COUNTRY-HOME PROJECT ISUANIOCHA

by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

Country-Home Project Isuaniocha

Country-Home Project (2) Isuaniocha

A vast country-side residence for a wealthy business man, under construction at Isuaniocha ,Anambra state, Nigeria.

The abundant land size allowed for adequate spacing of property and provision of luxurious swimming pool and lawn tennis court.

The main house features , a pronounced entrance porch, one small and one larger double volume family living room, two large en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor and other utility spaces. In all 7 large bedrooms are provided excluding a private pent floor accessible only from the master bedroom.

An 80sq. m conference hall and a gym of the same size is provided together with a 3 bedroom flat, as the guest area of the villa. Other Attraction include beautifully landscaped surrounding and an environment that spells peace.

Country-Home Project Isuaniocha

Country-Home Project Isuaniocha

Project Drawbacks:

The client was one of a kind, seemed to know what he wanted but had too many advisers which led to hassles between the design team ( Great Marks) and the building firm, this led to minimal adjustments from original design, from which Great Marks is completely exonerated.

Design Software: Autocad, Revit Architecture, Lumion 3D

RENDERED WALKTHROUGH

by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

 

Basically, I put together a few building models from Revit Architecture around my Skyscraper project, and made a rendered walkthrough.  my first shot at the software; Lumion, after which I fell in 'Happiness' with it.

SKYSCRAPER PROJECT

By Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu.

 Skyscraper project by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

This skyscraper project is personally my best project so far - (if we are allowed to have favorites). There are many reasons for this. The large scope is one, followed by the many challenges which I had to overcome to produce it.

1. STRUCTURAL ISSUES: 

The major one was resolving the structural workings, because being a mixed use building, the shopping mall dictated a different arrangement of floor- system while the offices and residences could easily follow the conventional  columns-walls-floor system. I needed to have an atrium in the shopping mall to allow for improved vertical visibility of shoppers and shops between floors. This meant natural light also had to be thrown in from the top of this atrium, which naturally would be covered or at least have that possibility in case the building needs to be air-conditioned (which is usually the case these days).

skyscraper project  -siteplan

 Naturally, This would not be an issue if it were just the shopping mall, the tough bone came in because I expected to have about 50 more floors above it. Anyway thanks to the semi outdoor lounge I introduced on the 6th level, which allowed me to throw in natural light through glazing and reflective glasses placed strategically to send down light into the main shopping space. and a combination of tube and frame structural system with a heavy RCC Shear wall at  the building core coupled with a streamlined shape which blessed  me with a stable wind-friendly  structure.

 

2. VERTICAL CIRCULATION:

Next was Vertical circulation. How to resolve all the movement within the building beginning from the basement parking lots, to the shopping space, to the offices and finally to the residential levels.

lifts..yes definitely. 

Skyscraper project-Architectural section

but what type? what capacity? who can get on it? where? and waiting time? were issues.

 

3. ENERGY EFFICIENCY:

Designing in a period when the whole world has attention on energy saving,leaves you an imperative task of making sure your building saves as much energy as possible. This was a constant concern as my design developed. ·    Use of photo-voltaic glass panels on the exterior skin lets in ample daylight as well as captures solar energy for passive use in the building.
·    Use of broad overhanging eaves provide sun shade through the facade 
and also fitted with solar collector panes makes the facade virtually a solar  farm.

 

4. MECHANICAL ISSUES:

Skip-stage water supply provides for less energy consumption and  water for fire fighting and domestic/office use. Service floors are provided after every 10-12 floors. 8 service lifts are provided to serve the entire building.

Office lifts              = 2.00m wide by 1.63m deep; 3,500 pounds (20 nos.)
Residential lifts       = 2.00m wide by 1.28m deep; 2,500 pounds (4 nos.)
Commercial lifts     = 2.00m wide by 1.63m deep; 3,500 pounds.(7 nos.)
Service lifts            = 1.60m wide by 2.525m deep; 4,500 pounds.(8 nos.)
capsule lifts            = 1.63m wide by 2.4m deep; 4,500 pounds.

 

5. AESTHETICS:

This was frankly the last thing I paid attention to. I needed to make sure the building was functioning perfectly in all the earlier issues, before worrying about how it looked. In fact this form truly followed the functions. However, when the time came to model the form I tried to make it look as simple as possible but elegant.

No doubt, My supervisor was overwhelmed at how I was able to articulate all the functions , materials, and energy issues and still had a nice looking form. He happily awarded me an A' as well as a special mention to the staff and students.

 

ABUJA SATELLITE TOWNSHIP MODEL,NIGERIA

Residential layout of Abuja satellite township (Academic Proposal)

by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

The task of creating Sustainable Satellite Township for Abuja, Nigeria (academic proposal) is finally crystallized in design and policy form. Although yet an academic exercise by Nigerian-born, Indian- based Architect Kosi Emmanuel, it is expected that the research findings would be relevant in tackling the socioeconomic challenges facing the Nigerian capital city such as increasing population due to growing middle income workers as well as sky-rocketing house rents and security issues, to name but a few.

