Boidus Focus - Vol 1, Issue 1 [Jul 2011]

O I D U S F O C U S

www.boidus.co.bw P5.00 (Including VAT)Botswana’s Architecture Design and Urban Landscape Newspaper

COMMENTS >07

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BUILDINGS >06

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EDITORIALS >04

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NEWS >02

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Commentry from the Industry on ‘Redevelop-ment’ of Extension 2An Architecture School Experience; student commentry

Masa Centre, Central Business District, Gabo-rone, BotswanaFirst National Bank Regional Office, Francis-town, Botswana

‘Redevelopment’ of Ex-tension 2 by Gaborone City CouncilGaborone, a City With-out a Square

The Renovation of the National Stadium and Corruption SagaPritzker Architecture Prize Winner for 2011 Announced

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Botswana Innovation Hub by SHoP Architectsby Boidus Admin / Images and text ©SHoP Architects

collects and filters rainwater, adds ther-mal mass to the building envelope to mitigate heat island effect, and provides a large surface area to capture and direct rainwater for storage and reuse. This harvested water supports both the roof garden and the bioswales downstream in the courtyards.

SHoP was selected in an international de-sign competition to design the Botswana Innovation Hub, a new building in Gabo-rone which will provide office and labo-ratory space for technology-driven and knowledge-intensive foreign and local businesses, as well as research and ad-vanced training institutes. The building will be an iconic symbol of Botswana’s support for research and development and the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship, acting as a nexus for knowledge creation and innovation.

The client’s brief was for an iconic yet timeless building which employed the most cutting-edge green technology available. With this in mind SHoP’s de-sign uses a variety of sustainable tech-niques, including a concept SHoP deems the “Energy Blanket” roofscape, which combines passive and active sustain-able energy techniques. The roof design of the Botswana Innovation Hub incor-porates large overhangs to passively shade the building’s interior volumes, mechanisms to collect and re-use wa-ter, and photovoltaic systems to harness solar energy. An exterior louver and rainscreen system will provide shad-ing and thermal mass to the facade in order to mitigate detrimental heat gain

and the wide diurnal swings common in Gaborone. The combination of these technologies demonstrates a potential energy savings of 50% from a baseline building with minimum performance values as defined by ASHRAE. Where the roof slope prevents optimal solar collec-tion, a low-maintenance xeriscape roof garden planted with indigenous species >>> CONTINUED PAGE 10

Gaborone, a City without a Publ ic Squareby H. Killion Mokwete, ARB Chartered Architect

‘Redevelopment’ of Extension 2 - Gaborone City Councilby H. Killion Mokwete, ARB Chartered Architect

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 04

Recently they have been at University of Botswana’s Department of Architec-ture and Planning consulting academics on ideas and proposals for this so called ‘redevelopment’. Though I missed this

A while back the Gaborone City Council (GCC) embarked on a public consultation exercise for the ‘…redevelopment of extension two area. This area extends from main mall to Kaunda Road, cover-ing African Mall commercial centre…’

>>> CONTINUED PAGE 05

This week has been an incredible week in the sport fabric of Botswana. The Zebras have finally done us proud by qualifying for our first ever Africa Cup of Nations (AF-CON). This is a historic achievement and throughout the week, the city of Gaborone

and indeed the country, has been awash with excitement, with even the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture (MYSC) in its most generous mood too. Twenty grand for each player! Not bad.

Botswana Innovation Hub, View of Entry

Botswana Innovation Hub, Interior viewBotswana Innovation Hub, Roofscape

Revised Gaborone City Development Plan (1997-2021)

‘Three Dikgosi Monument’ at the CBD

Botswana Innovation Hub, Aerial view

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BOIDUS FOCUSThursday 7-13 July, 2011

Local / Regional News

The last week’s court ruling regarding the case of one Professor Bhagat has great lessons for the Architecture pro-fession and the Building environment in general. Botswana Health Profes-sionals Council successfully prosecuted and got Professor Bhagat’s claim of registration to practise as a cardiologist in Botswana nullified (he has since ap-pealed the ruling). It is however a victory for the protection of the unsuspecting consumer. Accord-ing to Botswana Health Professionals Council (BHPC), the body responsible for registering medical practitioners; ‘it was tricked by Bhagat’s own web of fraud and trickery...’ to practice as a cardiologist in Botswana for the past 10 years. A great example of why profes-sions need a registration act and a regu-lating body empowered by law to first and foremost police a profession, pro-tect consumers and uphold the integrity of the profession. The registration also ensures that an up-to-date record of all qualified professionals who are eligible

Botswana’s Architects regis-tration body is long overdue

The Renovation of the National Stadium and Corruption Saga

by H. Killion Mokwete, ARB Registered Architect, RIBA Chartered Architect

by Esther Amogelang

to offer services are qualified and reg-istered for.

The architecture profession in Botswa-na as it is now is a free for all. There is currently no register of architects prac-ticing in Botswana as yet and there is no watchdog to protect the consumer from unscrupulous individuals who might de-fraud in the name of an ‘Architect’.

This takes place in a week which has been laced with multiple media sto-ries of corruption allegations, mostly related to the built environment. The Minister of Infrastructure and Technol-ogy, Johnny Swartz, while presenting his ministries budget to Parliament last week, decried ‘rampant corruption that exists in the construction industry’. Mr Swartz noted that there was collusion between some consultants and em-ployees in Government parameters to defraud government of millions of pula. To tackle this problem, his ministry has formed a quality audit team to inspect all projects and will in future blacklist

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Jonnie Swartz in his 2011/12 budget proposal the build-ing contactors, government employees and consultants of colluding which he blamed for lack of progress on most of government buildings projects. The minister told of how government is be-ing sucked dry of billions of Pula whilst buildings are left uncompleted. He men-tioned that uncompleted projects were as a result of lack of skilled manpower, use of poor designs and poor workman-ship and over reliance on foreign con-struction companies. Some of the said troubled projects he noted are the na-tional stadium, senior schools and police stations across the country which have developed serious damage barely after being completed.

The minister’s speech has this time blamed directly the involvement consul-tants and the lack of proper supervision and incomplete or substandard designs. This raises questions on who is to really

blame on this ‘corruption’ issue in the in-dustry. Is it Contractors or consultants or is government just isn’t taking the nec-essary steps to engage the best teams? If so then all these projects in question must have landed in the wrong hands.

One of the projects singled out by the minister is The Renovation of the Na-tional Stadium. The stadium project was conceived with the aim to have it ready for the 2010 World Cup and expected to finish in June but there was a delay. The teams responsible for the project devel-opment included: Tectura International (architects), KUN Associates, Engicon-sult, Davis Langdon (CCIM) Botswana, M&K Associates and Hitecon.

A reliable source from one of the consul-tants’ team told Boidus in an interview that due to insufficient design details, lack of proper coordination and poor management during the design stage made it difficult to execute the project leading to some problems. This lead to

Gaborone’s National Stadium; closed for rennovation

Johnny Swartz; Minister of Infrastructure & Technology

A lively spirit is thriving in Gaborone City with an Investment & Construction Expo from the 16 to 17 June 2011 at Dit-shupo Hall.

Organized for Real Estates investment decision makers from all relevant prop-erty construction sectors the expo of-fered an interactive experience where property players not only showcased their own work, but also has the right to make contacts, and get noticed by buyers and investors on their daily mat-ters which has to do with construction industry.

Furthermore the Expo is where one can see current and upcoming property de-velopments, quality building materials, latest interior designs, furniture and fix-tures, negotiate deals as well as finance sources.

Industry Players and experts from the

property and construction industry will present their latest projects, explain their assessments of the market and also invite discussion from delegates.

Some of the High value exhibitors in-clude quantity survivoyors, project de-velopers, plumbers, security services, architects, construction contractors, in-terior supplies, estate agents, electrical engineers among others. There will be 236 exhibition stalls during that time, the smallest being nine metres square, followed by 18 and the largest being 27.

To spice the day there will be a Media Lounge for journalists, PR people, ex-hibitors and all media representatives to chat and relax as they cover the events. The lounge is meant for interviews, meet new contacts, and experience VIPs, debate on themes exclusively on the media stage as well as exchanging ideas.

Property Investment & Con-struction Expo (2011)by Esther Amogelang

consulting firms who are found in the wrong.

While I personally have grave reserva-tions against this so called ‘blacklist-ing’ targeted only at contractors while there is no word as to what the plan is to root out corruption once and for all from government ministries, the ‘black-listing’ solution does not address the fundamental key question of protect-ing consumers from fraudulent consul-tants. Blacklisting contractors will only stop them from tendering for Govern-ment work, but what about the gen-eral public? Who is protecting them? In architecture the role of the registra-tion body should be to provide an as-sociation where consumers can take their complaints to and get recourse. The registration body should be the one prosecuting fraudulent allegations as in the case of the Botswana Health Profes-sionals Council (BHPC) vs. Professor Ki-ran Bhagat. The architect’s registration body will have to;

• lay down the standards of profes-sional conduct and practice ex-pected of persons registered as Architects under the 2008 Act.

