GREEN ARCHITECTURE: SOUTH EAST COMMERCIAL PARK:HOW THE NEW EXTENSION OF NAIROBI CBD CAN BE Designed TO Turn into ‘GREEN’.

By Frank Gichuhi

South East Commercial Park, formerly recognized as Muthurwa along Landhies Roadin Nairobi is the newest extension to Nairobi Central Company District.

The world is becoming sensitive to the environment following learning from previous errors where man has continued to develop cities without contemplating the environment.

Solar Energy.

Hydro Electricity is the major sorce of Energy for Buildings in Nairobi. This is generally not enough hence frequent blackouts and power rationing.

Use of Solar for electricity production need to be embraced within the South East Commercial Park.

The street lights can be developed to power from solar. Harambee Avenue in Nairobi has such solar powered street lights.

Use of BIPV Constructing Intergrated Photo Voltaic facades will also enhance use of solar power for the buldings.

These are solar cells intergrated inside the bulding facades[walls and roofs].

BIPV Curtain walling such as supplied by Sharp Solar are fairly common.

The BIPV curtain walling are utilised in location of windows and walls hence savings realised on the price of walling and windows.

BIPV roofs are also utilized in place of roofing material hence price savings in the total construction cost.

BIPV curtain walls also improve the appearance of a constructing considering that they give it a a lot more ‘modern’ glass exterior finish.

The I&ampM creating along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi has a shiny glass material exterior finish. This gives it the ‘modern’ look. With BIPV walling, the same aesthetics will be achieved at the same time producing energy to power the constructing.

Carbon Footprint Reduction

Use of vertical gardens on balconies and roof tops will go a lengthy way in lowering the ammount of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere and act as ‘Lungs’ to purify the poluted Nairobi air.

Building owners within the South East Comercial Park should make sure that their Architects design buildings that have a specific percentage of surface[say 10%] to be covered by live plant material.

Planters can be incorporated on the constructing balconies and roof tops. Creepers can be planted along the creating facades.

This greatly improves on the aeshtetic appeal of the buildings and at the very same time keeps the constructing internal spaces cool. In other developed countries, City Councils have come up with bye-laws to make sure that live plant materials are included in the buildings. In Nairobi, we do not have such bye-laws however but this should not stop developers puting up new buildings in Nairobi from ensuring that their buildings turn into ‘green’ literally.

Recycling of Water.

The developers coming up with new buildings should guarantee that during the initial design, plumbing and drainage works for gray water [water from the kitchen sink and showers] is separated from Foul water [water from the toilets]. This ensures that water from the kitchen and shower is drained to a separate system where it can be stored and used to water the vegetaition in and around the buildings.

Only the foul water from the toilets need to be drained to the City Council sewer system.

When the gray water is harvested, it ensures that the gardens on the roofs , balconies and lawns will be watered at a quite low cost and stay green all year out. This in turn increases the value of the property .

Fantastic Opportunity

The South East Commercial Park provides a wonderful chance to make Nairobi ‘green’. Its very rare for such an chance to bring itself up in Cities whereby significant constructing design decisions such as use of BIPV walling, solar street lighting and separate plumbing for gray water are included in the buildings.

Most Cities around the world are fully developed using older architectural design and construction methodology so its really pricey for them to embrace such new architectural designs and construction methodologies. For example, to intergret BIPV Solar walling or plumbing to an existing developing, you will want to pull down walls, drill holes through concrete slabs ,re-do the electrical wiring to conform to solar electruictity, re-design the whole plumbing system e.t.c.

This is quite cumbersome and not quite cost –effective .

Therefore, such suggestions are greatest incorporated into the buildings throughout initial architectural design such as the present chance at South East Commercial Park.

During the initial architectural design, Architects will also be able to add other efficient designs wthin the developing such as use of Natural light and ventilation within all rooms hence saving on energy needed for Air Conditioning and lighting.

Conclusion.

The time to bring about these modifications is now. Developers within South East Commercial Park should seize this golden opportunity to give Nairobi City a new ‘green’ outlook. This can be accomplished by carefull selection of their Architect who will advice them on ensuring the above problems are addressed totally within their buildings.

Francis Gichuhi Kamau                     B.Arch. U.o.N       M.A.A.K[A]   Registered Architect

www.a4architect.com