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Post by Nka on Mar 26, 2016 20:18:28 GMT -6
A short film about Nka Foundation Projects:
by Helena Zarchan
Q & A: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PAGE
NOTES: We are using this page, as our questions and answers page.
The last day to submit your entry to the jurors is May 30, 2016. No excuses.
IMPORTANT FINAL DATES
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS The deadline for questions and answers session is April 14, 2016.
SUBMISSION OF DESIGN
STEP 1: Between April 15 – May 30, 2016, submit an A1 Presentation Board of your design and design statement to mudhousedesign@mail.com. This is for the jurors. The image should be in high resolution of about 15 MB. See the competition’s design brief for instruction about this.
STEP 2: And between by May 27 - May 31, 2016 post a low jpg version of your design and design statement to this page: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/59/submitted-design-entries . This is for the Online exhibition of your design.
Please, see the design brief for the instruction.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 7:26:54 GMT -6
QUESTION FROM ADEL:
Hi, I need a more detailed map for the site please..showing the coordinates and the north direction..thank you
ANSWER: Here is a Google Map of the area showing the north direction.
With this information, you can search the name "Abetenim" on Google map to get other details you may need.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 7:36:40 GMT -6
Questions from mjdrago Avatar
Mar 14, 2016 8:46:06 GMT -5 mjdrago said:
Good afternoon. Here there are a few questions about the competition:
We already registered as a team and paid the $60 fee, but we had to insert data for one member. How to transmit the personal details of each group member?
ANSWER: You will have to list all name on the "Design Statement" as a part of the submission by email to mudhousedesign@mail.com
What's the height of the trees near the Laboratories? (see attachment)
ANSWER: The image is not the actual image, specific to the site. It is rendering just a visual presentation by another design team to guide your design thinking.
We'd work on the Labs, but what are their needs? (singular or big tables/special equipment for experiment/projector/refrigerator/pc area/storage room... and so on.)
ANSWER: These are science labs that consist of Chemistry lab, biology lab and physics lab. The contents include that that you mentioned should be in a science lab. Other basic things include burners, microscopes, etc.
Is it wrong to consider an outside learning area for open air experiments?
ANSWER: No, it is not wrong, but keep in mind of the seasonal variations in weather. There is heavy rain fall during the Rainy Season and sunshine dry the Dry Season.
Thank you,
Maria Giovanna and Francesco
There are some more questions:
What is the suggested high for walls? Is there any limit?
ANSWER: There is not specific limit. Our project prefers 10 to 12 feet as height of a wall for the school building.
Is there any direction which is more affected by sun radiation [south more than north]? Any info about sunlight exposition would be appreciated.
ANSWER: In the tropical climate, it is best to position houses with the longer side orienting East-West direction. The image below is an answer to your question.
 Building Orientation, Abetenim Project
Do we have to design the water and electrical system?
ANSWER: It will help, if you can design the water and electrical components of your building design. If you can not, the local building will help with that during the construction of your design.
How many students in each lab?
ANSWER: A class load of 45 to 60 students on the average.
Are the labs going to be built all together or one by one in different times?
ANSWER: The labs are going to be built one by one at different times.
Do we have to put glass in each window or can we consider just holes? (Does any lab have to be aseptic?)
ANSWER: These sort of design considerations are up to you.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 7:41:33 GMT -6
Hello, is it possible to know the function of this building? And maybe the ones next to it? Thank you!
ANSWER: The house you are referring to is a private house owned by Daniel. The house is next to the arts village. The building site for the school is on the other side across the road. |
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 7:47:55 GMT -6
Questions from Gabriele
(1) Are rammed earth and cob construction the only ways to use the soil?
Can we use the soil for compressed earth blocks as well?
ANSWER: Yes, you can use "the soil for compressed earth blocks" or any other earth architecture method.
(2) Hi everyone!
We are estimating all costs of our project, but we need to know how much is the cost roughly for the workforce/h, someone specialised in pressed earth bricks.
Thanks
ANSWER: Expect to pay the local skilled laborer (such as someone specialised in pressed earth bricks) about $10 per day and unskilled laborer $7 per day.
We have to consider this cost because we can't include the cost of brick s manufacturing in the main workforce. Then, does anyone know how people build foundations overt here?
ANSWER:
   Stone Foundation Trench filled Foundation Slab Foundation
Among the middle class in the region, wooden floor is not the convention. Stone or concrete floor is the thing, and there are numerous examples of homes with earthen floor. If you are on budget, you may use concrete foundation footing instead of poured concrete slab that is reinforced with metal rods and wire mesh over the entire floor of the house. How do I do this? Dig the foundation for the walls of about 24 inches wide and 1 ½ feet deep. This is for one story building; for two story building excavate the soil for the foundation to 4 feet in depth. Pour a thick layer of concrete into the trench, this is called "blinding". You can now lay cement blocks or pour concrete by formwork to raise the plinth. On top of the plinth, you can do poured earth, rammed earth, or cob. That is to say, through use of formwork, pour concrete (a mixture sand, gravel, cement and water) into the dug foundation until the foundation wall rises to the desired height of the plinth (about 2 feet) above the ground level. Upon the concrete plinth, build the rest of the wall (18 to 24 inches thick) by earthcrete using formwork. Then, render the floor by the “earthen floor” method, which is by plastering the floor with a mixture of earth, water and cement. To water-proof the earthen floor, the local mason would sprinkle cement over the wet earthen floor and the trowel is used to work it to smoothness.
TYPES OF FOUNDATION:
(1) Dig the foundation trench. Insert formwork into trench and begin to build the wall by first pouring in concrete for up to 3 feet high. Then proceed to poured in the earthcrete (mixture of earth and cement) until the required wall height is reached.
