Building Engineering magazine issue 15

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BUILDING EN GINE E RIN G

H OM E A N D O F FIC E I IS SU E 1 5 I 2 0 2 0

10 - On Paxford Villas:”Lock up & Go” Read about it! Page 10.

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Off Grid Plant

Patio Design

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CONTENTS

COVER FEATURE

ON THE COVER

10

LIGHTING FIXTURES

22

OFF GRID PLANT

26

PATIO DESIGN IDEAS

34

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DESIGNS

38

STEELMATE

44

WATER CAPTURING

50

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Welcome all our Building and Engineering friends, to this our 14th Issue.

Feel the call of the wild as we share how the WILD HORIZONS LOOKOUT CAFÉ has risen from the ashes after a devastating fire in 2018. Whilst resting 120 meters above the Zambezi river, on a cantilever deck extending into the Zambezi Gorge, enjoy incredible views of the area in all directions, including the Victoria Falls Bridge. Dining in the multi-deck restaurant, you can feast on Warthog or Crocodile kebabs, whilst watching the adrenalin junkies enjoying the flying fox and gorge swing.

Don’t forget to admire their intricately designed Compass, in the foyer floor, that took weeks to design and meticulously implement.

Read how the MY CASH interior was redesigned to accommodate a changed purpose, known as Adaptive Reuse. An effective strategy for optimizing the operational and commercial performance of their assets, this exemplifies a great alternative to new sustainable and economic construction.

Interestingly, the My Cash staff were able to move into the completely refurbished office space in no time as the project was finished in 6 weeks and also done under budget!

OUTDOOR FLOW DESIGNS explores how to create a beautiful flow between indoors and outdoors, on a budget, to make your home feel more expansive and light by reducing perceived barriers.

We also feature how a MEZZANINE FLOOR can utilize the vertical space in your home or office to create that much needed extra floor space, the advantages or disadvantages of GRID TIED VS. OFFGRID SOLAR SYSTEMS, and the history, designs and benefits of the OTTOMAN. And not least, with our emphasis on green building and eco-friendly construction we share the many significant benefits of RECYCLING BUILDING MATERIALS. Enjoy reading about these, and the many producers and suppliers, who contribute to making your Building or Engineering plans a great success.

Dream Big but Go Green!!

Laurie.

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS

Publisher: Address: Tel:

Afrique Infra Rapport P/L 89a Hawick Road, Borrowdale, Harare 0242 886 188 0777 036 581 0772 932 805

Email: buildingengineeringmedia@gmail.com Website: www.bemag.co.zw

Marketing Tendai D. Satumba Arthur Mungule Design & Layout Peter Tapfumaneyi Photography Henry Oliver PAGE

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10 ON PAXFORD VILLAS:�LOCK UP & GO�

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C

ondev Property Development which is owned and managed by Ed Whitfield and Stuart Cumming, who together have a wealth of experience spanning over 25 years in the building and construction industry.

The company has completed a vast number of projects which are of a diverse nature covering commercial, residential and educational sectors.

Notable residential projects include the award-winning Arkenstone cluster complex in Borrowdale

Brooke Estate, which is Condev’s flagship project and which was done in conjunction with Cardinal Corporation and renowned architect Sarah Morgan.

Photography by Henry Oliver

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Condev has also successfully completed the following residential housing projects;

Other projects include renovations to premium tourist resorts and accommodation;

• 19 on Kingsmead, Borrowdale.

• 55 on Carrick Creagh, Borrowdale.

• 8-on-Pevensey Road, Highlands • Price View Manors, Borrowdale Brooke • 100-on-Montgomery, Highlands • 31-on-Edinburgh, Vainona

• • • • •

The Hide Safari camp.

Ballantynes lodge.

Amanzi lodge.

Kingsmead Guest House.

Willow lodge.

In this feature we take a look at another Condev Property Development residential project designed in collaboration with architect Sarah Morgan. Nestled at number 10 Paxford Way, Borrowdale Brooke just opposite Heritage School in Harare. The complex comprises of 10 compact villas each sitting on 210 square meters all sold out offplan - a Condev modus operandi.

Each unit comes with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms featuring wide verandahs as well as a spacious garden.

