

Its all black water. No gray water.

Megan: And then each one of these has a hole in the bottom? Steve:

No, not here yet. It doesn’t get holes until it gets out to these. It gets it out here and then once it gets out here, then these all have the little holes. I can give you a diagram of how that works.

Megan: Okay. Cool. Melinda: It was the glass that was cool. Steve:

We had scrap glass. I said, why don’t we just use that?

Melinda: You tried and tried. I remember when you were building that. You tried and tried and tried until he could get it. Steve:

It just lifts up maybe like a quarter inch. You can’t even break the glass.

Melinda: Perfect to do. Megan: Yeah. That’s a really nice detail, I mean because you can’t get that kind of quarter inch precision with anything else.

190

Steve:

It has to be exact.

Melinda: He was using recycled materials! Megan: Recycled materials! I love it! Steve:

When we did it, it was like, with the concrete, it was all of us… if one of them is off just a little bit, it all goes to one pipe. [00:36:00] It all goes to the lowest pipe unless it’s flowing really fast.

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

When it’s flowing really fast, it will overflow and then go into the other pipes. I wanted even when it was going slow to trickle into all the pipes because they couldn’t live with that one pipe thing. It was just going to clog it up. So, that’s what it was.

Megan: Cool. Steve:

Somebody had talked to me about doing an iron tube. I thought, you know, iron rusts. Iron breaks down. Little piece of strip of iron which should work for a while but not for long.

Megan: How big is that chamber? Steve:

I don’t know. This wide maybe. Four feet wide, maybe. I don’t know.

Megan: Cool. Very cool. Okay, I’m just going to go through each part of the construction, of the foundation to roof and if you want to talk about any design improvisations, kind of like the glass, that happened during that process and why a change was made from your original drawing, its kind of just anything that you remember, and then we can sketch it out. On the foundations. Steve:

Yeah. It was during rainy season so we did that upper ditch I was telling you about. We had a rain that knocked a bunch or our walls off and literally took it all the way down to the lake. We just said, “Well, it’s time to build that ditch up there so that water hits that ditch and goes off to someone else’s property basically.”

That’s really what it’s doing. Somebody bought it so we have to divert it. From a foundation standpoint, that was really the only improvisational thing, but any builder would have done that. What are you going to do? I just didn’t expect the rains to come down that hard. I didn’t expect that.

Melinda: Really torrential. Steve:

Really surprised me. I think that’s it for the foundation.

Megan: Okay. [00:38:00]

191

Steve:

The septic stuff was all … well I mean we had to get a pneumatic jackhammer for part of it because we were going into volcanic rock, but most of it was done by hand with rock hammers and sledge hammers and picks and shovels and chisels because of employment but there was one part we just had to get.

Melinda: Pneumatic? Steve:

We had to get pneumatic jackhammers.

Megan: Okay, and then the plant sort of the skirt walk or the slab or anything. Steve:

Skirt walk? Yeah, instead of doing screed we did all the skirt walks was exposed concrete with a broom finish. Yeah, that was new. I guess it’s not a normal usage like this which is all screed.

Megan: Why is that? Steve:

Because they don’t have to think, because you can just do a bad job and come in and fix it with a screed. There’s still a lot of learning to do, learning how to float concrete. I wasn’t happy with a lot of it. There’s a learning curve. You get better each time.

Melinda: The one thing that was really nice about that I like is the user’s standpoint, is that this stuff is really slippery. The screed stuff is really, really slippery. For the amount of water that comes down in that area off those roofs, it’s so much safer for those kids, with that screen. Steve:

Yes it is.

Megan: Yeah. Melinda: I think in the long run the maintenance on it is going to be easier, eh? Every house we’ve ever owned has this screen around the outside of it. It’s always chunking up, you know? [00:40:00] It’s always cracking and peeling out, and then you get a little trip toe ... stubbing your toes, areas for the kids and stuff like that. Seems like that brush-finish concrete is solid, is it? Steve:

Harder to clean up.

Melinda: Yeah. Steve:

It’s more work to clean, keep it clean.

Megan: You said that they weren’t as used to doing that kind of … the brush-finish? Steve:

Yeah, contractors, they’re not really good at finishing concrete.

Megan: Were there examples that you had to do?

192

Steve:

Well anyone can do a broom finish. This is why I did it. I didn’t do it on the inside of a building cause I don’t know anything about it. They can’t teach you how to flow concrete.

Melinda: Yeah. Steve:

Anybody can do a broom finish. It’s just keeping an eye and make sure everything is nice and level and then towards the end of the day you go in and brush it.

Megan: Okay, cool. And then on the walls and the columns, and on the support, vertical support? Steve:

On the porch, on the two dormitories, we did exposed concrete. It’s all exposed concrete, which is unusual using plaster. You do rough concrete and then plaster. These columns, most of the time, single-story structures don’t have columns here, but we have columns, concrete columns.

Melinda: Why is that? Steve:

Just because it’s an earthquake zone. Just because other people don’t do it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. Another thing that is different too is, I don’t know if you’ve noticed here, here they’ll do the ring at the same level as the lintel, and then they’ll put bricks on top of that and then put the trusses on top of that.

Melinda: On top of that. Steve:

On top of that. We don’t do that on anything EMI does.

Melinda: Okay. Steve:

We didn’t do that on this one either. We have the ring beam where the trusses sit, and we just extended the window units up to the ring beam. [00:42:00]

Megan: Okay, and on the apertures on windows and doors? Steve: What? Megan: On the windows and doors. Steve:

Yeah. I thought you said something else.

Megan: Anything else that was…. I know you all decided to build everything on site. Steve:

Yeah, everything is built on site. All the windows and doors. Above the doors, normally what you have is, because the ring beam is so low, you have your normal door and window height, and then you have little skinny ventilation.

On Music for Life we have the doors at normal height and the windows are at normal height and the ventilation goes higher. There is more ventilation because we

Okay, I’m going to go through each part of the construction, from the foundation to roof and if you want to talk about any design improvisations...On the foundations? Steve: Skirt walk? Yeah, instead of doing screed we did all the skirt walks was exposed concrete with a broom finish. Yeah, that was new. I guess it’s not a normal usage like this which is all screed.

Why is that? Steve: Because they don’t have to think, because you can just do a bad job and come in and fix it with a screed.

There’s still a lot of learning to do, learning how to float concrete... There’s a learning curve. You get better each time.

193

(On designing for earthquakes):

extended it up to the higher ring beam. There is more natural light and ventilation going into your drum. I forgot about all this stuff. Nowadays when I go out there, I don’t even think about it.

Steve: These columns, most of the time, single-story structures don’t have columns here. But we have columns, concrete columns.

Megan: I don’t know if we discussed it, but it was on Music for Life that you started doing exposed brick and people thought that was crazy. Steve:

Yes, that was the first time. That kitchen. We were getting there.

Megan: It was fabulous. Steve:

We haven’t gotten to that point yet.

Megan: Okay. And then for roof, trusses and beams, anything changed ?

Why is that?

Steve:

Megan: Anything above ring beam height?

It’s an earthquake zone. Just because other people don’t do it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. Another thing that is different too is, I don’t know if you’ve noticed here, here they’ll do the ring at the same level as the lintel, and then they’ll put bricks on top of that and then put the trusses on top of that. We didn’t do that on this one either. We have the ring beam where the trusses sit, and we just extended the window units up to the ring beam.

194

Steve:

I’m sorry. Beams or trusses? Beams …

The beams were all engineered, which is unusual. The trusses are beefier and closer together than you would normally see here. Instead of being two meters apart, they are only a meter and a half apart. [00:44:00] We have our trusses closer together, also a lot of the trusses we built were not three plane trusses like they do here. They nail everything to the side and it’s really bad.

Megan: They were like double boom? Steve:

Some of them. The ones that are exposed are double but if I had to do it all over again, I know better ways now of doing it. The trusses that we did that were covered in plaster are the normal Ugandan way, only beefier. They are three plane trusses, but we don’t do that any more.

Megan: What’s the way you would do it if you did it better? Steve:

Well now, first of all, whenever possible, we do double on top and bottom cords , so you’ve got your truss, you’ve got your double-bottom cord, double top cord and your webbing. Actually I don’t do it this way, but it’s good enough. It will go straight down. Your webbing … What’s wrong with me? Your webbing is single so here you’ve got six-by-twos down here.

Normally Ugandans will put six-by-twos in the bottom and four by twos on the top. That didn’t make sense to me, so I did six-by-twos in the top and four by twos in the bottom, cause to me it’s better that way. Then your struts or their webbing is all four by twos. So this is two two-by-sixes.

Megan: Two-by-sixes. Steve:

Here I call it six-by-twos. Sorry, I’m being all cultural.

(On building on-site) Megan: It’ s okay. Steve:

I did it again. Okay, and here you have, one two-by-four.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Okay? Now when we don’t need the double up like that, so if you look at it on the side really quick, you’ve got this thing going on and you’ve got your strut in the middle, which is way out of scale, because this should be an inch and a half, this should be an inch and a half, and this should be an inch and a half, [00:46:00] it goes up to a double up there. You know what I’m saying? This is awful. I Like this better. Not much better.

Megan: You are killing me with that friction. Steve:

No, it’s not true.

Melinda: I’m sure you heard me. You can’t live without perfection. Steve:

I would never say that.

Steve:

Everything is built on site. Everything was done onsite. Everything. The windows and doors... We turned [a shipping container] into a kiln to dry all [the wood]… The mock-up and tests [were] always right onsite.

Melinda: I know, but I can. Steve:

I might think it ...

Megan: You’d think it, you just wouldn’t say it. Steve:

Yeah, like that thing. See what I’m doing now? Okay, now if we didn’t need the double up, what they do here is … do I even know how to do this? You have your bottom cord and you have your top cord in this plane, then they nail your struts like that.

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

It’s just a mess. This is nailed to the side of this, where it connects, and then they come in. It’s just a mess. It’s really embarrassing. What we do now is this, if we don’t need to double up, we basically have this without this. This is nailed in the side and it’s level.

Megan: These two are then pushed in a plane. Steve:

On the same plane, right. If you’ve got something like this going on with your [inaudible 00:47:26], it goes down like this, and you’ve got your bottom cord like that, so this is at a really bad angle, which isn’t good. What we do is put a nailer that connects the two. The same thing we do on this. We have a nailer.

Megan: What do you mean by nailer? It’s just like a plate?

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Steve:

Yes, a plate but it’s timber. Just like over here, it’s like another strut. It’s in between the two-by’s, but here you don’t have in between, so you nail it to the side. It’s basically nailed like this, that connects that so that it can’t fall out, and then you have something to sit on your ring beam, which is right here. [00:48:00] Then on to a column.

Megan: This is going to sound really stupid, because I did the same thing, [inaudible 00:48:11] Steve:

Then out here, [inaudible 00:08:19] Then out here you just nail it to the side so this is in the same plane now, and you would just take your struts, and you would nail there and there. Like that. Makes sense? Now you don’t have this thing, what you have is this.

Megan: Right. You’re not using more material just because you want to make everything straight. Steve:

Yes, it’s the same amount of material. Just now you have some pressure blocking going on here, whereas here your nails aren’t tight. Here, when you do it like this, it’s a tighter fit when you nail these together.

Megan: Cool. Steve:

Does that make any sense?

Megan: Yeah. Plenty of sense. Steve:

Iron sheets here are 30 gauge. We used 28 gauge on the iron sheets which is better. Yeah, as I was building it and I was kinda saying, “Hey, we could just do this” and we did something funky to raise the roof and I think it looks cool. Do you think it looks cool?

Megan: I think it looks cool. Well I copied it so I think it looks cool. Steve:

Where did you copy it?

Megan: At GSF. Steve:

Yeah but we did a different …

Megan: Yeah, different, yeah. Because you had a support. Steve:

Yeah so we could set that, support on raising …

Megan: Did you draw it Steve? Steve:

Which one?

Megan: The truss. I’m sorry!

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Steve:

No, but not GSF.

Megan: No, not GSF. Steve:

How does it work…you have the truss on each side of the hallway that’s kinda like that. Then I allowed this to go like this, just top cord, of course this is exaggerated, how high it is, then comes like that.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Then, how do I do this, to give it more strength?

Melinda: A piece coming down… Steve:

(On in-the-field design change): As I was building it and I was kinda saying, “Hey, we could just do this” and we did something funky to raise the roof and I think it looks cool.

Do you think it looks cool?

I have a piece coming down like this. Is that it though?

Megan: Yeah, I think so. Steve:

No, there’s something else going on. There’s something else that happens and I’m not … for some reason I’m not getting it.

Megan: Did these come up or no? Megan: I took photos of it … remember the camera from yesterday? Steve:

Makes sense when I’m … I hope this isn’t what we did. This is not very strong. There is something else going on down here. [00:52:00]

Megan: There were pieces that came alongside this, like there was a straight across piece or something. Steve:

Like this here?

Megan: I don’t remember. Because I remember the tension in both sides and how it would bend around each other? Remember that? Steve:

Yeah, yeah. I know that. Why am I not remembering this? We did something here. I think it’s got like two coming across here.

Megan: Right there. Steve:

Yeah, yeah. There it is, so it disappeared. There it is right there, so you got this going up like this. I brought it and it just disappeared again. What are you doing?

Megan: Just press that button. Steve:

Okay. Why does it do that so fast?

Megan: I don’t know. I could probably change it but I don’t know.

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Steve:

This doesn’t come up.

Megan: I’m sorry. Steve:

No, that’s okay. Wait, just don’t…Yeah this doesn’t go on the cross like this. That’s it.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

This stops right here. This goes up. This goes out like this. Let me try it again.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Can I draw over here?

Megan: Yeah! That’s what it’s for. Steve:

Something going on like this. This comes up and meets here and just like those, this is a continuous piece like this. [00:54:00] Then I did something across like this, that is parallel to that that nails into this and is pinned here. Then I got the king that comes through here and that bends around. You took advantage of the wet wood to see if I could make it bend and it did and it dried that way.

Melinda: It was actually very cool. Megan: It was wet when you did it? Melinda: Yeah! Steve:

Oh yeah. I had wet wood so I said well let’s just make something happen with wet wood. So there it is right there. Then you got your normal struts doing…I mean yeah… something like that… like that. This top cord, the rafter cord, continues across and meets up here. I nailed this here and then pinned it but then it comes across at the top of this edge parallel to this and comes out and then I put this king, so it’s really just three points holding that up which probably Phil wouldn’t approve of any more.

Melinda: You had it structurally approved. I remember because you had … Steve:

No, I didn’t. I didn’t do anything structurally as I designed it.

Melinda: You designed it, but as you were working with the wet wood you had was it Brad? When the structures came down, you guys stood there and talked about the compression and the tension as the wood was drying and you know how he felt about ... Steve:

Yeah…no… it probably wouldn’t be approved now.

Megan: How about design terms ...

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(On truss detailing): Steve:

There it is and then they get the mosquito screens coming like at this angle.

Melinda: But it’s so cool because you just don’t see them. Steve:

Yeah. You don’t see them on the inside. I never thought, You can’t see it from the inside so it’s kinda cool.

Megan: Right. It does look kinda cool. You just see the light bouncing around. Would the king strut, I noticed that when it meets…does it have to come down as far as it does? Or did you do that for architectural film plan? Steve:

No. Didn’t it look cool? It’s like a penis sticking out! It’s phallic!

Melinda: It’s phallic! Yeah! Steve:

I added some phallic things in there. This is Africa, you know. [00:56:00]

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

No, I just set down because a famous architect that maybe influenced me from my college days that did something similar to that and I can’t think that it’s a church.

Melinda: Then when it set down in the brick… Steve:

Oh, and that wall between the bathroom and on the ends. Yeah, what about it?

Megan: It’s pretty! Steve:

Yeah? Made it all shapes so it forms…

Megan: How did you make that joint? Is it tight? It’s kind of interesting. Steve:

No, it’s just dangling there. It’s just plastered right up to the timber, so ...