(2) Concrete Trench Filled Foundation: Concrete trench fill consists of a mass of concrete strip cast into the open trench making use of the trench sides as a shutter. Mix the concrete to the ratio 1 cement: 5 sand, adding water to produce a consistency that should pour easily without being too wet. Stones or gravel may be added to the mixture for strength. Shovel the concrete into the trench. Leave the concrete to harden for 3 days before you start to build the wall. Then, insert formwork and begin to build the wall by poured earth.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 7:53:12 GMT -6
Questions from jbcg
(1) Could you give us overall view of a "common student" during a day for a student in Ghana?
Thank you
ANSWER: It is not much different from the West. A typical day starts with the morning assembly when the whole school gather. Songs are sang, Nation anthem or national pledge would be recited. A school administrator addresses the students. The student get to their classes for academic work. There is a short break and a long break from academic works. The school is over in the afternoon. Here are photos and statements from some students from the project site to enable you gain an expanded understand of the local context.
I am 14 years old Manese Kennedy. I am in JHS 1, I like mathematics and science. I want to be a doctor in the future but I am afraid my wish may not come to reality because my parents are labourers in somebody’s farm and they receive small pay which is not enough to take me to the senior high school so I will end up just like my older brothers abandon school and join my father in the farm. The only hope is get sponsorship from NKA foundation or have a senior high school in the village this way I can do small, small jobs to pay for the school fees which is not so expensive.
My name is Agartha Owusu, I am 14 years old and I am in JHS 1. I come from Abetenim near Juaben in the Ashanti region – Ghana. I am happy to have a senior high school in Abetenim because my parents a farmers and they cannot pay boarding fee or rent a room for me when I go to the senior high school and this is making me going to senior high impossible so if one is to be built in my village, I can just walk to school every morning and even come back to help my parents in the farm after school.
I want to become a midwife in the future.
I am 14 years old Hannah Yeboah, I am in JHS 1,I like mathematics and science. I want to be a nurse in the future. But my father said he cannot send me in addition to my older sister to school because my older sister is already spending all what the family is able to save for renting room,buying food etc in order to have secondary education in the town. So senior high in Abetenim means my father need not worry about renting a room for me or sending me chop money every week.
I am Esther Sarfo, 14 years old in JHS 1. I like social studies and English language. I want to be a lawyer when I grow up. Building a senior high school in Abetenim will make my wish to be a lawyer possible this is because my parents are farmers and they do not have money to take me to a senior high school,pay my school fees,give me money for transportation everyday or rent a room for me. So I was praying that when I finish JHS, I will get an excellent results so that I will get sponsorship from NKA foundation that was the only way I saw myself going to senior high school but now if there is a senior high school in Abetenim then what my parents need to do is only the school fees which I know they can get.
My name is Henry Yeboah, I am 16 years old and I am in JHS 3. I like science and I want to be a pharmacist in the future. The only way for me to achieve this goal is to be able to have secondary education but currently the nearest secondary school is Juaben senior high school which is 3-4 miles from Abetenim. So students from the village either rent a room in Juaben or stay in the boarding house which are both expensive. I for example do not know whether this year I can go to senior high school after the exams or not but if there was to be senior high school in Abetenim I know my parents could afford my school fees.
I am called Sarfo Bismark, I am 15 years old and I am in JHS 2. I want to be a teacher when I grow up, I like mathematics. I will be very happy to have senior high school in my village ( Abetenim) because it will encourage us to learn harder knowing that you can have access to secondary education even if your parents are poor since there is a senior high school close by no need to worry about expensive boarding fees,transportation fees or renting a room etc. I can also help my parents in the farm on weekends or even after school so that my father do not worry about paying for additional labour because I cannot help while in school.
(2) 1- When you say Each "dorm courtyard" type mustn't cost more than 8000 USD, is a dorm courtyard one of the four blocks we see on the masterplan?
ANSWER: Yes, a dorm courtyard is one of the four blocks you see on the preliminary masterplan. It is # 7 as the legend suggests.
2 -Besides, how close to the masterplan do we have to stick? Can we redesign it a bit keeping the same implementation ideas?
ANSWER: Yes, you may redesign it a bit, keeping the same implementation ideas.
3- What prototypes will be built? One of each type or just one chosen between all projects?
ANSWER: We will build as many of the classroom designs as possible in line with the preliminary masterplan. Some modifications to a design entry may be necessary at the construction site.
(3) 1. For the dormitory units, is the bed and other furniture included in the 8000 USD building budget?
ANSWER: No
2. Is the common bathroom included in the 500m² and in the 8000 USD budget?
ANSWER: On the preliminary site plan, it is designed as a separate building. The final design is up to your design team. The common bathrooms can be a part of the dormitory or can remain as a separate unit.
Attachments:
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 7:56:18 GMT -6
Questions from newlife
(1) Hello, I have a question: Do we have to respect the landskape plan scheme you gave us?
Thank you
ANSWER: No. The landscape scheme is only an example.
(2) Hello, I read on the areas sheet that we can make for example a class room of 45 mq and that each of them is for 40 students. But it is not a too little space for so many kids?
ANSWER: If stated 45 sq meter for 40 students is not the best size for the classroom of your design, propose an alternative size by increasing the dimension of the classroom.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 8:01:51 GMT -6
Questions from architectschiizu
We have a couple of questions that we would like to ask:
1.) We understand that the current situation of the site is that there are no water pipping system, and the source of water is from a water-well using a hand pump. Can we design within our structure a water reservoir which could gather up rain water and make use of them. Or do our proposals & design have to take into account that water are sourced from the water-well and no plumbing systems are available.
ANSWER: Yes, you can design within your structure, a water reservoir which could gather up rain water and make use of them.
2.) How many stories can the building be?
ANSWER: We encourage a single story-building because the cost of a two-story building may be over the budget. But if you are able to design a two story building within budget, that is fine.
3.) From the site plan, we see that there are 4 dormitory buildings to be built. Are we able to make a proposal for all 4 buildings and connect them into one centralized community, or are we only able to make a proposal for a dormitory as a individual structure.