The design approach embraces social, economic and environmental sustainability. It's SALIENT FEATURES include;

·    Phased development, having sustainable districts at each phase.(the plan provides for a ten year duration and is expected to cater for about 100,000 persons from population projections based on existing growth rate). 

each district would have its own light industrial zone which can comfortably employ its residents.
·    Residents can live, work, play, shop, school and worship all within 1/4 mile radius of reach.
·    Surrounded by green belt of farmland which helps reduce the effect of urban heat island effect generated within the city.
·    All districts will be properly connected with inter-district bus route as well as outer ring road.
·    Car parking is located in close proximity to all blocks but on the peripheral to reduce atmospheric carbon within living areas.

·    Different neighborhoods have varied block arrangement for easier identification.
·    communal play grounds provided between districts encourage social interaction, foster peace and unity and ultimately reduces violence.
·    central park is a landmark icon of the township and a great tourist attraction point for the town.
·    individually identity of each transit node improves city imageability.
·    central park landscape allows for love/family, sports, entertainment and politics as the major elements of social exchange.
·    65% of total Urbanized area are Open spaces and parks which are a distinct element in the design.
·    elimination of the traitional grid iron pattern and its attendant thorough fare traffic
·    and replacement with the super block model.
·    provision of private as well as communal green spaces
·    shared communal facilities encourage social interaction and are cheaper to maintain
·    turn to alternative revenue sources
·    carless community thus less carbon emmision
·    cultural and  promotion through football
·    provision of well connected service roads and cycle and pedestran ways
·    a fine blend of the garden city concept, and the neighbourhood planning concepts with le crbusiers city centralisedbusiness district model.

·    The maximum walking distance for pedestrian to every bus stop is 1/4 of a mile (400m) in 15 min indicated by circles in broken Lines.
·    the entire town is surrounded by an outer ring road which is a four-lane bus and other vehicles route, which can also accommodate a metro line if need be, in future.


·    Major Bus-stops are 1km apart, Metro stops are 2km apart.

·    Green ways connect residences to outer ring road.

·    Four major nodal points each have a distinct landscape pattern which add to city imageability.

·    One could walk from one district to another around the city on foot, under shade.

·    Pedestrian bridges are provided where foot path meets major road; to ensure pedestrians safety.

More details will be available for your download and review soon.please feel free to contact the Architect of this modern solution to Abuja population overspill.

COIMBATORE AIRPORT PROJECT

       When functionality meets technology, the marriage of reason and resource. From the abstraction of a bird signifying flight, this master piece stands out as simple and elegant!

Designed for Coimbatore, the southern hub of India's textile industry, It reflects the vernacular Architecture of Exposed Concrete, interwoven in glass. creates the perfect landing spot for tourists and business travelers as well as it leaves a warm signature in the heart of the departing traveler to which he longs to return.

design software:

produced with Revit Architecture 2012 (student version)

MAKING OF MODEL SATELLITE TOWN FOR ABUJA (SECOND REVIEW)

HERE COMES THE MASTER PLAN

SALIENT FEATURES
·    Phased development, having sustainable districts at each phase
·    elimination of the traditional grid iron pattern and its attendant thorough fare traffic
·    and replacement with the super block model.
·    provision of private as well as communal green spaces
·    shared communal facilities encourage social interaction and are cheaper to maintain
·    turn to alternative revenue sources
·    car-less community thus less carbon emission = cleaner air
·    cultural   promotion through football
·    provision of well connected service roads, cycle and pedestrian ways
·    a fine blend of the garden city concept, and the neighborhood planning concepts with Le-corbusiers centralized business district model

HOW DO YOU FEEL ON A DESIGN REVIEW DAY

 So how do Architects really feel just before a presentation..what am I thinking just before its my turn. Is it confidence, too much of it or less of it. is it fear of getting Bashed or is it calmness?
For most it is either of these sometimes and at other sometimes a combination of them, in a random order.

You are sure you have done your homework, but you are not sure how  the client would receive it. would it be ecstacious satisfaction or sad disappointment, would he throw arms around you in joyous praise of the work or frown at your beautiful ideas?
For me, its a mixture of those feelings. But what is common with us all is that before the meeting, we always feel confident.

Such was the case right here today.

The second review on the Abuja Satellite Township project, Spirits were high, we all peered critically at each others works.
however there seemed to be a dive in the mood after the review, egos had either been shattered or boosted!
Envy sets in, momentary depression happens some how you feel you have been misjudged or under-graded.
But you take a resolve to go back and do more work and bounce back stronger!!
..to be continued

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?)

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

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.

THE MAKING OF A MODEL SATELLITE TOWN FOR ABUJA NIGERIA (intro)

OK..so am just a semester away from a masters degree, with my Thesis being the only separation. The journey which started some 18 months back somewhere in the south of Conservative India, was about to end. my academic performance so far has been wonderful; with a cgpa of 8.5/10, it has really been a swell outing.

but you know what they say, that the end is always the hardest part of any task, seems to be quite true in this case with the planning of a satellite town for Africa's fastest growing city, Abuja.

For a start, I think its important to mention that I didn't choose anything on this level,myself, in fact  the first synopsis i submitted was a proposal for an intercontinental restaurant, a hotel or a ...i cant remember the third,but you get the level.I just wanted something i could finish off easily because i was  writing my first book  and was also working at the time.

It certainly didn't get approved, when dean Thirumeni asked me to consider transit-oriented developments, I was excited though but never imagined it on a Town scale, which brings us back to HOW I MADE IT?