• take disciplinary actions against any of its members found to be constituting unacceptable profes-sional conduct or serious profes-sional incompetence

• ensure consumer protection, both in government and private work, and also make certain that regis-tered professionals will promote integrity of the architecture pro-fession.

multiple problems such as the poorly de-signed soccer pitches which is currently at the centre of major controversy.

The Stadium is rumored to have gone way beyond budget with the reason be-ing consultancy fees miraculously kept going up even though there was no progress on site. The original renova-tion designs for the National Stadium were conceived with the client budget of P66m, and this is currently at P75m plus the untold national sporting activi-ties inconvenienced due to this saga.Further to the delay and budget overrun, the project became problematic on site resulting in over a 100 construction vari-ations issued by the supervising team. This came as a result of incomplete designs and often unresolved designs which were allowed to continue right through to the project starting on site. All these problems of coordinating the consultants on site could also have been clearly well managed by the project manager who was DEBS (Department of Engineering and Building Services).

Some of the directors of the defaulting consultancy in the Stadium job are ru-mored to have resigned their posts and relocated abroad. The firm is rumored to be slowly relocating to neighboring countries while most of its employees who worked tirelessly on the many jobs they won are wondering whether this will be their last working days if not months. One wonders what who the government will be suing in this case.

This should be a learning curve for the government and drastic measures should be made to avoid similar mis-takes. It reinforces the Ministers calls for creating registrative bodies for consul-tants and establishing regulating bodies.

Gaborone’s Central Business District under construction


International News

2011 Japan Earthquake & Tsunami

RIBA President takes action against unacceptable low pay

The City of Cape Town’s Bid to be WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014

Pritzker Architecture Prize Winner for 2011 Announcedby Boidus Admin

by Boidus Admin

by Boidus Admin

by Boidus Admin

The 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsu-nami was a 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 2:46pm on 11 March 2011. The epicenter was eighty miles off the coast of the Oshika Penin-sula, creating a tsunami that devastated the coast. Government officials estimate more than 10,000 have died, 50,000 are without water and 1.5M without power.

Architecture for Humanity and its’ teams in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto are partnering with other organizations to mobilize around the long term reconstruction effort. We are ask-ing you to give now, so we can build later.

The President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Ruth Reed to-day announced an important change in the RIBA’s Chartered Practice criteria, which will commit every RIBA Char-tered Practice to paying the statutory minimum wage to those students un-dertaking work that is eligible to count towards their PEDR requirement.

The decision was taken following recom-mendations from the RIBA’s Pay and Con-ditions working group, which was estab-lished by Ruth Reed in November 2010 to address significant concerns over pay and conditions for architecture students completing fee-earning work in prac-tices, and unanimously endorsed by the RIBA’s Professional Services Board. The Institute currently publishes guidelines outlining recommended rates of pay for architecture students completing their PEDR experience, established in collabo-ration with architecture student body AR-CHAOS, however this is the first time that RIBA Chartered Practices will be required to adhere to minimum rates of pay.

Eduardo Souto de Moura, a 58 year old architect from Portugal, is the jury’s choice for the 2011 Pritzker Architec-ture Prize, it was announced today by Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman of The Hyatt Foundation which sponsors the prize. The formal ceremony for what has come to be known throughout the world as architecture’s highest honor will be in one of Washington, D.C.’s fin-est classical buildings, the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on June 2.

In announcing the jury’s choice, Pritz-ker elaborated, “This marks the second time in the history of the prize that a Portuguese architect has been chosen. The first was in 1992 when Alvaro Siza was so honored.”

The purpose of the Pritzker Architec-ture Prize, which was founded in 1979 by the late Jay A. Pritzker and his wife, Cindy, is to honor annually a living ar-chitect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of tal-

What is World Design Capital?The World Design Capital title is awarded bi-annually by the International Council for Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to give global prominence to cities that use design for their social, economic and cul-tural development. Founded in 1957 and active in 50 countries, ICSID has awarded the World Design Capital designation three times – to Torino, Italy (2008); Seoul, South Korea (2010) and Helsinki, Finland (designated for 2012).

The World Design Capital title is award-ed in advance, allowing winning cities sufficient time to plan, develop and pro-mote a year-long programme of World Design Capital-themed events for their

The change to criteria will be made with immediate effect, and will be applicable to all RIBA Chartered Practices from 1 July 2011.

In addition, a series of in-depth consul-tations will take place throughout 2011 with students of architecture, RIBA Char-tered Practices and other key stakehold-ers to consider appropriate rates of pay for students and graduates that are high-er than the statutory minimum wage, whilst taking into consideration factors such as regional variances.

RIBA Council Student member Alex Scott-Whitby said:‘This move is fantastic news for students and has been a long time coming; it is great to see the RIBA taking the first step towards better remuneration for both students of architecture and qualified architects. The practices adhering to the RIBA’s kitemark scheme recognise the im-portant contribution that students make, and are supporting the profession in a vi-tally important way at this time.’

w w w. a rc h i te c t u refo r h u m a n i t y. o rg

ent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and signifi-cant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture. The laureates receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion.

Pritzker Prize jury chairman, The Lord Palumbo, spoke from his home in the United Kingdom, quoting from the jury citation that focuses on the reasons for this year’s choice: “During the past three decades, Eduardo Souto de Mou-ra has produced a body of work that is of our time but also carries echoes of architectural traditions.” And further, “His buildings have a unique ability to convey seemingly conflicting character-istics — power and modesty, bravado and subtlety, bold public authority and a sense of intimacy —at the same time.”

Devastation of Earthquake & Tsunami

House in Serra da Arrabida, Portugal (1994-2002)

Eduardo Souto de Moura

Paula Rego Museum, Cascais, Portugal (Interior)Paula Rego Museum, Cascais, Portugal (2005-2009)

The My Citi Bus service, Cape TownIconic Cape Town view showing stadium

designated year.

World Design Capital for 2014 will be announced in October 2011.

Who is coordinating Cape Town’s bid?Cape Town’s bid to be World Design Capital 2014 forms part of a broader vi-sion to position Cape Town as a leading global city – a hub of creativity, knowl-

edge, innovation and excellence (for further information go to the Creative Cape Town Annual 2010 below) – and to build on the City’s World Cup success.

The City of Cape Town has mandated the Cape Town Partnership, under the auspices of theCreative Cape Town pro-gramme, to coordinate Cape Town’s bid on its behalf, both in terms of produc-ing the official bid book, and to ensure widespread support for the bid. Already, a vital network of partners from local

and provincial government, creative industry organisations and institutions, academia and the media, as well as lo-cal design leaders and citizens from all walks of life, have pledged their support, as demonstrated at Design Indaba 2011.

Why Cape Town for World Design Capi-tal 2014?Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 bid concept, “Live Design, Transform Life”, focuses strongly on socially re-sponsive design.


Editorials

‘Redevelopment’ of Extension 2- Gaborone City Council: Part 1by H. Killion Mokwete, ARB Registered Architect, RIBA Chartered Architect

>>> FROM PAGE 01

Gaborone City Main Mall

Zoning map, Central Gaborone

Gaborone City Main Mall

GCC’s workshop, I present below some critical reservations about the ‘exercise’ and will argue that this might actually turn out to be the worst thing the GCC could do to this area if not addressed properly.

Firstly, the Revised Gaborone City Devel-opment Plan (1997-2021) has labelled the whole area at the centre of Gabo-rone from which the city grew, MARCO ZONE 1: CAPITAL CORE AREA (Urban Compaction Zone), and has recom-mended specific spatial development strategies and guidelines for the devel-opment of this area. Some of these key strategies include:

• Shift towardsmixed use andmul-tipleuseofland

• Intensificationanddensificationoflanddevelopments

• Application of urban design prin-ciplesandconceptsintheplanningofthecity

This area is not only the centre of the Gaborone City, but it is also the birth place of the nation as we know it, and

therefore should warrant a heritage sta-tus. It is here that the first Parliament of the free nation Botswana, from the then British’s Bechuanaland, was born. This is where the so called ‘brandy glass base’ of the Garden City Plan radiated from. Here we find the Civic Centre, The Houses of Parliament, the Main Mall, the Government Enclave, the UN place (formerly SADC House)…the list goes on. To start off by isolating a confined specif-ic area ‘…between main mall to Kaunda Road…’ as if it is separable from the rest of this heritage area is to start with the wrong scope, let alone creating a dan-gerous situation of ruining the area by this envisaged redevelopment. There-fore the scope of these exercises can-not pigeonhole specific areas in a larger context that needs a holistic regenera-tion strategy. The problems of Gaborone City centre cannot be confined to this ‘chosen’ area alone. The lack of basic infrastructure including sewer, parking facilities, development restrictions and many more are better addressed as rec-ommended in the Revised Development Plan, holistically. As opposed to a ‘rede-velopment exercise,’ the minimum this exercise should be is a regeneration pro-

gramme which encompasses aspects of the history and importantly the heritage of the area, providing clear strategies of how to revitalize it to attract business and life to the city centre.Secondly, how is it that the recommen-dations made to the DTRP, who were part of the revision of the Revised Plan, have now been passed on to the GCC, who have now gone back to the process of consultations? Surely a lot of con-sultations were carried out during the revision of the plan. That is why recom-mendations were made. The reason-ing might be that they need to develop implementation guidelines, but still this does not explain how is it that the GCC would have the capacity to devel-op these guidelines. Not to belittle the people involved in this process, but they are attempting to do something beyond them. If the DRTP didn’t have the capac-ity to revise the plan, how is it expected that the GCC will have the capacity to de-velop guidelines and implement them? Surely the most challenging and difficult part of any redevelopment process is its implementation. The DTRP must and should have continued and finished the job of creating a holistic implementation strategy of the revised master plan and developed its guidelines.