The 10-0n-Paxford development is a typical “lock up and go� living which is a growing trend in the housing market. This style of home ownership is built for convenience and security, allowing the owners to enjoy the freedom of very few maintenance responsibilities and giving the owners more time to enjoy themselves or even travel as the complex is well maintained and secure.

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The developers also made sure that a large section of the site with indigenous Msasa trees was left undeveloped, creating a splendid landscape which also includes a stunning view towards The Borrowdale Brooke Golf Estate.

The development has a blackwater treatment plant to recycle all the household water, which is then distributed onto the common gardens in the complex, this eases the pressure on the borehole water supply.

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Each house was also supplied with a 5Kva inverter and solar panels as standard, a gas hob in the kitchen, and solar geysers which all contribute to the current movement towards offgrid living and sustainability.

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LIGHTING FIXTURES

W hether it is for decorative purposes, provide focused, task oriented illumination or ambience with warmth, lighting is critical for any space and to your day to day functions. By having the correct lighting in place you can transform any space from a casual setting to one that is rich in design and style. Lighting is mostly thought of as a functional part of a home or office but many light fixtures can actually serve as a work of contemporary art.

Lighting can and must be found in a number of areas in your home. The nature and size of the space will determine the best lighting fixture, for instance the dining room is the best place to have that elegant chandelier hanging above the table whereas the kitchen maybe suited more with some pendant lights hanging over the kitchen island. In the living room you can create a great ambience by having a combination of floor and table lamps.

There are several options and a very wide range of shapes, sizes and finishes to choose from when it comes to lighting fixtures. Selecting the correct lighting fixture for a space can be a daunting task so you will need to know a few basics. To start with there are 3 basic types of lighting which are: Ambient lighting, commonly known as general lighting which is intended to light up the entire room or space at a uniform level. Accent lighting focuses or highlights a specific point of interest and then there’s task lighting which provides lighting for a specific tasks such reading, writing, cooking or desktop work. For each of these three different types of lighting there are several fixtures available.

Below are some of the options to choose from for your home;

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Pendant lights

Track and spotlights

Pendant lights are lights that hang from a cable, cord, or pipe from an attachment on the ceiling, ending in a shade enclosing a light bulb that primarily provides light in a downward direction.

Pendants are mostly found over a table or kitchen island because they provide ambient or task lighting and usually have unique design elements that bring character to a space because they are so visible.

Track and spotlights are fixtures that are attached to a track that is mounted to a ceiling or hung off the ceiling, depending on a particular fixture. The linear housing contains several heads that can be moved along and adjusted to focus on different angles. This ability to adjust and reposition makes track lighting ideal for kitchens or gallery spaces where task or accent light is needed but where the desired focus may change.

Wall scones Wall scones are some of the most decorative fixtures when it comes to lighting which is the reason why they are mostly installed at eye level in most rooms. They can provide either ambient or task lighting depending on the actual fixture but they are usually not good enough to provide illumination alone for a large space. They are usually found on either side of a bed or fireplace for additional illumination showing these visual focal points in a space.

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Ceiling mounted fixtures

Desk and table lamps

As the name implies, this wide range of fixtures is mounted directly to the ceiling and typically features a glass, fabric or even plastic that conceals the light bulb and helps diffuse light more evenly.

Ceiling mounted fixtures are mostly used to provide ambient light in a room as opposed to accent or task lighting because they provide more general, dispersed lighting.

These are used as task lights due to their flexibility as they can be placed in various positions as per need whether it is next to a comfy chair for reading or on the desktop whilst you are working.

They typically provide light in downward direction, illuminating the surface directly below it rather than providing a general glow, which prevents them from being used as ambient lights. However like wall scones they can be a major design feature as they are highly visible.

Recessed lights Recessed lights are installed above the ceiling so that the body of the lightmechanism and wiring is concealed in the ceiling with a flush bulb or lens.

Unlike ceiling mounted fixtures that are easily visible, recessed lighting tends to be more demure because it is more level with the ceiling but it requires some space above the ceiling for installation.

The lighting they produce can be used for a wide range of functions from ambient to task to accent, depending on the number and type of fixtures.

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Cove lighting Cove lighting is an elegant type of lighting that is usually mounted in the upper part of the wall or ceiling. This provides upward lighting along the edges of the room onto the ceiling, it is usually hidden from direct view.