ANSWER: You only make a proposal for a dormitory as a individual structure.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 8:06:27 GMT -6
MORE QUESTIONS
1. Question from Gavito: (a) We also want to know if there is like a form - figure of the terrain? we talk about perimeter... and how much space are we talking about? in square meters... please so we can have an idea of how big can be the project
(b) About the terrain where the school is going to locate... we understand that the only reference that we have is Google earth.. we can see that there are some constructions, so one question is if we have to respect that? ? or pretend that all is land.
ANSWER: The site for the school is about 14 acres. In terms of terrain, it is best to use Google map to type in "Abetenim" and you will get the idea of the topography of the site. It is generally a flat land with tree on most part of the land. There is no construction on the site yet; it is all vacant land waiting for your design response.
2. Question from Mena: About network and grid: provided that electricity is necessary, are there other needs we should be aware of (water, gas boiler, wifi...) and for which typologies?
ANSWER: Yes, there is electricity in Abetenim by public grid. Gas boiler and wifi are not necessary as the vilage is rural. There is water by a community bore hole but not yet piped out into the houses in the community. It is of the hand-pump type that the people go to fetch water to meet daily need.
3. Questions from Mena: I am developing one of the blocks of classrooms, so the project will have two classrooms and a small bathroom. Can I therefore imply that now the cost is double, since I have two classrooms ad not one? Also: is the bathroom required for the classroom type?
ANSWER: No, bathroom is not required for the classroom type. The bathroom type will be a separate unit with many bathrooms for common use. A block of two classrooms @ 40 sq meter per classroom? $8000 will do it as the construction will be by community labor, but that will depend on your design. If your design is elaborate, then focus your budget on one classroom and treat the second classroom as an incremental unit to be built next as a second phase of the construction.
4. Question from Mena: Construction cost for the materials of the project should not exceed USD 8000, The classroom type is 40 sq mt, the cafeteria around 500 sq mt. Can you please clarify this? The cost of a 40 sq mt building cannot be the same of a 500 sq mt one, right?
ANSWER: This question is already answered this page above.
It suggests that you may design the cafeteria type around 500 sq meters to be built in phases by breaking up the cafeteria courtyard into units and then focus your budget on one unit. And keep in mind that the 8000 USD is mainly for materials, labor will be supplied by the community.
5. Question from Vittoria: Doing research about the climate of the site, we have not come up with an enough accurate wind analysis. Can you provide for it? Must we get through it by ourselves?
ANSWER: Here are links to meteorological information about this area of Ghana at various times of the year:
www.windfinder.com/weather-maps/forecast#7/6.850/-1.368 and www.timeanddate.com/weather/ghana/kumasi
Ashanti Region of Ghana falls within the warm-humid climatic zone. Air temperatures remain moderately high, between 21 and 32 degrees C, with little variation between day and night. Wild direction is southwesterly; the predominant wind direction in the region is from west/southwest to east/northeast sectors. From November to March, there is northeasterly trade wind that comes from the North East, bringing hot and dusty air from the Sahara desert. It is called Harmattan. The Harmattan is a cold-dry and dusty trade wind, blowing over the entire country.
6. Questions from Jaap and Anna:
Can you elaborate on the spatial plan of the cafeteria ( for example: what should be the size of the kitchen approximately, do we need a storage room? etc.)
ANSWER: There are two group of students, the day students and the boarders. Boarders are the students who live on campus in the dorms. The cafeteria serves the boarders only.
How is the lunch organised at the school? Is there a central lunch at one specific time, or do students eat at different times? How is lunch served? Also breakfast and dinner? How will the food be prepared? Open fire, furnace, gas?
ANSWER: There a central breakfast, lunch and dinner at specific times of the day. Lunch is served in the afternoon soon after the school hours.
How will the food be prepared? Open fire, furnace, gas?
ANSWER: Open fire, furnace, and gas are all options for various types of cuisine.
Is it necessary that the cafeteria can be locked over night or is it more like an open structure?
ANSWER: Yes, it is necessary that the cafeteria can be locked over night.
With regard to potential building materials we would like to know if bambus is available in the area as a possible construction material? Costs?
ANSWER: By bambus I assume you mean bamboo. You are free to design you building with bamboo. During the construction, local hard (iron) wood would be in place of the bamboo. There is a local stereotype associated with building with bamboo because the common local species of bamboo are not for durable construction, they are only suitable for temporary housing.
Can you provide us with some more details with regard to climatologic conditions in the area? How often does it rain (any data on amounts?, is there a prevailing winddirection?, average temperature, day-night?
ANSWER: Here are links to meteorological information about this area of Ghana:
www.windfinder.com/weather-maps/forecast#7/6.850/-1.368 and www.timeanddate.com/weather/ghana/kumasi
7. Question from Clara: I have an important question about the price "RAMMED EARTH".material.
Our team founded the Prices for the adobe ( bricks) ...but it's really difficult try to estimate the price for the Pisè CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE.
Could you help me?
Thanks a lot
ANSWER: In this case, do a fair estimate, an approximation.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 9:17:58 GMT -6
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 9:32:12 GMT -6
Question from dingjay
Hello organizers,
Question for the classroom type: it says on the estimating sheet that we need 27 classrooms. However, it is planned to start building with 1 and then co-join another.
Do we have to take in detail consideration of the number 27? or that is just an estimation?
Thank you.
ANSWER: 27 classrooms is our estimate for the school population of 500 students. Yes, it is an estimate. You will have to take into consideration one courtyard/cluster of classrooms that your design will be a part.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 9:34:31 GMT -6
Question from metwaly
Hello,
I'd like to ask about the classroom areas, in the areas sheet there is to ideas, the first is the recommended area is 40m2 and the second is the practical action is 60m2 with 1.3m2 per student. which one should we stick with ?.
Thank you
ANSWER: The task is to design a classroom for 45 students per room. Whether the dimension is 40m2 or 60m2 would be relative to the design concept. The figures are estimates, just to guide your design thinking.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 9:37:06 GMT -6
Question from robertsoares
Hi.