The need for an implementation strategy:What is needed is not what the commit-tee is currently asking through its consul-tation process, which is ‘what to do with the Extension 2 area?’ but rather ‘…how to do it’ and ‘who should do it..?’

This is for the simple reason that the ‘what to do..’ question has been an-swered and stated in the Revised De-velopment Plan, and a lot of it, such as urban design principles, is text book so-lutions which need not take us another year to figure out. Problems of this area are plain for all to see. However the key is how to do the thing that will regenerate the main mall area. This calls for an im-plementation strategy for regeneration.

An implementation strategy will outline who will do the implementing and will, most importantly, state the timelines and monitoring strategies of the imple-mentation process. Those implement-ing these strategies will be people with the capability to do so and crucially who have direct interest in making this historic City Centre a success. As it cur-rently stands, there is nothing in it for the people at the GCC to benefit from in making this process a success. For them this is no different a job than ap-proving plans and managing city parks.

They have nothing to lose even if this process creates more chaos than solu-tions. Next we will explore key items of a typical implementation strategy of city

centre regeneration. In doing so we will most importantly look to examples of successful models applied elsewhere in the world.


Editorials

Gaborone, a City without a Publ ic Square

Gaborone’s Ecological Corri-dor should be made a reality.

by H. Killion Mokwete, ARB Registered Architect, RIBA Chartered Architect byBoidusAdmin/ImagesandDiagrambyOfentseMoatshe

>>> FROM PAGE 01In relation to this historic event, I would like to draw attention to the total lack of Civic Celebration spaces in Gaborone. The City has a chronic lack of public places where such a momentous occasion can be celebrated by the entire community. These public gathering spaces could have provided opportunities for people to gath-er to both watch the game on big screens and also lay the red carpet to welcome the boys on their return. The city urgently needs a PUBLIC SQUARE. It is something of an anomaly that the city has not, in all this years, seen fit to purposely develop a fully public gathering square.

The SQUARE or Plaza is one of the most important elements of design in any city layout. It is the heartbeat of urban life and vibrancy of a city. It accommodates activities across the municipal fabric of a city. Celebrations and ceremonies, pro-tests, New Year activities, promotional events, outreach activities, markets, public art shows and any civic functions are what a square is made for. We have recently seen how public squares in the Middle East and West Africa, especially at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, played host to a revolution and change. In Venice, St Mark’s Square is a top tourist destination and the heart of the city and across other parts of the world; cities are synonymous with their public squares. For example, Beijing has Tiananmen Square, London has Trafalgar Square, and Johannesburg has Mary Fitzgerald Square. A square is the PLACE in the city and Gaborone des-perately needs one.

The original framework of the Gaborone City plan was actually laid out with a se-ries of squares as key to the core of the City Centre. The three squares in the main mall, at the Standard Bank Head Office, in front of President Hotel and in front of the Blood Transfusion (formerly Dikgang publishing) all formed a sequence of commercial squares leading to what was conceived as a public square in front of the National Assembly. This bigger square in front of the Parliament building was to be designed big enough to accommodate public gatherings and have good linkage with the Main Mall and the Civic Square at the top of the network. This square is what was once referred as ‘the base of the brandy glass’ by Sir Geoffrey Cornish back in 1966, when he enthusiastically discussed the then new Gaberones City designed from scratch on virgin land.

Concepts lost in translationThe development of Parliament Square was however muddled up in our trans-

lation of the original plan layout. Some misplaced landscape designs were imple-mented on the whole area, creating gar-dens which have since been fenced off from the public with metal railings. This obsession with railings has also been ap-plied to the crossing of the Khama Cres-cent road, making it impossible to reach the square let alone cross the road safely.

In front of the Sir Seretse Khama’s Statue, which was originally facing east towards the mall boulevard to the Civic Centre, a mountain of rubble was created with trees completely blocking the statue’s gaze, the parliament and the view from the main mall. This mountain feature should never have been created in front of the Parliament buildings. The parlia-ment was meant to be a ‘beacon of a free the Nation’, visible to all peoples and standing proud above the city’s commer-cial hub. The rotation of the Sir Seretse Khama Statue to face parliament rather than the centre and civic quarters has also compounded the misinterpretation of what this area represented or should represent.

The failed CBD new initiativesWhen ‘The Three Chiefs’ Statue was com-missioned, it presented a golden oppor-tunity to renew this parliament square or create a new, better one. However, the current location of ‘The Three Chiefs’ at the CBD is both bizarre and inexpli-cable. Besides its obvious un-usability as a public place inherent in its design, its

Palace Square, St. Petersburg (http://en.wikipedia.org)

The revised Gaborone Development Plan (1997-2021) advocates for an ecological corridor spanning the entire length of the Segoditshane River as it cuts across the city. The Plan among other thing calls for:

• No significant physical develop-ment should be permitted in thearea except for passive and cre-ativerecreationaluses

• Developmentofpicnic sitesat se-lected points along the course ofthe valley system.

• The valley should be managed by the GCC

• No individual land allocationsshould be made along the course ofthevalleysystem

The original Gaborone city concept of the ‘garden city’ was in fact intended to be built around public open spaces and green belts. In the subsequent de-velopment of the city, this fundamen-tal aspect of the concept was lost; The emphasis on preserving our ecological spaces was sidelined.

Therefore preservation of our open spac-es is a long overdue intervention which the City authorities need to take on im-mediately to maximize the value of our urban scapes. The current state of our open spaces, right down to our kids play grounds, is nothing to be proud of. Our river banks are completely abandoned and hence have easily become a haven for sinister activities if not just downright dirty and abandoned.

The protection of of plant life, biodiver-sity and regeneration of river banks all involve social and cultural issues. An en-vironmental management strategy docu-ment (Gaborone City Green Plan) of our urban green spaces needs to develop as an implementation strategy of the devel-opment plan’s ambitions.

Creative cooperation between all involved stakeholders; architects, urban planners, engineers, local communities and local authority needs to be established.

The value of green spaces has long been established and has also been linked with providing solutions for common urban problems such as pollution, noise, safe neighbourhoods, accessibility and others. Green spaces can improve urban environ-ment in several others ways including:> Provision of social and leisure space,

this is important in Gaborone especially for young people. Gaborone Game Re-serve’s weeked’s picnic overbookings demonstrates the demand for recreation spaces for young people.> Economic opportunities suach as mar-ket-gradening, urban horticulture, city farms and other forestery related activi-ties. Managed well, our eclological corri-dor can provide a well managed system that can self sustain and provide employ-ment.> Place making and connectivity> Positive effects on physical and psy-chological well being of inhabitants: Ga-borone City’s infamous traffic problems means people are subjected to noise, air pollution which soothed by good green areas.

Other advantages of a flourishing ecologi-cal corridor will be:• Trees through transpiration, in-

crease air water content in the often dry city environment

• Mass vegetation can bring down temperature, by as much as 1-4 deg. During hot periods.

• Foliage traps dust and helps fix toxic gases, reducing air pollution (one hectare of woodland absorbs 50 tonnes of dust per year.

• Vegetation helps regulate and re-generate water balance, especially along river banks.

The positive advantages of such corridor will also obviously go beyond the techni-cal or scientific value, but could also be a much needed generator for creating places and connected neighbourhoods. Where green spaces are integrated with the urban grain, there will be no leftover spaces. Neighbourhood communites would be developed around these ameni-ty spaces, creating unique palces and iden-tities which people can take ownership of.

Gaborone Ecological Corridor

Silos undergoing a modern facelift

Potentials for an urban park system

realization presents yet another wasted opportunity. The Commercial Business District (CBD), as it suggests in the name, is a commercial centre which will al-ways struggle to comfortably host public events. The squares created on the CBD masterplan are better suited for commer-cial plazas rather than public gatherings, more in tune with what the Rockefeller Plaza is for New York’s Manhattan.

As it now exists, ‘the three chiefs square’ created there is neither a square nor a public place. It fails to even attract tour-ists, if that is indeed what it was designed for. It is a boarded compound, surrounded by what will be very busy roads in the future and flanked by buildings which completely ignore it. Squares by nature and design are flanked by buildings that complement and activate it. The activities of these buildings opening to the square should be of careful consideration in rela-tion to their ability to generate sustained vibrancy. Otherwise it cannot be a square.

As it currently exists, the SADC house is too far off the edge of the square, the New High Court, whose placement at the CBD, while there is still empty spaces in the government enclave, beats logic and is on the other side of a road and does not really frame the square. The Square Mall is an introverted development that completely ignores the square’s exis-tence, and is also separated by a four lane high speed road. The centre of the ‘Three Chiefs Square’ in itself is demarcated and fenced off (for no apparent reason) and presents a very anti-public and unwel-coming front. Therefore it is safe to con-clude that this is not a public square and probably has little chance of becoming one in future.

