Project Passport
Sachibondu health centre summer volunteer Orkidstudio 09/07/16 - 06/08/16 Oliver Hester
Sherkia Sherad playing at the live music fund raising event, (The Blues Kitchen, Shoreditch, London).
Introduction This booklet gives a summary of my involvement in volunteering, with Orkidstudio to help build a health centre in Sachibondu, North Western Zambia.
in, this makes for a clear exciting design.
Volunteering with Orkidstudio, who are a forward thinking Architectural practice, who work in a variety of locations and have past experience working in such environments.
As a volunteer you needed to raise ÂŁ2500 minimum. This I achieved through a live music event in London and also running the Stratford upon Avon Marathon, along with donations from friends and family THANK YOU!
They achieve a simple but clear design, coupled with an awareness to the setting in which they are building
Seeing a poster at the CASS, I applied as a volunteer. After a quick interview I was on the project!
For more information please see links on the last few pages.
The team!
Nick saves the day for our winning marshmallow tower!
Workshop 1 a week end at the gsoa - jan ‘16 Orkidstudio have run many other projects in this way before, a workshop set up was run at the Glasgow school of Architecture. These workshops introduced us to the project and our fellow volunteers. The week end began by a task of trying to support the highest marshmallow with only spaghetti masking tape and string, not as easy as you think! We were then introduced to the project, there is an existing health centre
structure currently being highly used and is struggling to cope with the demand from surrounding areas. People walk up to 5 days to get to the centre. Expanding and adding and improving the facilities of the existing Sachibondu health centre is the project. Sachibondu is in a very rural location approx 300km from the copper belt in North Western Zambia, near to the border of Congo, it is a Christian missionary village with a population
Orkidstudio photographs of current ward beds and below the approach
Tanzania
D.R.C
Sachibondu Malawi Angola
Mwinilunga Lusaka Mozambique
of 500. There are currently no doctors only two nurses and an assistant. Due to the projects rural location materials where possible are sourced locally, which dictates the design. There is one full building to be kept, the Maternity ward, recently constructed however the majority of the rest is to be demolished, leaving
the slabs to then build up from. There were a variety of programmes to go into the Health centre and so we started by looking at diagramming, we then sketched ideas and presented to the group over the week end. We had some external help of Bea Sennewald, to help with layouts and distribution of services etc.
Ruth pins up some of her group sketch work, and a decision to be made on the final plan
Workshop 2 refining ideas - mar ‘16 Meeting again was essential as certain information we had overlooked. The proposed location of one of the wards was on top of a contaminated waste area and so we shuffled the design around over the entire week end. Coming to a conclusion of offsetting it further away from the proposed plan, making an outdoor area out of it and separating the in patients ward from the major running of the hospital, made most sense so we went for that!
The Facebook group was our main area for conversation and after the workshop we were sent links to all sketches and some final drawings and renders. Sadly Ruth a long term Christian missionary passed away after this workshop and she held a lot of the community together and was an excellent role model. Excited to get out there now and build it, sadly I am away for the third workshop in Japan so can’t attend, this is a more practical outdoors workshop, teaching some small building skills.
Render of IPD from Orkidstudio
Before 10/06/16
After 05/09/16
Brighton, Charles and Nompsy with a finished section of foundation wall
week 1 initial ground work introductions and foundations The day starts with a meeting at 7am, finishing at 17:30. Jobs are assigned and the Budidi mwane greeting is spoken in Lunda (the local language) many times. Cardiff university Architecture students, had previously been working on getting the foundations poured, and we picked up where they left off. This was mainly all the initial building of the foundations, using a hydraform interlocking brick. The bricks are
manufactured on site with a compression machine, a mix of cement and local soil. Laying the first course with mortar and then simply stacking them to the correct level, each brick weighs approx 10.4 Kgs. Form work for the concrete slab foundation that is going to be cast on top of the interlocking brick wall foundation, is sourced from a previously planted pinewood forest, about 10 minutes
Brick making process, earth is dug, sifted/thrown through a net then mixed on the floor in front of the hydraform compactor, then compacted and laid to dry then transported and laid!
walk from site. These pieces are cut and propped into position. A team of approx 80 people are working on site, coming from nearby areas mainly. There is a great atmosphere on site, a whistle from the ‘Referee’ sounds when lunch is served ‘nshima time’. Nshima a local maize based paste is a staple here.
The main language is Lunda but most speak English. The first week has been brilliant and I feel I am starting to get to know the site a lot better. The EU vote, is definitely worth mentioning here, I am sure the project has suffered slightly because of it! Lots to do next week!
