Up! Up! And away…

March 9th at 9pm I will fly out and the mission will begin. As a case study for finishing my diploma at FAUP (Porto Architectural School), I've decided to volunteer and join A4A (Architects for Aid) in one of their humanitarian architecture projects. The projected on which I've been assigned is the construction of the LCCU (Lesotho Children Counseling Unit) centre in Lesotho. The building has been halted and an assessment, survey and new proposal and program will be drawn up in order that the building might finish to be built. Once this is completed a second trip will be organized and I'll be overseeing the building on site. The objective of this blog is to keep record of the work that is being done, both for the benefit of the members of A4A in London, FAUP to whom I'll also be reporting, my own record as well as friends and family that might want to know what I'm up to. Please comment on any post that you have an opinion, as this will undoubtedly help me in the completion of my thesis. Disclaimer: The information displayed on this site has not been previously edited or checked by any A4A staff and I'm the sole responsible for it's contents. A4A or any of the other involved organizations are not to be hold responsible on any account for what is published on this blog.

Tuesday 24 April 2007

A good day’s work

My day today was quite an event but the title refers to the builders… They managed to put up a shed on site for storage and then with a little help (not that they needed, but because I was around) we now have a cleaner site. Not bad for a late morning start!

But let me return to the start of my day. Baba and I drove to Mohales Hoek to go and have a look at some Caravans so that we could come up with a solution for the temporary sheltering of the children. This is an issue that seems to have new developments every time we ask. Yesterday priority… Today not really and issue and staying outside the main house a no, no! Tomorrow how knows? But we will continue to do our best to sort it out. Whatever that may be…

On the way to Mohales Hoek we saw some really nice traditional buildings decorated with Litema patterns (traditional decorative style which is basicly the carving of ridges into a fine clay layer over the walls).

Back to Maseru late this afternoon but just in time to pick up the drawings and head off to the site to discuss them with Ndate Sello (the foreman) and mark up the slabs that need demolishing and replacing. When I arrived Ndate Sello had just left so I went off to the airport to pick up some drinks for the man on the site. I think they appreciated this gesture and if we are all happy to be working here it will in the end lead to a better building!

Ndate Sello arrived and between saying hello and he having to go and speak to the chief of the region to organize security and labour we managed to discuss the project and to mark up on site (with a stone) the pieces of slab that will need to be cut.

I’ll come and check on the progress on Thursday as tomorrow I’ll be off doing some field research up in the mountains.
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