Nowadays, most cove lighting is provided by a thin strip of LEDs along a cove that is already created in the room.

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OFF THE GRID SAINT - GOBAIN’S NEW PLANT

T

he month of February 2020 saw the opening of the new SaintGobain Construction Products Zimbabwe (SGCP Zim) tile adhesive plant in Msasa, Harare.

This further cement the company’s role as the market leader in designing, manufacturing and distribution of building materials and solutions which are key in buildings, infrastructure, transportation as well as in many industrial applications.

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The Weber plant, at its full capacity will be able to produce 15 000 tonnes of tile adhesive per annum as the company strives to deliver on its goal of providing high quality solutions that ensure comfort and convenience in homes as well as in industry.

Perhaps the most outstanding feature about this new Weber plant is that it comes with a 36kWp solar installation that will allow the factory to operate off the grid whilst a number of manufacturers are battling with incessant load shedding as well as the high cost of electricity. The building being suitably located in the Msasa industrial area, away from buildings or trees shade to fully harness the sun with roof mounted panels. This means that the manufacturing plant will benefit from extended periods of unimpeded sunlight shining down and generating the much

needed energy for the plant. At a time when most manufacturing plants are having to use diesel generators to meet production targets which comes with not only a recurring cost of fuel but also leaving a carbon footprint, SaintGobain has ensured that they not only meet their production targets but also the company’s commitment to contribute to the common good by limiting the negative impacts of its activities.

The company is not only pushing towards sustainable industrial production but also that it continues to serve the region and generate much-needed foreign currency by exporting to Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

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DISTRIBUTED POWER AFRICA Q&A: SAINT - GOBAIN PLANT

M

anufacturing facilities require enormous amounts of energy and this undoubtedly comes with high power bills as well as the undesired carbon footprint. To solve this challenge

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Distributed Power Africa (DPA) is providing innovative solar energy solutions across Africa, such was the case on the recently opened Saint – Gobain plant in Harare. In the following Question and Answer DPA gives us more detail into their work at the Saint – Gobain plant.

Q: What is the size/magnitude (kW/) of the solar system installed at the Saint-Gobain plant?

A: 36KWp DC/ 30KW AC & 40KWh Hybrid system with backup batteries.

Q: Are there any other projects of a similar nature or magnitude that DPA has done before?

• Yes, DPA has engineered and installed larger projects for several customers including Schweppes, Tanganda Tea Estate, Kefalos, Econet and Surrey Meats.

• Of a similar size to this project, DPA has installed; 1. Delta HQ (in Borrowdale, Harare) 2. Community Technology Development Trust (an NGO in Prospect, Harare) 3. Luxaflor Rose Farm (in Concession) 4. Borrowdale Community Church 5. Nehimba Lodge (in Hwange) 6. Blue Swallow Lodges (in Troutbeck) 7. UNESCO offices (Mt Pleasant)

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A:

Q: How long does it take for DPA to install such a system?

A: Approximately 10 days. Systems differ as they are tailored to the power needs of the customer.

Q: For the Saint-Gobain project was it only over the roof panels or you also had ground mounted panels?

A: It was a roof mount solution – only.

Q: Is the system grid tied or it is completely off grid?

A: The system is hybrid, but also with battery storage to give the customer better power uptime

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Q: What are the benefits of having a solar system installed by DPA? A: • We guarantee top quality (Tier 1) equipment with warranties (of up to 25 years) • We operate and maintain the system after installation, with 24 hour real-time monitoring technology. This allows the customer to focus on their key business, while we manage power for them.

• We have 25+ years of an experienced team, and over 25MW of PV and Battery installed to date

www.dpaafrica.com

Q: What are the requirements for other manufacturers/companies that may be interested in having a solar system installed for them by DPA? A: • Our Technical sales teams are available to physically assess the needs of any customer that requires a solar solution.

• Thereafter, a preliminary proposal for a system design will be shared.

• For customers requiring the Zero deposit-100% financing option, the normal financial vetting processes will apply.

enquiries@dpaafrica.com.

