RACH:
Small Houses clusters of 8-10 kids- 1 mother
Two cottages back to back 20 kids- 2 house mothers.. 3 clusters
guest houses:
4- 8 guests
clean/ simple, modern design
resort/nightly stays:
Examples: Azucar, verana, clean simple, natural materials
clean/ systems approach
wadi attir
modern
opportunity to contribute give back
walking paths
pools
SITE: overall
buildings on hills for breeze, one story
earthen/ stone materials, on site materials
Shade structures
water patterns
Programming:
ag site:
soccer field:
outdoor showers
swimming pool
rainwater catchment
constructed wetlands
agriculture/ kitchen garden
energy sun wind
path system flow
community area/ library
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Ruiri Amani Community Home (RACH)
Notes from site visit and discussions on 13th March 2010
Prepared by Mark Querfurth, May 2010
Project Vision
To create a home for orphan and vulnerable children in Ruiri, Meru, Kenya.
The home is to be a good, safe place where the children to live and be cared for. A place from which they can walk to attend local schools. A home that is close to the communities from which the children originate, so that they can maintain contact with their extended families.
The home is to be laid out, designed and operated in such a way that it becomes self-sustaining. The goal is to set it up such that it will not require ongoing external funding into the future. This will involve addressing factors such as energy use, the cultivation of food crops to provide for the children and creating revenue-generating activities that will attract income from outside.
The Site
Location, Size & Ownership
IPI has been offered a site close to Ruiri.
The site is owned by the district council. The site is approximately 10 acres in total area and IPI have been offered the opportunity to select a 5-acre plot within that 10-acre total.
Access roads
The site is accessed via a dirt track that runs off the road from Meru.
Site Boundaries
The site is bounded on the east and west sides by dirt roads. There is a smaller dirt footpath that forms the southern boundary. The northern boundary appears to be less clearly defined. There is a track that crosses the north end of the site.
Character
The site is fairly open, with sparse cover of acacia trees and lower scrubby shrubs and bushes. The south-west corner of the site has been cleared and cultivated. The remainder of the site appears to be used by the people of the local community as common grazing land for their small herds of cattle and goats.
The topsoil appears to be very shallow, overlying limestone. The limestone is exposed on the surface and there are limestone boulders scattered across the site.
Topography
The site is gently sloping from high on the south-east to low in the north.
Water sources
There are three springs at the north-east end of the site. When we visited the springs were flowing but at a low rate. It appears that the animals that graze across the site drink at the springs.
Outline Schedule of Accommodation
The Home
Cottages for the children
Each cottage to provide accommodation for boys and girls and a housemother with a ratio of 10 children to 1 house mother.
Boys’ room
Girls’ room
Boys; bathroom
Girls’ bathroom
Housemother’s room
Housemother’s bathroom
Family room
Verandah
Laundry (external)
The cottages may be built back-to back in pairs such that the housemother’s can cooperate and cover for one another as necessary. Regarding construction economy, this would also offer the opportunity to share plumbing and drainage.
Communal facilities:
Administrative office
Reception
Communal hall
Library
Communal kitchen and bakery
Sports field / sports court for football / basketball
Swimming pool with changing rooms
Revenue-generating activities
Accommodation for visitors
On-site
Type 1- Dormitory-style accommodation for groups of visiting students from Kenya and abroad.
Boys’ dormitory
Girls’ dormitory
Boys bathroom
Girl’s bathroom
2no. teacher’s bedrooms with shared bathroom
Sitting / study room
Type 2 –Rooms for visiting volunteers and interns
Smaller, shared rooms with bathrooms
Off-site
Located on the hillside to the west of the site.
Type 3 – Self-catering holiday cottages for paying tourist guests
Type 4 – Guesthouse offering catered holiday accommodation.
5 double rooms, each with ensuite bathrooms and verandah
Dining room with terrace
Kitchen
Commercial food production
Kitchen and stores for the production of:
Goat cheese
Honey
Dried fruits
Tea
Dried herbs
Craft workshops
Agricultural activities
Fields for growing food crops to supply the kitchen
Chicken coop
Goat sheds
Rabbit hutches
Beehives
Posho mill. This needs to be located at a distance from the home because it makes a lot of noise.
Notes from site visit and discussions on 13th March 2010
Prepared by Mark Querfurth, May 2010
Project Vision
To create a home for orphan and vulnerable children in Ruiri, Meru, Kenya.
The home is to be a good, safe place where the children to live and be cared for. A place from which they can walk to attend local schools. A home that is close to the communities from which the children originate, so that they can maintain contact with their extended families.
The home is to be laid out, designed and operated in such a way that it becomes self-sustaining. The goal is to set it up such that it will not require ongoing external funding into the future. This will involve addressing factors such as energy use, the cultivation of food crops to provide for the children and creating revenue-generating activities that will attract income from outside.
The Site
Location, Size & Ownership
IPI has been offered a site close to Ruiri.
The site is owned by the district council. The site is approximately 10 acres in total area and IPI have been offered the opportunity to select a 5-acre plot within that 10-acre total.
Access roads
The site is accessed via a dirt track that runs off the road from Meru.
Site Boundaries
The site is bounded on the east and west sides by dirt roads. There is a smaller dirt footpath that forms the southern boundary. The northern boundary appears to be less clearly defined. There is a track that crosses the north end of the site.
Character
The site is fairly open, with sparse cover of acacia trees and lower scrubby shrubs and bushes. The south-west corner of the site has been cleared and cultivated. The remainder of the site appears to be used by the people of the local community as common grazing land for their small herds of cattle and goats.
The topsoil appears to be very shallow, overlying limestone. The limestone is exposed on the surface and there are limestone boulders scattered across the site.
Topography
The site is gently sloping from high on the south-east to low in the north.
Water sources
There are three springs at the north-east end of the site. When we visited the springs were flowing but at a low rate. It appears that the animals that graze across the site drink at the springs.
Outline Schedule of Accommodation
The Home
Cottages for the children
Each cottage to provide accommodation for boys and girls and a housemother with a ratio of 10 children to 1 house mother.
Boys’ room
Girls’ room
Boys; bathroom
Girls’ bathroom
Housemother’s room
Housemother’s bathroom
Family room
Verandah
Laundry (external)
The cottages may be built back-to back in pairs such that the housemother’s can cooperate and cover for one another as necessary. Regarding construction economy, this would also offer the opportunity to share plumbing and drainage.
Communal facilities:
Administrative office
Reception
Communal hall
Library
Communal kitchen and bakery
Sports field / sports court for football / basketball
Swimming pool with changing rooms
Revenue-generating activities
Accommodation for visitors
On-site
Type 1- Dormitory-style accommodation for groups of visiting students from Kenya and abroad.
Boys’ dormitory
Girls’ dormitory
Boys bathroom
Girl’s bathroom
2no. teacher’s bedrooms with shared bathroom
Sitting / study room
Type 2 –Rooms for visiting volunteers and interns
Smaller, shared rooms with bathrooms
Off-site
Located on the hillside to the west of the site.
Type 3 – Self-catering holiday cottages for paying tourist guests
Type 4 – Guesthouse offering catered holiday accommodation.
5 double rooms, each with ensuite bathrooms and verandah
Dining room with terrace
Kitchen
Commercial food production
Kitchen and stores for the production of:
Goat cheese
Honey
Dried fruits
Tea
Dried herbs
Craft workshops
Agricultural activities
Fields for growing food crops to supply the kitchen
Chicken coop
Goat sheds
Rabbit hutches
Beehives
Posho mill. This needs to be located at a distance from the home because it makes a lot of noise.
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