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Post by Lee on Jul 17, 2014 10:40:52 GMT -6
Hi and thank you for hosting the competition,
My question concerns cost estimates for the project. The $6,000 limit on project cost appears to be an important issue for submissions. Could NKA provide general costs estimates for some of the following in the Kumasi area to help applicants:
General Labor per day Skilled Mason Labor per day Hand Pressed Brick per brick CEB Brick per brick Framing Lumber per linear foot Heavy Wood beam per linear foot 8' x 8' Plywood per unit Sand per lb Small aggregate per lb Windows per unit Corrugate Metal per square foot
Thank you
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Post by Nka on Jul 17, 2014 19:17:04 GMT -6
RESPONSE TO LEE'S QUESTIONS The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of this site: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/1/welcome-house-design-2014-forum has answers to your questions: Q. Where do I find information about the costs of local building materials? Here is a best best site: www.bmghana.com and you may google "building materials in Ghana" to see other sources. In general, to roof the 30 x 40 feet unit you will need about 10 packets of corrugated zinc sheets at $120 per packet. 1 bag of cement is $10.50. Expect to pay the local skilled laborer about $10 per day and unskilled laborer $7 per day. And keep in mind that prizes are subject to change.
Here are my responses to the questions not answered by FAQ: Hand Pressed Brick per brick - Budget 20 cents per brick
CEB Brick per brick - I do not have the current rate. It is expensive, it would be over $1.25 per brick.
Framing Lumber per linear foot - Budget $1.
Here is my estimate for doors and windows: 1 wooden door frame (3 1/2 x 7 feet) = $10
1-frame, 8-blade window = $7
1 unit of 3 frame, 8 blades window frame = $25
Heavy Wood beam per linear foot = Budget $2
8' x 8' Plywood per unit - There is 4' x 8' and the current price is $8
Sand per lb - It is usually sold by truck trips, a trip of sand = $60
Small aggregate per lb = gravels sold by truck trips, budget $100 per trip
1 bundle of ceiling battons = $3
1 bundle bug net = $44
1 bundle of wire mesh = $60
1 pair of 8-blade louver frames = $8
1 pair of 5-blade louver frame = $3.50
1 louver blade = 30c (cents) 1 yard of wire mesh for windows = $8.50
100 pieces of 2'' x 2'' wood for ceiling at $3.10 per a piece = $310 1 piece of 4 x 8 feet plywood = $8
Plumbing
1 W.C seat = $65 1 washing basin = $32
3.Other washroom fittings = $50
Tiles: (1) Eighteen boxes of wall tiles at $6.60 per a box (i.e.$120)
(2) Ten boxes of floor tiles at $7 per a box (i.e. $70)
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Post by Nka on Jul 20, 2014 16:31:08 GMT -6
If you have great difficulty finding the current prices of building materials in Ghana, you may list the bulk figures instead of itemized budget. For example: (1) Foundation = $ (2) Walling = $ (3) Roofing = $ (4) Fittings = $ (5) Miscellaneous = $
By itemized budget, we mean a list of all of the raw materials, hardware and other components plus labor needed to build a home based on a specific house plan.
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Post by rasmusbruun on Jul 23, 2014 2:56:18 GMT -6
Thank you very much for the detailed cost estimates!
In order to get an idea of the labour needed and the full costs: Do you have any reference homes with total cost estimates, and would it be possible for you to post some of these? All the best, Rasmus Bruun
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Post by Ange on Aug 14, 2014 20:07:51 GMT -6
Hi Barthosa, could you please specify the cost of clay per m3 and how much is the cost for renting or buying construction formworks in Ghana? Thank you in advance!!
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Post by Nka on Aug 16, 2014 7:47:12 GMT -6
REPLY TO RASMUS
Question: "Do you have any reference homes with total cost estimates, and would it be possible for you to post some of these?"
We do not have a recent built unit of the 30' x 40' dimension to post. The fact is that prices of building materials have gone up twice higher, recently. It will be a difficult task for us to give a meaningful estimate without the mention of method of construction, and the proposed features in the house type. So, if you wish email me the construction detail (perhaps with the sketch of your house design) I can guide you better. This assistance is open to any participant else who needs such help.
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Post by Nka on Aug 16, 2014 14:36:01 GMT -6
REPLY TO ANGE
QUESTION: "...could you please specify the cost of clay per m3 and how much is the cost for renting or buying construction formworks in Ghana?"
By the "cost of clay per m3" are you referring to such as clay that is in use in ceramic studios in the university or local pottery clay that are usually dug up at a local mud pit, or earth under the feet at the construction site? If you mean earth under the feet at the construction site, there is no direct cost except labor to dig it up. If you imply clay that is in use in ceramic studios, that will be at a moderate cost if harvested from local mud pit.
Please, provide detail.
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Post by bexwall on Aug 18, 2014 19:22:37 GMT -6
Hello and thank you for sponsoring this competition. I was wondering if you could show the project at the $6000 mark but also show a phase 2 that could be completed later? Or would that defeat the purpose of the restraints of the budget? Thank you in advance.