I apologize if my question sounds stupid, but now I'm confused. In the document on which are the areas for each building of the school, there is a dimension of 4.5 x 9.0 marked as "REQUIRED" for the classrooms. So, even if I don't agree with this dimensions, because it represents little space for 45 students, I followed this as a guideline for my project.
As others spaces have the dimensions marked as "SUGGESTED" and not "REQUIRED", I think you'll should clarify if we can or cannot make a classroom a little bigger to fit all the 45 students with minimum comfort, or if we need to keep the dimension "REQUIRED", as stated in that document.
ANSWER: Yes, you can make a classroom a little bigger to fit all the 45 students.
If I don't agree with the suggested dimension, because it represents little space for 45 students, then design your classroom of the dimension you believe would be ideal.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 9:39:01 GMT -6
Questions from scullye
(1) I just want to confirm if the size of the presentation we have to submit really is only one A1. It looks like in the previous competitions there were three A1 allowed, so I just wanted to be sure since it's a little bit hard to fit everything in one board. Thank you very much!
ANSWER: Yes, it is as in the design brief: submit only one A1 presentation board on your design.
(2) I'm doing the dormitory type.
When you say 'you may re-design the dorm courtyard to create a type to be built in phases (stages / incremental) by breaking up the dorm courtyard into units' , is it EACH of those units of which cost must not exceed more than 8000 US$, or is it the whole type that they form when they are all put together (aka one of the four dormitory blocks we can see in the master plan)?
Thank you!
ANSWER: The budget of 8000 US$ is for EACH unit of the dorm courtyard.
(3) Also, it has been said in the main forum post that there is no need for bathrooms for someone who chooses to design classrooms. We can see on the master plan that there are a few toilet blocks nearby the dorms. But in the PDF ' Areas. Design a school for rural 1.22.2016', it is said in the notes 'Bedroom with bunk beds, common bathrooms ...'. So does that mean that we also need to design the common bathrooms? If so, are they part of the type?
Thanks again!
ANSWER: You asked: "...does that mean that we also need to design the common bathrooms?" This will depend on the dorm type you design. Below are two dorm designs with different sanitation needs, Dorm Toilet Type A and Dorm Toilet Type B. Dorm Toilet Type A has toilet and bath shared by a cluster of 4 rooms; and Type B has a toilet end that consists of several toilets and bathrooms shared by all students.
For the reason of sanitation, the school dorms in the region usually have shared toilets that are outside the dorm rooms / sleeping areas. The shared toilets can be a small unit outside the building (see Toilet Building Type below) or can be situated at one end of the dorm building (see Dorm Toilets Type B) below. Whichever type is your choice, the toilets / baths should be in proximity to the dorm considering the number of students to using the building.
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 9:44:22 GMT -6
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Post by Nka on Mar 28, 2016 10:36:22 GMT -6
Question from ayesha munavar
how many people are allowed in a team entry ?
and approximately how large will the size of site be on which the school has to be constructed?
ANSWER: There is no limit of how many designers should be in your team to participate.
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adel
New Member
Posts: 3 
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Post by adel on Mar 30, 2016 0:21:34 GMT -6
QUESTIONS FROM ADEL:
(1) Hi, I need a more detailed map for the site please..showing the coordinates and the north direction..thank you
ANSWER: Here is a Google Map of the area showing the north direction.
With this information, you can search the name "Abetenim" on Google map to get other details you may need.
(2) Thank you so much..but i need to know is it possible to extend over this rectangular space?? or this is our boundaries??
ANSWER: Yes, it is possible to extend over this rectangular space.
(3) i need to know the exact places of the palms and trees that we must keep in the site...also i don't understand how every team will design an entry for only one function??what about the rest of the school..?? If a team designed a classroom type and won..what will happen to the rest of the spaces?? also we will submit the total layout of the project and focus only on one function to design??
ANSWER:
About the palms and trees, those that interfer with the building plan will be uprooted and new ones planted in places, as a part of the landscape designing of the school. About how every team will design an entry, every team will design a unit of one function, such as one classroom out of a courtyard of classrooms, or one house out of the teachers quarters, or one dorm out of the dorm courtyard, etc.
You also asked: "If a team designed a classroom type and won.. what will happen to the rest of the spaces?" There are no looser teams in our design-build competitions. All design teams will have the chance to build their design. We expect to build up to 27 classrooms; by this, each design team will design and build one of the 27 classrooms.
And yes, focus your design only on one unit of a cluster, and not the whole courtyard/function.
Once the design submissions are in and the jury process is concluded to determine the prize winning designs, the Top 20 Design Entries and the Honorable Mentions, according to the highest scores. Nka will issue an invitation to the selected design teams to build their project based on site. Other design teams that would so much like to build their designs, irrespective of the results of the competition, will be invited to build their designs at Abetenim in Ghana, Singida in Tanzania or another rural site that Nka will source for the realization of the entries in the 2016 competition.
And keep in mind that from October 29, 2016 – January 31, 2017, we are organzing a site-based building workshop to piece together all the selected design entries to create the final Masterplan of the school based on site at Abetenim. The workshop will continued with the construction of the first classroom on the site.
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Post by kostas on Mar 30, 2016 5:16:17 GMT -6
Hi,
I have 3 questions
First i have a little problem about the cots. I can't really tell how much it will cost. I mean if 1 bag of cement costs 8$ i dont' know how many bags my design will need. or if we can use some of the trees we'll cut.
So.. I have in mind that the economy is a great factor in this design, can i exclude the price from my final submission? i will think and design with very cheap materials and economy but i won't know the exact price of the project.
I understand the reason you put 8k$ in the project and i won't submit a glass tower but i find it hard to say the exact cost
ANSWER: No, you cannot exclude the budget from your final submission. If you are unsure, you may estimate the costs of construction. Keep in mind that the building will be by community labor, so the most part will be the building materials and special labor that may not be available in the local community. Depending on your design, the cost of the foundation works may be about 30%, walling 30-40%, roofing about 20% and fittings and landscaping about 20% . You may use, as referent, some of the entries in our previous competition that are of similar sq meter as your design. See them: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/30/submitted-entries-1st-list
and 2
Is there a source for recycled materials? I mean bottles, aluminium, tires etc?