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PATIO DESIGN IDEAS

O

ne area that is mostly seen as an extension of the living area is the outdoor patio. This is a great spot for family entertaining particularly if there is a grill or fire pit present. Add in an outdoor dining set and some dĂŠcor and it can easily become your favorite eating spot. We have come up with a few options for you to spruce up or remodel your patio.

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Functionality In any given project planning out your design before your remodel is important. When looking at patio design ideas you have to bear in mind that people use this area for different purposes like entertaining, outdoor activities or a spot to relax or wind down after a busy day. As such you will have to determine what the main functionality of your space will be. What do you have in mind?

Will you be hosting large groups or having intimate gatherings? Do you envision quality family time by the fireside or fun playtime for the kids or a little bit of both? Once you have decided on the desired functionality of your new patio, come up with the best way to create space for each use case. Think of structures that you may want or need in your patio design.

Do you need protection from the elements? A partly or fully covered space will allow you the option to use the patio in varying weather.

Perhaps privacy is a priority, in that case you may have to consider putting in place a built-in screen or a wall of plants. Lastly you will have to determine which major amenities are important to you, from the get go. Is an outdoor fireplace essential or a small-scale fire pit work just as well?

You may want to consider putting in place a grilling station or a small braai stand unit will do an equally good job for you. All of these largescale pieces require to be worked into the initial plan from the start.

Materials When it comes to outdoor spaces, materials are very important since they are exposed to the elements on a daily basis. You will have to start from the very foundation of your patio (the hardscaping) and build from there. Different designs require different materials some of which may or may not work with your budget or space.

Common include;

hardscaping

Concrete: Poured interlocking pavers.

options slab

or

Decking: Wood Tiles: ceramic or porcelain

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Furniture and Decor Whilst a patio can be as simple as a paved slab outside your house, an addition of a few more additions can convert the space to be so much more. Since you have already planned for the more permanent fixtures such as a fireplace or an outdoor bar, the rest would just be filling in the layout by putting in pace the necessary furniture and dĂŠcor. The beauty about decorating your patio is that every little thing can double up as dĂŠcor, including functional stuff like seating. Consider using the following items;

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Furniture: Sofas, chairs, dining sets, coffee tables and side tables.

Look for outdoor sets or collections to keep the pieces cohesive.

Rugs: Outdoor area or throw rugs that are waterproof will warm up the space and make it feel more inviting.

Pillows and cushions: Soften up the space with comfy cushions and throw pillows to bring the indoors outside.

Lighting: Pendant lights add a magical touch, lanterns and torches will give a soft glow and candles will set the mood.

Plants and flowers: Planted directly in the ground or in pots flowers and foliage will help bring patio ideas to life.

We offer Specialist Unique Services for the Professional Contractor, Architect & Interior Designer; Corporate Clients; and the Hospitality Industry.

WITH ARTISAN, YOU CAN BE SURE OF QUALITY

These Services encompass training applicators on the specialised floor, pool & wall coatings; colour consulting and matching for Architects, Designers & Corporates; solutions to varied Waterproofing & Building problems; paint quantifications & specifications off-plan and on-site; painting and specialist application contracting.

CONTACT US Address:

Bay 1 & 2 St. James Building 3 Borgward Road, Msasa Harare, Zimbabwe

www.artisan.co.zw

Phone:

+263 782 91 91 91 +263 772 75 87 86 +263 (242) 480 807 +263 (242) 446 470

Email:-

sales@artisan.co.zw msasa.sales@artisan.co.zw

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DESIGNS

S

ustainable architecture designs and constructs buildings in order to minimize their environmental impact, with the objectives of achieving energy e f f i c i e n c y, positive impact on health, comfort and improved livelihoods for inhabitants; all of this can be achieved through the implementation of appropriate technologies within the building. Sustainable architecture makes use of a conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation in the design of the built environment.

The idea of sustainability is to ensure that our use of presently available material or resources does not have a negative impact on our collective wellbeing and that of future generations.

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Energy efficiency over the entire life cycle of a building is one of the most important goals of sustainable architecture.

Architects make use of various passive and active techniques to reduce the energy requirements of a building and increase the ability to capture or generate their own energy. In order to reduce cost and complexity, sustainable architecture places a priority on passive techniques by taking advantage of the building location, incorporating architectural elements and supplementing with renewable energy.