For the past two weeks I have discussed here why it is critical to develop a strate-gic renewal programme for Gaborone. A development of a vibrant public quarter with public squares should be a core part of this redevelopment. Just imagine the embarrassment if the Zebras brought the gold home from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and we have no other location to celebrate but our disappointing pink sta-dium. It has somehow become the norm to take an enclosed stadium to be the loca-tion where our public celebrations should happen. We have easily settled for this practice which resulted out of lack of a real public space for communal celebration. That should not be acceptable in a City.


Buildings

Masa Centre, CBD, Gaborone, Botswana

First National Bank Regional Office, Francistown

by Boidus Admin / Images and Text © Masa Centre

by Boidus Admin / Images © Time Projects

Property Developers: Three Partners Resorts (Pty) Ltd. (RD-CProperties, Shakawe, Lavica & Keboife Holdings)Project Managers: Property and Asset Management Pty Ltd

CONSULTANTS:Architects: Arctez ArchitectsQuantity Surveyors: GAAM Associates (Pty) LtdStructural & Civil Engineers: A.D.A. Consulting EngineersMEP Engineers: AR EdwardsInterior Design: Blacksmith InteriorsLandscape Architects: VMO – Mrs Vicoria Morner O’Connell

DESIGN STRATEGIES:Arctez Architects: The design allows fortheindependentfunctioningofeachcomponentofthebuildingwhilemain-tainingasingleoveralldesignfeel.Thiswas achieved by layering retail ground floorwhile hotel and office space arestaked on two towers. This clever zon-ing of activities ensures no disruptivecrossmixingofactivities.

Construction work on the Masa Centre, representing a total investment of P350 million, commenced during the first quarter of 2008. The Masa Centre will officially open its doors to the public in 2010 and introduces many firsts to Bo-tswana. Masa Centre will face out onto the public walkway of the New Central Business District. The Masa Centre will offer the business community seven floors of world class office space. Nego-tiations are ongoing with several blue chip multinationals to secure space. A 3D movie house will be brought to local audiences by our very own Capital Enter-tainment Centre (Pty) Ltd., the first of its kind in Africa (outside of South Africa).

KEY SPACES:• Total Built Area: 42 205 sqm• Holiday Inn Gaborone Hotel• Restaurants & Boutiques• Casino operated by Gold Reef Resorts• 7 Floors of World Class Offices• Cinema: 5 Theater 3D Movie House• Post Boxes• Fully Managed Parking Facility (Inter-park)

First National Bank will be occupying the entire three stories of the building which has 4500m2 of A- grade offices, . The building also provides 66 basement parking bays and 77 open parking bays. The building has been given a fairly modern feel with the use of aluminium Hulabond cladding, steel power-coated arch louvers and Gamma Zenneth Hagar spray all of which also give it a very low maintenance finish.

The main feature of the building is the large glass curtain walls at the entrance to the banking hall and the office area, which also gives it a very clean open, inviting feeling, which for a bank is paramount. Internally the finishes are slick and uncluttered with the use of polished porcelain tiles, wallpaper and mirrors in the lobbies.

Development & Project Managers: Time ProjectsArchitect: Nuttall-Smith Architects

Quantity Surveyor: The Fitzwilliam Part-nership / McIntosh LatillaElectrical & Mechanical Engineers: Sys-tems & ServicesCivil & Structural Engineers: TTCS Con-sulting EngineersMain Contractor: Murray & Roberts Bo-tswanaElectrical Contractor: ERSMechanical Contractor: Air CareCurtain walling: HHP InteriorsGross Floor Area: 6,300m2Duration: 12 monthsCompletion Date: January, 2010Type Contract: Joint Building Contracts Committee (JBCC), 2000 Series

Masa Centre, Front view

Masa Centre, Interior view of lift lobby

Masa Centre, Interior view of corridors

Masa Centre, Interior view of bathrooms

FNB Regional Office, Interior view

FNB Regional Office, Rendered image of entrance

FNB Regional Office, Front view

‘The Interior spaces of Masa Centre are intended to create a ‘cohesive interior’


Buildings

Comprising three buildings, the tall-est of which will scale an impressive 21 storeys, the building named ‘iTow-ers’ will stand opposite the High Court in the new Central Business District. A representative of the iTowers develop-ers, Manhar Mooney said the complex will consist primarily of two office tow-ers with accompanying retail area, res-taurant and a business centre. He said the first tower would comprise of 21 storeys consisting of a double basement parking area, 15 storeys of office acco-modation while the balance would be residential units with a roof-top terrace. “iTowers incorporates building meth-ods that conform to the most stringent international ‘green’ standards with passive energy design and control, and smart village technology and a fibre op-tic backbone,” he said.

by Boidus Admin / Image © iTowers

iTowers to give Gaborone City a new look

iTowers, snapshot of You Tube flythrough video

Located in Fairgrounds in the city of Ga-borone, the new property development by Botswana Development Corporation will cover 33 000 square metres. It will include a 4 star hotel, shopping arenas and a 15 storey tower, which will be the tallest building in Botswana.

The project will be built in two phases. The first phase, in which the tower, three buildings and hotel (costing together P460 million), will be built, is expected to begin as soon as approval from city authorities. This first phase is estimated to take three years to complete. The project will be financed through BDC equity and funds from other financial institutions.

by Boidus Admin / Images © BDCBDC’s ‘Iconic’ Tower

BDC Tower, Aerial view

Bridgetown (Pty) Ltd is a wholly owned, citizen company formed and incorporat-ed for the specific purpose of develop-ing the BRIDGETOWN project in Kazun-gula, Botswana. The shareholders are two Batswana who have joined forces, pooled their resources and have em-

by Boidus Admin / Images © Bridgetown Resort

Bridgetown Resort: The Gateway to an Adventurer’s Paradise

barked on this journey to bring their vi-sion to the benefit of ordinary Batswana.

The Resort, set to be constructed just off the banks of the Chobe River will of-fer its users a reviving and astounding view of the river. Set to be built only a

The Birds eye view of the resort complex

Type E Cabana_Single Bed Apartments

few kilometers from the planned His-toric, Country Linking Bridge over the mighty Zambezi River, Bridgetown will be a unique place in Africa, not only a place where you can bridge FOUR COUNTRIES, but a place where the gate-way to an adventurer’s paradise opens.

The Complex will boast: 92 luxurious and SPACIOUS, self catering apart-ments, all fully furnished, equipped and set out in the best that modern archi-tecture, furniture, appliances and tech-nology can provide. The final touches to the resort will be the construction of a luxury Hotel and Conference facility.

by Boidus Admin

Revitalising Urban Centres in Africa 2011: August 2011

WHEN: 2-3 August 2011WHERE: Southern Sun Grayston Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa

Urban areas in Africa are faced with crucial challenges of an increasing population as more and more people choose to make a living in towns and cities. The major prob-lems facing urban centres are the decaying and ageing infrastructure which make it less attractive to investment. In most cen-tres there is the overcrowding and failure to effectively use urban space to promote a healthy environment to conduct business.

For a city to be vibrant and investor friendly there is a critical need to engage all the stakeholders who can come up with work-able plans.

Urban renewal is designed to benefit all people within the urban renewal area, in surrounding neighborhoods and through-out the city and metropolitan area. The urban renewal plan, which guides all public spending in the area, is conceived by pub-lic officials and citizens who are best able

to make decisions about how to improve their neighborhood. And everyone benefits from the results of urban renewal, which often includes better planning, more open space, more efficient traffic patterns, better transportation options, diversified housing choices and more enjoyable amenities.


Advertising

RDC Properties are managed by Property and Asset Management Limit-ed managers; therefore for more information about office spaces avail-able please call any of the property managers at +267 3914548.

Tholo Office Park at Fairgrounds - A Grade office block in a prestigious & well maintained office park. Fully air-con-ditioned, mature & well landscaped garden with ample & secure parking. Three office suites available on the 1st floor and 2nd floor each measuring 162sqm @ P13 770, 164sqm@ P13940, and 235sqm@19 975. All VAT exclusive.

RDC Properties has various properties that include Tholo Office Park, Standard House, MASA Centre and ISALO Rock Lodge in Madagascar.


Advertising

Tholo Office Park at Fairgrounds - A Grade office block in a prestigious & well maintained office park. Fully air-con-ditioned, mature & well landscaped garden with ample & secure parking. Three office suites available on the 1st floor and 2nd floor each measuring 162sqm @ P13 770, 164sqm@ P13940, and 235sqm@19 975. All VAT exclusive.

MASA Centre is currently our most exciting project thus so far. It will have the first 3D cin-ema in Botswana, up class restaurants, Holiday Inn Hotel, all types of shops and offices all in one complex.

We have available office spac-es at MASA Centre as follows:

1st Floor Offices: A - 314sqm B - 344sqm C - 331.42sqm

2nd Floor Offices: B&G - 344.37sqmC&F - 331.42sqmH - 341.18sqm

3rd Floor Offices: A&D- 229.10sqm + a terrace on the 4th floor measuring approx-imately 100sqm at P40/sqm


Feature Project

by H. Killion Mokwete, ARB Registered Architect, RIBA Chartered Architect / Images ©SHoP Architects

Botswana Innovation Hub by Shop Architects: A 300 Million Pula Ambitious Gamble

Botswana’s 50million USD (P3000 mil-lion) is set to soon don the Gaborone skyline, with its floating roofs on the northern skyline of the city.