Drying bricks, need to be continuously watered otherwise they dry out and crack
week 2 ground work slab starts 6 days a week working and Sunday off. There are a staggering amount of bricks being used approx 230,000! The majority currently seem to be hidden underground in the foundations. The volunteer team rotate cooking with each other, cooking for 13 is always tricky but fun! This week, Rebar is made for the form work of the lintel supports for the arch roofs, also as sheet mesh, to reinforce the concrete
slab foundation, various services are also located through the foundation slab. Foundation walls are also continually being laid, and are feeling high as the level change drops off towards the edge of the site, so 17 courses is as high as it gets. Arrival of a monster of a cement mixer, seemingly caused a party with cries coming from nearby villages, sadly it wasn’t in the best shape and is struggling to mix
concrete. So the one we have been using for mortar has had to make do, it hasn’t been turned off during working hours at all! Trying to get as much of the foundation built and poured by the end of next week. We
leave
on
5th
September and the rains come on or around 24th September so hopefully we can
The slab pouring begins!
have a water tight structure before we leave, James will more than likely be staying out here for quite some time, to see it finished. We will just have to return to see it finished! A new mixer has been ordered but this will probably be arriving towards the end of the week, so hopefully all foundations will be ready by then!
Rebar down, services ducted and ready to pour!
Nkakak’s (Grandpas) finishing off the last foundation wall for a ramp
week 3 A solid base Almost finished all the foundations! Just a significant amount of levelling and pouring to do for the In patients department (IPD), pouring has improved with a new cement mixer, from Kitwe! After pouring, the building will take shape quickly. Looking forward to seeing how the building is going to feel. The hydraform bricks are very easy to put up but are not forgiving at all, they have got to be perfect for the walls, to look straight. So progress will be quick but needs
to be accurate. Lots of chanti chanti (a bit, a bit) of adjusting! All the current bricks are now buried as foundations. The majority of the form work for the vaulted arches has been made for the roof. There are 2 types of brick, the foundation brick and then a wall and vault style brick, that are continuously being made, on site. The week was finished off by a great meal at Andy and Ira’s house, some of the best steak I have ever eaten!
Getting formed, with the vault
Vault brick
Foundation and wall brick
Finished form work
Bricks go down, walls go up
week 4 progress onwards and upwards Exciting start to the week by placing the first few courses of bricks for the external walls, including some of the internal rooms. Room layouts sketched and discussed at previous workshops, are now being built. Health care professionals with a mix of Architects and discussions with the local residents informed a coherent diagram aiding us with a systematic approach to design, prior to laying out the rooms. The large
form work for the vaulted roof has also been completed, the In Patients Department slab is yet to be cast. This will happen on Monday 9th (tomorrow). Layouts of the corner points, internal joins and ramps, are being completed by some of the volunteer team whilst others prepare the existing concrete slab to then have a new screed cast on top. This has taken a lot of painful chiselling to remove all of the existing screed.
Levelling of the site seems a daunting and endless task, digging and extensive use of ‘wheelba’s’ (Wheel Barrows) seem to constantly be carving paths into the vibrant clay coloured soil, but chanti chanti, chovu chovu (bit by bit, slowly slowly) It gets done. Sam Mayonde, sadly left, having c o n s t r u c t i o n experience in Hydra
form bricks he was only needed to introduce the technique but a great member of the team! The week ended with a brilliant camping trip in the local ‘retreat’ a traditional thatched hut with a river at its base, open to the elements, the stars were incredible and sharing stories over the camp fire, a nice chance to relax!
Corners and leaving gaps so we are able to move with vaulted form work between
External walls go quick once the first course is laid
Morning view
Sleeping under the stars
Walls and columns grow!
week 5 election week concrete calamity,walls go up! Great week, started with an increased tension for the people of Zambia and an anticipation to ‘change’. The presidential election happened on Thursday, cement delivery was put on hold, half way through pouring one of the largest of the slabs. Not sure when the next delivery will be, luckily some bags were kept aside to continue laying the first course of bricks. After these been marked laying them
have out, goes
quite quickly, and then the interlocking hydraform bricks slot together. So progress seems fast. The vaulted roof form work has been all made and is waiting to be lifted up in location. Mid way through the week we had Thursday off as all the Zambian guys on site, had to vote. So went on a fishing trip with Brian on ‘Bra lake’, (named due to its shape). I hooked a fresh water bream but couldn’t land it, which kept the vegetarians happy!
Towards the end of the day we also went to shoot a friends music video out here. Brighton, took us out on the lake again, this time with just a paddle and we got some more clips for his music video. Windows are beginning to be marked out and the building is starting to show its character. There is a lot to do but seeing it at this stage, is really
Setting out and the first course!
exciting and everyone seems to want to progress quickly. Carolina sadly has been really ill over the last few days, she arrived back out here last week, after braking her ankle on site, about a month ago. ‘It never rains but it pours’, hope she can recover quickly though, tough times. Went into the nearby town of Mwinilunga picked up a few bits, great week!
Brick layers Kenneth (left) and Maurice Kafuleji!
Fishing
Traditional wooden narrow boat, pretty rocky!