Can I draw over here? Yeah! That’s what it’s for. Steve: Something going on like this. This comes up and meets here and just like those, this is a continuous piece like this. Then I did something across like this, that is parallel to that that nails into this and is pinned here. Then I got the king that comes through here and that bends around.

[I] took advantage of the wet wood to see if I could make it bend and it did and it dried that way.

Megan: Was that a difficult joint to do? Steve:

I didn’t have to do it.

Megan: Do you have to do it? Steve:

That’s where Ugandans are for. The Ugandans did all the work.

Megan: You just told them you want it exposed. Steve:

They’re masons. Yeah. I think they messed up the first time then we did it again, yeah maybe just …

Melinda: He did that a lot! “No, chisel it out!” I think everybody had a chisel on that top side! Steve:

Yeah, let’s do it again.

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Melinda: “Fix it again. It’s not right. Fix it again.” Steve:

Yeah, so then it comes down and of course you have your ring beam then that goes out to the hallway, ring beam over here next to the dormitories.

Melinda: [inaudible 00:57:12] Steve:

Yeah? I thought that was kinda cool. Rain come in there once in a while.

Megan: Okay. Melinda: No it doesn’t? Steve:

Oh yeah. There’s no way to stop it. Rain comes in through here. I mean, there’s no way to stop it, and we’ve got this overhang. There’s no way around it.

Megan: Yeah. Melinda: Well, yeah, when it comes out sideways it’s going to start to stop. Steve:

Yeah. It’s going to happen. Yours is far less out there because I learned from that one. As we were designing that, so it comes in … Yeah it’s just extended up above and...

Melinda: Yeah, this just posts up. Steve:

You’ve got another truss that comes across here and we were able to really overhang a lot further, but it still has water come in. I mean not like gushing in yet, but it will.

Melinda: Once in a while it will. Steve:

Rain is going to hit that, the wind is going to push it right up and it’s going to come over that wall. Absolutely. [00:58:00] This is Uganda and … that’s what we do.

Megan: And it’s okay Melinda: It happens, yeah. Steve: Yeah. Megan: That’s kinda what I like the design for waterproofing. Steve:

Well we try.

Megan: You do, I mean, but it’s not like you have to design for flashing in … Steve:

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Well, when they get electricity that works, and they can afford air-conditioning, then yeah.

(On waterproofing): Megan: That’s when you do it. Steve:

Then we’ll close it all up and we don’t feel the fresh air any more and we’ll, stuffy again and …

Melinda: That would be sad. I prefer a little rain every now and then. Steve:

I don’t like it coming in the windows if its at all possible but it happens.

Melinda: Yeah. Megan: Okay. All right, so we went from foundation to roof but then just other issues that you’re dealing with. Steve:

They also expose our bricks. Other people have done that but on the kitchen.

Megan: That was a decision that you made. That’s with polyurethane? Steve:

We covered three coats of polyurethane. Yeah.

Megan: How often does that have to be maintained? Steve:

I‘ve never had to yet.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Getting pretty close though.

Steve: It still has water come in. I mean not like gushing in yet, but it will. Melinda: Once in a while it will. Steve: Rain is going to hit that, the wind is going to push it right up and it’s going to come over that wall. Absolutely.

This is Uganda and… that’s what we do.

Megan: Okay. When dealing with sun shading, was there any issues of, any changes that you had to make with sun, dealing with sun shading or anything? Then with the security of the site and the perimeter? It’s just a big fence right?

And it’s okay?

Steve: Chain-link.

Melinda:

Megan: Chain-link. Any additional buffers that had to be put in for sight lines or anything? The building’s going to do that? [01:00:00] Steve:

We use the buildings, trying to make them double for our visual privacy.

Megan: Okay, and you said that there was like the dining hall is now…they eat outside in this area. Steve:

Yeah. Something like that.

Megan: This was intentional as like a community, as far as the school community. Steve:

It happens, yeah. Steve: Well, when they get electricity that works, and they can afford airconditioning...Then we’ll close it all up...and we’ll, [be] stuffy again.

It’s like a big courtyard or ...

Megan: Courtyard.

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As far as this master plan goes, [what changes were made]? Steve: (Dicussing a row of classrooms that step downhill) That thing we did is this is …we didn’t have so much time. This was designed like it was all on the same level. It didn’t step down the hill so we stepped it on site. [There are] two classroom steps down, so we didn’t have to build it up or anything like that.

If we had done it like it was drawn here, this would be like 4 or 5 meters... way up in the air.

Steve:

What do you call it,

Megan: Commune, yeah. Steve:

Not a commune but it’s a…there’s another word for it in community but its…yeah. It’s not really a courtyard. What do you call that? That’s not the word for it.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Then of course down below, the dormitory we do the same thing facing inward.

Megan: Right. As far as this master plan goes, based on any changes that were made … Steve:

That thing we did is this is …because we didn’t have so much time. This was designed like it was all on the same level. It didn’t step down the hill so we stepped it on site. If this wasn’t … there’ll be two classroom steps down, so we didn’t have to build it up or anything like that. If we had done it like it was drawn here, this would be like 4 or 5 meters in the air and we’re like way up in the air.

Megan: You didn’t know when you designed it originally, it wasn’t stepped. Steve:

Yeah, it wasn’t stepped. It was my fault. Because they just didn’t deal with it. We just didn’t have enough time, but if a Ugandan had been doing it, it would have been a mess.

Megan: Yeah. That makes sense. Every two classrooms you said, it is stepped? Steve:

I think it is. Every two classrooms. You have a picture of it?

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

I think it’s every two classrooms.

Megan: I looked yesterday. Steve:

It just stays with the topography.

Megan: Yeah. It just comes down with it. [01:02:00] Steve:

That’s why the ramps and stuff like that, it gets you down the hill.

Megan: There you go. Megan: Again building and safety codes that you had to adhere to? Steve:

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Yeah they did. Fire. Fire was a concern in fact it’s got fire pipes and I mean hose reels and everything for fire protection. Then they made us make the doors swing out in the classroom so the doors had to swing out for fire egress. We had to have … we couldn’t put bars in the dormitories which was very new because if they had several fires in some schools that kids died because they were trapped.

Melinda: Horrific. Megan: I noticed that the bars for the school even, it looked like a little bit of a different design from what’s normally done. Was that something… Steve:

Yup. Designed it so that they’d look like mullions instead of…

Megan: Yeah, it’s genius. This is the kind of stuff! Melinda: I have to shake my own husband’s arm because he always gives credit to everybody else. What he does. He has his brilliant ideas. It was his ideas to dry all the wood on site. It was his experience from his father growing up around wood and wood shops, to know how to do it, how to convert the container into a kiln. [01:04:00] Megan: I’m going to need to sketch that one out too but I’m going to ask you to do it. Melinda: And within the venting, if you get to talk about that… Steve:

It’s all glass.

Melinda: Very specifically something that I was really impressed with that I’ve never seen in another school is the ventilation of the kitchen and how well that was ventilated and how fabulous it is to work in there. Megan: That’s part of the openings in the brick but then also just the large window, picture windows almost. Melinda: Yeah. The picture windows, specifically the patterned openings in the brick work. I’ve never seen that in another kitchen before in Uganda. Steve:

Oh it’s out there. It’s there.

Megan: That was something that was kind of …

[Are there] building and safety codes that you had to adhere to? Steve: Fire was a concern in fact it’s got fire pipes and I mean hose reels and everything for fire protection. Then they made us make the doors swing out in the classroom so the doors had to swing out for fire egress. We couldn’t put bars in the dormitories which was very new...

They had several fires in some schools that kids died because they were trapped. Melinda: Horrific.

Melinda: But that wasn’t on the plans. Steve:

We also put glass louvers instead of iron louvers. It’s all glass, allow ventilation, keep the rain out. Ventilation, the heat goes out and also natural light. Does that make sense?

Megan: Natural lighting… Melinda: It’s a pleasant place, a very pleasant place. Megan: Solar heat gain. What else did you say. Melinda: Then the PVC in venting. Megan: Yeah, on the inside. Which is rare. It’s rare to see something … I mean people usu203

ally think of ventilation like what can you use a envelope, it’s rare to think about it in the middle of the building. Melinda: Cross section of the building. Steve:

The breeze coming through.

Megan: Right, like what do you do, I mean, besides just like cutting a hole through the building, its like what do you do, what small movements can you do to make that work? Yeah. The PVC, that’s in the kitchen? Okay. Steve:

Between storage.

Melinda: Storage. To help with storage. Megan: Storage. Okay. [01:06:00] Then other detailing, so there’s the… Steve:

Glass louvers, ventilation to allow winding it through the building and the kitchen. I also just got a bad memory too. It’s not that I’m not wanting to [inaudible 01:06:18] I just forget that this happened. Clear [inaudible 01:06:20] lighting.

Melinda: Terrazzo. Steve:

Yeah but that was normal. It’s all handicapped accessible. Everything is handicapped accessible. There’s not a room that you couldn’t get to in a wheelchair.

Melinda: Yeah, and all the ramping too. Steve:

Yeah, that’s what I said. What else.

Melinda: No. That’s what you said. Steve:

Yeah, as I said. What did I say. It’s all ramped for the handicapped. For wheelchairs and then all the doors are wide enough for wheelchairs to get into.

Melinda: It doesn’t mean…what did you say? What was the code? Back in the US what was the code? Megan: The ADA! Steve:

Well actually, some of it does. We have one ramp that’s slightly steep for a handicapped accessible. It’s a little bit steeper than the grade but not much.

Megan: Is it between the classroom and the dormitory? Steve: Yeah. Megan: Dennis came to me and asked me about that one. He was like, “Just draw it.” For something that does, he’s like, “Just figure out what it needs to be.” I was like, “Okay.” You’re an architect. You know of the ADA whatever. 204

(On innovation): Steve:

It was slightly steep.

Megan: Yeah. I told him he couldn’t do it and he’s like, “That’s not a viable answer!” Melinda: But it works here! Sometimes it’s the best you can get with the site that you have. Megan: Absolutely. Steve:

Instead of a 1:12 they go 1:10.

Megan:

I mean honestly, you can do it. You can make it work.

Steve:

It works.

Melinda: It is definitely ... sometimes that’s it ... you have to find the middle ground somewhere and to use what you can do with what you want to do and come up with a new base. [01:08:00] Megan: Were the sinks drawn beforehand, or were they something that was figured out on site? Steve:

The vanity sinks?

Melinda: Terrazzo Megan: The Terrazzo… Steve:

We have Terrazzo sinks?

Melinda: The Terrazzo sinks at the counter. Steve:

Oh! The kitchen. No we just do that on site.

Megan: Okay. That’s fabulous. Steve:

But that was designed by Music for Life. There’s a meeting I had with them and I told them about the way it functions.

Melinda:

I have to shake my own husband’s arm because he always gives credit to everybody else. What he does.. he has his brilliant ideas. It was his ideas to dry all the wood on site. It was his experience from his father growing up around wood and wood shops, to know how to do it, how to convert the container into a kiln.

Megan: Oh really? Steve:

That was their deal.

Megan: So there… Steve:

No you know what, I think I designed that …

Megan: I noticed in the kitchen there was something like this? Steve:

Who designed that kitchen? It wasn’t designed on the original plan. It was different.

Melinda: You designed the kitchen. 205

(On budget management): Steve: Who designed that kitchen? It wasn’t designed on the original plan. It was different. Melinda: You designed the kitchen. Steve: Did I really? Melinda: You designed that kitchen. Because they did not have the money in phase one for a cafeteria or anything, so you came up with… Steve: I redesigned the kitchen. I worked with an intern on that.

Steve:

Did I really?

Melinda: You designed that kitchen. Megan: See, this is what we’re trying to tell you. This is what I’m trying to pull out of you! Melinda: You designed that kitchen on site. Megan: Yeah. Melinda: Because they did not have the money in phase one for a cafeteria or anything, so you came up with… Steve:

I redesigned the kitchen.

Melinda: You redesigned the kitchen to work. Steve:

I worked with an intern on that. What was his name?

Melinda: Was it … the one who took the pictures all the time. Steve:

Yeah, yeah. Fixing the wall at the time. He didn’t belong in the field.

Melinda: Yeah, he wasn’t a quality candidate but ... Steve:

What was that guys name? Yeah, I haven’t heard from him since, he didn’t like me I guess.

Melinda: Kurt? Steve:

I don’t remember.

Megan: That was all done with budget money, with money in the first phase budget even though they didn’t have money for a kitchen? Steve:

Yeah, we just figured it out, yeah.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

How did that happen though?

Melinda: I mean you designed that kitchen. You found, I mean… Steve:

Yeah, I worked with an intern. I’d prefer give the intern. I mean I’m sure I came up with some stuff, but ...

Megan: I mean you said you just figured it out … Steve:

I guided it.

Melinda: As they say, you guide the design. 206

Steve:

What’s that?

Megan: You said you just, in terms of budget you just figured it out, but I mean, it’s kind of a big deal to squeeze in an extra building. [01:10:00] Was that something that you think could have been figured out without some kind of on-site management? Steve:

No. Ugandans couldn’t have done that. Actually that thing would be in a different place, if Ugandans tried to build it.

Melinda: Oh, completely. That’s the best kitchen in Uganda. Steve:

I’m talking about the whole thing. I don’t know if it’s the best kitchen in Uganda, but it’s pretty cool.

Melinda: It is, it’s the best one around. It’s not like I’ve seen every kitchen in Uganda or anything, but it’s a really nice, cool kitchen. Steve:

But I mean, it’s kind of a big deal to squeeze in an extra building. Was that something that you think could have been figured out without ... on-site management? Steve:

No. Ugandans couldn’t have done that.

It’s really cool, yeah.

Megan: What was the budget for Phase one? Steve:

I don’t remember, but they didn’t really have a budget. They just built it. It was cheap. We ended up getting about $30 a square foot, and that’s everything. That’s including any kind of landscaping, the sub pits, the water towers, the water storage, the leach fields, the kitchen, the grease traps and everything, was about $30 a square foot.

Megan: All right. I still have a lot more stuff, but I think we’ve covered a lot of it. I’m going to go [inaudible 01:11:15]. What details of the design were particularly difficult to execute? Steve:

Music for Life? What’s the question?

Megan: Music for Life. What details of the design were particularly difficult to execute? Melinda: The leach field. Getting that leach field tank right. Steve:

We just used all the dirt that we scraped, we took it all down there, one wheelbarrow at a time.

Melinda: That leach field was an accomplishment. Megan: Seriously? Melinda: I just remembered, they were so proud of the helipad, they kept calling it the helipad, and we put some serious work into making that leach field work properly. Megan: Any architectural details that were difficult? Any stuff that you had to tear down and rebuild several times?

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Steve:

Tear down, no. Nothing is difficult. [01:12:00]

Megan: I heard a story about how you pushed down a wall. Steve:

You heard about that?

Megan: Yeah. Melinda: Sounds like Steve. Megan: To push down a wall? Did you? Steve:

Yeah, who told you that? Joseph or … ?

Megan: It was kind of an urban legend that was floating around, it was like, “This is what Steve has to do, on job sites. He’s so strong and powerful ... ” Steve:

No seriously, who told you I did that? I did that to Mike Tyson, I’m surprised he didn’t kill me.

Megan: I can’t remember who told me. Steve:

He’d worked all day on it, and I just went and pushed it over, and said, “This is crap.”

Megan: Who was that? Steve:

What’s that guy’s name, Paolo.

Melinda: It was Paolo’s? Steve: Yeah. Melinda: This guy has cannons for arms. Steve:

Who told you that?

Megan: I can’t remember. I don’t think it was, I think it was before I even started working with you. Melinda: Really? Megan: Yeah. Melinda: You do sound like a pirate. The same pirate. Steve:

Yeah, it was just crap, and I just got pissed and … I got angry and just pushed it down.

Megan: Did it work? Did he make it better next time? Did he ever make a wall of that quality

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again? Steve:

No, but he could have killed me.

Melinda: Yeah. Megan: But he didn’t. Steve:

Any architectural details that were difficult? Any stuff that you had to tear down and rebuild several times? Steve: Tear down, no.