The project which is Botswana’s attempt to launch itself into the high technol-ogy industry is spearheaded by the Government’s property developer Bo-tswana Development Corporation (BDC) through the Botswana Innovation Hub.

BIH is being developed as a science and technology park, which will be a nexus for knowledge creation and innovation. Speaking at the ground breaking cer-emony of the development, Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Johnie Swartz notef that:

“…BIH seeks to encourage greater col-laborationamonguniversities,researchlaboratories,largeandsmallcompaniesin order to facilitate the conversion ofnew ideas into innovative technologiesreadyforthemarket.Weseeitasanef-fectivemeanstogenerateemploymentand make existing companies morecompetitive through cooperative re-searchanddevelopment, shared facili-ties,andbenefitsderivedfromcommonlocations,”he continued to explain.

Designed by US’s celebrated stara-rchitects, SHoP, the BIH is set to be a amalgamation of Morden sustainable technologies (to be first LEED building in Botswana) and to act as the main key driver towards attracting foreign re-search companies to set up in Botswana.

The design as recently described by Sharples, on of SHoP’s director:

SHoP’s design does two importantthings (besides being a showcase). First:It’sadamantaboutfosteringasci-ence and tech community — not just a sprawling business park. Bridges linkthe four central volumes and betweenthem, you’ve got gardens — what Shar-plescalls“breakoutspaceswherepeo-plefromvariouscompaniescouldcomeandmeetandhaveanopportunity forcollaboration.”Itsoundsnegligible,butit’sactuallyan important sellingpoint.For one, it’ll help overseas employeesfeel less isolated in a foreign country.But also: Imagine how tickled a start-up would be by bumping into Googlefolksonabreak.Likewise,Googlecoulddoubtlessbenefitfromthecreativeen-ergyoffreshblood.(Thisispurelyhypo-thetical;wehavenoideaifGooglewillopenanofficehere.)

Secondly, the building introduces green architecture to a part of the world where it doesn’t exist. SHoP’s design exploits both active and passive energy-

saving techniques to slash the build-ing’s carbon footprint by 50 percent compared with the American national standard (called ASHRAE). The roof, for instance, draws on both photovoltaics and large overhangs to passively shade the building’s interior from intense solar heat. “They’ve never done a sustainable building in Botswana. It’s going to be very new,” Sharples says. “We’re bring-ing in new technology, and we’re show-ing how we use digital technology to design and manage the design process.” In short, SHoP sees the Innovation Hub itself as a model of innovation.

Beyond the obvious good design princi-ples and intentions of the project idea it-self, questions are beginning to be asked about its sustainability beyond energy use. Asked if he thinks this scheme will find users and how it will not become a white elephant, Sharples, noted:

Wedon’tknowwho theend-userswillbe. We have very guarded optimismabout the project. Though there doesseem to be an interest. And they [the government]havealreadyspenta sig-nificant chunk of money on the infra-structure,sothey’regoingtomovefor-ward on this. I believe they’re going to

Botswana Innovation Hub, View from drive

Botswana Innovation Hub, View into courtyards

Botswana Innovation Hub, Courtyard view (Summer)

get the investment they need.

This is a revealing statement which highlights one of the key potential weaknesses of this ambitious project: Just because it is a good looking build-ing does not automatically translate into success. There needs to be a clear implementation strategy as to how this technological leap is going to actually happen? In a country where a planned Botswana International University of Science Technology (BIUST) is already doomed to failure, it is hard to see how this new hub will attract investors where skilled manpower in technology is non existent.

There currently is no apparent ground swell of mobilization within the coun-try to prepare or turn the nation into a technological aware nation. The basic technology infrastructure is still in dire conditions. Power shortage for example will not be resolved way after the hub has been completed. The country’s re-search industry is none existent, and there are no concerted efforts to build it. Therefore the success of this billion Pula scheme is wholly based on the arrival of foreign investors and still the questions of why investors would want

to leave Brazil, Japan, Europe, USA and come here have not yet been answered with any clarity.

The Hub’s benefit’s to the people of this country could only be identified in em-ployment and tax revenues from these international companies by the Minister recently answering a question in parlia-ment about….‘how the functions of the Innovation Hub and how it will benefit rural areas‘. These are worrying indica-tions of the fragility of this projects long term sustainability.

PROJECT FACTS & CREDITS:Location of Project: Gaborone, Botswa-na, AfricaPhase: In DesignType of Project: Master Plan / Commer-cial / ResearchClient/Owner/Developer: Botswana

Development CorporationTotal Square Footage: 270,000 SF build-ing area / 57 hectare siteProject Cost: $50mName of Firm: SHoP Architects, PCLocation of Firm: New York, NY

CONSULTANTS:Local Architect: Nuttall Smith ArchitectsStructural Engineer: Pula Engineers with WSP StructuresMechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection Engineer: North Atlantic Consulting En-gineersSustainability Consulting: TBDCivil / Geotechnical Engineer: Pula En-gineers with WSP StructuresLandscape Architect: Green Inc.Lighting Consultant: Tillotson Design AssociatesMaster Plan done in collaboration with Arup


Education

Architecture School Experience: Part 1 / Undergraduate DegreebyBridgetT.MacKean,MasterofArts,BachelorofArchitecture

Nothing can really prepare you for archi-tecture school. It’s a time of pain, con-fusion, tiredness, and frustration, and yet many architects would say it was some of the best few years of their life – I would be one of those people. You are put through 5 years of grueling tutori-als, pin-ups, presentations, and reviews which can at times be so demoralizing that you start to question your own intelligence. Looking back, part of the problem could have been that at times of presentation, you are lucky to have slept more than 3 hours total in the pre-vious 36 hours, which may not account for very legible speech.

It is not uncommon that after the first year of architecture school, the class size is halved. You enter your second year wondering what happened to those students, and if this is normal. I remember one of my lecturers at a school BBQ told us, “You guys just don’t understand, not everyone can handle the all-nighters, the studio environ-ment, and the uncertainness of what

they are doing. Architecture is not for anyone, it’s for the rare few.” I won-dered at the time whether this was actually “University”, or some bizarre Architecture boot-camp which I had mistakenly signed up for. If you ever tried to complain to your teacher that you had pulled an all-nighter, there was absolutely no sympathy thrown in your direction – that was expected, and they would ask what you produced during that time. At times it felt like some sort of competition among your classmates; who could pull the most all-nighters in a row. When you finally graduate, I think ¼ of students survived the whole way through, and it is only then, you actu-ally feel proud of what you have accom-plished.

School in general is a challenge in time management, research, comprehen-sion, and questioning of the world around you; Architecture is no differ-ent in this sense. What would be the point of going to an Architecture de-gree program if you came out of it de-signing exact copies of what you have seen your whole life? That wouldn’t really be designing, would it? You have to become a critic in your own right. In order to comprehend architecture you have to strip yourself of all that you know, go back to basics of enclosure; floors, walls, and ceilings. My first ex-ercise I did during first year was to start by building a grid of walls. These walls were 8 feet high, and arranged in a grid pattern of 8 walls x 8 walls, intersect-ing in such a manner that every “cell” was 8ft by 8ft. The task was to create a sequence of spaces that people could walk through from this given set of walls by only cutting out, bending, or folding of the walls. I couldn’t understand what on earth I was supposed to learn from

this assignment, and I struggled. What was even more confusing was that dur-ing the presentations, some students seemed to have ‘excelled’ in the assign-ment, and yet, I couldn’t understand for the life of my why. We all cut, folded, bent, and removed walls in apparently the same manner, but some were bet-ter than others? The teachers would measure this excellence by holding the models up and looking at it from differ-ent angles, as if they themselves were trying to imagine walking through the spaces. I was convinced for quite a long time after that it was just dumb luck for those students.

What I very much liked about Architec-ture school was the studio environment – I think it’s probably the most unique part of it. Every semester you are as-signed a studio for your class, and ev-eryone is given a large drafting table, cutting table, and storage unit. With everything you need right there in front of you, you end up living in the space – quite clever in a way on the part of the school. I even used to have a blanket and small fridge in my storage space – just in case. The building is open 24 hours, and you never once saw all the lights go out in the Architecture Build-ing; there is always some student there all hours of the night. I found that those nights spent in the studio before a deadline, or perhaps just out of shear

Architecture school teaches you some good habits of versatility; if something is not working with one method, try another. It’s a type of “sense” that you have to learn – when to stop and try from another angle – almost like trying to solve a puzzle in your own unique style. You have to become a master at model making, drawing, sketching, CAD, 3d modeling, and presentation. In this way, you often find that Architec-ture school can prepare you for even more than just becoming an Architect. I know many who have gone to graphic design, computer animation, product design, and other fields. At times like these, with the economy so unstable and the building industry at a halt in most countries, these versatile skills can come in handy, and is a clear benefit of architecture school.

