Nkoranza Orphanage; Weeks 7 - 17
Let Kids Smile Orphanage, Ghana; Architect’s Perspective
Week 7 Mon 19th March – Lintols and Gabels
Steady progress this week was marked by completion of the walls on the girls half of the new building so we can look forward to roof being started next week.
Kwasi the head mason pours the concrete lintols while another mason builds the gabels. On Saturdays we recruit volunteers to help and this week the girls cleared the area under the mango trees and rolled some trunks into place for seating. Views of the completed walls on the girls’ side. (The boys’ dormitories are located away from the kitchens and mother rooms!)
Week 8 Mon 26th March – Kakrakakra (slowly slowly)
Progress this week has been severely hampered by a national cement shortage. We have also been let down by our carpenter who was due to start building the roof this week so progress has been disappointing to say the least! However, I took the opportunity to set up Nuzungu Red Stars, an under 12’s orphanage football team that can play against other local teams.
Nuzungu U-12’s pose before first match and some tidying up
Week 9 Mon 2nd April – Roof starts at last
Cement has still been hard to come by and our wood supplier has been slow to deliver so again progress has been very slow this week but at least the roof has been started! It has also rained a couple of times and the increased humidity is very uncomfortable to work in. The spiral showers have been started for which the plumbing will consist of a bucket.
The spiral showers are started just in time for the rain! The kids love the rain but the masons are not so fond!
Week 10 Mon 9th April - National Cement Shortages
The carpenters continued to make slow progress on the roof as they worked out the curved profile and erected the heavy beams spanning the palm trunk posts. Meanwhile the wet trades are being severely delayed by a national cement shortage caused partly by energy blackouts and partly by inadequate national supply. The price of cement has doubled in 4 months so this is also affecting costs!
Tamara from Let Kids Smile helps paint the timber while the carpenters erect the beams that span the posts. The roof begins to take shape and the hand made concrete blocks are cast for the latrine. The carpenters seem oblivious to Health and Safety.
Week 11 Mon 16th April – Progress at last!
This has been the first week that cement, masons, carpenters and wood have all been on site together. This may not sound like a big deal but has taken about 4 weeks to organise! The roof is developing well and the roof covering has been installed over the kitchen area. About 30% of the veranda slab has been poured and the masons have started to build the latrine.
The roof is built up from 150mm rafters and noggins, 4mm ply, roofing felt, 50mm tile battens and 250mm concrete tiles. The roof structure is designed to form a secure backing for the ply and the wall plates and beams are tied down to the walls and posts with ties and straps. The timber is treated with creosote preservative. The latrine is 3m deep and is lined with a concrete slab and 150mm concrete blocks. The veranda slab is reinforced with 8mm steel rod and mesh and the rain helps to harden the concrete as it sets. Meanwhile the children are gorging themselves on mangos!
Week 12 Mon 23rd April – Topping Out, Almost!
Eager to maintain the momentum gained last week, this weeks installation of the roofing felt allowed internal work to begin in the main habitable rooms. 70% of the roof is now rainproof and the ceilings and electrics are well under way in all rooms. Roof tiling should start next week. A basic electrical layout is to be installed that can be powered by a generator or solar panels and be connected to the National Grid when it is extended to this area. Better to future proof now rather than have an electrician hack the new building to pieces in a couple of years time!
The ceiling frames are 66% complete and will support a suspended ply ceiling finished with ½ inch battens. Supplying wood is a tedious process as our supplier only seems to work if we are present in his workshop but so far he has not caused serious delays! The shutters and doors arrived this week but unfortunately we have had to condemn them all due to poor workmanship!
On a more positive note the masons made good progress this week completing 80% of the veranda slab and steps, 60% of the shower slabs, all the sub-ground latrine blockwork and plastering and 75% of the tall walls that form the central play area. All the concrete is reinforced with ‘iron rod’ and steel mesh. If all goes to plan they will complete the remaining walls early next week so that the final portion of roof can be started. Then, after the ceilings are complete and electrics installed they will start the plastering and finally screed the floors. That’s the plan anyway!