ANSWER: Yes
and finally
I'll design a classroom so can it be semi open?? i mean no doors or windows? I've searched about the climate in the region and there's no need for heating (of course the classroom will be rainproof)
ANSWER: Yes. And you may use Jali windows in place of metal or wooden windows.
But your school building must have a door because you are also designing for security. Keep in mind that at Abetenim, the wood to be used for window and doors will be available through the community, it will be harvested from the nearby forest. The cost will be for the gas money to the chainsaw man.
thanks
* one more question. Can we use the trees that will be cut from the area as parts of our design? beams, columns etc? And also what types of trees are there? palm trees , bamboo or else..?
ANSWER: Yes. At Abetenim, there is a forest nearby with hardwood for the building construction.
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aglae
New Member
Posts: 5 
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Post by aglae on Mar 30, 2016 11:36:58 GMT -6
MORE QUESTIONS
1. Question from Gavito: (a) We also want to know if there is like a form - figure of the terrain? we talk about perimeter... and how much space are we talking about? in square meters... please so we can have an idea of how big can be the project
(b) About the terrain where the school is going to locate... we understand that the only reference that we have is Google earth.. we can see that there are some constructions, so one question is if we have to respect that? ? or pretend that all is land.
ANSWER: The site for the school is about 14 acres. In terms of terrain, it is best to use Google map to type in "Abetenim" and you will get the idea of the topography of the site. It is generally a flat land with tree on most part of the land. There is no construction on the site yet; it is all vacant land waiting for your design response.
2. Question from Mena: About network and grid: provided that electricity is necessary, are there other needs we should be aware of (water, gas boiler, wifi...) and for which typologies?
ANSWER: Yes, there is electricity in Abetenim by public grid. Gas boiler and wifi are not necessary as the vilage is rural. There is water by a community bore hole but not yet piped out into the houses in the community. It is of the hand-pump type that the people go to fetch water to meet daily need.
3. Questions from Mena: I am developing one of the blocks of classrooms, so the project will have two classrooms and a small bathroom. Can I therefore imply that now the cost is double, since I have two classrooms ad not one? Also: is the bathroom required for the classroom type?
ANSWER: No, bathroom is not required for the classroom type. The bathroom type will be a separate unit with many bathrooms for common use. A block of two classrooms @ 40 sq meter per classroom? $8000 will do it as the construction will be by community labor, but that will depend on your design. If your design is elaborate, then focus your budget on one classroom and treat the second classroom as an incremental unit to be built next as a second phase of the construction.
4. Question from Mena: Construction cost for the materials of the project should not exceed USD 8000, The classroom type is 40 sq mt, the cafeteria around 500 sq mt. Can you please clarify this? The cost of a 40 sq mt building cannot be the same of a 500 sq mt one, right?
ANSWER: This question is already answered this page above.
It suggests that you may design the cafeteria type around 500 sq meters to be built in phases by breaking up the cafeteria courtyard into units and then focus your budget on one unit. And keep in mind that the 8000 USD is mainly for materials, labor will be supplied by the community.
5. Question from Vittoria: Doing research about the climate of the site, we have not come up with an enough accurate wind analysis. Can you provide for it? Must we get through it by ourselves?
ANSWER: Here are links to meteorological information about this area of Ghana at various times of the year:
www.windfinder.com/weather-maps/forecast#7/6.850/-1.368 and www.timeanddate.com/weather/ghana/kumasi
Ashanti Region of Ghana falls within the warm-humid climatic zone. Air temperatures remain moderately high, between 21 and 32 degrees C, with little variation between day and night. Wild direction is southwesterly; the predominant wind direction in the region is from west/southwest to east/northeast sectors. From November to March, there is northeasterly trade wind that comes from the North East, bringing hot and dusty air from the Sahara desert. It is called Harmattan. The Harmattan is a cold-dry and dusty trade wind, blowing over the entire country.
6. Questions from Jaap and Anna:
Can you elaborate on the spatial plan of the cafeteria ( for example: what should be the size of the kitchen approximately, do we need a storage room? etc.)
ANSWER: There are two group of students, the day students and the boarders. Boarders are the students who live on campus in the dorms. The cafeteria serves the boarders only.
How is the lunch organised at the school? Is there a central lunch at one specific time, or do students eat at different times? How is lunch served? Also breakfast and dinner? How will the food be prepared? Open fire, furnace, gas?
ANSWER: There a central breakfast, lunch and dinner at specific times of the day. Lunch is served in the afternoon soon after the school hours.
How will the food be prepared? Open fire, furnace, gas?
ANSWER: Open fire, furnace, and gas are all options for various types of cuisine.
Is it necessary that the cafeteria can be locked over night or is it more like an open structure?
ANSWER: Yes, it is necessary that the cafeteria can be locked over night.
With regard to potential building materials we would like to know if bambus is available in the area as a possible construction material? Costs?
ANSWER: By bambus I assume you mean bamboo. You are free to design you building with bamboo. During the construction, local hard (iron) wood would be in place of the bamboo. There is a local stereotype associated with building with bamboo because the common local species of bamboo are not for durable construction, they are only suitable for temporary housing.
Can you provide us with some more details with regard to climatologic conditions in the area? How often does it rain (any data on amounts?, is there a prevailing winddirection?, average temperature, day-night?
ANSWER: Here are links to meteorological information about this area of Ghana:
www.windfinder.com/weather-maps/forecast#7/6.850/-1.368 and www.timeanddate.com/weather/ghana/kumasi
7. Question from Usama: NKA, in one part of the brief, "submission of entries is until May 31, 2016"; while in other parts, it says: "submission of entries will be from April 15 to 30, 2016."!!! What is the correct submission deadline actually?! Thank you, NKA...