Student Work 2010, Limkok-wing UniversitybyBoidusAdmin/WorkbyNeoEllahLetsholo

Architecture Technology students at Limkokwing Unversity receive an Asso-ciate Degree after successfully complet-ing 5 semesters of classroom-oriented education, and one semester on intern-ship in a professional practice. During this time, they take a series of design & theory courses intented to aid them with the basic concepts of design in or-

HOW MANY YEARS DOES IT TAKE TO STUDY ARCHITECTURE?A typical Professional Degree is 5 years; normally the final year is an opportunity for students to do a de-sign thesis, where they can develop their own project briefs based on their knowledge, understanding, and opinions on architecture.

WHAT DO I NEED TO HAVE DONE TO BE ABLE TO STUDY ARCHITECTURE?Generally various schools require different backgrounds, but com-mon to most are: art (of some sort), mathematics, physics. Nowadays many schools require the submis-sion of a portfolio in addition to the application.

WHICH ARE THE BEST SCHOOLS TO STUDY ARCHITECTURE?There is only one school in Botswa-na that offers a professional degree program in Architecture, Univer-sity of Botswana. Abroad, there are several well-established prestigious schools in South Africa, USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Scandanavia, and others. The choices are plenty, it just takes research to find the best fit for you. The best place to start is: www.archos.org

Your questions answered...

Student Experiences...

der to enrich their technical skills in the field, and in practice.

This student project was for a Retreat House for a client of their choice on a proposed rural site on the banks of a small river. The work is by Neo Ellah Let-sholo, who is a graduate candidate for the 2011 Architecture Technology class.

STUDENT: TshepisoSCHOOL: Port Elizabeth University (PE), South AfricaYEAR: 3rdStudying Architecture in the Post Democratic South Africa, with itsdiverse culture and social influ-ences, coupledwith thedemandsof Architectural academia hasbeen a challenging yet rewarding tapestry of experiences. Throughthat i have witnessed tremendous growth.Honestly;givenachanceIwould do it again.

STUDENT: OmarSCHOOL: University of BotswanaYEAR: 5thThelifeofanarchitecturestudentissimilartothatofafarmer,inthesensethatyoureapwhatyousow.Iencounteredsleep-less nights, long hours and in the processfoundabrotherhood.Igrew to become dedicated and selfmotivated.Attheendofmyteachings I emerged a leader.

Greene Building, School of Architecture, RPI, NY, USA

RPI School of Architecture, Main Entrance

End of Year Exhibition, AA School of Architecture, 2006

Retreat House design proposal, Aerial view of model

motivation, were my favorite and most productive times. Design requires a sort of obsession, or passion, which can take an insane about of draw-ing and exploration, and it sometimes takes quite a lot of hours of sitting at your desk with a roll of trace paper and pens to get it where you want it. Even then, you’ll find at times that you try to make a model of what you are thinking of out of cardboard, and find differ-ent, more exciting solutions. We used to get so tired during the early hours of the morning that we came up with games to amuse ourselves. Our favor-ite was “box” where one would stick a large cardboard box over their head (which was always available in a studio) and the rest of us would spin them un-til they were dizzy enough. Then the aim was to make their way around the studio in the shortest time possible. Looking back, it does not sound very amusing, but at the time, we couldn’t have wanted anything more than a cardboard box.


Housing

Botswana Faces a Huge Housing ProblemThe minister of Lands and Housing, Nonofo Molefhi, has gone on record on several occasions admitting that the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) houses are too expensive. Lately he was quoted in the Gazette, 16 February 2011:“As a shareholder we are not happy with some of their prices; we believe they are too expensive hence most Batswana would not be in a position to afford them,” said Molefhi.

He has previously been quoted having said: “Bagaetsho, I am aware of the con-cerns by some people that BHC houses are unaffordable in relation to their po-tential tenants and purchasers’ incomes. This could be true to a certain extent but we must, however, note that the corpo-ration faces several challenges in its en-deavours to meet its mandates, which include high cost of construction inputs as well as the cost of development, par-ticularly where there are no infrastruc-tural services,” argued Molefhi. [Sunday Standard 23-09-2010]

This extraordinarily honest assessment of BHC and its difficulties needs how-ever to be pressed for specifics and go beyond just occasional sound bites in news statements and interviews. The Minister needs to be challenged to say exactly what he intends to do about this situation. In fact, this frank assessment needs to be extended to all of his other ministry’s housing agencies to review what they are doing about this which he calls ‘…a huge housing problem that Botswana face’.

The BHC ProblemBotswana Housing Corporation (BHC) was founded in the 70’s and at some point received funding in donations for building its offices by the British Coun-cil. To date the BHC is a Botswana Stock Exchange listed (BSE) multi million Pula Corporation, with assets worth over 1.2 Billion Pula in 2002. A startling fit of wealth compared to the housing pre-dicament of most Batswana over the same period.

by H. Killion Mokwete, ARB Registered Architect, RIBA Chartered Architect

Guiding its transformation since its for-mation, the BHC has had a long stand-ing mandate from the Act of Parliament (Act No: 75 of 1970) which states in part that BHC is:To provide for the housing, office andotherbuildingneedsoftheGovernmentandLocalAuthorities.

For one to understand the root of the BHC’s housing problems one can trace them back here. In no way does this mention Batswana let alone affordabil-ity of shelter or shelter provision as a ‘human right’. In fact it is here that the BHC always responds to criticism of the organization by pointing out that as far as they are concerned they are carrying out their mandate perfectly. In its current form, the BHC’s mandate is not adequate for the enormity of Botswana’s housing problems which makes BHC a party rath-er than solution to this problem.

Housing AffordabilityBHC’s lowest house/flat prices in the cur-rent market are in excess of P330 000 (BHC website). Clearly this shows just how out of reach the BHC houses are for many ordinary Batswana. The low income or no income citizens of this country are not in the BHC’s strategic market aim.

It’s perfectly safe to assume that BHC’s purposeful drive is to make profit, but one needs to ask at what cost? To what point does BHC tout itself as the ‘biggest housing cooperation in the country’ and has yet to develop any affordable hous-ing model?

BHC’s limited house purchasing schemes such as; The Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS) currently suspended, Step Owner-ship Scheme (SOS) currently suspended and the latest Sectional Title Scheme are too little and too inaccessible, making the situation worse.

Why are BHC houses expensive?So often, answers to why BHC houses are so expensive always range from is-sues of land cost to construction prices, but these are technical issues that come with the business of being in property development:

Shortage of LandLand scarcity is not the result of innate land shortages in Botswana, but rather of the limits created by land-use regula-tion. In Botswana there is available de-velopable land on which one could build up, not just horizontally. But regulation prevents its development; therefore this scarcity is artificial in the sense that policy created it.

The land yield needs to be maximized through a close cooperation of building control policies and property develop-ers. In Botswana, land shortage is close-ly attributed to our out-of-date planning regulations that still insist on minimal building footprint, minimal habitation density, restricted building heights and single tenure developments. BHC is in part government and over the years they have conformed without question to these bizarre planning laws. Our cit-ies are still being developed as if they were suburban settlements where ev-eryone has to have a backyard garden. Acquiring more land and failing to maxi-mise its yield will not solve the issue of land costs. BHC needs to partake in re-forming these outdated and inappropri-ate land use planning laws. The Minister also happens to be responsible for both the land, building and planning laws and is best placed to have a holistic review of the root cause of this problem.

Building MaterialsThe cry of building material costs and our industries reliance on South Africa can be likened to our food prices and its tied relationship to oil prices. Until we develop and embrace our locally avail-able materials, the only option is to ap-ply creativity on how these expensive materials are used sparingly and sustain-ably on buildings. BHC’s housing model typologies are often all uniform and sim-ple by design, presumably to reduce cost that variety brings, but even then these standard templates always lack creative use of alternative materials and tech-nologies. BHC, with its manpower and fi-nance muscle, should be spearheading a

fully fledged Research and Design (R+D) arm which sets the pace for appropriate use of materials and sustainable, cost ef-fective ways of building in our country’s climatic condition. Research and Design is a fully fledged knowledge based indus-try which can also bring huge financial benefits.

Housing Prices and Construction CostsHigh prices everywhere reflect the in-tersection of strong demand and limited supply. If demand for a product is weak, then prices cannot be high, no matter how tight supply may be. If supply is unrestricted, then prices can’t increase much above production costs, no mat-ter how strong the demand may be. These basic principles of microeconom-ics apply to housing, just as they do to all goods. Therefore concerted efforts in building homes strategically for afford-ability will reduce the current chronic demands for accommodation. Of course this could have effects to the housing market itself in terms of profitability, but then affordability of housing should be pursued with a core aim of sheltering the majority of people who cannot af-ford any decent accommodation as it is.

Housing Market Prices and Rental PricesThe BHC CEO, R. Motswaiso once ar-gued that rental stagnation and freeze, further pushes the corporation’s mar-gins lower, worsening spiralling costs. This he said was because rental in-creases have to be approved by govern-ment. Rental price controls have long proven not to solve any housing afford-ability issues. Assar Lindbeck (1977, 39) famously said, “next to bombing, rent control seems to be the most efficient technique so far for destroying cities.”

