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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
AUGUST
2016
Architecture is a profession which
requires one to be particularly open
to continual listening and learning,
and the partners at Messaris
Wapenaar Cole Architects believe that the
willingness of even a seasoned professional
to do this, and to work collaboratively, makes
a significant difference to doing successful
business in other African countries.
The firm has seen particular evidence of
this in some of its own projects. The Edge, a
sizeable new upmarket residential develop-
ment in Kampala, Uganda, is a good current
example. This 160-unit complex in Naayla,
Kampala, is being developed by Ascent Point
Investments, a Ugandan property develop-
ment company. Messaris Wapenaar Cole
Architects (MWCA) secured the project based
on its extensive experience in high density
residential architecture, with the firm having
been referred to Ascent Point Investments
by one of its long-standing South African
clients, Limestone Properties. Its track record
of successfully completing projects in a
variety of African countries was an additional
contributing factor.
A process of continual learning
Jeffrey Cole, the partner in charge of
The Edge project at MWCA, comments
that although the firm has approximately
30 years’ experience in residential projects
PROJECTS AND CONTRACTS
and over 10 years of experience in Africa,
the success of every aspect of the design
in this project has been as a result of willing-
ness to learn about the cultural and lifestyle
requirements of Ugandans, the business
and operating environment in that country,
and the overall social, environmental and
infrastructural conditions which inform
the process.
“Our design of the units at The Edge
initially followed a fairly typical South African
model, which is the one we know best and
which therefore served as a point of depar-
ture for the design process,” he explains. “We
then spent a great deal of time with the our
client discussing how aspects of the Ugandan
culture and way of living needed to be
accommodated in the design.”
For example, Ugandans tend to be
extremely private people and issues of
privacy and visibility are of much greater
concern than they are to the average South
African. Aspects such as common walkways,
lines of sight, the creation of multiple and
discreet entry and exit points from units all
had to be considered. The creation of public
and private areas also had to be given addi-
tional thought.
In addition, most people in Uganda still
do a great deal of cooking outside. Matoke –
a variety of starchy banana – is a commonly
eaten dish in East Africa and is generally
cooked by steaming it over a charcoal or
wood fire – an activity which most often takes
place outside. Not only does this mean that
every unit in The Edge requires a fair-sized
courtyard space in which residents can cook,
but since the process tends to generate a lot
of waste material, it was necessary to provide
a waste yard for every block in the complex
rather than just one for the entire complex.
Setting a new standard for
Kampala
With there not being a great many prece-
dents for attractive and upmarket residen-
tial complexes in Kampala at present, the
professional team and the client devoted
long hours to finding the best ways to
design something that would stand out in
the Ugandan market – that would raise the
bar for residential development – but which
would also meet all the functional and aspi-
rational needs of residents.
“Our client, Henry Lubwama, wanted to
develop something special on this site. There
is not much in the way of original develop-
ment in Kampala at the moment – there is
a great deal of replication, and residential
complexes don’t tend to be well planned or
to accommodate Ugandan lifestyles well,”
comments Cole.
Accordingly, the client has spared no
effort when it comes to making this develop-
ment stand out from the rest. Located on a
gently sloping site, the development consists
principally of three residential blocks and
a clubhouse. Amenities include a complete
gym and saunas; a pool and a rentable enter-
tainment area with kitchen; a jogging track
and a children’s playground. The residential
blocks are between four and six storeys in
height, and are served by elevators.
“It is so important for the development
to present an attractive public face that
our client has undertaken to improve every
approach road to the complex at his own
expense. This includes surfacing the roads
(which are otherwise dirt roads), managing
storm water runoff, and planting pavements.
Unlike in South Africa, this is not expected of
developers in Uganda – the client is doing it
completely voluntarily,” Cole adds.
The Edge is designed to appeal to
wealthier Ugandans and to the young and
rising middle-class who, although they may
work or study overseas, still want to invest
and secure property in their home country.
In addition to considering the various cultural
requirements important to Ugandans, the
design of the units had to be stylish and
contemporary – on a par with what well-ed-
ucated and well-travelled people have been
exposed to.
Furthermore, the complex is fully
equipped to provide backup power and water
EXTENDING
30-year residential
EXPERTISE
to the African market
It has been said many times that Africa is not a uniform
place in which every country and every market conforms
to the same rules and circumstances. Yet, how many
South African professionals really take that to heart when
venturing outside of SA’s borders to do business?
>
The executive director of HL Investments Henry
Lubwama at the project launch of the EDGE
Apartments in Naalya on 16 December 2015.
(Photo by Abou Kisige)
“We are familiar with the
process of generating
functional and performance-
based specification documents
which are largely based on
British or European standards.
For example, rather than
specifying a branded product,
the specification needs to
describe how the product must
perform and what materials it
must be made of.”