Form work inside the walls
The usual fritters after a long day!
week 6 Arches and atmosphere! The health centre is emerging out of the ground (maseki, in Lunda) and being able to see down certain corridors and see certain views emerging is really rewarding, the hydraform brick blocks spring up with such speed. A few issues were pointed out by the volunteer team, that the walls were quite irregular in shape as they raised up to some of the higher courses. This meaning that they bowed in certain areas, meaning there
could be structural issues when placing the vaulted form work on to them. This was spotted luckily at this stage and using a plumb line we were able to correct the walls to make them straight. The concrete was delivered on Thursday so the next day (kumadiki) we got on to casting the remaining slab for the In Patients ward (IPD). The form work towards the end of the week for the vaulted roof was experimented
Form work for the first vault being assembled
After ‘nshima time’ on the timbers
with, however a mistake which was caught early again, meant that the mortar was mixed without lime and so would be prone to cracking. The week ended with a brilliant trip to the rapids and source of the Zambezi on Saturday, which felt
really odd as the work was continuing on site as usual. Then we went on to a hydro electric dam area where there were rapids and had a BBQ with Andy and John! Only 2 weeks left in Zambia, 12 working days on site. Time has gone very quickly!
Site is getting high
The first arch...
week 7 Will the vault jolt, or the wallswobble? What a week, progress has been epic, walls seem to be going up a lot quicker than previous weeks. Mainly because the team are becoming more familiar with the way of working.
Monday, initially without lime in the mortar mix so it was all removed and replaced with a new mix. This was then tested towards the end of the week, and the correct mix was found!
The slab for the IPD, was finally poured on Tuesday and is already being marked out for the first course of bricks to be laid, a celebratory dance, with drum (a bucket) marked the occasion!
A momentous occasion for the brick makers, they are coming to the end of the total amount of bricks to be made for the project. Starting in May only just finishing now. Zata nankashi as they would say here (A lot of work), Calombo mwani (Thanks).
A test vault constructed
was on
Towards the end of the week the test on the vault after the mortar had dried was done. Different mixes of mortar were tested, after the arch was made, and the vault that was tested at 1:1 the test did not have the best mix of mortar. The strength of the arch proved everyone wrong, supporting 1 metric ton, before the timber props it was sitting on slipped out
THE test
from below, sending the arch directly downward. One of the main issues currently is the quality of sand we are able to source, either from river beds or plains, sharps sand would be perfect but is very expensive. Carolina is helping the carpenters to make the 73 windows needed on site, the first sache window slides well , the wood is also beautiful.
Tuna kuleta matafali! (We carry bricks!)
Columns + rebar + form work = ring beam
Slab finishing dance
Form work and walls getting ready to be lifted
week 8 brick making complete, Form work and farewells The final week was very busy, packing as much in as possible, was very much the theme. Sadly we were ;leaving on Sunday, regular lake swims after work. Wednesday afternoon I was bitten by a scorpion, not pleasant. Thursday we scheduled a photography day, where I took everyone’s portrait and a short video clip of them speaking about the project, a big task with that amount of people on site, Friday we organised
a interview, feedback and community morning alongside the weekly mother and child clinic. Which was hugely successful. The end of the week on site had a different atmosphere and finishing early on Saturday afternoon, we had a send off celebration. This was filled with traditional songs and tears from many members of the team, as well as locals. Leaving was very hard but I am sure at some point we will be back.
Mothers and children’s community morning
Ryan and Nico
Phrase to be pinned on the ‘tree of hope’
Lads finishing work for the day
Week 1 Foundations and levelling
Week 2 Foundations mid way
panoramas photographs from the anthill Weekly, a photograph has been taken from the top of one of the anthills, progress is shown over the 8 week period of construction.
These correlate also to the weekly pages, showing what stage we got to in that week.
Week 3 Foundations getting there!
Week 4 Slabs so close, walls are starting
Week 5 Walls are coming up!
Week 6 Fast progress with the walls and vaults are being tested
Week 7 Columns, form work for ring beam, testing vaulted roof, and finishin
Week 8 Form work, IPD, and farewells
ng pouring the last slab!
in 10 words quick reflections from each of the volunteers Oliver Hester Amazing team, great fun, I WILL be back! Calombo mwani.
wonderful end. An unforgettable experience with interesting people.
Chevy Thom
Laura Brash
The hardest I’ve worked for a while and an incredibly rewarding experience. I hope the building doesn’t fall down
A combination of hard work and laughter made Sachibondu an unforgettable trip
Meggan Collins “You have not taught us to just lay bricks but to lay our characters on the line.”
Ryan Odlin From humble beginnings , to a
Nompsy Chigaru A truly special place with exceptionally beautiful people. Unforgettable.
Noemie Resbeut Brick, brick, brick, brick, a lot of bricks but also amazing people to brick with.
An unforgettable experience.
Jaida Elbenhawy Even if we have changed one persons life, I’ve made a difference.
Ruth Atkinson We left a building behind but the people will stay with me
Jacques Gaudin The project was a great combination of learning new techniques and cultural exchange.
Johannah Mayr We’ve built a building, friendships and memories together in Sachibondu, it has a special place in my heart.
Nick Polet Thor, tippy walls,Jaidas cake, wonky water levelling, hammer boom boom, floof. “You don’t ask my girls for sex!”
Orkidstudio
https://orkidstudio.co.uk/projects/sachibondu-health-centre/1 flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/oliverhester/ websit
17/ youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/oliverhester te http://www.oliverhester.co.uk
Sachibondu Health centre
Oliver Hester