Economists have long emphasized so-cial loss from rent control which coun-teracts any benefits enjoyed by those who occupy low rent controlled units. Most significantly, lower prices mean less supply. If rent control lowers rents, it will also ensure less building of rental properties. (Olsen, 1972).

Therefore rental control, which the government seems to be banking on as some kind of measure to affordability, is a big problem in itself.

Housing Beyond BHC: Review of Other Government Housing SchemesThere needs to be a holistic review of all other government housing schemes initiated. Many schemes under the MLH such as SHHA need to be thoroughly reviewed and overhauled. SHHA has existed for over 30 years now and the problem of housing has since escalat-ed, there couldn’t be a better reason to review its performance. What has it achieved and what have been its short-falls? This and other schemes cannot afford to pretend that they exist while in actual fact they have made negli-gible difference to the critical housing problems. Ultimately a comprehensible Housing Policy is long over due.


Comments

I’m amazed!After more than 30 yrs of planning here in Botswana and a major part being the Gaborone development, we have known that a crucial part of this plan-ning is the “transition” of the initial “gar-den city” concept.

Finally, the GCC planners have reaized the same! A bit late, maybe even too late…

We are part of a “global” economy. With-in a few yrs time there will be no funds for “upgrading” infrastructure to cope with fancy ideas of anything like expensive “transitional” developments. This is a fact as Ms Ramotswe’s secretary use to say! Bubbles (dollars and oil) will burst and this is very soon – are you only reding Fi-nancial Times? Not the best information about future. Try some sites NOT payed by Murdoch et cons! Countercurrents, Common Dreams for instance. There you find the facts we have to live with soon!

In developed countries, the dancing around the Golden Calf (made of over-valued dollars and cheap oil) is now “slow time” but, here, just starting as a frenzy. Meaning that what will happen will hit harder than necessary! And will be regarded as a “catastrophy” – but is is not – it’s wellknown! Will we ever learn?

Roads people are turning the city into some kind of a Los Angeles suburb. Using borrowed money! When all in-formed people knows that “get rid of loans”! And GCC is hoping to reshape extension 2 to something it can never become – also on loans, we assume.

Private enterprises has gone some-where else and will fight the coming bad era from there. GCC is hoping that “planning consultants” as badly in-formed as most people, will save the future for Ext 2. Gosh – it’s just wishful thinking with no justification of “plan-ning”. Where are professional ethics and morals? Most decision maker are hoping that planners know more than

BOIDUS FOCUS EDITORIALI would like to welcome our readers to a new publication called Boidus Focus. Boidus Focus is a Built Environment focused publication that will be printed fortnightly. As an industry specific publication we will strive to create a plat-form onto which the built environment in Botswana can be nurtured through critical discussions, expert essays, information and networking.

Our focus is to create a hub or meeting point [a-boidus] of all creative minds no only in Botswana but also place provides a vital link of our local industry to the international world.

This diverse community will also provides a place for debate and discussions, free speech, the sharing of ideas, and social networking.

BOIDUS IS• individuals working together towards a common goal.• a social network dedicated to creativity.• interaction between the arts, architecture and design across the cre-

ative media.• lifestyle, career, theory, fashion…diversity of subject.

WHY BOIDUSFor every profession there needs to be a vessel for communicating. This com-munication can be between professionals, the industry, and the consumer.

The consumer needs to be in a position to access information regarding what the architectural industry is up to. A platform for discussion and discourse needs to be created where open, earnest discussion on important issues be-sieging the industry and Boidus Focus will offer this.

OUR CORE READERSBoidus will be mostly used by industry specialists from architecture, Quantity surveying, engineers, contractors, researchers, education, parastatal bodies, government and most importantly the building consumer. Boidus Focus is a platform for showcasing fresh new talent and the latest news across the design industry.

VISIT OUR WEBSITEFor more information on Boidus, or to see where it all began, visit us at www.boidus.co.bw

BOIDUS IS ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND FLICKRFollow us on these social websites to keep up to date; FACEBOOK: “BoidusBW”TWITTER: twitter.com/BoidusBWFLICKR: “Boidus Botswana”

A Letter from the Editor: Boidus Newspaper’s First Editionby H. Killion Mokwete

Comments & Letters

naive extrapolations of the past!

Now I see a more than 60 yrs old map of Ext 2 with slightly changed colours. This is not planning, my friends – this is waste of colours, only. Your map – the plan – is indicating a horisontal segre-gation (or zoning) of land uses. Under-stand that an area under transition is doomed to have its plot boundaries changed! The so called mixed develop-ment will be more “vertical” than “hor-isontal” – that’s a wellknown fact for experienced planners from cities and towns in transition.

It’s not clever to paint existing plots in different colours – red, blue and yel-low. Put a so far unknown colour on the whole area and call it “area under transition – land use to be negotiated”. Leave it to risk taking land owners to negotiate with you of the future land use! And make them pay for necessary infrastructure upgrading! This is called “advocacy planning”! The party’s over for free tickets to next dance…

What I have said so far was the con-clusion of the Ralph Erskine Seminar in 1992 about the Gaborone develop-ment. Ext 2 was studied (in parts). A copy of the findings was given to GCC. If you can not find it, ask prof Mosha at UB for a new copy!

To your detailed questions:

1. Circulation – As I have indicated, things now (and in the future) must be based on existing infrastructural conditions – there won’t be funds for citywide constructions! Necessary “lo-cal” contributions must be negotiated with the proposal. Much of convenient circulation will be achieved by cutting off some land from the existing shool (mainly at north and west). If not possi-ble for vehicular movements, a few me-ters for pedestrians will be appreciated;2. Parking and Loading – Seeabove – simple, cost effective (ie. mostly payed

by proposal) acceptable;3. Siting on Plots – As per negotiations with proposal and in line with exising conditions;

4. Plot Coverage – As acceptable by ex-ist. conditions and poss. upgrading by econ. negotiations;

5. Number of Storeys – See above;

6. Type of Mixed Land Use – As accept-able to GCC and and the developers costs;

7. Infrastructure Upgrading – In prin-ciple – nil! Negotiate what the proposal can take;

8. Development Implementation Strate-gy – Base it on “short term” – long term will be out of “planning proper”;

9. Fences and Walls – negotiate and keep neighbours happy!

10. Fire Prevention and General Safety – You have your byelaws!

11. Land Scaping and Street Scaping – Have a look (in web) how this issue is handled in Netherlands, for instance. Quite different from here and back to basics (as it was before the car and let the car be on equal with the pedestrian!

12. Concept and Urban Form – Don’t make us laugh! When did you got inter-ested in this issue?

From your quests it is obvious that you are only interested in rather insignifi-cant bureaucrazy issues.

Wake up guys and make us proud as planners! Stop eliminating perfecly good roundabouts (better with small improve-ments – see S.A.V E – roudabouts on the web! Do not accept that fine feeder roads in Gabs are “upgraded” to HIGHWAYS! Do your job and we will talk in the future! (www.boidus.co.bw)

> Matshelo Chimbombi on “Creating Homes for People Should Not Be a ‘Pet Project’”

> Michael Richards on “Lobatse – A Town of Oddities and Contrasts”

We need affordable housing because not everyone at every stage in their life is able to afford the full cost of owning a house outright.

I agree fully with the points mentioned in the article. The planning system and the housing agency(s) should be looked into as to how they can deliver on this mandate.

There are many factors that come togeth-er to create sustainable places. Transport

infrastructure , Leisure facilities, retail outlets, schools are a few of those that need to be considered. Community in-volvement is a must. It ensures that the needs of the residents are delivered on, and not what politicians think is neces-sary in order to win votes. Intensification should also be rolled out by BHC. The cur-rent housing plan of building single storey, detached housing in monotonous rows and columns should be discontinued. The current BHC housing layout does not ad-dress the pressing issues of shortage of

land, affordable housing and mixed use development in the creation of place.

We should also detract from the stereo-type that affordable housing is aimed at society’s lower class. In the UK various development agencies have managed to integrate high cost housing with af-fordable housing without any loss in val-ue to the high class units. These include the Greenwich Millennium Village and Upton- urban extension Northampton. (www.boidus.co.bw)

Fascinating to read all this. I arrived in Lobatsi by train in May 1955 from Cape Town, stayed in the Lobatsi Ho-tel owned by Sid & Doris Milner. My father Taliesin Richards came to take over from a Mrs Gunter as headmaster of the the Lobatsi Government Euro-pean School. He did a wonderful job and was loved and respected by Euro-peans and Bechuanas. He served with Bechuanas during the war and was very fond of them and their country.