Yeah, he didn’t. I forgot all about that. Am I a big jerk?

Melinda: No! Megan: No, but sometimes, when your point just isn’t getting made and isn’t getting made and isn’t getting made, finally … What design details changed as a result of the construction process? I think we talked about that. Steve:

What’s the question?

Megan: What design details changed as a result of the construction process? Steve:

Stepping down the school block, down the hill. We had to change the stairs on the back side of the dormitory, facing the lake. [01:14:00] We had to switch where the doors were and bring the stairs to the inside of the building, which actually came out pretty cool.

Megan: Yeah, it did look nice. Steve:

Forget about this stuff. I forgot all about this stuff.

Megan: We need this for every project. I’m going to type up all this stuff. Do you want me to send it to you? Steve:

Yes, awesome.

Melinda: We want the template, because this will be great for the administrative CM staff to go over with every CM in the field, before they leave their project, so that we can capture all that data. Steve:

Yeah, and you get all the stories and everything.

Megan: Exactly. Everything you hear is anecdotal, and nobody ends up talking about it. John Sauder was saying that they were going to work with this group called Mass Design in Rwanda on some projects. Mass, they do a really good work, I talked with one of them.

Talking with them helped me set up this template, because I had questions and I wasn’t equipped to fully ask them. They had good stories and I actually I have the recording that I had with him there.

I heard a story about how you pushed down a wall... Steve: You heard about that? Melinda: Sounds like Steve. Steve:

[The mason] worked all day on it, and I just went and pushed it over, and said, “This is crap.” Did it work? Did he make it better next time? Did he ever make a wall of that quality again? Steve: No, but he could have killed me.

209

Steve:

Did they hear about the wall that I pushed over?

Megan: No. Melinda: Good. Megan: The guy that I worked with, he knew Megan Espinoza, I don’t know, I ended up going to school with her, I think everybody ends up knowing each other somehow, but anyway, they published a book about this hospital they did in Rwanda, and it’s a beautiful hospital, really great work that was done, and a huge project, relatively speaking, and I was trying to pull out all of these stories, because it’s all anecdotal.

In this book, they would show a picture of people digging, but there’s so much that goes behind that, there’s so much preparation and stuff that you just don’t understand unless you get on the site, so it was work trying to get it all out, because it becomes what you know and what you do. [01:16:00] It’s difficult to talk about it as something that’s … anyway.

Melinda: This is a fabulous way for us to capture that, I really think this should be part of your system, as you develop the same program further, because this data capture system that you’re using right now is fabulous. Megan: As far as data entry, any suggestions that you’ve got about something I should continue to look at, should be really helpful because I know that [inaudible 01:16:33]

Were there any details that changed as a result of its use? Anything after you left the site?

Steve:

After I left the site? Oh, we also left that wall out so we can use two classrooms as a … That was something I’ve just done, I said, “Hey, we can just leave these walls out. You can always add the walls in later.”

Melinda: The orientation of the buildings was changed too, wasn’t it? A bit differently, the fencing, the way you did the fencing in a way … Steve:

The fencing? That’s all on the perimeter. What do you mean?

Melinda: Oh, okay. Steve:

Actually, we didn’t put the fence in until last.

Melinda: We took the fence out first. Steve:

Yeah, when I got to it, I took all the fencing out. It was crap.

Megan: How were workers educated on-site to execute particular details, or how were they educated on-site? Steve: 210

This is the question?

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

The more experienced employees were training the lesser experienced.

Megan: That’s something that’s pretty rare? Steve:

Yeah, it doesn’t happen actually. There’s a lot of cross-training. The most extreme example is a 14-year-old that now is [inaudible 01:17:50] and all sorts of stuff. Kind of cool.

Megan: Was it difficult to implement that at the beginning? [01:18:00] Steve:

Yeah, they don’t trust you at first. They’re worried they’re going to train someone and then you’re going to fire them to hire that person they trained. They had to learn to gain trust. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.

Getting people to work on time, getting them not to steal, set up systems to prevent that from happening ...

Melinda: If there was a new technique or anything like that, you always had to model it first to the better guys, and then they’d distribute that out from there, but you had to teach them how to use power tools, you had to teach them how to do certain things. You had to set patterns in the wall with a nail basically. There was a lot of oversight. Steve: Yeah. Megan: Basically anything that was new, was when you would … You said that you would work, like physically work on the site? Steve:

Not very often. I try not to. If I had to, if I had to show someone how to do it.

Melinda: It was just to model, yeah. Steve:

My goal was to not do the work, because I felt like that’s just stealing jobs from Ugandans, and in my opinion, as hard as it is, because I like building stuff, as hard as it is, I think it’s kind of selfish to do that.

We fool ourselves into thinking, “Oh, I’m being selfless by sweating out on the job and digging a hole or doing whatever,” but the reality is, I think it’s quite selfish sometimes to do that. It’s selfless to step back and let the Ugandans do it, or the nationals, wherever you are. I think it’s selfish giving sometimes.

I’m going to type up all this stuff. Do you want me to send it to you? Steve: Yes, awesome... I forgot all about this stuff. Melinda: We want the template, because this will be great for the administrative CM staff to go over with every CM in the field, before they leave their project, so that we can capture all that data...

This is a fabulous way for us to capture that, I really think this should be part of your system, as you develop the same program further, because this data capture system that you’re using right now is fabulous.

Megan: It’s something you’ve got to equip the new CMs going in, to realize that they have to be willing to go an extra step at communicating to people. Steve: Over-communicate. Melinda: Over-communicate from the point where you take a pipe and you punch the whole pattern in it, show them what you’re after, and then say, “Okay, there’s 60 more, 211

How were workers educated on-site to execute particular details?

go do these.” [01:20:00] You’ve got to be willing to get out there and communicate it and model it, communicate it again, then go back and check on it and be okay if you’ve got to model it a second time because sometimes you would do that, especially with any kind of new task.

Steve: The more experienced employees were training the lesser experienced.

That’s something that’s pretty rare?

I remember the drainage, that you had set a standard for the drain, and then you came back, and it didn’t have the proper dimensions, the bars were too far apart, so kids’ feet could slip through. You finally got them to be able to do that correctly, but then they couldn’t take that knowledge from the metal work for the drains into the concrete work for the drains. They made the same mistakes.

Steve:

Yeah, that was sometimes frustrating because they don’t apply what they learned about the foundation to something to do with framing or with the tile work or whatever. It’s like it’s always brand new every time. It’s like, “Okay, well, that works for this, but now how do you apply it to some other trade?” It’s like they don’t even … It’s kind of frustrating.

One thing I’ve noticed about Ugandans at large … of course, there’s always exceptions, but they don’t like any kind of change. All change scares them. Change like, “This isn’t how we’ve always done it,” so therefore, it’s scary. Or, “This is how we’ve always done it, so it must be right.” They’re some of the most conservative people, resistance to change I’ve ever met has been here in Uganda. They don’t like to see things change.

Steve: Yeah, it doesn’t happen actually. There’s a lot of cross-training. The most extreme example is a 14-year-old that now is [doing] all sorts of stuff. Kind of cool.

Megan: Sorry, what was it with the drain? It was the concrete was laid too wide? Steve:

Was it difficult to implement that at the beginning? Steve:

Yeah, they don’t trust you at first. They’re worried they’re going to train someone and then you’re going to fire them to hire that person they trained. They had to 212

No, no. I think she’s talking about the grill that goes on top of the drains?

Melinda: Yeah. Steve:

They put the…

Melinda: The spacing … [01:22:00] Steve:

The spacing was too big. Your foot would fall down in it.

Megan: All of that was welded on-site? Steve:

Oh, yeah. Everything was done on-site. Everything. That was the other thing Melinda brought up. We took a container and turned it into a kiln to dry all that…

Megan: How did that end up working? My next question is, were there any mock-ups or tests? That kind of follows into this trial and error process. Steve:

Yeah, the mock-up and test was always right on-site. The biggest trial and error thing was how much timber to put in the kiln, because if you put too much, it just actually creates a greenhouse and just gets worse. The moisture just circulates and creates a big steam bath for the timber.

Then we get fans to blow the … As the heat was cooking the moisture out of the timber, the fans would blow the moisture out the back side, so you had flow-through going on. You have to manage it such that when the power went out, somebody would go there and open the doors so the air could flow. Otherwise, if it’s stagnant, you’re just not doing anything. You’re just heating it up. Then there’s how many pieces we could put in …

Megan: At a time? Steve:

Then have guys that all they did was rotate timber every so many days. They’d take all the timber out, rotate it, put it back in.

Megan: How many trial and error processes did it take? Steve:

On the kiln?

Megan: Yeah, or how much time did it take to figure it out? Steve:

Three or four weeks, a month.

Melinda: It was definitely… I was going to say two to three weeks, but it seemed like you played with the kiln for two to three weeks before you got a routine that you liked that seemed to work for you. Steve:

She’s not [inaudible 01:23:54] at all, is she?

Melinda: No. [01:24:00] Megan: Something that you did a lot of training with that was really neat for a lot of those guys was the shop that you set up, the wood shop. You bought the industrial planer, and… Steve:

Yeah, I got taken. It was way too much.

Melinda: … you taught… yeah, but you trained a lot of guys on that, and it was fairly safe. Steve:

learn to gain trust. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Getting people to work on time, getting them not to steal, set up systems to prevent that from happening ... Melinda: If there was a new technique or anything like that, you always had to model it first to the better guys, and then they’d distribute that out from there, but you had to teach them how to use power tools, you had to teach them how to do certain things. You had to set patterns in the wall with a nail basically. There was a lot of oversight.

Actually, Jonah knew how to plane. He knew how to plane rough timber better than I did. Jonah’s the one that… he let me pretend like I knew, and then he fixed it.

Melinda: Oh, yeah? Steve:

Because I’d never used a planer like that on rough timber, ever.

Melinda: I’ll bet Jonah’s never designed windows like you designed, either… Steve:

No, but he knew how to use the planer.

Melinda: … and doors. He knew how to use the planer, but you taught him how to… Steve:

The truth is, I heavily relied on Ugandans… everything. The way I used Richard, the 213

(On translatable skills): way I used Jonah and Causi and Hope and all these people… they all know what they’re doing. Hope doesn’t count because she’s not really Ugandan. I don’t know where she’s from.

Steve:

[It is] sometimes frustrating because they [the Ugandans] don’t apply what they learned about the foundation to something to do with framing or with the tile work or whatever. It’s like it’s always brand new every time. It’s like, “Okay, well, that works for this, but now how do you apply it to some other trade?” It’s like they don’t even … It’s kind of frustrating.

As far as the Ugandans go, they know how to do stuff. They’re not stupid people. The implication a lot is that Ugandan men are lazy and stupid, and that’s why we need teams to come over and build. Well, the reality is we need teams to come over and build so that they’ll feel bad, go back and send money to the ministry.

They don’t need Westerners to build anything. They just need probably someone to manage it, to help with the quality control and work ethics is really what they need.

Melinda: Also to pull a team together like you pulled together, where you saw and utilized all the assets that you had available to you. You knew that Jonah was an excellent finish carpenter. You pulled him in for that aspect of everything. You knew Richard’s skills and where best to use him and other guys and everything. Steve:

I still use Richard. [01:26:00]

Melinda: Exactly. Hope… You put all these elements in place. You gave them a structure to work within that utilized the best of what they had and protected them from the worst of what could happen and allowed them the freedom to be able to do that. Megan: Those values of quality control and work ethics and that kind of overall managerial vision are things that our culture thrives on, and they’re the positive aspects of work in our culture, but they’re teachable skills, especially where Richard is concerned. He’s learned all of those things, I think. He’s someone that could potentially go out on his own and assemble… Melinda: And do it again. Megan: And do it again. It’s not that he didn’t know how to do things. It’s not that he was inept in any way. In the same respect, what it is that they have their strengths in, you’ve been able to also learn from. I don’t know.

There’s these kind of two camps of Westerners either coming in and doing everything or Westerners just being like, “Well, we’re only going to send money. We’re not going to send people.” It’s like there needs to be…

Melinda: Exactly. There’s a middle ground. Megan: … this communication between the two, that seems to be the best way of working. Megan: With the industrial planer, were there any other… Steve: Injuries? Megan: Injuries?

214

(On work): Steve:

Yeah, there were some. This is the most dangerous thing in the world they built.

Melinda: But it wasn’t as terrifying as they thought it was going to be. Steve:

Nobody cut fingers up, but pretty close.

Megan: Were there any other advanced techniques that were implemented? Steve:

Using a screw gun, a drill.

Megan: Power tools in general. Steve: Yeah. Melinda: You didn’t have too many of those on your site, but it was funny when you did [inaudible 01:27:46]. Steve:

I introduced the drill to… because we had to get Phillips heads. We had to really go to a specialty place to find Phillips heads because everything’s flat head here. I’m thinking we could save a lot of time, use a screw gun and all that stuff. [01:28:00]

Melinda: This is a great story. Steve:

Yeah. It was a what they call dual… I mean variable speed. It goes slow, so fast, depending on how hard you squeeze the trigger. It’s not just a one-speed drill. [Inaudible 01:28:16] a lot.

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

Okay. I show them how to drill the screw for the door frame into the timber, and I showed them. I drilled a couple in, and I handed it to them and I walked out because to me, it just seemed obvious. All of a sudden, I hear… it sounded like they were stripping the screw. There would be a [nonverbal sound] making a stripping noise. I went in, and I said, “What is going on?” I’d show them again, and I’d start it and go slow, slow, and put it in.

Then I walked out the front, and I said, “Let me…” I don’t know why I didn’t do this in the place. I just went back in to watch them do it, and what they were doing is they were turning it on and then trying to hit, put it in the hole. Instead of putting it in the hole, into the Phillips head, into the shape of the screw and then turning it on slowly, they’d start the drill and then try to hit the… while it was moving.

Megan: Right, instead of placing and… yeah. Steve:

Placing the screw. Then it dawned on me that nobody even tried to do such a thing, that they’d never used such a thing. They weren’t picking up that I was putting it in and then starting it. They were just starting it and trying to hit it. Because I looked and it wasn’t even stripping the screws. It was just making that funny noise.

Steve:

My goal was to not do the work, because I felt like that’s just stealing jobs from Ugandans, and in my opinion, as hard as it is - because I like building stuff - as hard as it is, I think it’s kind of selfish to do that. We fool ourselves into thinking, “Oh, I’m being selfless by sweating out on the job and digging a hole or doing whatever,” but the reality is, I think it’s quite selfish sometimes to do that. It’s selfless to step back and let the Ugandans do it, or the nationals, wherever you are. I think it’s selfish giving sometimes.

215

(On plumbers): Steve:

Man, if you could do a clinic for plumbers and just train a few plumbers in this country it would be so great.

Megan: Yeah. Oh, man. Steve:

I don’t know if that’s relevant.

Megan: No, it’s relevant. This is something that I actually got from John… the organizational structure. Steve: Sauder? Megan: Yeah. Sorry, there’s more than one John now, yeah? Melinda: Yeah. Megan: What’s the other John?

I haven’t found a good plumber in this country.

Melinda: Britenstein.

Plumbing is something that’s seriously lacking.

Steve: No.

Megan: Britenstein. Is there anything to add to the CN structure? [01:30:00]

Megan: Just put you at the top? Steve:

Well that’s kind of where I am, I’m not really on top though. Everybody, honestly, I think they did that just to make me feel good. Everybody out here doesn’t even need me.

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

That’s what the truth of the matter is but …

Megan: And the skill, let me just add a little … Steve:

This is where John is.

Megan: That’s John, and then this is? What’s a long-term volunteer? Either these, construction volunteers ... construction foreman. At any point could the foreman be the construction manager? Steve:

I think so, yeah.

Megan: Yeah? Steve:

Yeah. I think that’s common.

Megan: Okay. Steve:

Richard of course is the closest to her, it depends on the job.

Megan: Yeah.

216

Steve:

It depends on handling the money. One thing is they got to all see any time soon where they going to be able to handle the money.

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

Because taking loans is very common and not being to pay back is really common.