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Post by Nka on Aug 20, 2014 8:13:07 GMT -6
REPLY TO BEXWALL Yes, you may design your project in 2 or more phases of development. You may do as you said: show the project at the $6000 marked phase 1 but also show a phase 2 that could be completed later. However, the phase you choose to focus on and present for the competition need to be buildable at the $6000 and need to meet all the competition criteria.
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Post by giuliapeyote on Aug 24, 2014 4:00:55 GMT -6
Thank you for posting the cost estimation for these elements, that's very useful
We'd like to know which are the dimension of the elements you listed above so that we can make a proper calculation with the prices you posted: floor tiles wall tiles roofing timber elements 2"x 2"
Also, we are having difficulties in finding a valid alternative to bamboo for inner partitions since bamboo seems to be not easily available locally. Any suggestion (avoiding timber)?
Thanks a lot!
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Post by Nka on Aug 26, 2014 12:31:14 GMT -6
REPLY TO GIULIA
Designing a decent family home with just $6000 is quite a challenge for architects and designer, but the local people build their homes of similar dimension with less than $6000. Meeting this goal is to think local. You are asking to know which are the dimensions of the following elements you listed above: floor tiles, wall tiles, and roofing timber elements 2"x 2". These are modern materials, the dimensions would be same as in most countries around the world. The floor tiles and wall tiles are 1 foot x 1 foot, and the 2"x 2" wood is 12 feet long.
You wrote: “Also, we are having difficulties in finding a valid alternative to bamboo for inner partitions since bamboo seems to be not easily available locally.” Inner partitions with bamboo, particle board or plywood panel is not common. In general, the inner and outer walls of township homes in the region are made of same material, either of cement bocks or cob (mud). When the wall is made by cob, it is usually plastered with cement and sand mixture. The thickness of the plaster would be 2 or 3 inches.
Please, note that the question period is coming to closure. With this in mind, I plead with everyone to please finish up with the design process and budget on your own. I am inundated with requests for help for with budgets via email. My suggestion is this: Think local! Use the Internet, do an Internet search using the name of the township of your project to see examples of house in that area. And there are numerous examples in the documents uploaded to this board. You may pick on one house and re-design it.
If you are designing a house for a carpenter, then you do not have to budget for labor costs for doors and window construction and fittings, and roofing. These are the works of a carpenter, so it would be zero direct cost. The same would be, if you are to design a home for a mason, or a plumber.
Also keep in mind that owner-builder model of home construction is a common tradition in the region. There is no contractor involved in the building process. Everyone in the family would join in and lend a hand in the construction. Relatives and friends may volunteer at different times to help with minor parts such as digging the foundation. The local mason is hired to build the walls, and do plastering. Women and children may fetch the water and help carry building materials to the mason. The men in the family gather needed building materials, others materials are bought from the market. Electrician and plumber are then hired to do their parts.
So, if the budget for your design is above and beyond $6000, then you may have to revise the design to reduce the cost to stay within the $6000 limit. You may think of alternatives to the conventional. For example, vault roofing is an alternative to zinc roofing sheet- it is not the norm in the region. But if it well designed to fit the climate, with time vault roofing design would become the trend.
Lastly, consider the above notes as mere suggestions. I am not a part of the jury, I am just the facilitator. The jury is international. My suggestions are simply in line with the design problem and what I think would appeal to general population that I know. The winning designs may not be the design that best that go to resolve these local problems. I have a backup plan: the hope of building both the winning designs and others that offer most practical solutions to the design problem.
So long everyone.
-Barthosa Nkurumeh, Project Director
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Post by andregomes on Aug 26, 2014 16:59:13 GMT -6
Dear Barthosa,
Thank you very much for your help, I imagine you've been completely inundated with questions. But I believe that the majority of us never had any contact with the reality in Africa and more specifically the Ashanti region, and so the budget has been the most difficult thing to do.
I just have some final questions if you could answer: - You mention the owner of the house. Is it supposed that we also choose the client of the house? That isn't stated anywhere in the contest's description. - What is the timezone of the deadline hour? Just in case it is necessary.
Thank you again
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Post by giuliapeyote on Aug 27, 2014 4:28:57 GMT -6
Dear Barthosa, thank you for your detailed answer We totally understand your position and we aim to respond to the local requirements trying to meet the jury "taste" at the meantime. Your informations have been really useful and, you are right, it's time to harry up!
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Post by Nka on Aug 27, 2014 9:02:23 GMT -6
CONCERNING THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE
The deadline is 11.59 pm of August 31, 2014, Central time USA. About the dimension of the presentation boards, use standard A1 Format is 59,4 x 84,1 cm.
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ak
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by ak on Aug 28, 2014 8:43:47 GMT -6
Hello, this is just a quick question.
Is it a strictly single family residence. I just had I thought that if the entry had the ability to turn into a semi detach to house another family, would it be accepted or would it contravene the submission requirements. It a lightbulb spur of the moment which i would just like to clarify or else i'll continue as I have done.
Perhaps it would be a future competition for NKA
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