The roofing felt makes the building rainproof allowing the ceiling frames and wiring to be installed. The doors and shutters arrive on site but all seem to have been carved with a spoon. The shower slabs have been poured, the latrine plastered, the central walls progressed and the veranda slab and steps poured.
Week 13 Mon 30th April – New Arrivals
There was good progress this week although as I write this it doesn’t seem like it as nothing was actually completed! The rain is becoming more frequent and we lost one day, despite the fact it stopped raining at 8.30am - any old excuse! 40% of the internal plastering was completed and 50% of the roofing tile battens were installed. The plaster is actually 50mm mortar so the walls should be completely bomb proof by the time they are all finished! The carpenters spent a couple of days sanding the substandard doors and shutters but have not done enough to hide the cack-handed workmanship so it remains to be seen if they will be used or not.
The children are all well and there was a new addition this week. Lizzy, aged 9, is staying for a months trial. She is orphaned and her carer is unable to look after her. She is physically disabled but is reasonably independent and can wash and feed herself. She demands a lot of attention and likes to joke around (and cry a lot) but is settling in quite well.
The carpenters work on the ply ceilings whilst the window shutters are sanded. The electrician installs the circuits before the walls are plastered. The last of the palm trunk posts are trimmed down to size. The tile battens have been installed over the classroom but the children have already started lessons!
Week 14; Mon 7th May – Today we work!
This was probably the most productive week so far as there were no delays caused by rain or supplies and there were few unexplained absentees. I think the boys are worried that if they don’t finish before I go then they might not get paid!
The masons have been working in force and by the end of the week the plastering was 95% complete, the internal screeding was 85% complete and the showers were 90% complete.
Two teams of carpenters have been working on the roof and the ceilings. The middle section of roof is well under way and will form the large central covered living area. The ceilings are about 75% complete and the eaves have been sealed with mesh to allow for ventilation and prevent pests.
Let Kids Smile Orphanage, Ghana; Architect’s Perspective
Week 7 Mon 19th March – Lintols and Gabels
Steady progress this week was marked by completion of the walls on the girls half of the new building so we can look forward to roof being started next week.
Kwasi the head mason pours the concrete lintols while another mason builds the gabels. On Saturdays we recruit volunteers to help and this week the girls cleared the area under the mango trees and rolled some trunks into place for seating. Views of the completed walls on the girls’ side. (The boys’ dormitories are located away from the kitchens and mother rooms!)
Week 8 Mon 26th March – Kakrakakra (slowly slowly)
Progress this week has been severely hampered by a national cement shortage. We have also been let down by our carpenter who was due to start building the roof this week so progress has been disappointing to say the least! However, I took the opportunity to set up Nuzungu Red Stars, an under 12’s orphanage football team that can play against other local teams.
Nuzungu U-12’s pose before first match and some tidying up
Week 9 Mon 2nd April – Roof starts at last
Cement has still been hard to come by and our wood supplier has been slow to deliver so again progress has been very slow this week but at least the roof has been started! It has also rained a couple of times and the increased humidity is very uncomfortable to work in. The spiral showers have been started for which the plumbing will consist of a bucket.
The spiral showers are started just in time for the rain! The kids love the rain but the masons are not so fond!
Week 10 Mon 9th April - National Cement Shortages
The carpenters continued to make slow progress on the roof as they worked out the curved profile and erected the heavy beams spanning the palm trunk posts. Meanwhile the wet trades are being severely delayed by a national cement shortage caused partly by energy blackouts and partly by inadequate national supply. The price of cement has doubled in 4 months so this is also affecting costs!
Tamara from Let Kids Smile helps paint the timber while the carpenters erect the beams that span the posts. The roof begins to take shape and the hand made concrete blocks are cast for the latrine. The carpenters seem oblivious to Health and Safety.
Week 11 Mon 16th April – Progress at last!
This has been the first week that cement, masons, carpenters and wood have all been on site together. This may not sound like a big deal but has taken about 4 weeks to organise! The roof is developing well and the roof covering has been installed over the kitchen area. About 30% of the veranda slab has been poured and the masons have started to build the latrine.