Megan: Okay, and then the skilled workers, masons? Steve:

Skilled workers?

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

Framers and masons, electricians, and plumbers, but we usually subcontract electrical and plumbing, but do our own [inaudible 01:31:18] .

Megan: Carpenters? Steve:

Carpenters join us.

Steve:

Man, if you could do a clinic for plumbers and just train a few plumbers in this country it would be so great.

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

I haven’t found a good plumber in this country. Plumbing is something that’s seriously lacking.

Megan: And then the non-skilled workers are just porters? Steve:

What’s that?

Megan: Porters? Steve:

Yeah, I know. What’s …

Megan: Just a general term. Steve:

Yeah.

Megan: Okay. On this, the General Contractor was you. [01:32:00] Steve:

What do you mean?

Megan: Yeah. I … Steve:

I replaced the General Contractor as the CM.

Megan: As the CM, okay. Steve:

(On relationships with Ugandans): Steve: The truth is, I heavily relied on Ugandans… everything. The way I used Richard, the way I used Jonah and Causi and Hope and all these people… they all know what they’re doing. As far as the Ugandans go, they know how to do stuff. They’re not stupid people. The implication a lot is that Ugandan men are lazy and stupid, and that’s why we need teams to come over and build. Well, the reality is we need teams to come over and build so that they’ll feel bad, go back and send money to the ministry.

They don’t need Westerners to build anything. They just need...someone to manage it, to help with the quality control and work ethics.

We’re not going to always be able to do that. In fact, like, Aron right now is just deal217

(On expectations with power tools):

ing with the subcontractor and a couple of employees but whatever possibly we’d rather not use subcontractors, whenever possible. It’s always been that way.

Melinda: This is a great story. Steve: Okay. I showed [the workmen] how to drill the screw for the door frame into the timber. I drilled a couple in, and I handed it to them and I walked out because to me, it just seemed obvious. All of a sudden, I hear… it sounded like they were stripping the screw. There would be a [nonverbal sound] making a stripping noise. I went in, and I said, “What is going on?” I’d show them again, and I’d start it and go slow, slow, and put it in. I don’t know why I didn’t do this in the first place - I just went back in to watch them do it.

218

And what they were doing is they were turning it on and then trying to hit, put it in the hole. Instead of putting it in the hole, into the Phillips head, into the shape of the screw and then turning it on slowly, they’d start the drill and

Megan: Where did workers live? What hours did they work and how were they hired? Steve:

Workers work ten hour days. They worked six days a week. Hired on the spot, like interviewing, they were coming in and people who need work. Some of them lived on-site, we build that old building if you know that barn and a lot of them try out there and eventually they move in to the community, find places in the community. Others just stay there the whole time ‘cause it’s free.

Megan: Yeah. Steve:

They get fed there tea or porridge at 10 and they eat at 1.

Megan: How many people could live in there? Steve:

Gave them a paid day off a month so that they could get home with their families, had chapels once a week, as you know.

Megan: How many men were able to live in the on-site dorms? Steve:

I don’t know. I think all of them could have made it.

Megan: Okay. Were there concerns for workers safety? Steve:

I’ve a lot of concerns but I couldn’t do much.

Megan: Were there breaches of workers safety? Steve:

All the time. There are no hard hats.

Megan: Surprisingly? Steve:

Only one major accident.

Megan: Yeah. I dealt with workers back in the states and surprisingly, on a site this big with this many guys with this, or it’s just the way things are run here. I was surprised there weren’t more accidents and injuries. [01:34:00] Steve:

There was like towards the end too. Kid was up on a ladder, it wasn’t angled properly, and he probably fell 15 feet flat on his face on concrete.

Megan: What was the damage? Melinda: Teeth. Steve:

All his teeth are gone.

Megan: Oh my gosh! That was it?

Steve:

It looked like he was going to die. I thought he was dead.

Megan: I’m sure he was completely like bruised and everything. Melinda: Yeah, I’m surprised but no concussion or anything. I was really shocked. Steve:

Probably got bruises and ….

Megan: Okay. Melinda: He was mangled. Steve:

… but I think he did. Anyway he was mangled.

Megan: Okay. Melinda: And then you had the one kid that took off on the planer, right? Steve:

That wasn’t a kid, he was drunk.

Melinda: That one guy. The drunk guy on the planer. Steve:

He shouldn’t have been in there, he just went in.

Megan: We touched on this, temporary structures that were erected. Wood shop, metal shop, kitchen, kiln, dormitories, that’s a yes to all of them. Steve:

The dormitories are still there. The work shop, that joinery shop is still there, but should be torn down now. Then of course I did this makeshift kitchen.

Megan: You know what’s interesting now? With the decrease in all the power tools that are on all the job sites today, in the Western world, there’s a lot more injuries. Steve:

The decrease in power tools?

then try to hit the… while it was moving.

Then it dawned on me that nobody even tried to do such a thing, that they’d never used such a thing. They weren’t picking up that I was putting it in and then starting it. They were just starting it and trying to hit it. Because I looked and it wasn’t even stripping the screws. It was just making that funny noise.

Megan: I mean the decrease here, in power tools, made less injuries I think, because the job sites that I worked on, with work comp and everything, smaller job sites but a lot more power tools, a lot more people driving small Bobcats, [inaudible 01:35:45] Melinda: I feared more, because it looked different, with all the different kinds of scaffolding and everything. Megan: It looks more dangerous. [01:36:00] Melinda: The no shoes they’re wearing or whatever, on a job site, it looks more dangerous, but I experienced in the years that I worked in work comp, a lot more injuries in construction in the Western world, than I have seen … Megan: When did you realize that you needed temporary structures on site, when you wanted to do a wood shop and metal shop? 219

Steve:

Right away.

Megan: Right away? Steve:

As soon as we needed, those guys needed some place to sleep.

Megan: Was it difficult to convince the ministry partner to use some of their land to … Steve:

No. Not them. Other ministries, yeah, but these guys were …

Megan: Okay. How are materials delivered and stored during the construction, and were any materials recycled? Steve:

A lot of materials were recycled everywhere, wherever possible. Everything was stored on-site.

Megan: Lock storage? Steve:

Well it depends. Iron and certain things, tools, cement bags were stored on the other side of that dormitory.

Megan: Where were they? You just went to the local market to buy whatever else that needed to be delivered in a truck? Steve:

We bought it at the local hardware store for Numaz and …

Megan: The budget Aaron talked about, the project met the budgetary goal, basically because construction would have stopped if you ran out of money? Steve:

That was a tough one, because money came in slowly at times, sometimes we had big chunks, sometimes we had a little. We were really working two weeks at a time, trying to figure out what was going to happen next.

Megan: How did you manage that kind of two-week time frame? Steve: What? Megan: How did you manage that kind of time frame, in terms of workload? Steve:

In order to not lay people off, if there was only so much money, I’ve had people working, sharing jobs that would go through that money in a certain amount of time. [01:38:00] It’s kind of hard to explain, but you just kind of balance it.

Megan: Is it something where instead of hiring a bunch of people at once and getting something done quickly, it’s kind of a methodical … Steve:

It was very methodical, yeah.

Megan: If you would have known at the outset what money would have come in, do you think that it would have taken less time to do? 220

Steve:

It would have definitely taken less time. If the money had been there since the beginning, we would have probably shaved off 30-40% of the time, maybe even more.

Megan: Okay, cool. The last one is just everything after construction. What aspects of the building were unsuccessful after completion? Steve:

Were there breaches of workers safety? Steve:

All the time.

Exposed timber. I did not see it coming that the polyurethane, the marine grade polyurethane, or whatever, waterproof, exterior grade, exterior grade polyurethane was terrible. We used the best available product in the country, and it was awful. I even thought it would be working on the shower stalls. The shower stalls, we had to tear those out and put Terrazzo in there.

There are no hard hats.

Whoever did that Terrazzo, it wasn’t us, they really butchered it. It was a guy that did all the Terrazzo for us, but the ministry thought they could just go hire him, and he butchered it. They fixed it, this is a lot better now than it was. [01:40:00]

Then all the exterior door shutters, windows and shutters, I should have used iron. I wouldn’t do that again. I would definitely use iron.

Towards the end too. Kid was up on a ladder, it wasn’t angled properly, and he probably fell 15 feet flat on his face on concrete.

Melinda: It’s really pretty. For a little bit at least. Megan: You would have used iron just because you cannot get a marine grade [inaudible 01:40:19] here? Steve:

Can’t do it. I couldn’t find it.

Megan: No matter what? Melinda: How difficult would it be to get it shipped from somewhere else? Steve:

Then I look around and I say, “There’s a reason why nobody is doing it.” There’s a reason. You can’t ship it out, it would be super expensive to ship the right product, it wouldn’t be worth it.

Megan: The people of Mass told this story about how they were working on their doors and windows, and they wanted it to be wood. Steve: Exterior?

Only one major accident.

What was the damage? Steve: All his teeth are gone. Oh my gosh! That was it? Steve: It looked like he was going to die. I thought he was dead.

Megan: Exterior, yeah, and they were working with their carpenter and they just weren’t getting it to the right standard. Steve:

They were probably using wet wood too. We use dry wood.

Megan: It was funny because the guy, he was saying this was very early on, he went onsite, and he was just like, “Fine, we’re going to order them.” Steve:

They’re going to what?

221

The project met the budgetary goal, basically because construction would have stopped if you ran out of money? Steve: That was a tough one, because money came in slowly at times, sometimes we had big chunks, sometimes we had a little.

We were really working two weeks at a time, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. How did you manage that kind of time frame, in terms of workload?

Megan: They’re going to order all the doors and window, and they were going to order them from Dubai or something, that was the closest that they could get. People made promises, and this project got a lot of public attention. I think Bill Clinton was there for the opening, all these kind of international agencies put money into it, and somebody made promises, like, “It will be finished on this date,” and they kind of had to rush to meet it.

He felt under the gun, but at that point in time so many people worked on the project, and these carpenters were so invested in it, that the head carpenter came back and said, “Give us another try, we’ll do it better next time.”

They did, and each one got better and better, and so I’m not sure how it lasted, but I just thought it was an interesting story, because it’s kind of a way for Westerners to work.

Steve:

They might have imported better product too ...

Melinda: If they had the money to go and order it from Dubai, they had the money to go and order the varnish, the product, from Dubai. [01:42:00] Megan: It’s kind of a Western thing to throw money at the problem and say, “We couldn’t get this done.” Steve:

Megan: Yeah, sometimes you don’t have a choice. That was an interesting solution, but anyway. What aspects of the building were particularly successful after completion? Steve:

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Say that again? I’m sorry. What?

Megan: What aspects of the building were particularly successful after completion? Steve:

The advanced [inaudible 01:42:36]. A lot of them are doing much better, they have better capabilities now than they did when they started. A lot of them. I’d say all of them are better. Some of them really flourished, really grew a lot from it.

The Gospel is better spread throughout the old project, weekly chapels and the morning sharing and there’s Gospel sharing on-site. Another successful thing is, other than me being around, there’s only one Mzungu that had did any work on that site, and there’s Alex Palmer, and he trained the guys to do electrical work. Everything he did he passed on to someone else.

I think besides the Gospel being spread, the most successful thing was that it was all done by Ugandan men, and women. We have three or four women on the job, so it was all done not a single Westerner, except for Alex, because he was practically showing them how to do it, it was all Ugandan. It was awesome.

Steve: In order to not lay people off, if there was only so much money, I’ve had people working, sharing jobs that would go through that money in a certain amount of time. It’s kind of hard to explain, but you just kind of balance it.

Sometimes you don’t have a choice.

Megan: Are there any other consequences as a result of design and construction? We’ve

Megan: Anything else that came up, something that was unexpected.

Is it something where instead of hiring a bunch of people at once and getting something done quickly, it’s kind of a methodical …

Steve:

covered a lot of stuff. Steve:

What do you mean? Give me an example. [01:44:00]

Unexpected was that guy to fall flat on his face. That was unexpected. No.

Megan: Okay. Do the users have adequate day lighting? Steve:

During the day? Yes. A lot of natural light, no dark. There’s really no unusual … you can function without lights.

Megan: Do you know if they use the light switches and stuff?

It was very methodical, yeah.

Megan: Then we talked a little bit about this, the ventilation.

If you would have known at the outset what money would have come in, do you think that it would have taken less time to do?

Steve:

I’m sure they turn them on once in a while, but they don’t have to. Those classrooms all function without lights on, and the dormitory rooms. The darkest places are the hallways, and they’re still pretty functional.

Ventilation is good. Like I said, occasionally rains do come around.

Megan: I think that’s all the questions I have for Music for Life. Melinda: I think there’s a couple of stories that you’re going to get that, I don’t know how it would relate to it, but I think they were important bits during that time at Music for Life. One was the whole issue around theft, and how you dealt with theft. Steve:

Making everybody, I don’t know if that’s relevant to what she’s asking.

Melinda: Yeah. It made a huge difference, because this is a community environment, and so you dealt with it in a community way, and you put the responsibility on the entire community. Any time there was a broken tool, somebody wasn’t taking care of it … Steve:

Everybody paid for it.

Melinda: Or if everybody stole something, because everybody knows what’s going on in this community, [01:46:00] so he put everyone else in charge of each other, and that reduced theft greatly. Steve:

It would have definitely taken less time. If the money had been there since the beginning, we would have probably shaved off 30-40% of the time, maybe even more.

It almost disappeared. If somebody stole 100,000 shillings jack plane and it was ten guys on the site, everybody paid 10,000 shillings. Of course it’s a lot more than ten guys, but I’m just explaining the math. The theft stopped immediately, as soon as we set that policy in place.

Melinda: They started policing each other. Steve:

They started policing each other, because it’s more acceptable to steal from the

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(On theft): rich man, and the ministry was “the rich people,” than it is to steal from each other, because they all see themselves in the same, “We’re all poor,” and so we’re not going to steal from each other as much, even though they do. Then yeah, they started policing each other.

Melinda: I think there’s a couple of stories...One was the whole issue around theft, and how you dealt with theft. It made a huge difference, because... you dealt with it in a community way, and you put the responsibility on the entire community. Any time there was a broken tool, somebody wasn’t taking care of it … Steve:

Everybody paid for it. Melinda: ...Because everybody knows what’s going on in this community, so he put everyone else in charge of each other, and that reduced theft greatly.

Megan: It seems like a culturally appropriate situation, as far as the accountability of the community that is more prevalent here than elsewhere. Steve:

Melinda: Yeah, you’ve learned a lesson on that one. Steve:

If somebody stole 100,000 shillings jack plane and it was ten guys on the site, everybody paid 10,000 shillings. 224

Yeah, I told the RDC he’s a criminal, he’s a thief.

Megan: I remember when we went out with the LC, when we met at [inaudible 01:47:16]. Steve:

It was different that time, wasn’t it?

Megan: Yeah, he told me, “I’ve learned a lot of lessons from the last one, I’m not going to mess up this one.” Melinda: Also there’s the lessons about compassion and mercy and grace, that went out when you had that guy that stole all that iron. You were going to the police station. Steve:

He ended up in prison, serious prison.

Melinda: Yeah, you went to the police station day after day and fed him, the guys watched you go and feed him, care for the man, and finally you granting them grace, and asking for him to be let loose. [01:48:00] The guys all watched you go through that in a very real, compassionate well. I think that created a lot of trust and a lot of loyalty. Does that make sense? Watching that happen. I think that built into the community, that whole process. Megan: What do you think makes a good construction manager? Steve:

Steve: It almost disappeared.

It is. Then there’s how I dealt with the LCs and the RDC, it was really bad on that site.

Someone who talks too much, communicates a lot and repeats themselves a lot. Honestly, it’s in my nature to repeat myself a lot, as you’ve probably noticed over the years, but it works. Somebody who thinks saying it once is enough, will not do well. You’ve got to say the same thing five different ways at the same person.

Melinda: Attention to detail. Somebody with attention to detail, that has an eye for … Steve: Quality? Melinda: The little things, yeah. That was … [01:50:00] Steve:

What’s next?