Designing sustainable architecture means taking a number of fundamental elements into consideration; orientation, shading, sunlight created by pre-existing elements, natural ventilation as well as the use of renewable energy systems. All this is done in order to satisfy consumer’s needs in the most natural way possible, planning ahead by making the space and materials employed completely reusable.

To start with a site analysis is done to exploit environmental resources such as daylight and ambient wind for heating and ventilation.

Passive Solar Building Design Various passive architectural strategies have been developed over the years.

Examples of such strategies include the arrangement of rooms or the sizing and orientation of windows in a building and the orientation of facades and streets or the ratio between building heights and street widths for urban planning.

An important and cost-effective strategy is Passive solar design. The main concept of passive solar design is that the building materials such as windows, walls and floors are able to collect solar energy, store it, transmit and release the energy. This energy is then used in winter for warmth and used to reflect/reject the heat during summer.

Harnessing the sun’s power is useful in working towards becoming more energy efficient because its energy is free and in endless supply. The simplest method of passive solar heating is sunlight shining through windows. This would mean large, sun-facing windows. When the sun’s heat streams directly through one or more of the large sun facing windows (aperture) this is known as direct gain. The greater the area of the glass, the higher the gain that is why passive solar designs are generally characterized by large windows.

These windows are typically double glazed to ensure that the building not only traps the heat but retains it when the Sun goes down.

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Indirect gain means that the sun’s energy is captured by a window or wall that doesn’t directly lead into a living area. This is meant to trap the energy and gradually release the heat to rest of the living areas through conduction, convection and radiation which are the 3 modes of heat transfer through solids, liquids and gases. The most common example of indirect gain is the Trombe wall and consists of a window that admits light onto a thick dark coloured wall. The wall heats up very gradually and stores the solar energy that it releases slowly into the house for some hours afterwards, usually in the evening and at night.

In some designs the wall is made of pipes in which water sits soaking up the energy and gradually releasing it into the house - water has a very high specific heat capacity implying that each litre of water is capable of storing a very large amount of water.

When it comes to isolated gain, the building has a sun trap of some built in, which maybe a solarium, conservatory or greenhouse.

As the sun does not shine consistently from the same inclination all the time and everyday passive solar living spaces need to store up the heat then slowly release it in the cooler evenings, nights and early mornings.

This requires large walls or floors with a high thermal mass such as brick, stone or concrete. Thermal mass is usually painted black or dark colours so that it absorbs the maximum and reflects the minimum energy falling upon it. Not only walls and floors have a high thermal mass but even a brick fire place. Ideally, thermal mass will release the captured heat gradually for 6-10 hours. It is therefore important that thermal mass is insulated against heat loses so it doesn’t the captured heat too quickly.

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Keeping a passive solar building cool in summer is just as important as keeping it cool in winter. The architect would need to decide which rooms will require the most heat in winter and arrange those close together so that they soak most of the heat in daytime pass it on to the other room by conduction (direct contact) and convection (air movement). It’s important to note that passive solar design principles can also be applied to already existing buildings in various ways such as increasing glazing to capture more solar energy or by simply changing the use of rooms in a different way like moving from the front rooms to the back rooms to take advantage of the winter sunlight.

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STEELMATE: NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

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ith a head office situated on 346 Affirmative way in Willowvale, Harare is a steel distribution entity that is thriving to be the leading distributor on the market. Steelmate started operating in the steel distribution space in 2015. Initially starting off with one branch in the Mbare, Magaba area Steelmate went on to add another branch in the same area before setting up their recently developed state of the art head office in Willowvale. The company’s first two branches are still fully operational today and continue to contribute to the company’s growth.

The development of the new head office is in line with the entity’s vision to be the most

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preferred supplier of steel and other complimentary products on the market.

The spacious new head office and distribution warehouse allows for the ease of product delivery and service to the client by offering a secure and spacious parking lot for clients.

Steelmate’s one stop distribution center comes fully equipped with two 5-ton cranes, which allow for ease of loading as well as offloading of materials. This warehouse has allowed Steelmate to focus on value addition as it comes installed with IBR profiling machines, a Q-tile machine as well as cutting and bending machines.

The company thrives to maintain quality product and service provision by sourcing materials from the top manufacturing companies both locally as well as abroad.