ANSWER: (a) Submission date as May 31 was in error. The registration deadline is April 25, 2016 and submission of entries is April 15 to 30, 2016.
(b) ... I’ve already arranged all the schedules of my students, my staff, and myself. I’ve prepared and solved all the related academic issues for my students to be able to share in such competition! And you now simply say it was a “typographical error”?! I’m clearly asking you now to permit my student’s submission until May 31st, 2016, as it is clearly mentioned in the competition brief…
Usama…
ANSWER: If it is as you have explained, proceed to submit the design entry from your students by May 27, 2016 as you stated in the email. I will inform the jury to await the entry.
8. Question from Clara: I have an important question about the price "RAMMED EARTH".material.
Our team founded the Prices for the adobe ( bricks) ...but it's really difficult try to estimate the price for the Pisè CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE.
Could you help me?
Thanks a lot
ANSWER: In this case, do a fair estimate, an approximation.
Question from Virginie: I also note submissions on May 31. Can I post my entry on may 27 as the students team above? If not, I won't be able to participate. Thanks
ANSWER: Yes, you may post your design entry on May 27 as the student team above. The answers above apply to all competing design teams.
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Post by emaoudee on Mar 30, 2016 13:38:33 GMT -6
Hello,
You mention in the pdf's presentation a library type for the school, but we can't see it on the master plan nor in any text.
Is it possible anyway to submit a library ?
Thank you for your answer
ANSWER: Yes, go ahead to design and submit a library type for the school.
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Post by GC101 on Mar 31, 2016 16:31:26 GMT -6
QUESTION:
How mush does building with Rammed earth cost per m2 with labour included?
ANSWER: As noted, the school building project is a community project, the labor will be supplied by the community. The local earth is free, but you need to purchase materials to create formwork system, rebar (if needed in your design), and some bags of cement or trips of quarry dust to mix with the earth. The cost per m2 will also be relative to the thickness of the wall. As I suggested above, the parts of the budget you are unsure about, just do an estimate.
Are there any experienced rammed earth builders close to the village or are the people from the village educated how to build with this material?
ANSWER: At Abetenim, we have done many rammed earth project, so the local builders are skilled in this area. Here are a few site photos to point you in that direction.  
2015 Rammed Earth Building Workshop led by Angeles Hevia Vargas, architect from Chile
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Post by eleonora on Apr 1, 2016 12:32:10 GMT -6
Good afternoon,
I have some question about the estimated cost of the building.
- Our team wants to realise walls with atakpamé technique. Will the earth be extract from the site or we need to buy sand bags or clay bags? how much does them cost and how much does a bag weight?
ANSWER: For the atakpamé technique, the earth will be extract from the site or nearby. The atakpamé technique is local version of cob construction. At Abetenim, red earth and water is mixed and the mud is used to build the entire wall. The local soil has a good mix of sand, gravel and earth; the building will just add water, mix and build up the wall.
- If we want to add coconut fibers to the mixture do we have to buy them or it is possible to obtain them handcrafted? If we have to buy them, how much is it for a bag/kg/other kind of measure?
ANSWER: Yes, you can add coconut fibers or grass to the soil mixture. The coconut fibers is main a free material. It is commonly use as firewood. If you need a large amount, it will have to be sources outside the village. For harvesting and transporting them to the site (by out sourcing) budget $200.
- What kind of stone do you use for foundation (laterite, granite, others)? and what is the price for row stone or squared stone?
ANSWER: Rocks and gravel are abundant in the community, which will need to be nixed with earth and cement as concrete for pouring the foundation. You can instead purchase granite of sizes as in the picture below from a stone quarry in the region.
  
Construction of Sankofa House, designed and built by M.A.M.O.T.H. Association from France, 2015
- We saw that palm farming is largely diffused. Is it possible to use palm oil to compact the floor inside the buildings?
ANSWER: Yes, it is possible, except the cost.
- We saw that there's a forest nearby Abetenim. Is it possible to use wood from that forest? If yes, how can I estimate the cost for a wooden beam? - We saw in a previous post (http://nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/14/cost-estimation) that framing lumber costs 1 USD. But what are the dimensions of the frame? And the ones of window blade?
ANSWER: Yes, it is possible to use wood from that forest. That is common practice.
For the estimate you can use nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/14/cost-estimation About the wooden beam it says: Budget $2 per linear foot. You may also look at the budget parts of over 100 design entries here: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/30/submitted-entries-1st-list
Thank you 
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jbcg
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by jbcg on Apr 2, 2016 11:08:10 GMT -6
Hi, we are currently designing a dormitory unit for about 100 students as stated on the masterplan. We have a few questions:
1- If we include toilets and showers in the units, is it possible to have a higher budget? Besides, could you give us a approximate number of toilets / showers we should include per student?
ANSWER: Stay with the budget. You may instead design a dormitory unit for about 50 students.
About the approximate number of toilets / showers to be included for about 50 students, I consider 6 toilets and 8 bathrooms appropriate.
2- We plan to use bamboo for our roof structure. We saw on the internet that bamboo is available in Ghana. Can you confirm it is the case in Abetenim area and what is the bigger thickness / length of bamboos there?
ANSWER:
Bamboo is available in Ghana, but we have not heeded to bamboo for reasons of typology and cost. The common local species bamboo need to be chemically treated for use in building construction, this raises costs. We find it simpler to use local hard wood that are resistant to termites and weather conditions. I must also explain that in this region, stereotypes exist about building houses with bamboo, thatching with grass and building with mud. These are not highly regarded. They are used for building ephemeral structures.
3- Can we consider that there will be a water pipe and a waste-water drainage built before the school units construction or do we have to deign dry toilets or else? If so what would you suggest for the showers?
ANSWER: Designing a self-sustaining dormitory unit for about 50 students (with everything in place) should have a bigger impact on everyone. If so what would I suggest for the showers? By self-sustaining dormitory, I imply that the water from the shower may be channel by drainage to water the plants that are of the landscape design of the dormitory unit. The toilets can be dry composting or any one of the sewage pit systems that is popular in the region.
