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, 8 May 2007

A bit of good news…


A deal for the installation of a playpump has been agreed provided that the water and the borehole test positive for clean drinkable water and for a plausible depth.

Trevor Field, from Playpumps came out today to see the site and also to meet with Sentebale in order to partner up with them to try and install 100 of these pumps in the country. As explained before in earlier posts the pumps work by children going round on a roundabout that then pumps water up into the tank, providing them with clean drinking water.

He was very pleased with the site and promised to install it even before we get a deal on the other 99 pumps. Good news for a change!

The only issue he brought up was that he believes that the borehole might not be sufficient to provide running water for all the facilities in the house… This might mean that we’ll need a second system or have to ration the water once the building is in use.

The other piece of good news, yet to be confirmed to what extent that changes things, is that there actually is a DPC installed in that retaining wall and that below it the blocks used are concrete and not sand. I was determined to have it rechecked today in proper light, and a quick inspection proved me right. It’s a bit of hope but not a certainty that it will mean it’s salvageable… Something will happen but maybe a sandwiched concrete retaining wall might do the trick? Sunday I’ll meet the engineer and try and see what we can do about it.

In the mean time I think I will just advise the builder to start knocking out the slabs… As for me I’ll just try and think out various solutions for the various scenarios.

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