Megan: Any other qualities? I’ve got other questions for just general CM, not related to Music for Life. Steve:

I think a lot of things that were important, I would treat them like I would treat an American, I didn’t treat them like they were special needs kids. A lot of ministries treat their developing nations like they’re special needs people, and what EMI would expect of me would be different than what they would expect of the local staff, or other NGOs. We use culture as an excuse to do the wrong thing, a lot, and I don’t believe in that.

Megan: Die hard loyalty to your standard. Steve:

Yeah. There’s plenty of excuses why we do it. Who else are you going to get? Because they all do it. Well that’s not true.

Megan: Yeah, they can take the culture as understanding and turn it into culture as excuse for … Steve:

Yeah, “That’s how they are, therefore let’s be gentle with them.” I think that’s an excuse.

Megan: Your guys thrive under the standard that you set. It gave them something so that they have less chaos. It’s less chaotic. They knew what the expectations were and therefore they were able to function better within it, rather than have to guess what was the best thing for them to be doing. [01:52:00]

These questions are ones that I want to go over with you and Phil, and John as well.

Steve:

Are we going to do it later, is that what you’re saying?

Megan: Let me just read them to you, and say if you want to answer one in detail now. Steve:

The theft stopped immediately, as soon as we set that policy in place. Melinda: They started policing each other. Steve:

They started policing each other, because it’s more acceptable to steal from the rich man....than it is to steal from each other. Because they all see themselves in the same, “We’re all poor, and so we’re not going to steal from each other as much.”

Whatever, it’s up to you.

Megan: No. I’m looking for a case of a successful day on the job site, an unsuccessful day on the job site. Steve:

I don’t get it. What’s so funny?

Melinda: We’re just looking at all the unsuccessful days. Steve: What? Melinda: All the unsuccessful days, just the stresses and things. Megan: An example of an improvised design change between the drawings and on-site construction.

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Steve:

A lot of them, yeah.

Megan: What was the initial design, what was the change? Steve:

The one on your house was improvised. Somehow that living room was too small. I saw that when it was on plan view, you remember that?

Melinda: Yeah. Steve:

We bumped it out to make it bigger. I’m not sure how that happened. That was improvised. There wasn’t a lot of room for improv-ation?

Megan: Improvisation? Steve:

Yeah, on that particular project, but that was part of the big one.

Megan: Was there anything that made you want to go back to John Sauder and say, “We need to make sure our design teams don’t do this in the future.” Steve:

There are a lot of things that I’ve said. Sometimes they don’t listen, but there’s a lot of things like that. [01:54:00] Do you think I should that when we’re all together?

Megan: Yeah, we can do that when we’re all together. Steve:

Because he should know that, but all of you might do that. They all want to make that special change to a design that makes their design unique and special compared to everybody else’s. So many people seem to want to make theirs that little jewel, so they have to add something that probably isn’t going to get done, or it isn’t going to get done properly.

There are times, in Mbale, I remember looking at the plans before I was going out to scope out some other stuff, and I remember looking at it going, “You said they built this building?”

He said, “Yeah, but they didn’t build anything like that, because it was a Ugandan manager, a contractor.” I guarantee they didn’t build that. I could have drawn what they built. I could have pointed and told you, “They built it just like that, right over there.” I got out there, and sure enough they did.

It’s not because I’m all-knowing, it’s just that they’re not going to do that. They wouldn’t have done a good job if they had done it the way it was drawn, it would have been terrible.

Megan: That’s the disconnect that I’m finding with other NGOs. This one that’s based in UK, they send down teams like two weeks at a time, and it’s kind of rotating throughout the year, to manage the construction. All they’re doing is managing, they’re not building, they’re managing Ugandan teams, but there’s that lag of consistency. Steve: 226

What do they send teams for? You only need one person to manage.

(On regulations): Megan: It’s like two guys. Steve:

Oh, okay.

Megan: It’s one or two people at a time. Steve:

That makes sense.

Megan: It’s all volunteer or whatever, but the designs … they’re an engineering firm, so they don’t produce architectural designs. [01:56:00] There’s this one project, the one that they’re working on, in [inaudible 01:56:01] and it’s someone from Barcelona who did the design. Every wall is curved. Every one. Steve:

You can do that with bricks.

Megan: They’re doing it with bricks, but it’s been a pain in the butt to do it. Steve:

Of course it has.

Megan: Especially to manage the construction, they’re tearing it down and building it back up. They don’t have, because of this design … Steve:

Steve:

A lot of the third world is actually just testing ground for new ideas, so that when it doesn’t work … they’re not going to sue you when the house burns down or when it doesn’t work.

Then they get angry at the Ugandans, because they can’t do it. “Those stupid people can’t figure this out.”

Megan: They can’t change the design, because the architect is someone else, not someone from their organization, and they’re not responsible for the design. Steve:

EMI does that too, that kind of stuff.

Megan: They do? They say, “We’re not not going to change it [inaudible 01:56:39]” Steve:

No, we design stuff like that, that’s just …

Megan: Yeah, but because EMI then puts a CM on site, you can say, “This just doesn’t work.” You can evaluate in the field simultaneously, as you’re building it. Steve:

Depends on the CM too, though. Brice couldn’t do that. Brice doesn’t understand structure whatsoever.

Megan: I don’t understand structure whatsoever. Steve:

A lot of the colleges of architecture don’t teach structure. John Sauder and I went to schools that were heavily focused on structure, a very technical aspect. We really need to know the CM too, is the CM capable of making those changes?

Then the question is, “Does the CM know when to ask, so we can make a decision?” If we don’t …

Megan: I might have asked too much. 227

What do you think makes a good construction manager?

Steve:

No, actually I like that. That’s a problem like, Aaron asks lots of questions. I’m probably on the phone with him three times a day. You ask a lot of questions. Brice doesn’t. Brice has gotten himself in trouble, because he’s trying to figure it all out himself, and he doesn’t understand.

Aaron has more construction knowledge than Brice has any day, he still asks the questions. “Is this how it’s supposed to look?” He wants it to be right.

Steve:

Megan: The other one too, the Building Tomorrow site, [01:58:00]they work with architecture schools, so it’s an opportunity for the school to learn and to design, but then when that design gets brought over here, like for instance my professor worked on one, and they had this idea of rotating bricks, so there could be ventilation and air flow, but then you still couldn’t stick a hand through, but then it made a perfect ladder to climb in. Steve:

Megan: To steal, and so now they had this open ventilation for the deepness of the truss, that they boarded up. Now there’s no light or ventilation coming in through there. We just didn’t realize that and even in the construction process, didn’t realize that, and it happened. There’s these grand ideas of, “Let’s make it a little bit different, let’s do ... ” Steve:

At Mission Link we designed this entrance that sticks out and the first thing I said was, “Now you need to make sure you get iron bars on the second story windows,” and that’s what they’re doing right now.

Megan: Right, because now you can climb. Steve:

Somebody can jump on that and they’re in.

Megan: In a different way, they did a really cool bar design, where they had horizontal pieces, but they used circles. It looks like a really cool looking thing and they understood that they had to have these bars for security, but we can do something that’s better than prison bars, that looks more decorative. Melinda: I love those windows. Megan: If you know what the problems are and you’re aware of them, you can combat that on the front side of things, instead of saying, “We’re going to make curved surfaces.” Melinda: Also, Steve was talking about, with all the alternative energy applications that EMI is looking into, you’ve got to really be careful with that, because you can’t be testing some of that. Nobody’s going to maintain it, you can’t be testing that on people that can’t afford for it to go wrong. Steve:

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To steal.

That’s what we do, a lot of the third world is actually just testing ground for new

ideas, so that when it doesn’t work … they’re not going to sue you when the house burns down or when it doesn’t work. [02:00:00]

They just got this ... damn, what do you call it, hydroelectric? That seizes up and there’s not enough pressure, but it’s free anyway, so …

Megan: I should show you the design, last semester my studio project was a water filtration factory. They were making pots, like pottery that can filter water, and it was in South Africa, and there’s this group that’s developing the pots, the School of Engineering was developing the pots that can exist, basically an existing pottery co-op can make, and they would provide the [inaudible 02:00:51] and all that kind of stuff, but there were so many issues, like the idea that these women don’t want other people on their sites, they like having a women’s community, and so bringing male construction workers on the site would be an issue.

We can come up with nice ideas and I can contribute with what it is that I know, based on having worked in this place, [02:02:00] but at the same time you’re not going to make any decisions that are going to be lasting in this classroom. They’re all going to be made on-site, the day that you’re constructing something.

I would treat [the Ugandans] like I would treat an American. I didn’t treat them like they were special needs kids. A lot of ministries treat their developing nations like they’re special needs people, and what EMI would expect of me would be different than what they would expect of the local staff, or other NGOs.

We look at them and treat them completely differently. We use culture as an excuse to do the wrong thing, a lot, and I don’t believe in that.

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230

12 July 2012 JAMES CODY BIRKEY Economic + Strategies Research, former Project Architect MASS Design Group,

via Skype Virginia / Boston

Rwanda Office

1h 1m

A discussion with James Cody Birkey, former project architect with MASS Design Group, regarding his experience as an architect and construction manager working in Rwanda.

Discussion includes: MASS Design Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiation as an non-for-profit Construction details On-site construction management operations Particularities of working through a Western NGO Rwandan building culture from a Western perspective Advice for future construction managers

231

(On partnerships): We really would not have been able to do much without our partners, especially Partners In Health, who kind of brought us on board early on. We benefited enormously from the years that they had already invested in through the Burera District and Rwanda as a whole. They had already spent a lot of time on the ground, not only learning about what’s really going on there but also building the relationships that became critical for the project’s success.

James:

First of all, and I don’t mean this as a political statement, I think it’s really, really true, is that we really would not have been able to do much without our partners, especially Partners In Health, who kind of brought us on board early on. We benefited enormously from the years that they had already invested in through the Burera District and Rwanda as a whole. They had already spent a lot of time on the ground, not only learning about what’s really going on there but also building the relationships that became critical for the project’s success.

I think the number one thing would be the human element. In Africa – you probably know this from working there – the human element becomes absolutely paramount because it is so many turns in the road at any given moment, really. It would depend on somebody coming through out of nowhere or being consistent in the midst of inconsistency in the environment as a whole.

Being able to have really strong relationships with people that are built there and have so much trust was so huge. Then secondly, part of what Partners In Health did I think would be to say that they already began on some level of innovative thought about how they wanted this thing to come together, which really informed how we approached it from the design perspective. It really dealt with a lot of positive thinking. Then they became critical partners to actually carrying it out as we moved forward.

We blurred the line, I think that’s really what ended up happening. We were at MASS and we had our own office in Kigali nd all this, but really it kind of, on the construction site, it really was this unified sense of the client, the contractor and the architect as kind of one entity. I think that was kind of a critical approach.

I would’ve liked it if we had engineers that were in the same situation, but we didn’t. We hired local 1D’s, which had a lot of advantages but it was a little bit strange because they had a hard time figuring out who was wearing what hat. Because we didn’t know, you know? It was sort of interchangeable.

As far as preparing the design ahead of time, Butaro, as far as preparing the design ahead of time Butaro was kind of a funny thing. We had to start construction basically after conceptual drawings. We shifted dramatically from this kind of Western expectation of how the architectural and construction process worked together and it really became like a design build in a lot of ways. It was an integrated construction delivery process.

Megan: Did you find that to be something that was advantageous, particularly for the situation, that if you had spent time in the office doing the drawings once you got out to the site that there would’ve been changes in the actual build out of them anyway? James:

Yes and no. There were a number of times where we would … it was kind of like… you know how there’s this idea of just in time delivery for factory processes?

Megan: Mm-hmm. (Affirmative) 232

(On documents): James:

It was a little bit like that with our construction and drawings and the construction process. We kind of played triage and ended up … I would be onsite at the beginning of the week, and then again at the beginning of each day trying to get a feel for what drawings were needed, what design direction we’re anticipating, what was happening when, because we kind of had to do it really, really … we had to be very organized about what design was going to happen when, because the construction was happening as we were designing it.

We tried to stay two steps ahead of the game, but sometimes the construction crew would be waiting on us for something or another. It became kind of this difficult triage, and certainly there would’ve been some things that we would’ve anticipated better if we had an accurately complete design ahead of time. There were a lot of things that we designed and then got built wrong anyway, and then we had to go back and then redesign around a construction error. That happened numerous times.

What it ended up being, again for the human thing, is being present as the architects onsite was … held a lot of political weight when construction errors would happen. Even though our time was really tight, the fact that I could go back and say, “Okay, we’re going to design out of this problem that you created,” and sort of save face for the construction guys ... We’d find the solution was 95% as good as what would’ve been there anyway, it worked perfectly wonderfully, but you sort of save their face. Then when your design has an error or they’re waiting on you, they also kind of save you face.

It’s not just about embarrassment, it’s also about efficiency, what people are spending their energy on. If they’re spending their energy on being vindictive, or change orders, or angry complaints to the owners, about funds that are … The construction process can unravel really quickly, and I’ve seen it happen a lot. The fact that we kind of held each other’s numbers and covered for each other, we created a lot of political good will or social good will, I think is probably the right word, that allowed us to kind of keep going when things got really difficult.

I should contextualize that by the fact that in Africa, a lot of times it’s hard to have a good survey. Our survey was … inaccurate, I guess is the word. It wasn’t even close. It was extremely rudimentary. On a hilltop site, that made it kind of … to design with the land on a hilltop site with basically a fantasy survey made it so that you couldn’t really do a wonderful job at predicting kind of what’s really there. It was all going to have to be retailored once we were onsite. Either you get a better survey or you have to kind of problem solve when you’re there.

Megan: How much of the kind of redesign, kind of designing your way out of these problems … did it ever happen that something was constructed in a way that was unsafe, and so something would have to actually be not necessarily redesigned but completely redone?

We had to start construction basically after conceptual drawings. We shifted dramatically from this kind of Western expectation of how the architectural and construction process worked together and it really became like a design build in a lot of ways. It was an integrated construction delivery process. We kind of played triage. … I would be onsite at the beginning of the week, and then again at the beginning of each day trying to get a feel for what drawings were needed… we had to be very organized about what design was going to happen when, because

the construction was happening as we were designing it. Being present as the architects onsite… held a lot of political weight when construction errors would happen. 233

(On cross-cultural design): What we tried to do was to be inclusionary in the design process, because there were so many details of the way things are done in Rwanda that we didn’t know because we were mostly American or Zulu architects.

There are no architects in Rwanda, at least at this point or at that point in time. We kind of had to be humbled about what we didn’t know. We would purposefully [created] a two-way design discussion with the builders so that we could learn from them a lot of their knowledge of how things are often done or what supplies and materials are out there.

James:

I would say … let’s see. There weren’t many things that were completely unsafe. There were a few things like the stonework that you talked about. At first they didn’t want to have tiebacks, the construction crews didn’t, and the head of the construction didn’t see any kind of value in that. We kind of lobbied for it [inaudible 00:08:34] seismic sound.

Megan: In terms of how you kind of negotiated that with … in that particular example, when you negotiated the issue of tiebacks, how did you mitigate that discussion and lobby for it, I guess? James:

What we tried to do was to be inclusionary in the design process, because there were so many details of the way things are done in Rwanda that we didn’t know because we were mostly American or Zulu architects. There are no architects in Rwanda, at least at this point or at that point in time. We kind of had to be humbled about what we didn’t know.

We would purposefully kind of create a two-way design discussion with the builders so that we could learn from them a lot of their knowledge of how things are often done or what supplies and materials are out there, so we could say, “Hey, we need this kind of metal, or we want to use this kind of material, or we’re thinking these kinds of bolts?” They either can say, “That doesn’t exist,” or, “That doesn’t exist except in Nairobi, maybe we can go get it in three months.” Or, “That does exist.” Or, “Here’s something really similar that might work even better.”

We learned a lot from them and they were a huge asset for us to be able to design these kinds of solutions, or all sorts of solutions I should say. Then that helped us when we were trying to advocate for something because we could say, “Okay, here’s the rationale behind…” It was architecture school all over again. You’re like, “Okay, so this is the way something’s done, but it’s not just done this way.” You asked the question, “Okay, why is it done this way,” and you kind of explain it.

