AND FINALLY..THE CITY BEGINS TO RISE!

Just finished the block model of the conceptual township, and its looking lovely from where am standing.
Its going to be a phased development, and this is the model of the first phase. It is a self sustainable district, comprised of three neighborhoods made with Clarence Steins neighborhood concept, where people can live and work and shop within their immediate environs.

..This is how it looks when I say am working!!.

US-BASED FIRM TO STAKE N22.62 IN NIGERIA'S REAL ESTATE MARKET

Pleased to learn about this. Was actually planning a satellite township for Abuja, and was contemplating going high rise, and the effects it will have on the local skyline and vernacular Architecture, I was beginning to settle for a predominantly Low-rise dwelling, But after learning about this proposal, am happy some other people are finally thinking in same line with me. Now I have an accomplice (so to say) I just might go ahead and pierce the relatively virgin sky-anyway!!!

Read more:
US-based firm to stake N22.62bn in Nigeria’s real estate market

MAKING OF A MODEL SATELLITE TOWN FOR ABUJA( a peek at the drawing board)

Yes..I know,

What is he thinking posting such a tiny image, are we supposed to use some binoculars for viewing this?

But you neednt worry, this is just a peek, like we called it, right?

I would be providing you the full resolution images once am done planning. meanwhile et this suffice as a 'PEEK' into my drawing board.( or more of Planning Board).

So Far..

• Introduction to the concept of Satellite Towns
• Historical development of Towns and Urban design
• The city of Abuja, Historical Background
• The need for a satellite town in Abuja
• Population, Density and Land use Projections
• Case-studies (5)
• Site Selection and Analysis 

UP NEXT..

Planning /conceptual drawings for the new town model...so help me God!!!

(Yes I believe in God.How else could I finish all these and remain sane?)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

..to all those truly loving hearts,to all those commited and faithful hommies,
to all those lovely ladies who truly deserve our care..and to all the beautiful and handsome young fellows who are better off alone..
and to all d cheating partners,its never too late to treat him/her better.

 

Also wishing all the team at Cadrightgroup India and Nigeria as well,

the entire staff at Geometrix Consultants and Builders ltd. Abuja,

The homely people at Great marks Nigeria ltd.,Awka,

and all the students and Staff of SRM University, School Of Architecture and Interior Design, Chennai, 

........ I WISH U ALL A HAPPY VALENTINES DAY...........

MAKING OF A MODEL SATELLITE TOWN FOR ABUJA (first review)

SRM UNIVERSITY,SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

I just came back from a rather long walk. It hadn't been long I woke up from a nearly 8 hours day-sleep. Pretty un-like me, but the reason is simple, I was tired from the more than two- hours- per- student design review today.

It was the first, for this Dissertation, and it was in many ways like the very first Review I had in India. I had taken  gray-scale, A-1 printouts and I had under-estimated the requirements.

Detailing; in the sense of data, facts and figures. I had a pretty superficial database, which told nothing in depth other than the obvious and very basic observations.

for example when I said that the Chengdu-Tianfu District Great city, had a total acreage of 800Acr but had only used 320 for urbanized development, that was an observation, but I could have gone the next step to draw an inference which would arrive at the fact that the 320 Acres represented about 40% of the total land size.

the visiting guide, a young man, just newly  married, and a former student of the school, was more concerned with the why behind every stroke of the pencil.Other than this, my process had been logically developed, I was on the right track,.

I have to do some more in-depth study on existing conditions in order to justify the study as well as enrich it.

MAKING OF A MODEL SATELLITE TOWN FOR ABUJA, (FIRST DESIGN REVIEW)

SRM UNIVERSITY,SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

I just came back from a rather long walk. It hadn't been long I woke up from a nearly 8 hours day-sleep. Pretty un-like me, but the reason is simple, I was tired from the more than two- hours- per- student design review today.

It was the first, for this Dissertation, and it was in many ways like the very first Review I had in India. I had taken  gray-scale, A-1 printouts and I had under-estimated the requirements.

Detailing; in the sense of data, facts and figures. I had a pretty superficial database, which told nothing in depth other than the obvious and very basic observations.

for example when i said that the Chengdu Tianfu District Great city, had a total acreage of 800Acr but had only used 320 for urbanized development, that was an observation, but I could have gone the next step to draw an inference which would arrive at the fact that the 320 Acres represented about 40% of the total land size.
Other than this, my process had been logically developed and I was

SRM UNIVERSITY,SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

MAKING OF A MODEL SATELLITE TOWN FOR ABUJA(STAGE 1)

So having said that, lets take a look at the progress so far. Just as i recommended in my book(LEARNING TO BE AN ARCHITECT) I've been reading and searching deep to get a firm gasp of what is required in a satellite town as well as to justify the need for it in Abuja.

A lot of documents on the internet have given various enlightening meanings for the term as an English phrase as well as an element of urban design.

But here's my own simple definition;

a satellite town is a smaller community mostly consequential but sometimes planned, mostly residential but sometimes lightly commercial too, located close to a larger metropolis connected via available transport channel and which may or may not contribute to the economic viability of the bigger city but largely solves the problem of its urbanization.

I have also aswered a number of important questions such as, what are the xtics of a satellite town, what is the origin of satellite towns, why do we need a satellite town in abuja, what has the government to say about this need, what sustainable approaches could be implemented, and of course what are the town planning standards for allocation of amenities in an urban area?

In this light, I have studied three satellite towns ; satellite town Lagos, Nigeria, Gurgaon, India and Chengdu Tianfu, China. Of the three the most remarkable one has been that of china's Chengdu and that is the one I have shared here.

image: The satellite city chengdu tianfu, Chian. excerpts from my Research work.(go here to read more about the design.)

The concept is absolutely sustainable and is hopefully going to inspire my own design to a great extent. Some of the salient features of this modern self-sustaining town include;

· It has a well designed cultural and performance center
· pedestrian-ism is greatly encouraged: one can walk from any part of the city edge to the centre in less  than 15minutes
· 48% less energy and 58% less water. 
· 89% less landfill waste
· Generate 60% less carbon dioxide.
· commercial,Residential,Office,Light manufacturing & a medical campus are included in the town making it easier to live and work there,
· ECO-PARKS


Next I have to carry out a site suitability analysis. This would involve identifying potential sites for the proposed town, and will culminate in selection of the most viable one.