He became Secretary of the Teaching Service in 1965 in Gaberones. Some of his teachers: Miss Chepe and Quet Masire went on to hold high office. I knew Russell and Sheila England very well and the Germonds and most of the other characters in the Lobatsi of the 50′s and 60′s, Dusty Rhodes, Izzy Hill,Gavin Lamont(Geological Survey) Dennis Sturgeon (Director of CDC), Doctors Van Rooien, Gemmell and Oli-ver & Vin Malan BP Police. My mother

taught in both the European and Indian Schools. I played my first round of golf on the golf course/runway behind the school hostel which I think is now the Mental Hospital. Tonsuls taken out in the Athlone Hospital in 1956.(some of the spelling may be incorrect) I have very much enjoyed McCall Smith’s books as they evoke many wonderful memories of the people of Bechuana-land/Botswana. (www.boidus.co.bw)

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> Jan Wareus on “‘Redevelopment’ of Ext. 2: Gaborone City Council”


Professional Practice

Procuring Building Services & Instructing your Architect

Building procurement is a complex pro-cess costing a lot of money, and it is a component which, when done correctly, enables the building construction itself to proceed smoothly. The complexity of the procuring process is compounded by the many professions involved, all of whom are separate of each other but need to work together to realize a build-ing project. This is unlike in many other fields, for example in medicine, a doctor often would refer to all the other spe-cialists’ fields found in medicine. One goes to a doctor as a first point of health consulting and trusts that from then on, all the advice would then lead to where they need assistance.

In architecture and the building indus-try however, things are very different. There is not necessarily a one point of contact where one can get all the as-sistance and advice. For the corporate client with resources, the process could easily be outsourced to contracting managers and project management specialists who would offer advice, and in some cases undertake the whole pro-curing process on behalf of the client.

For an independent client who just wants to procure a one off building project with limited funds, the process is a complex matrix with an array of specialists and consultants all needing to be coordinated at the same time. These consultants, ranging from archi-tects, engineers, surveyors, planning officers, environmentalists, real estate managers, bankers and others all cost money. If not properly instructed and understood it could be the difference between a successful building project and a white elephant.

In fact the poor choice of procuring sys-tems and/or poor management of the systems might lead to litigation disputes, unfinished or poorly finished works, project delays and cost overruns.

A building project usually has many intentions behind its conception and many of these are personally driven and unique to each project. These could range from the project being conceived as a business ambition, a shelter provi-sion or as a profit driven development, but all of these different scenarios have implications on the criteria of the pro-curement process.

Under usual procedures, a client would have a brief with which they would use to instruct an Architect. However, most independent clients do not know how to develop a comprehensive project brief, and therefore the Architect needs to be a part of that process, developing the project brief with the client at the earliest conception of the project. Often a client would have land on which they want to undertake a development without really knowing what the value of the proposed project could be or other development potential.

In this case you need an Architect, and it is critically important to know how to instruct your Architect. We have discussed here before how one could know who is and who is not an Architect, which is equally important. Visit www.boi-dus.co.bw to see the discussion.

An Architect is trained to advise clients on the feasibility and viability of a poten-tial project and options. After a feasibility study, an Architect should be able to advise whether the client’s land would be better in developing a hotel, housing, shopping complex or any other development. This feasibility study should be undertaken even before the architect does any scheme drawings. Depending on the feasibility option chosen, they should then be able to work with the client to develop a project brief which will outline the scope and size, development phas-ing, and appropriate procurement methods for the project. Plans and drawings are in themselves a late process which should only be fully engaged in when the scheme has been tested for its viability. Usually independent clients jump all these critical stages and ‘BUY A PLAN’. It is highly discouraged to buy a plan off the shelf when undertaking any development, because no building plans ‘fits all’ scenarios. Building plans are developed with their feasibility and viability having been tested and cannot just be substituted for one another.

Once the project has been found viable and funding secured, the Architect would advise the client on different consultant professionals required for the project. Often an Architect should also be able to recommend reputable profes-sionals and negotiate fees on behalf of the client with the project’s feasibility in mind. Alone an inexperienced client would face challenges in determining which professional the project would need and how much they would cost.

Beyond these array of consultants to deal with, the risks of the project where appropriate advice has not be sought all fall on the client. Buying a plan does not come with time delivery schedules, and its cost control and implications are left to the client. The project procurement risks are universally known and that is why all building consultants are required to carry Indemnity Insurance as cover. The Architect would advise on the PI insurance for the other project’s consultants; hence, a client properly taking the Architects advice would have some cover to project risks related to the building process. Therefore under traditional method of procurement, the Architect is central to the client’s ambi-tion of undertaking a successful project beyond just drawing plans and super-vising the building.

Instructing your Architect...

TIME FACTOR Time factor is a critical aspect tied to the procurement process to ensure cer-tainty and fixed economy of the project. Some projects have to be delivered on a specific time for the whole development to be viable.

COST RELATED CRITERIONSimilarly, project costs could properly be annexed to the procurement process ensuring controlled economy of the project. Where project costs are the driv-ing element, appropriate procurement processes are needed to ensure the success of the project.

CONTROL CRITERIONIn some cases the project risks are annexed into the procurement process so they can be apportioned accordingly to the contracting parties in the project. The benefits and risks of the project being procured are shared amongst par-ties as a core part of the procuring process.

SIZE/VALUE AND OR COMPLEXITYThe project scope in size and complexity could also be a key factor in deter-mining the procuring criterion or system. In this case procuring a simple family house and, say, a specialist research laboratory, are distinguished by their level of complex special skills needed to undertake the project.

Criteria for procurement paths...

TRADITIONAL PROCUREMENT METHOD: ARCHITECT AS THE KEY CONSULTANTIn broad terms this is where the client commissions the Architect to take a brief (or develop one), produce design and construction information, invite tenders, administer the project during the construction process, and settle the project’s final account. This process is probably the most used in Botswana by indepen-dent developers. The Architect is the core driver and offers advice to the client on other related aspects of the project such as required consultants for the proj-ect, project statutory requirements, planning and local authority requirements, and project funding and fundraising procedure options. Here the contractor is non design related and is only responsible for executing the building work in accordance with the drawings and specifications produced by the Architect and other professionals. This highlights the critical importance of what an Architect could bring to a project. It is therefore a role that a client should acknowledge as very important, doing everything in their power to get the right architect for the job, and making sure to cultivate a good relationship with the Architect.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: PROJECT MANAGER AS THE KEY CONSULTANTUnder Project Management, a dedicated project manger is engaged to advise and sometimes supervise the whole building project process on behalf of the client. Under this route the project manager would conduct the procurement process from inception to completion depending on the agreement. Project management emphasizes on timely delivery and cost control. Also, the proj-ect risks are apportioned to second parties guaranteeing the client endures re-duced potential projects risks.

DESIGN AND BUILD: THE CONTRACTOR AS THE KEY AGENTUnder Design and Build (sometimes referred to as turnkey) the client relies on the Contractor to carry out the procurement of the project, who hands in the keys to a client with a completed project. This method of procurement goes through stages, and primarily clients who prefer it are more concerned about timely delivery and cost control. Cost overruns and other risks are reduced as the Contractor assumes full responsibility of the project delivery.

DESIGN AND MANAGE: HYBRID OF PROJECT MANAGER AND DESIGN CON-SULTANTS AS CLIENT AGENTS / CONSTRUCTING MANAGEMENT: HYBRID OF CONTRACTOR AND PROJECT MANAGERS AND KEY CLIENT AGENTSOther methods such as Design and Manage and Construction Management are usually employed in complex schemes where corporate clients are involved. Proj-ects undertaken through these systems often are phased projects with many ‘clients’ and funding arrangements. In Botswana projects such as Public Private Partnerships (PPP) schemes where government and private sector are procuring a project in partnership would be using these methods or a hybrid variation of them.

Contracting Systems for your Project...

by Boidus Admin

The process of building in Botswana es-pecially in urban or semi urban areas is regulated by the Town and Country Plan-ning Act and the Building Control Act, administered by the Department of Town and Regional Planning (DTRP), while Lo-cal Authority Planning considers standard applications. Often, building developers and home builders are faced with having to learn the dynamics of some of the stat-

Botswana Building Planning Application Processby Boidus Admin

Points considered when applying for Planning Application...BUILDING SITTING ON THE PLOT AND PLOT COVERAGESet backs from the boundary or fence walls are a compulsory requirement for any type of development. The size of set backs differs depending on the proposed development use. The rule of thumb to use is that for ev-ery given height the proposed build-ing, you need at least half the height from the three sides.

NUMBER OF STOREYS AND OPEN SPACE PROVISIONThe height of the building is controlled by the development control code. It is critical to consult with local authorities to establish the limit in you area. Any devel-opments more than one storey will have to be approved with consent of the neigh-bours. Therefore, ensure that a neigh-bourhood consultation form is completed and submitted with youR application.

VEHICLE PARKING AND ACCESSMinimum parking requirements are also a compulsory requirement, which differs depending on the proposed building use. For residential develop-ments, a minimum of 1 parking space is a requirement for single family resi-dential and 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit for multi family development. The provision of parking also has guidelines on access roadways and turning circles.

utory compliance terms such as; change of use, planning application, building con-trol etc for the first time when they first approach an architect or design consul-tant. It can be a daunting process to try and understand these while also trying to understand other aspects of building procurement such as what it is that you really should expect from your architect, developer or design consultant.

For a building structure to be legally built, it has to have acquired planning application normally processed by your local planning authorities. A planning committee or board will assess the submitted plans/drawings for compliance with the planning regulations. These regulations are guided by a guideline document found here where you can also download Planning Application Forms:www.mlh.gov.bw


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Boidus Focus - Vol 1, Issue 1 [Jul 2011]

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Transcript of Boidus Focus - Vol 1, Issue 1 [Jul 2011]