You leave it somewhat open ended to say, “Okay, maybe we can come up with an alternative that achieves the same thing.” We would normally buy windows, but we could come up with a way to design and make our own windows onsite that would save time and money and it would be more of a Rwandese way of doing it. You have to understand the kind of core things that we’re concerned about with windows, and that need to be thought about to make a good window design that was weather resistant and deals with mosquitos and all that kind of stuff.

Megan: I guess on that note, how much of … how were you guys kind of set up about making things onsite in terms of workshops and mockups? How did the training aspect work into that? Did you guys have onsite workshops that were almost like staging areas where windows and doors were made? James:

234

Mm-hmm. (affirmative) Yes, we had a series of workshops set up around the construction site. Some of them moved a few times during the construction timeline, just because depending on what area made sense and what was going up when.

Basically the system that we set up and we coordinated really heavily with partners Partners In Health on this was we had a handful of expert tradespeople; an expert welder and an expert woodworker, actually two expert woodworkers, several extra stonemasons. Then there was actually … just for Partners In Health, they would also have a lady who was an upholsterer, even though she didn’t really work that much with us. Those three trades especially, and then some people who knew what they were doing with concrete.

We had those people come from different parts of the country. They were hired on and then they apprenticed people in Burera that wanted to learn a trade. They apprenticed them onsite. The story about the stonework is kind of like … you sort of see the heavy end of the wedge, because that’s right when people needed to learn really fast, so it was a steep learning curve that needed to happen for us to kind of begin or at least begin enough, you know what I mean?

There were several mockups really early on, same thing with the metal windows. I remember what happened was at first we thought we were going to do custom metal windows and then we had the welders that were just learning try to put them together. I remember expecting a mockup, and it was so far away from a window that would actually work.

How were you guys kind of set up about making things onsite in terms of workshops and mockups? We had a series of workshops set up around the construction site. We had those people come from different parts of the country. They were hired on and then they apprenticed people in Burera that wanted to learn a trade.

They apprenticed them onsite.

Because we’re trying to build this hospital for 100 years, 50 to 100 years. It’s just like, “This isn’t a quality piece of construction that will last. This is a Babel.” I was like, “I guess we’re going to have to go to Kigali, or Nairobi, or Dubai and get real traditional, how you would traditionally do it as an architect.” You would have factory made windows, and you would use those. I was just kind of like … I kind of even gave up. I was like, “I don’t think we can trust these guys to put it together.”

Megan: Yeah, I understand. James:

In that process, they sort of kind of came back on when we were looking around for other window sources and they asked that … we let them have another shot at it. It was close enough that the second go-round … and I think they had several mockups and then the master welder kind of eventually got them to a point where there was something worth showing. Then we kind of gave them the tentative nod and they felt much better at making the windows as they went on, right at the beginning there, to the point where we feel comfortable with the windows we have.

Megan: Well, great. Were there— James:

Does that makes sense? I don’t know, I’m sorry.

Megan: Yeah, no, it completely does. I completely understand the give and take, but then also the kind of rigorous expectations that you have to have for the quality of the construction that you’re doing. Then I guess when it kind of comes to it –just to make sure that I’m understanding – you had these kind of master craftsmen that came from all around the country, and then they would train apprentices. 235

(On building on-site versus ordering materials): At first we thought we were going to do custom metal windows and then we had the welders that were just learning try to put them together. I remember expecting a mockup, and it was so far away from a window that would actually work.

It’s just like, “This isn’t a quality piece of construction that will last. This is a Babel.” I was like, “I guess we’re going to have to go to Kigali, or Nairobi, or Dubai and get real traditional, how you would traditionally do it as an architect.”

… I kind of even gave up. I was like, “I don’t think we can trust these guys to put it together.” In that process, they sort of kind of came back on when we were looking around for other window sources and 236

Then how did the kind of day-to-day labor relations go? When did they start and how many people were onsite? I’m sure that that varied throughout the construction, but if there was a kind of … I guess typical day, what did that look like?

James:

In the workshops themselves, like you said, it varied depending on where we were in the construction. We would have probably a half dozen welders, a half a dozen to maybe two dozen … a half a dozen to maybe a dozen carpenters, and then the stone, during the main part of the stone, we probably had, oh gosh, it could’ve been close to like 40.

Megan: Oh, wow. James:

I’m trying to make an average here, 40 people working on stone at once. There was so much of it. They kind of eventually set up sort of specialty tasks. There were people who would mason parts of stones, people who would become very good at fitting the stones, other people would be selecting and splitting them.

You wound up with maybe about 100 specialty people, and that would be average, the average kind of peak period, so 50 to 100 I would say. Then we would have maybe … obviously it varies, but like 200 people probably doing manual labor. A lot of people were moving water for mortar back onsite, or mixing the concrete blocks, the concrete for concrete blocks by hand and pounding it into the mold and letting it sun-dry for a week.

Then we would have people moving dirt. We didn’t have a backhoe to have a foundation. We just had several hundred people from the countryside with shovels. They moved it just as fast, and the money didn’t go to gasoline, it went into peoples’ pockets.

So yes, things like that. There was a lot of manual labor because we chose to use labor instead of machinery for a lot of what we did, because they were comparable in terms of cost and we liked the idea of spending our money on people and that going towards economic development rather than towards renting machinery from Nairobi or Dubai.

Megan: During that time of manual labor onsite, I had read in some of your literature that there was kind of a two-week rotation? James:

Uh-huh. (affirmative) Yes.

Megan: How did that work exactly? It was two weeks, but for how many cycles I guess? James:

Basically the idea was … and I wasn’t in charge of managing this, but I worked closely with the people who were. Basically there is … Burera is a district of 400,000 people. One of the things that Partners In Health was careful about from the beginning was like, “You want to pay people fair wages, but you also can’t be disruptive.” In real life, you can’t be disruptive in how much you pay people.

They were very calculated in terms of paying people significantly more than they would be making doing subsistent farming or other tasks, but not so much that it would disrupt the kind of socioeconomic relationships for those who got to work and those who didn’t. Especially when it comes to the rotations for manual labor, or for on field labor, I should say. You can imagine that … imagine we’ve got one person who is, I don’t know … It would be like saying, “Okay, somebody gets…” I don’t know. Like one guy drives a cab and he gets paid $10 an hour to do it, and another guy drives a cab and you’re trying to be a social enterprise and you pay him $1,000 an hour to do it.

Megan: Right, yeah. It was the same with EMI. We did work in Entebbe, and you could see it just so easily there because that’s where the UN headquarters were. You could see over time that there had been a lot of inflation in that region. When we worked in Entebbe, it was more expensive than an hour down the road in Kampala even. It was because of the Western influence and input of cash into the system. Yeah, I completely understand, and actually something that I had forgotten about in my time away so I’m glad that you brought that up. James:

It’s not that we didn’t want there to be more cash floating around. I think probably more precisely, we were kind of concerned with, say, two sisters, one that still works on the farm and one that gets to work for a year or two on a construction site moving water around. Because we had probably 30% of our in-field labor was women. You could imagine two sisters, one all of the sudden is making 100 times more than the other, would be ridiculous. It would be very difficult for the family to actually navigate it.

Partners In Health had kind of already been on the ground and made that mistake before and saw how difficult and destructive not only was that to the community, but also made it really hard for them to give projects in the future because there was a lot of noise because everybody just sort of saw it as a lottery ticket.

So you just have to be … Over time I think you become smart enough to navigate that and be appropriate in how you empower people through jobs, through more money being present, access to money, through work. You do it in a calculated way that’s improving. It’s improving, but not disruptive. It could be counterproductive too. It could be destructive if you’re not careful. That was a lesson they had learned the hard way already.

The labor, all that, to contextualize your point about labor rotation, that was a way to kind of spread the wealth. I think it shifted at different times, but for example we would for a period have four different two-week periods or two to four different twoweek periods where people would be on and then they would be off. Then it would be somebody else. That way more people had access to this job opportunity that there was enormous demand for, that everyone wanted to participate in.

Locally, we could hire more numbers of people and spread that same amount of

they asked that … we let them have another shot at it. It was close enough that the second go-round … they felt much better at making the windows as they went on...we feel comfortable with the windows we have... There was a lot of manual labor because

we chose to use labor instead of machinery for a lot of what we did, because they were comparable in terms of cost and we liked the idea of spending our money on people and that going towards economic development rather than towards renting machinery from Nairobi or Dubai.

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wealth more evenly in terms of how we would allow people to have access to it when it’s not merit-based in an unskilled labor kind of situation. Megan: Was there any particular cross-training on the site? Were guys who were digging trenches at the beginning of the project, were they laying stone at the end of the project? How did, I guess, the apprentices for the craftsmen, which is arguably something that could be … Where men could earn more money, how were they chosen or continued to work on the site? James:

Cross training, definitely, just by necessity of what we were working on at different points in time. I can give you a really good example, because we didn’t have any concrete trucks when we poured the slab between the first and second floor, on any building, but especially on building a floor, which is so big, in terms of footprint, that we had – the thing is, because I’m sure you’re aware, concrete, when you pour in one continuous piece of concrete you can’t stop in any one place and let it harden, and then create a connecting piece.

Megan: Right. James:

It would have to be poured all at once, which is no big deal if you have a train of concrete trucks on site, but we didn’t have that. What ended up being was this massive labor force for 36 hours, masoning and pouring, and moving concrete, of course screeting and all this stuff. It was literally, it was all hands on deck. “Whatever you used to do, you’re putting that down for the time being and we’ve got a 36-hour push where we’re going to be pouring concrete straight.” Everybody was up all night.

Megan: You just worked through the night then? James:

Not everybody, but the construction goes on all night. What’s that?

Megan: So it was a day and a half full production? James:

Right. It’s not that we wanted everybody working all night, it’s just that it’s concrete.

Megan: Right, exactly. James:

You don’t have a choice.

Megan: Yeah. Wow. James:

Wow. I was like, “Good thing I did flatwork concrete when I was 16.” It was fun for me, but it was also very like … It was a moment, a teaching moment for sure where I’m out there in the middle of the night at 2:00 a.m. as everything’s pouring. You’ve got 100 people, 100 people and floodlights, and I’m out there screeting concrete frantically with everybody else.

Megan: Right. Was that something that was kind of like a one-time pouring the foundation

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(On socioeconomics): kind of thing, or was that something that…? That’s definitely a special event in terms of construction on the site. What was it like to, I guess, organize that, and then to also kind of let everyone else, let the locals know that, “Okay, we need you all here for this amount of time”? James:

Yeah, it’s not like everyone was there for one 36-hour shift. We had people kind of coming and going. As you can tell, with hundreds of people there is a kind of organizational structure that’s put together. As an onsite architect, was there as kind of inserted myself into the building process and helped to kind of work out a lot of things, but in a way that sort of resonates with the way we do construction in other parts in the world and out here. We also had a head of construction role, a guy by the name of Bruce Zuseay, who was … he just really knew what he was doing just in terms of being a contractor in a previous life.

He worked to kind of have these separate trades kind of smartly aligned with everybody else. We, he and I would work closely to kind of make sure that the design intentions. When we expected to have certain design drawings ready, that all that was going to be coordinated with what was actually happening onsite. With that being said, there were different shifts that were organized in part by Bruce and the people underneath him, and then just sort of … If you looked at a staff in line drawing, I would be on the staff side of a lot of the stuff he did. I helped him out, but really he kind of drove the bus, which was good.

I think it’s easy for us at MASS to pretend like we were the only ones doing everything, but the truth is that I think Partners In Health is trying to create a precedent for Rwandese people coming up in the organization and gaining the experience so that they can kind of work themselves out of a job. To be quite honest, that’s exactly what we at MASS are trying to do in Rwanda.

We’re heavily involved in the architect school at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology. We’re heavily involved in starting that architecture program and growing that program. We’re heavily involved in trying to get people to think about design in the construction world and all this sort of thing, in that particular Rwandese context. The more we’re advising and the less we’re driving, the better.

Megan: Right, definitely. Going back to some of that organizational structure, what was needed onsite to kind of manage these 100 workers a day? What did you, I guess, provide for them? I guess starting with what time did construction start onsite, and then what was your role, I guess, as a Westerner as well, within that structure? James:

Construction was … it changed over time. At first it was maybe from 7:00 a.m. to maybe probably 7:00 at night when the sun went down. It was dawn to dusk. Then as we started to run into time crunch issues because part way through the design everything kind of moved forward. There was a lot of international attention on that particular project and some important people making promises that had no basis in the construction reality, because they sounded good in a political meeting. That’s

One of the things that Partners In Health was careful about from the beginning was like,

“You want to pay people fair wages, but you also can’t be disruptive.” They were very calculated in terms of paying people significantly more than they would be making doing subsistent farming or other tasks, but not so much that it would disrupt the kind of socioeconomic relationships for those who got to work and those who didn’t. You could imagine two sisters, one all of the sudden is making 100 times more than the other...It would be very difficult for the family to actually navigate it. Over time...you become smart...in how you empower people through jobs, through more money being present, access to money, through work. 239

the world, it’s the way things happen sometimes.

Then we wound up with three shifts of people working around the clock, but the kind of graveyard shift, the nightshift was really heavily reduced because we only had kind of the capacity to have certain lights on certain things, and certain things can be done safely at night with some floodlights and some things can’t. It just kind of was restricted to things that were to be safely done at night, and what we had the capacity to do. There was a kind of a skeleton shift, if you will, at night towards the end.

Megan: I guess how did you guys go about … Was there a lunch, I guess, or was there food nearby? Were there breaks during the day? James:

Yeah, there was a site cook who would start early in the morning cooking for several hundred people. They had rice and beans; it’s a staple food of that part of the world.

Megan: Did everyone just kind of walk to the site and walk back? Were there any dormitories onsite? James:

For the workers there weren’t any dormitories, people commuted by foot from the neighboring villages. Most people weren’t living very far away. I think there were a number sort of living arrangements of people who were farther away to stay with people who they knew in the villages closer in.

There were a handful of places where, say, the foreman and stuff who were coming, who normally live in Kigali or in other … Butaro or other parts of the country that were there for … they would go home on weekends, they had a very simple sort of spot to kind of crash and be on site full-time, myself included.

Megan: That was something that you all constructed, basically? Or was it kind of like a … Did you stay in a nearby village or were you literally onsite? James:

No, it was there onsite. We did a kind of … like you see a construction trailer on American construction sites, it was basically an East African version of that. A lot of very temporary little, kind of slapped together thing. Then there was an older building that had served as kind of a temporary hospital. Because the site was originally a military site, and then had been used for the district’s tribunal after the genocide. Then we used it as a hospital, as a temporary site for the hospital and a kind of watching point for the construction of the permanent hospital after that.

Megan: Okay. Was there … I’m sorry, I’m just going back, and I’m just trying to, I guess, get a visual of on the ground operations. You had the existing building, some basically construction trailers. Was there a kitchen? Did you sort of have a temporary covering for the cook? James:

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Yeah, so there was kind of an out … It probably would be best described as an outdoor kitchen, for the cook, down the hillside from the construction. It was probably

(On NGOs in East Africa): 100 feet from the construction, but just kind of down … a little bit out of sight. Then the doctors also had their cook as well, for the temporary hospital. The medical staff and the construction staff, there were kind of two separate kitchens. I can’t tell you one was more delicious than the other. Megan: Right. (Laughter) James:

But no, we had two kitchens set up to accommodate for everybody.

Megan: Then the workshops in terms of welding and woodworking, did they just kind of have an open covering where they worked? James:

Yeah. Sort of covered, and the welders had … their workshop had tin up on the side so that people wouldn’t accidentally see anything that their retinas didn’t want them to see. Then the woodworkers’ was kind of very open, kind of for opposite reasons, so that most of the, so that it doesn’t get too dusty in there, so there’s good ventilation from the kind of dust from gathering in places. You wouldn’t want it to blacken people’s lungs.

