Care taker’s house construction in 2017

Just after the classroom was completed in 2015, several incidents had happened at the school. Nothing was stolen as a result, but the wall of the classroom was slashed by a burglar. To address this situation, we built a residential hat for school staff to stay on site all the time.

Design of this building is characterized by the four following features.

Dealing with climate issues, land area issues, financial issues, and construction issues, the layout has evolved multiple times. Step by step, the design became shorter, smaller, furniture-less and easy to construct. Ideas contributed by each person are absorbed and shown in the evolving process.

用務員室建設 2017デザイン案の変遷 / Transition of the design proposal

1: 他用途に使える間取り / Versatile Layout

当面は住宅として使用するが、将来は教室に用途を変更する可能性もあることを踏まえ、扉の位置を一般的な教室と同様に端に寄せるなどした。

The caretaker’s house can be used as either a house or a classroom. Normally, it would be used by caretakers to live in and protect the school from thieves. It can also be converted into a classroom when needed due to the lack of classroom.With the door placed at one side of the house The layout refers to the typical layout of a classroom in this area.

2: 家具と一体化した建築 / Furniture Integrated in Structure

建築物ができても、中に設置する家具を準備するのは大きな出費となる。調理に使うカウンターや、ベンチ、ベッドも構造体と一体化させる設計とすることで、建築が完成すればすぐに暮らすことのできるようにした。また、建築と一体化させることで、限られた面積の中で広い空間を確保することができた。

It takes a large amount of money to purchase the furniture for a new house. As a solution to this issue, the design integrates most of the furniture into the housing structure. With a table being made along with the construction of the house, no extra furniture is needed. On the first floor, a continuous surface serves as a bench, bed, and kitchen table at the same time, saving space for living activity and educational activity.

用務員室建設 2017ベッド、カウンター、ベンチが造り付けられている / The bed, the counter, and the bench are fixed on the structure.

3: 環境への対処 / Climate Friendly

伝統的には木材や土が建設につかわれていたが、都市部、特にスラムでは波板トタンが外装材として一般的である。これは断熱性能が低く、室内の温熱環境が不安定となる。そこで、トタンの内側に合板を設置することで、断熱を向上させた。また住宅の上部にハイサイド窓を設置し、熱い空気を外に逃がす工夫を行った。

The caretaker’s house can be used as either a house or a classroom. Normally, it would be used by caretakers to live in and protect the school from thieves. It can also be converted into a classroom when needed due to the lack of classroom.With the door placed at one side of the house The layout refers to the typical layout of a classroom in this area.

用務員室建設 2017風が吹き抜ける / Wind goes through the building.

4: 電気を使わない建設 / Construction without Electricity (Prefabricated Method)

現地には電気が通っていないため、建設は完全に人の手による必要がある。そのため、建材は市街地の加工場でプレカットした上で現場に運搬し、空き地でそれらをフレームに組み立てるだけというシンプルな方法で施工を進めていった。

Due to the lack of electricity, the house has to be constructed purely by hand on site. A low-tech pre-fabricated method is applied during construction. Having all the timbers cut in the factory and delivered to the site, the main frames of the structure are pre-fabricated in the playground by volunteers in order to simplify the construction process and minimize the labour work.

用務員室建設 2017プレカット建材をフレーム化して立ち上げる / Building frames of the precut timber are held up and assembled.

For the construction, Mr. Dick Olango, Kenyan architect, and Mr. Edwin Oyaro, Lecturer at University of Nairobi, cooperated with our activity. This construction was supported by more Kenyan students in a group of Slum Architects Associates than before. Joshua Owino (then undergraduate student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology) took charge of the processes that needed negotiation, such as purchase of building materials. Thanks to these contributors, the workload of Japanese staff had drastically degreased and the quality of the construction had improved from the last construction project.

用務員室建設 2017完成を喜ぶケニア人学生 / Kenyan students are delighted with the completed building.

There was an empty land next to the school plot, which worked as a precious playground for kids. Initially, the land was simply “used” by students, but later the school decided to acquire the land.

Scrambles for land constantly happen at Mukuru, and other people may take a chance to build their own building on the land. The school once considered building galvanized metal fences on the boundary of the acquired land. However, landowners at Mukuru often built those fences around their plot and worsened congestion of the neighborhood. After discussions, the school decided to leave the empty land available for local people as well as the school. Due to maintenance works by the school, the open space turned out to be a more hygienic and brighter space than before. Local people often walk through or take a nap there. This school plays an important role to provide some open space to the neighborhood in the congested city.

用務員室建設 2017都市の中のオープンスペースとして機能 / Function as an open space in the urban setting
用務員室建設 2017
用務員室建設 2017