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.

Monday 14 May 2007

Not quite

We are back on the right track but things are still a little behind schedule…
The “power-sledge hammer” didn’t show up today but we are waiting for it tomorrow… we did however make our most astonishing discovery yet. The “foundation tree”, in the middle of all the fill that we have dug out we found a live rooted tree. Only a small one, but growing nevertheless. I wonder if it would be through the slab to celebrate Xmas?

My day was divided between students, the site and the “official visit”.

To be honest the people that came out from Sentebale, Sir Tom and Geoffrey, did make my day. It was nice to show people around the site, letting them know what they are investing in. And in the end for them to understand what we are doing and to be happy with it was quite rewarding.

Tomorrow are all the hard battles. First I’ll probably meet the contractor to try and negotiate through the escalation. Then Lydia to settle the program for her new house…

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