Steelmate currently supplies products to a wide range of clients which includes agriculture, mining, manufacturing, engineering and construction sector as well as to individuals. The company is well able to meet and pursue its vision with a strong staff compliment of 85 employees that are well versed with the knowledge and skills required in the steel distribution space. This entire team is led at the helm by Clive Chisenye and Edmond Chiduro who come with a combined shared experience of more than 20 years in steel retailing.

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WATER CAPTURING

N

owadays we mainly depend on secondary sources of water like dams, lakes, groundwater or rivers whilst the primary water source is rainfall. Water harvesting is the capturing of rain water, where it falls, runs-off, catchment etc. It is direct rainfall collection, this water can be stored for later use and recharged into groundwater again. Traditionally this involves harvesting the rain from a roof, the rain will collect in gutters that channel the water in downspouts and then into some storage facility or tank.

In essence, water harvesting means we recognize the rain’s value and try to utilize it when it falls. The purity of the water carefully collected from the roof is one of its most amazing attribute; if properly collected, it ranks up there with distilled water for the absence of impurities.

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Rainwater collection systems can be as simple as collecting rain in a barrel or as elaborate as harvesting rainwater into large cisterns to supply your entire household demand. Rainwater harvesting is becoming a viable way of supplying households and businesses with water. The green building movement has also resulted in the continued rise of rainwater harvesting. Many rainwater harvesting systems have a way of discarding the first run of water from the roof to avoid twigs, leaves or bird droppings from contaminating the collected water in a cistern. Preventing this debris will also ensure that pumps won’t clog or contaminate the water.

Benefits of rainwater harvesting Rainwater is a relatively clean and absolutely free source of water.

You will have total control of your water supply.

Rainwater is great for plants and landscaping as it is not chlorinated.

It can be an excellent backup source of water for emergencies.

It uses simple techniques that are easy to maintain and inexpensive.

The system can easily be retrofitted onto an existing building or installed on a new building.

Less harm to the environment.

You can use rainwater anywhere you use tap water. To be using drinking water to flush our toilets and water our lawns is wasteful and irresponsible especially in the light of water shortages across the country. Rainwater collection is a way to ‘green’ your home and lessen your environmental footprint.

Methods of collecting rainwater

There are basically three areas where rainwater can be used;

Barrel method

Irrigation use.

Indoor, non potable use.

Whole house, potable use.

Some of the for uses of rainwater can be; Watering the lawn or garden which can be done by connecting rainwater collection system to sprinklers or irrigation images.

Refilling fountains or fish ponds.

Refilling the swimming pool.

Washing cars.

Cleaning driveways.

Using for all indoor non potable fixtures ( toilets and washing clothes ) Using for all potable needs when properly filtered and disinfected.

The principle of rainwater collecting remain the same but what only differs is the scale of the system.

Methods only differ on aesthetics and effectiveness.

This is by far the most common method which many people are familiar with it involves installing a barrel at the downspout of the gutter to collect rainwater. You can even use a recycled barrel for this method and it can be easily implemented by an individual. It easily overflows, however collection is limited by the capacity of the barrel.

‘Dry’ method This method is a variation of the barrel method but it has a larger storage. The collection pipe ‘drys’ after each rain event since it empties directly into the top of the tank. ‘Dry’ method is relatively inexpensive and easy to implement as well as maintain.

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‘Wet’ method This technique involves putting in place collection pipes underground in order to connect multiple downspouts from different gutters. The rainwater will fill the underground piping and the water will rise in the vertical pipes until it fills the tank. The downspouts and underground pipes must have watertight connections. The elevation of the tank inlet must be below the lowest gutter on the house. Tank can be located far way from the house and the method allows rainwater to be collected from multiple gutters and downspouts.

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ABOUT US

Steeltech (Pvt) Ltd are specialists in steel fabrication and structural steel erection. We manufacture low-cost, high quality steel structures of various designs and speciďŹ cations. We do standard steel structures, design and construction of virtually anything in structural steel.

Holding your future in steel fabrication technology

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Email: steelttech@gmail.com

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Cell: +263 774 160 560, +263 712 581 467, +263 737 183 122/14

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Restoring the connection ...

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