The roof is built up from 150mm rafters and noggins, 4mm ply, roofing felt, 50mm tile battens and 250mm concrete tiles. The roof structure is designed to form a secure backing for the ply and the wall plates and beams are tied down to the walls and posts with ties and straps. The timber is treated with creosote preservative. The latrine is 3m deep and is lined with a concrete slab and 150mm concrete blocks. The veranda slab is reinforced with 8mm steel rod and mesh and the rain helps to harden the concrete as it sets. Meanwhile the children are gorging themselves on mangos!
Week 12 Mon 23rd April – Topping Out, Almost!
Eager to maintain the momentum gained last week, this weeks installation of the roofing felt allowed internal work to begin in the main habitable rooms. 70% of the roof is now rainproof and the ceilings and electrics are well under way in all rooms. Roof tiling should start next week. A basic electrical layout is to be installed that can be powered by a generator or solar panels and be connected to the National Grid when it is extended to this area. Better to future proof now rather than have an electrician hack the new building to pieces in a couple of years time!
The ceiling frames are 66% complete and will support a suspended ply ceiling finished with ½ inch battens. Supplying wood is a tedious process as our supplier only seems to work if we are present in his workshop but so far he has not caused serious delays! The shutters and doors arrived this week but unfortunately we have had to condemn them all due to poor workmanship!
On a more positive note the masons made good progress this week completing 80% of the veranda slab and steps, 60% of the shower slabs, all the sub-ground latrine blockwork and plastering and 75% of the tall walls that form the central play area. All the concrete is reinforced with ‘iron rod’ and steel mesh. If all goes to plan they will complete the remaining walls early next week so that the final portion of roof can be started. Then, after the ceilings are complete and electrics installed they will start the plastering and finally screed the floors. That’s the plan anyway!
The roofing felt makes the building rainproof allowing the ceiling frames and wiring to be installed. The doors and shutters arrive on site but all seem to have been carved with a spoon. The shower slabs have been poured, the latrine plastered, the central walls progressed and the veranda slab and steps poured.
Week 13 Mon 30th April – New Arrivals
There was good progress this week although as I write this it doesn’t seem like it as nothing was actually completed! The rain is becoming more frequent and we lost one day, despite the fact it stopped raining at 8.30am - any old excuse! 40% of the internal plastering was completed and 50% of the roofing tile battens were installed. The plaster is actually 50mm mortar so the walls should be completely bomb proof by the time they are all finished! The carpenters spent a couple of days sanding the substandard doors and shutters but have not done enough to hide the cack-handed workmanship so it remains to be seen if they will be used or not.
The children are all well and there was a new addition this week. Lizzy, aged 9, is staying for a months trial. She is orphaned and her carer is unable to look after her. She is physically disabled but is reasonably independent and can wash and feed herself. She demands a lot of attention and likes to joke around (and cry a lot) but is settling in quite well.
The carpenters work on the ply ceilings whilst the window shutters are sanded. The electrician installs the circuits before the walls are plastered. The last of the palm trunk posts are trimmed down to size. The tile battens have been installed over the classroom but the children have already started lessons!
Week 14; Mon 7th May – Today we work!
This was probably the most productive week so far as there were no delays caused by rain or supplies and there were few unexplained absentees. I think the boys are worried that if they don’t finish before I go then they might not get paid!
The masons have been working in force and by the end of the week the plastering was 95% complete, the internal screeding was 85% complete and the showers were 90% complete.
Two teams of carpenters have been working on the roof and the ceilings. The middle section of roof is well under way and will form the large central covered living area. The ceilings are about 75% complete and the eaves have been sealed with mesh to allow for ventilation and prevent pests.
The images are at the top of the page - i cant move them???
The masons spent the week plastering and screeding and by Saturday 90% of the rooms were finished. The ply ceilings were also battened out and so about half the rooms are ready for painting. The middle section of roof is not only the highest on the project but also spans the biggest distance so I am pleased that this is well under way with no problems.
Week 15 Mon 14th May –
Week 16 Mon 21st May –
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