Thank you
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Post by jelena on Apr 2, 2016 11:53:24 GMT -6
My team is currently developing a design for the classroom clusters of the school. We had a few questions regarding the use of materials. We also need some clarification regarding the masterplan so that we are in line with the competition requirements.
1. The stated price for one unit or cluster of classrooms must not exceed 8000$, does this include the labour force or just the material used for the built? ANSWER: Just the material used for the built. The school building project is a community project, the local labor will be supplied by the community.
2. One of the documents listed as important to read was "Schools in Developing countries" where it is stated that for each classroom there has to be a room/office for the teacher used also as a storage room for teaching purposes. We know that this is a design issue, so is it expected that we include this in our cluster design or this will be a topic for the teams tackling the administration?
ANSWER: Offices will be a topic for the teams tackling the administration building design.
3. Do you have any knowledge regarding the price for Reed which we initially planned to use as a roofing material, or can you maybe suggest where we could contact any local firms or companies that are specialised in thatching in order to find out the prices and building regulations for these building techniques?
ANSWER: Reed is not common in Ghana, it is hard to find in the region. Grass thatching is practiced mainly in the Northern
part of the country. In the project area, the convention is metal roof.
4. The footprint of our cluster design should be exact as the one suggested on the masterplan or we are allowed to give a proposal for a different typology (are we free to suggest different spatial solution for the clusters that differ the ones already given)?
ANSWER: Yes, you are allowed to give a proposal for a different typology, whichever is the best will be implemented.
5. To what extent should we follow the masterplan? Are there any limitations and can you name them so our design proposal fits the requirements. ANSWER: The masterplan is not a part for for you in the design competition. You part is to design just one of the school buildings. Read some of the ANSWERS above, you will realize that the school plan is rather a proposal. The final site plan will be done based on site after the results of design entries are out.
6. What would be the cost of labour force for making ISSB (Interlocking Stabilized Soil blocks) vs Rammed earth construction, and are there experienced workers who have knowledge in theses building technologies? ANSWER: We have manual press for making Stabilized Soil blocks and cement blocks; and the local builders have rich experience in this area. For the Interlocking Stabilized Soil blocks, we are yet to employ that type in building at Abetenim. To purchase Interlocking Stabilized Soil blocks from the market, it is expensive.
Thank you!
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Post by ilaria on Apr 3, 2016 6:17:42 GMT -6
Hello NKA,
I would like to have clarifications about submissions dates: i've read a post in which you allow a team to submit design entry after 30th April (official date) but I think that everyone has to compete with the same conditions ( especially available time to design ).
I hope you will find a solution.
Thank you in advance.
ANSWER: The submission dates are as posted above (and I am inserting it below). It is not that we have allowed a school team to submit design entry after 30th April, it is available to any other school team. Yes, it applies to everyone. But if you are seriously contest it, Nka will have to ask the teams that are not able to submit by 30th April to withdraw from the competition and the registration fee will be refunded.
IMPORTANT FINAL DATES
STEP 1: Submit an A1 Presentation Board of your design and design statement to mudhousedesign@mail.com by April 15 - 30, 2016. The image should be in high resolution of about 15 MB. See the competition’s design brief for instruction about this.
STEP 2: Post a low jpg version of design and design statement to this page: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/59/submitted-design-entries by May 27 - May 31, 2016. The file size of the design needs to be less than 600 kb. Include only your ENTRY # (no name and other personal information should be included, less the Jury disqualifies your entry). Please, see the design brief for the instruction.
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Post by jelena on Apr 5, 2016 10:51:22 GMT -6
I am confused by the requirements:
1)“The task is to design a classroom for 45 students per room.”
2)“27 classrooms is our estimate for the school population of 500 students” -> This would results in an average 500/27=18.5 students per classroom, which is much less than 45. Is perhaps the number of classrooms or the total number of students wrong in the requirement you gave?
3)If the nuber of students per classroom is 45 than multiplied by 27 gives a bigger number of total students than 600.
Can you please clarify this?
Thank you1
ANSWER: This question has been answered several times in above threads. The task of a design team in the competition is to design just one classroom, so, don't be concerned about stated number of classrooms. The site plan you mentioned is only the preliminary design. There will be a workshop at the site in October to conduct site analysis and generate the Masterplan for the school. And they will look at all the designs that has been accepted for construction to create the School Masterplan.
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Post by Nka on Apr 5, 2016 13:35:30 GMT -6
QUESTION FROM thedo
Hey! I'm planning only toilets (on the urban plan n° 13) which are standing free on the campus. For how many persons should the block be?
ANSWER: On the proposed school site plan, the toilet/bath building is n° 13 and is in three different locations. On the plan the design is not finalize or specific to the capacity of the building(s) that it serves. With this mind, you will need to some research best practices about "school latrine design" for developing countries to create an innovate toilet building design to make your design stand out. In response therefore to the question of how many persons should the toilet block be for the dorm area, 40 users will be in order. It is usual that male and female toilet/bath are in separate wings.
At Abetenim, a design-build workshop about sustainable latrine (toilet building) has just been concluded. The workshop was conducted by Solterre Design: www.facebook.com/SolterreBuildForGhana Here are some construction photos of the toilets they did for the community library and school.
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Post by MAJA on Apr 5, 2016 14:42:25 GMT -6
Hi,
a question about classroom design.
The budget of 8000$ concerns only one classroom (45 students) or one unit from the typology(clusters)?
Thank you.
ANSWER: Yes, The budget of 8000$ concerns only one classroom (45 students).
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Post by marianamarmelada on Apr 6, 2016 10:37:58 GMT -6
Good afternoon,
We've sent this exact email to the organization almost 3 weeks ago, and we still got no answer back,we would like some answers since our design or solutions depend on them.
ANSWER: Sorry about that . I was on fieldwork in rural parts of East Africa.