Megan: I’m trying to recall the project, was there any brick used on site, any fired brick? James: Brick? Megan: Or was it all the kinds of block? James:

There was a very small amount of brick that was used as spacers between the CMU.

Megan: Okay, but the concrete block itself, was that sundried or was it kiln dried? James:

The CMU was sundried. The brick would be kiln dried. In Rwanda there’s a pretty healthy brick tradition, local kilns and things like that, so the brick isn’t … It’s not necessarily very high quality, but it’s present if you have the money for it in Rwanda.

Megan: Okay. Then as far as storage went with materials storage, did you guys have to kind of lock up at the end of the night or was the site itself pretty secure? James:

Yeah, it was pretty remote. Then we had security guards. It was two security guards that made rounds the site during the night. Again, you’re talking about a level of labor economics where that makes a lot of sense.

Yes, to your point, there are few very valuable things, or relatively speaking very few valuable things that were particularly watched after. In general, things like wood and cement and stuff weren’t … We didn’t go overboard with that, just partly because it’s kind of hard for anybody to walk away with much. Either you’re pulling up in a … The thing is Rwanda is so densely populated, so densely populated. You can’t escape being around people. People see you all the time.

Partners In Health is trying to create a precedent for Rwandese people coming up in the organization and gaining the experience so that they can kind of work themselves out of a job. To be quite honest, that’s exactly what we at MASS are trying to do in Rwanda. We’re heavily involved in the architect school at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology. We’re heavily involved in starting that architecture program and growing that program. We’re heavily involved in trying to get people to think about design in the construction world and all this sort of thing, in that particular Rwandese context.

The more we’re advising and the less we’re driving, the better. 241

(On theft in Rwanda):

Theft in Rwandese culture is really, really looked down upon. Traditionally if someone in the village is caught stealing, the rest of the village will either stone them to death or force them to leave the village forever, in the process of catching them and stoning them. It’s an incredibly, incredibly serious crime. Not that it ever happens, but culturally it’s not something that’s as present I think in other African countries, or other countries in general. In Rwandese culture traditionally, that’s particularly a big deal.

Everyone sees everyone. I used to … I’d like to kind of steal away and go for a prayer walk every so often, but in Rwanda I could never get away with it because I’d go maybe a minute and a half before I’d have a tow of children all around me, no matter how secluded I thought I was.

Megan: And you have the disadvantage of your skin color too not to be … easily spotted. James:

Yeah. Easily spotted, but I think it sort of goes for anybody. The thing is, we’re in the country in an extremely remote area but it’s super densely populated. There’s just so many people in every inch. It’s pretty phenomenal.

I’m trying to remember the size of the Burera district. It’s tiny. I think, oh, geez, I’m trying to remember the size. It’s roughly the AG Outline of say the city of Portland or … I don’t know, Charlottesville would probably be … Two or three the times of Charlottesville in area, but it’s 400,000 people. It kind of defies logic. How do you have a high density rural setup?

serious crime. Culturally it’s not something that’s as present I think in other African countries, or other countries in general. In Rwandese culture traditionally, that’s particularly a big deal.

Everyone sees everyone.

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Megan: Did you have any theories about that? Was there enough farmland? Was there enough … What was the major occupation? James:

Definitely in that place it was definitely agriculture. The thing is that it was really heavily … It was heavily populated to begin with, proportionate to the rest of Rwanda. Keep in mind Rwanda is I think the tenth densest country in the world, as far as countries over … that are not city-states. Then I think as far as countries with over 5 million, it’s like the densest in the world or something. It was just very dense.

Then that particular part of the country receives a lot of rainfall. It had really good … like these kind of rich soil, volcanic, recent volcanic, paleontological recent volcanic activity. It was just really fertile, and so this land could handle a lot more than probably most. There are two other spots in the world that would be as fertile as Burera. They could get away with farming really intensively in small pieces of land.

Then people weren’t rich either. They farmed what they farmed. They would keep 80% themselves and sell 20% of it, and sort of make it by and live very simply in part because of the land scarcity and you lay on top of that the story of the genocide where you had about a million people move back into … Yeah, about a million refugees move back into the country and then about a million people who were actually expats abroad move back into the country after the genocide.

The government had to figure out, particularly with refugees, and a lot of people had spent almost a generation outside of their country in these refugee camps in the Congo and Uganda and elsewhere, how do you kind of fold these people back into something productive and useful? One of the things they did was say, “Okay, here’s a whole bunch of government land that can be used for agriculture.” They kind of gave … I don’t know the details of the system that they set up, but they put together a system in place where a lot of these people could get a piece of land and do subsistence agriculture and survive and be productive in the new Rwanda. Burera received a lot of that because there was a lot of government land that was great for farming. There’s that, and then Catholic country, people make a lot of babies. It all kind of keeps going from there.

Megan: Well, cool. Yeah, and so I guess as far as my kind of initial questions that I had, I think that about covers everything for now. I guess just one of the biggest things is I guess just how your perceptions of working in that region changed because of your onsite experience? Any particular lessons that you learned while you went there? I guess the difference between what you anticipated and what you found to be realities on the ground? James:

Hmm.

Megan: I know that’s pretty broad. James:

No. It was incredibly positive, is what I would say in terms of things that I learned. I think I learned that … One of the key takeaways from that is, “Wow, this is really possible.” That we really can, if we insert ourselves the right way, be influential kind of right from the front of the wedge to rethink the way design conceptualizes interacting with a whole place, and realize that we’re not just a piece in the system but we get to be kind of all the grease in the system as well. We’re not just a gear somewhere. We’re kind of critical to the whole system.

I think as designers we have … I’m fond of the idea that as the designers we have sort of set ourselves up for all the right training to be a part of thinking about a lot of things outside of architecture, traditionally speaking. We can think cleverly about economics, and cleverly about time and space and political relationships and cultural things, because we train ourselves in architecture school and in practice to think about complex multifaceted problems and then come up with singular solutions to them.

Like a building – when you design a building, you’re solving for airflow, you’re solving for light and shadow, you’re solving for circulation problems, you’re solving for constructability, you’re solving for ... The list goes on, right? You put all that together and you sort of design a quality space, a building that is really a complex singular solution to all these issues.

Any particular lessons that you learned while you went there? One of the key takeaways from that is, “Wow, this is really possible.”

If we insert ourselves the right way, [we can] be influential ...and realize that we’re not just a piece in the system but...

we get to be the grease in the system as well. We’re kind of critical to the whole system. I’m fond of the idea that as the designers we have sort of set ourselves up for all the right training to be a part of thinking about a lot of things outside of architecture. We can think cleverly about economics...time and space and political relationships and cultural things...to think about complex multifaceted problems and then come up with singular solutions to them. 243

I think that frame of thinking is really powerful if you’re willing to think outside of just designing buildings, but also designing building practice, designing the economic ramifications of what the building practice is and how you go about it. If you think about empowerment, you think about education. I think there’s a lot of things that we began to explore that we came to realize that, “Wow, we architects have a lot to add here.” A lot of the time I think we’re the ones who made the mistake of not committing ourselves from the beginning.

Megan: Then just in terms of the … I guess at the current moment on the site, I know you guys are currently doing construction there now. While there is this kind of ultimate goal of working yourselves out of a job, what would you say is the importance of the role of a Westerner on the site? What is it that you can add to the site? I guess in a lot of respects it’s kind of seen that Westerners either kind of try to go on the site and do everything without leaving much knowledge behind, but then there’s also a kind of camp of thinking where there should be a minimal intervention and there shouldn’t be any kind of Western practice on the site.

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It seems that you guys have kind of found a really great medium of making it something that you’re not just going to teach, but you’re going to learn as well. I guess what is the role that you see of a Westerner on a site, especially the hospital?

James:

Thank you for the compliment there to me, Megan. I think it’s a little bit harder to find. I think the way that it worked in my experience was to come at it in a really human way and just go … just realize that you’re sitting across the table or sat at the table with somebody who is absolutely on a human level entirely qualified to be appreciated and entirely qualified to contribute. If they want … If you’re granted permission or are asked to contribute, you’re kind of being unreasonable to not to do that.

Rwanda is not a zoo exhibit. I think it’s even more patronizing in some ways to look at a country or a place in the world and say, “Okay, we’re these horrible Western people and we tend to just screw everything up, so we’re just going to preserve everything for this kind of science experiment, without any intervention or without any sort of collaborate effort kind of come up with things all on their own.”

I think we became very aware of that when we worked in the context of health, because how cruel is it to make an argument that, “We have a healthy birth message, even though nine women in Rwanda die every day because of preventable diseases, or preventable complications from childbirth,” right? How cruel are you to just say, “Well this could be solved very easily, but we’ll just see if they figure it out on their own.” That’s horrible.

I think we kind of wound up understanding it from a similar directive. Do we want the Rwandese story of architecture and buildings to have no thinking from the rest of the world and no thinking from hundreds of years of practice? Does it have to grow to be exactly the same? Hopefully not, but that doesn’t mean that collaborative

work with people who are not Rwandese is inappropriate.

But I think that’s—in a country like Rwanda it’s especially pertinent, because I remember early on going into a village with no electricity or no grid of electricity, and out back they had a generator powering this Internet café in kind of the main part of the village. Somebody had rigged some sort of satellite connection, and there were guys in there my own age on Facebook. Here you are in a village in Africa with no electricity, and they’re on Facebook for the rest of the day. To think that … the Rwandese in general, they’re very eager to be connected in what’s going on in the world and the modern era. It’s not American here at school, but here like everyone, Chinese, there’s a storyline there. You got Australia and Dubai. There’s just stuff happening in the world, and the Rwandese in general are really eager to be able to be a part of that conversation. I think it’s a little bit unreasonable to really let it be anything other than what they want it to be. If they’re eager to collaborate, it’s a really good time to collaborate on things.

Megan: Great. I don’t have any other specific questions for you. Basically I’m going to be travelling to Uganda and going on some sites and in talking with the foreman and with in-country product managers and some of my old project managers from when I was with the EMI. If there is any other advice, or any other good story or anything else that you would like to impart before I go, I would be welcome to hear it.

But I just, again, I want to thank you so much. It’s so great to see this kind of project. I worked on very small-scale projects and kind of experienced a little bit of everything that you’ve talked to me about on a much different scale. When I saw some of the photos … I think there’s one photo in the book of just the foundations being dug. It was massive. The production was just massive for other projects in that region.

James:

Yeah. What you saw in that photo was one out of four buildings, because we did the foundations at different times.

Megan: Right. James:

That’s just one, yeah.

Megan: Yeah. Just to see that it can be done … I know the negotiation and the collaboration happened onsite when I was working for a brief time, it was … it’s frustrating at times, but it’s also something that you walk away at the end of the day and you’re very excited that you got to engage in it. At the same time, the battles were much smaller and so it is really inspiring to see something that is so massive in scale and in organization, and that even though it might’ve come out of, like you said, 95% of what you initially wanted, you guys set the bar very high.

It’s a really great thing to see happening in that region, especially with such a local investment. So yeah, but anything else that you would want to let me know, I’d be

(On cross-cultural relationships): Rwanda is not a zoo exhibit. I think it’s even more patronizing in some ways to look at a country or a place in the world and say, “Okay, we’re these horrible Western people and we tend to just screw everything up, so we’re just going to preserve everything for this kind of science experiment, without any intervention or without any sort of collaborate effort.” Do we want the Rwandese story of architecture and buildings to have no thinking from the rest of the world and no thinking from hundreds of years of practice? Does it have to grow to be exactly the same?

Hopefully not, but that doesn’t mean that collaborative work with people who are not Rwandese is inappropriate. 245

happy to hear it. I could talk all day about this. I know you probably have got other things that you got to go do. James:

Yeah, you are right. Oh, it’s already been an hour. I feel like hopefully I wasn’t too dry. I didn’t even get to eat lunch today, it was kind of a crazy day.

Megan: Oh, I’m sorry. James:

Hopefully, I didn’t … No, no, no, I was just thinking hopefully all that didn’t mean that I was sort of low blood sugar. boring.

Megan: Oh no, not at all. James:

I guess I sort of come back to it, I remember … I just would say if anything, one of the biggest things, that I worked really hard. This was the most complex thing, way more complex than any architectural initiative or design strategy, or way more important than constructability and way more important than actual kind of organization of project management stuff. The thing that I spent the most energy on was maintaining the social relationships with everyone involved and using the design and building process as a way to kind of be inclusionary, and to be on some level social empowering, that people who normally didn’t get to have say got to have say. People would, you know, you ask them to help solve problems and kind of look for … I don’t know, I just worked really hard to look for ways to create conscious or positive circumstances for everybody.

There was just so much on the line and a lot of money involved, especially when you look at it in a Rwandese sense. We were trying to do a hospital in half the time that a hospital is normally done. It was a pressure cooker, and all the energy it took to kind of make sure everyone stayed onboard and things were going to come together really did happen a lot of the time. I was doing that before there was a problem. I was sort of creating positive relationships ahead of time, so that when things kind of got hairy we would be able to have some kind of social cohesion that we could count on to kind of move forward anyway.

I guess that’s … without knowing what you’re doing next in terms of the project itself or any details, I would say dealt with, as far as principles go, that would be the thing that usually I have a hard time convincing people of. Because it sounds nice but that really is true. It’s not just the retrospective of life, that’s more than what I would’ve said in a moment, I spend almost all my energy on, and it paid off enormously.

Megan: That’s great to hear, because that’s kind of the pretense that I am looking at, is that there is this kind of uncharted social and relational aspect to constructing over there that is great for collaboration and for cross cultural learning. It’s great to hear you say that. Anyway, yeah, thank you so much for your time. Do you get to go back to Rwanda at any time?

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James:

I don’t have a plane ticket yet. I got a bunch of other things that are kind of distracting me from that. But yeah, I do plan to go back to Rwanda. I’m kind of working on a number of other projects that pertain either directly or indirectly to work in East Africa. Also the research and things like that. I think I love that part of the world and I’m excited to … I feel lucky to have been there at all, much less I can’t wait to go back.

Megan: Yeah. Thanks again so much for your time. James:

I’m really glad you get to do that in Uganda.

Megan: Yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to it. Yeah, thanks again. It’s difficult to find resources on this and information. I really appreciate you giving me your time and just telling me about your experience. James:

Yeah, no problem at all.

Megan: Yeah, thanks so much. James:

Yeah. Good luck, Megan. If you run into any issues you think I can help out with, you have my information so don’t be afraid to shoot me an email or something and I’ll do whatever I can.

Megan: All right. Thank you so much. I hope you get to eat today. James:

Oh, yeah. Don’t worry, it’s next on the list.

Megan: Okay, great. All right, thank you so much again. I’ll talk to you soon. James:

No problem, Megan.

Megan: Bye. James:

Good luck. All right. Bye-bye.

(On cross-cultural relationships): This was the most complex thing, way more complex than any architectural initiative or design strategy, or way more important than constructability and way more important than [the] organization of project management stuff.

The thing that I spent the most energy on was maintaining the social relationships with everyone involved and using the design and building process as a way to...be inclusionary, and to be on some level social empowering,. It sounds nice but that really is true.

I spend almost all my energy on, and it paid off enormously.

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2 November 2012 ANDREAS GJERTSEN Co-Founder, Partner, TYIN Architects Norway Office

via Skype Virgina / Trondheim, Norway 23m

A discussion with Adreas Gjertsen, co-founder and partner of TYIN Architects, regarding his

inserts:

experience as a student, architect, construction manager, and entrepreneur working in Thailand, Sumatra, Uganda, and Norway.

TYIN Architects Toolboxâ&#x201E;˘

Discussion includes: TYINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiation as an non-for-profit Particularities of working through a Western NGO Fundraising strategies Advice for future construction managers

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I was wondering, how did your firm start, and how did you kind of get that initial ball rolling? Our company started also when we were students, and it was all coincidental and one thing leads to the other...

And then we found the project in Thailand and we moved there for a year.

