Open Architecture Network

We have made the same question and were told that the gathering center is partly replaced by the media lab and library, but if you choose to knock it down you should add some classrooms to the project. the clinic is also to be replaced.
hope it helps

Hi!

My team also had some problems contacting AMD, then we were given this email adress and we were answered quite rapidly, so hope it helps...challenge@architectureforhumanity.org

Once logged in select the My OAN link. open the competitions tab. under 'active competitions' you will see the competitions you have registered for including your ID #. click on 'go to my entry' and at the bottom of the page you will find a list of competition details.

If, for some reason, nothing appears in the 'active competitions' list, please e-mail us @ challenge@architectureforhumanity.org. Please include your ID # so that we may track down your registration.

Yes, we have moved the submission deadline to February 29th. This is to allow entrants a chance to incorporate additional information gathered from site visits.
Please see images under "Competition Details" at the bottom of your personal entry page for site information.

In general, the surrounding buildings are residential.

Designer's choice. The client has stated they would be fine with existing buildings being torn down and incorporated into a new design.

"Competition Details" was on the main Africa Challenge page but has since disappeared on me since just a few days ago...where has it gone?

When logged in click on "My OAN" at the top. Then click on the project SIDAREC under 'my projects.' Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page - you'll find all the competition details.

I just heard through the grapevine (a friend of a friend in a far away land happened to talk to someone, yada, yada...) that AFH has yet to confirm with SIDAREC whether or not existing buildings are to remain. AFH is not withholding information, it is just currently unavailable.

Since our site visit we realized that the quality of the existing buildings are so poor that it might be easier to clear the site completely. therefore it is up to the designers whether to keep the existing structures.

I've already understood that we can clean up the site and start from scratch, what I still don't understand is if we have to reconstruct the clinic or the bakery or any other structures that already exist if we take the originals down?if we do have to reconstruct these do they count for the footprint area that we have been given or are they somekind of extra? Another doubt about the program is that areas like computer training center appear first in the community components and in the administrative aswell, is it two design two different spaces, or is it written down twice for any other reason?

Thanx a lot

I'd suggest that with all existing buildings retained, there'd be no space within the 0.5 acres for two sports grounds, an amphitheatre and a 200m2 new-build facility. I think there's going to have to be some razing...

SIDAREC has already built a library at a different site, and information about their mission and program is on http://www.sidarec.org

More information about the site will become available in the coming weeks. Architecture for Humanity and AMD will be visiting our community partners and documenting the planned building sites. This information will be shared with all Challenge entries as soon as it is available. Thank you for your patience.

That is great that AFH is doing a site visit with AMD to obtain more information! Wouldn't a better timeline have been to do these site visits prior to announcing the competition? Getting that information in mid-December, three months after the launch, doesn't allow much time for the added information to be incorporated into the design proposal. Respectfully, I would like to say this seems like a disservice to the client and a lack of courtesy to the designers entering the challenge. I am not alone in spending weeks trying to find out whether the existing buildings will be removed, and if so, do all those functions need to be accommodated in the new building. A little clarification would go a long way.

Thank you,
Matthew

i copied and pasted a message from the member 5eek. there has already been some discussion in the IMAGES page (including the finding of the actual site a few months ago)

From 5eek:

From the pictures I can tell that the site has black cotton soil which has high swelling and shrinkage characteristics and is generally bad for structures built on them.

If you zoom out of the site location, links provided below, you will see abandoned quarries nearby. In fact the SIDAREC buildings on site provide you with a picture of what are the cheapest building materials available in Kenya and they are:

1. Natural stone which can either be machine cut or shaped on site

2. metal sheets for roofing which are normally a form of galvanised steel and is manufactured locally. Scrap metal is expensive and would get stolen especially in a slum.

3. wooden frame from trees which are harvested when about 5-7m tall with a diameter of about 10-15cm. Generally wood is expensive as Kenya has put a complete stop to logging. Most hardwoods are imported from either Sudan, Congo or even as far out as South Africa.

4. There is a cement factory further down south of the site but please note that cement has become scarce as there is an unprecedented building boom that is even threatening expansion of the airport and has had an effect of prices shooting up (http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?Itemid=5813&id=2915&option=com_content...)

i spent a great deal of time scouring aerial photography, and beleive that the site is at:

1°19'11.96"S

36°53'6.83"E

in exchange, please let all us know if you find information that would be useful the general competition public

well done finding the site - genius!