"We've decide to design the classroom type and now we have another few questions:
A) - We would like to know the details of local foundation techniques, is it a 50cm block made of rocks and concrete for the entire floor or traditionally you have another method?
(You already answer some other posts about it) So we ask: What should be considered in the cost? The formwork? What about digging the trench (will it be by hand or which the help of heavy machinery? If so does that enters in the cost since it'll not be made by volunteers but specialized workers)?
ANSWER: The question about local foundation techniques has been answered above. It provides some text and shows photos of two examples of local foundation techniques.
About the cost, the costs of constructing the entire formwork system (materials and labor) should be in your budget, as would be other parts of the construction that need to be done by specialized workers.
And the foundation trench will be by hand, as the building construction is mainly manual. Keep in mind that there is an electric concrete mixer and some electric power tools for your use in regard to construction machinery.
B) - Is it possible to have a few more picture of the construction site?
(REALLY IMPORTANT!)
ANSWER: And here is the link to a thesis about the Abetenim project site: yadi.sk/i/7LUceDtogPdRb “How to make a difference: Toward a socially conscious design in the village of Abetenim, Ghana” - A 2014 Post Graduate Thesis by Achinoam Weinstein and Giovanna Gaioni at Politecnico di Milano, Italy.
Also See this video:
A design response to our 10x10 Shelter Challenge by Valentina Dall'Orto as a part of her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Architecture at the Politecnico of Milan, Piacenza, Italy.
C) - What kind of materials are available in the area that we can use with no cost since the labour will be voluntary? For exemple:
1) Is there bamboo or any canebrake of any sort nearby? (Already answered that bamboo will be replace for iron wood - how much does that wood cost? and what dimensions can it has?)
ANSWER: See the list: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/48/4th-earth-architecture-competition it is under "Q. Where do I find information about the costs of local building materials?"
2) By the picture we could see that there are some palm trees, is there any other type of trees that we can use (we know there are some trees that you want to preserve, so not those ones)?
ANSWER: The site is populated mainly by palm trees. There are many species of local hard wood to build with. For detail see: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/13/locally-sourced-wood-structure
3) Is there any straw on the field that could be use to make ropes? (REALLY IMPORTANT!)
ANSWER: There is grass, and there is rattan for making ropes. Ropes can also be purchased from the market, of the jute type or the synthetic kind.
4) Does the construction of rammed earth walls have any cost associated with it? How much does a cubic meter or a square meter of a 50/60cm wall costs? (AGAIN REALLY IMPORTANT!)"
ANSWER: This question has been answered a thread above. There are several variables: wall thickness, the aggregates in the mixture, size and materials (metal or wood) used to construct the formwork, ramming tools, etc. When you are unsure of the exact cost: list all the tools/materials needed and provide an estimate in place of an itemized budget. Instead of spending much of the time to generate an itemized budget, you may do an estimate after you have designed the unit, and spend much of the time on design research to a generate an appropriate classroom design for the tropical climate. I would think that a design solution that stand out (way above the general expectations) with a budget estimate is better than the reverse.
UPDATE: Someone asked you about solar exposition on the site and you answered with this picture
Here it says that at noon the suns comes from the North and that the South is always on shadow. But we google about sunrise and sunset in Ghana and we found this
Here it shows that the sun rises on the East, at Noon is to the South and sets on the West. We would like to know which of them is the correct one. Which side is on shadow most part of the day? South or North?
ANSWER: To keep it simple, in places at the Equator the sun rises in the East at noon there is no shadow because the sun is overhead. Ghana is just a few degrees north of the equator. Right? So, at noon the shadow cast would be a little bit to North.
If still in doubt, use the Google document and use that as the source. At this stage, it is not a big issue, you can adjust the angle of the building at the site during the construction. Of course, you may plant shade trees as part of your landscape design. The trees will provide needed shade, as one resolution to the problem.
Thanks for everything,
We'll be waiting for your answer.
Sincerely,
Mariana Marmelada
Weronika Zukowska
Stefani Berginc
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Post by giuliamarchetto on Apr 8, 2016 1:41:36 GMT -6
Good morning NKA,
sorry to ask this question again but it's just to make things clear to everybody (I hope). We are partecipating as a team and we already paid our participation fee. We decided to partecipate mainly because in the brief we read that the submission deadline was 31/05.
We wanted to ask you if it's then possible to submit our design later than 30/04. We've read in the forum that you've told some teams to submit it later, to others you've told to use the official dates... I'm sorry but your answers are contradicting and I just cannot understand.
We really want to partecipate and to make a good project, so I hope that you'll consider extending the deadline to May. I think that many teams are in the same situation.
If you could please give a final answer to everyone I think it will be very useful.
Thank you very much, kind regards.
Giulia
ANSWER: We have extended the submission deadline, it is as follows:
FINAL SUBMISSION DATES
STEP 1: Submit an A1 Presentation Board of your design and design statement to mudhousedesign@mail.com by April 15 – May 30, 2016. The image should be in high resolution of about 15 MB.
STEP 2: Post a low jpg version of design and design statement to this page: nkaprojects.boards.net/thread/59/submitted-design-entries by May 27 - May 31, 2016.
The file size of the design needs to be less than 600 kb.
SUBMISSION FORMAT: (1) Text file (Word format) containing the design statement (300 words max) for publication purposes. The design statement should include material description, budget in USD, and the entrants’ personal information including name, profession, address, and email address. (2) One A1 presentation board submitted as a JPG file of high-quality resolution (15 MB) to be printed in landscape format. For uploading to the competition’s projects board, the file size of the presentation board to be submitted must not exceed 600 kb. The upper right corner of the board must contain the entry ticket number. There should not be any marks or any other form of identification, less the entry is disqualified. The file must be named after the ticket number followed. For example, 112334567.jpg (for your presentation board). The presentation board includes the floor plan, roof plan and elevations. The project statement should explain the design. Submissions must be in English language.
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