Adreas: Hi, this is Andreas. Megan: Hi, Andreas. My name is Megan Suau adn I’m calling from Virginia. I’m so sorry about the time, I think my messages with the Skype address were sent back to me, so I think we were supposed to meet about half and hour ago, adn I know you’ve got a meeting in about 15 minutes. Adreas: Yeah yeah, sorry about the mix up, it’s been a crazy Friday for us. Megan: Yeah, I’m sure. Basically I’m wanting to talk to you about your practice, and I didn’t know if you still have time or if you want to reschedule sometime next week. Adreas: I guess it depends. I guess we can start just to see if we can get you the answers you’re looking for. IF you think it’s a good idea to talk a bit more we could reschedule. Megan: OK, great. And just let me know when it is you have to go. Thank you so much, for doing this, first of all. Basically, I’m a graduate student and I’m interested in starting my own small practice during this last semester of school and, ultimately, after school as well and I’ve done some work in both Haiti and Uganda - very similar kind of projects in terms of the level of community involvement that you guys get and the kind of regions that you all work in. So I was wondering, how did your firm start, and how did you kind of get that initial ball rolling? Adreas: I see. I guess our company started also when we were students, and it was all coincidental and one thing leads to the other. But I guess we had some of the same motivation as you, we wanted to do something that felt a bit more meaningful than facade drawings and drawing for the typical Norwegian climate and all these things. It all seems a little bit pointless, to be frank. And then we found the project in Thailand and we moved there for a year, so that was the start in our part, and we realized we needed an organization to support the funding and all these things, so that came as a result of the motivation. It’s been many different things happening, so now we have an NGO and also a business company in Norway to do normal architecture stuff here. So it’s a big combination, I guess. Megan: For that initial project, how did you get your funding for that, in order to move there and to live? Adreas: Well we tried many different things, and the main funding source came from architect offices in Norway. We tried raising money on the street, and we tried raising money through concerts and all these things, but the most efficient way was just calling and asking for support. We went to architects because they knew what we were trying to do and what architects are able to contribute. Megan: How many different firms did you end up talking to? Did you do a blanket - asking everyone you knew?

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Adreas: We started with a couple of key firms that we had contact with because of professional or personal networks, and then things started rolling a bit more, you could say that we could say, “well, we have these guys in, and maybe you want to be a part of this as sponsors.” And in the end we had over 60 sponsors, and that proved to be a bit too much administrative work. So the last couple of projects we’ve tried to have a smaller group of sponsors with bigger names and more money. We’ve tried almost everything for projects. Megan: Is that still the way that it works with projects that you’re doing now - that you get architects to sponsor? Adreas: Yes and no. Right now we’ve been in Norway for the last full year, doing private work also teaching in Norway and also in Russia and France and several other places. So it’s more like bits and pieces of workshops. So we also just do normal profitable projects. (Laughter) Megan: How much of your work as the present moment is being done in Norway, and then how much is being done elsewhere? Adreas: I would say 70% of our work is done in Norway, and then we do quite a lot of travels and workshops for the last 30%. We’re also split up quite a bit - my colleague Yashar is doing the administrative work here and managing things happening here and I travel quite a lot and go to universities. But we also split up and have one employee and two students who work with us, so we do some different, small projects that never become built of course, but we just do normal architecture work here. Megan: Right now in the office, it’s you and your partner and one employee and two students, and that can do all of the operations that you all need to do. Adreas: Yes, we have too much to do and too little pay, but that’s how it is. Megan: That’s the nature of that kind of work.

For that initial project, how did you get your funding for that, in order to move there and to live? Well we tried many different things, and the main funding source came from architect offices in Norway. We tried raising money on the street, and we tried raising money through concerts and all these things, but the most efficient way was just calling and asking for support.

We went to architects because they knew what we were trying to do and what architects are able to contribute.

(Laughter) Megan: How did you make the leap from having one initial project through coincidences and through grass roots funding to establishing yourself in Norway and being able to do this day in and day out? Adreas: It’s been also, we’re still not settled and in one shape. The first project in Thailand led to the next three projects in Thailand and we got in touch with people that made it possible to finish some of the work, then we got response from students wanting to do the same, then we went on to do workshops. It’s a process that’s been one step at a time and we just try to find opportunities. I guess we wouldn’t have been here if we didn’t go to Thailand. From there we just tried to keep our eyes open and have the guts to do the project that seemed fitting at the moment. 251

Is there any one project you can speak to that’s the most, either successful or is a case study to talk about how your firm works? The method is mainly best shown in the Old Market Library Project.

I guess that’s one classic project that went well and we did everything right even though we didn’t know it. I would say for community development, that’s a really good example of how it can go well.

Megan: So did your clients find you? Did you realize you could help them? Adreas: It’s been both. Lately we have been approached by clients. But the first couple of years we did find people and people that knew we were doing these projects came to us and said, “you should check out this other people or group.” Megan: The clients you work with internationally, are they NGOs as well? Are they not-forprofits? Adreas: It’s both, there are two. Our network is based on mostly architects and students. They get in touch with NGOs and schools on these teams. But it’s never the same in a way. We do both in a way. (Laughter) Megan: Is there any one project you can speak to that’s the most, either successful or is a case study to talk about how your firm works? I mean, it isn’t a traditional way or working, though I don’t know if there is a traditional way of working anymore. But for example, the Cassia Coup Training Center or the way that the project was run from beginning to end? Adreas: The method is mainly best shown in the Old Market Library Project. I guess that’s one classic project that went well and we did everything right even though we didn’t know it. I would say for community development, that’s a really good example of how it can go well. And for architecture and more like design process, sponsors and these things, the last project in Sumatra is really quite - it’s a combination of all the things we’ve done so far, so it shows what is possible with this kind of method and way of working. Megan: I think you have to get going. Adreas: Yes, Yashar is moving. Megan: If it would be possible, I can write up a list of additional questions and send them to you to fill out on your own time, or if there’s another 15 minute spot of time that you have next week? Adreas: I know that next week is kind of chaotic. I’m going to Istanbul on the Thursday and we beginning building site work. So send those I will try to reply as soon as possible, but will probably take a while. (Laughter) Megan: Well thank you very much, I really appreciate your time. And good luck and have a good time in Istanbul. Adreas: Yes, and good luck with your work, too.

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chapter 5

DESIGN PROPOSAL cultural context /

TOOLKIT OVERVIEW the catalog the tools the business plan the workshop

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PART I : THE CATALOG 257 organizational structures project scheduling resource mapping graphic instruction

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The outcome of the thesis research will be a record of the improvised, muti-facted, and sometimes conflicting policies of architectural work in cross-cultural teams. This Toolkit - will be a physical and temporal space which combines the expertise of foreign designers and the practical knowledge of local builders. It will stem from the particularities of design in this region and the emergent and complex relationship between East Africa and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Western supporters. The Toolkit will be suited to the needs and complexities of working in the developing world. It will serve as a collective memory for the failures and successes of the past, as well as a comprehensive manual for those investing in cross-cultural designs in the future.

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OVERVIEW The Toolkit serves a vital yet still-emerging need in East Africa, where a lack of regulatory bodies and trained professionals often results in unsafe building practices. By providing a grass roots manual for construction that is legible by both Westerners and nationals, the responsibilities of architects and construction managers can be codified yet remain flexible for the improvisational nature of East African construction. The Toolkit will act as a communication bridge between Westerner and national; will be a teaching tool for both parties; and will be an ongoing repository for the many lessons learned through the construction process. To date, five (5) NGOs and non-for-profits have agreed to contribute their expertise to the Toolkit throughout the thesis process. I have already carried out interviews with directors and managers from each organization, and have visited 7 sites in Uganda while conducting research in-country during Summer 2012. The final Toolkit will be comprised of regional, cultural, and site information; successful organizational structures of NGOs and non-for-profits working in East Africa; case study built projects, and, most importantly; and howto guides for building typical as well as innovative construction details, complete with material, tool, and labor specifications, as well as clear graphic explanations. The Toolkit is divided into several media components: I - The Catalog a written and graphic repository II - The Tools a physical artefact III - The Business Plan an economic standpoint IV - The Workshop a cultural interaction

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OVERVIEW Part I: The Catalog

The Catalog synthesizes information found in the research, compose a physical book / artifact that records each improvised, unrecorded design solution as a “recipe” which can be followed by both future volunteers with the organization as well as local professionals and builders. Special attention is paid to simply constructed details, solutions to common safety issues, and cross-cultural communication. The main of objective of this design exercise is to create a format for documenting the informal anecdotes of those with personal expertise. The Catalog is the primary repository for the “unplugged” reinterpretation of construction documents and building information modeling, keenly aware of its vital role in the design and build process. The Catalog includes: Photograph of completed detail / solution (if available) Narrative / transcription of interview describing the detail / solution (if available) Drawing of detail / solution Inventory of materials and tools needed Sequential, step-by-step illustration of construction process

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OVERVIEW Part II: The Tools

While The Catalog will operate as a working field manual - a virtual howto - for designers and builders, there is a distinct need to couple its visual and writen format with a manual, tactile one. Employing the maxim, â&#x20AC;&#x153;learning by doing,â&#x20AC;? the tools will be physical manifestations of the lessons illustrated in The Catalog. Jig-like, detail-scaled and simple to construct, they will ensure that none of the three-dimensional information learned inthe-feild is lost in two-dimensional representaions of The Catalog. The main objective of The Tools is to incorporate the improvisational, local building culture into the study, and to acknowledge the importance of field testing to make the project ultimately viable. Ideally, a site visit would be part of this process, should sources of grant funds be provided. The Tools would include: Gauges of measurement and quality control Methods of safe building practices Costruction of simple details Financial management Tricks of the trade

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OVERVIEW Part III: The Business Plan

Few of the Primary organizations have typical project schedules and/or organizational mappings of their own operations. As their work expands, they see the need to not only document their previous work but their own methods and operations (ie, MASS Design’s expansion with MASS Lab; TYIN’s creation of an online “Toolbox.” This design exercise will produce a set of organizational mappings which clearly outline each organization’s particular method of work. The main of objective is not only to record what is currently occuring on-the-ground, but also to find a viable way in which The Toolbox can work within these various structures. The Business Plan includes: Typical project schedules Personnel mappings Clear understanding of cross-cultural dynamics A “business plan” for how The Catalog can be incorporated into the above

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OVERVIEW Part IV: The Workshop

Each of the Primary organizations have spent a considerable amount of time in the countries where their projects are built, and many still maintain a permanent presence on-the-ground. Each organization has expressed the importance of living in-country to develop relationships with nationals. Not only is a national input culturally appropriate, but essential in the creation of local buy-in to ensure the lasted success of a project. It is therefore not feasible to expect the Toolbox to preform well without a physical interaction in Uganda. The purpose of the Workshop is to test the Toolbox in a working senario, ultimately adding to and improving the system. The Workshop includes: Western and national involvement Training seminar The creation of a detail with the Catalog and Tools Video documentation

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PART I: THE CATALOG Organizational Structures Building Tomorrow

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PART I: THE CATALOG Project Scheduling Engineering Ministries International

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PART I: THE CATALOG Resource Mapping Tools / Materials / Details for a Typical Wall Section

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PART I: THE CATALOG Graphic Instructions OR Recipe Cards Foundation to Slab

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PART I: THE CATALOG Graphic Instructions OR Recipe Cards PVC Vents / Interior Walls

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INSTRUCTIONS Use pole to mark the first corner. Using the measuring tape and string line, measure a 3/4/5 triangle and use the pythagorean theorem 2 2 2 (a + b = c ) to square the first corner. Using plumb bob, mark two adjacent corners perpidular to string line measurements by setting poles into the ground.

TOOLS Using the measuring tape and string line, measure a 3/4/5 triangle and use the pythagorean theorem 2 2 2 (a + b = c ) to square all corners.

INSTRUCTIONS

Using plumb bob, mark two adjacent corners perpidular to string line measurements by setting poles into the ground.

Spade Eucaplytus poles String line / measuring tape

PEOPLE Project manager Foreman

PEOPLE

Eucaplytus poles / bow saw Hammer / nails Measuring tape Spades

TOOLS

3 / SET A PERIMETER Project manager Foreman Helpers

String line / measuring tape / plumb bob Hammer / nails Permanent marker

TOOLS

MARK where the string line CENTERLINES intersect with the PERIMETER with a nail. Label the CENTERLINE MARKS on the PERIMETER. Tie the string line tightly around the nail MARK.

Using the FOOTPRINT MARKERS as a guide, hang STRING LINES across the site where foundation CENTERLINES occur.

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES: String lines must hang freely and CANNOT TOUCH where they intersect. String lines go up and down throughout construction, so it it important to PLAN AHEAD.

Measure a 3/4/5 triangle and use the pythagorean 2 2 2 theorem (a + b = c ) at each foundation intersection.

PEOPLE

4 / HANG STRING LINES Project manager Foreman

TOOLS

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES: String lines must hang freely and CANNOT TOUCH where they intersect. String lines go up and down throughout construction, so it it important to PLAN AHEAD.

Use string line as before, connect the trench lines across the site.

PEOPLE

String line / measuring tape / plumb bob Hammer / nails Permanent marker

5 / HANG TRENCH STRING LINES Project manager Foreman

TOOLS To transfer the string lines to the ground, take a handful of SAND and run it down the TRENCH LINES, allowing it to fall to the ground while allowing the string to hang free (ie, not touching the string).

INSTRUCTIONS

PEOPLE

Sand

6 / MARK TRENCH LINES Project manager Foreman Helpers

TOOLS

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES: Special attention must be paid to the level of the trenches and placement of the steps to avoid ex cessive excavation. This is usually the most expensive labor component of a project as excavators are paid per cubic meter of digging. Project managers must plan ahead for placement of excavated soil mounds as they will be present throughout foundation construction.

Use a water level to check that each trench length is in face level.

STEP the trenches at intervals where CONCRETE FOOTINGS are planned at the base of the step.

After removing string lines, excavacte the TRENCHES at least 1000mm deep, based on SAND MARKS.

PEOPLE

Wheelbarrow / spades Water level / water

7 / DIG TRENCHES Project manager Foreman Skilled Masons Unskilled Laborers Helpers

TOOLS

PEOPLE

String line / measuring tape / plumb bob Hammer / nails Formwork boards

8 / MARKING CONCRETE PADS Project manager Foreman Skilled Masons Unskilled Laborers Helpers

INSTRUCTIONS Hang lines at the intersection of concrete column pad CENTERLINES. Use the plumb bob and 3/4/5 triangles to check measurements. MARK the exact centerline with the plumb bob and place a nail at that poing Place concrete column cages in center of the pads. Build formwork for pads, using TRENCH wall edges as formwork where possible. Use water level to make sure top of FORMWORK is level, as it will serve as a gauge for the height of the pad. NOTES: Concrete cages can be made on-site during the excavation process.

TOOLS

PEOPLE

Cement / plaster + lake sand / aggregate / water Vibrator / generator Wheelbarrows / spades Screed level

9 / POURING CONCRETE PADS Project manager Foreman Skilled Masons Unskilled Laborers Helpers

INSTRUCTIONS Establish a place on-site to mix concrete, account ing for proximity of cement, plaster sand, lake sand, agregate, water, and mixing pad.

Pour concrete to top of formwork.

Cut away at perimeter to access site with wheelbar rows. Level top of pad with screed level. NOTES: Each pad must be vibrated. Project manager / foreman must be present to ensure that concrete mixture is correct.

TOOLS

PEOPLE

Bricks Cement / water Steel ties Trowel / mortar pan Wheelbarrow / spades

10/ FOUNDATION WALL BASE Project manager Foreman Skilled Masons Unskilled Laborers Helpers

INSTRUCTIONS Beginning with a bed of mortar, lay header course along the base of the trench, starting at its lowest STEP. Place steel ties within mortar bed every 3 courses NOTES: Project manager / foreman must monitor the height of the wall as it progresses, to ensure that it is eventually level at the base of the slab.

TOOLS

11/ WALL + CONCRETE COLUMNS PEOPLE

INSTRUCTIONS

TOOLS

12/ BACKFILL + SLAB PREPARTION PEOPLE

INSTRUCTIONS

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2 / SETTING BUILDING FOOTPRINT