THE GROWING HOUSE CONCEPT IN EAST AFRICA: DIAMOND HOUSE BY A4ARCHITECT.COM. FROM VERSION 1.0 IN 2003 TO VERSION 2.2 IN OCTOBER 2011.
The first Growing House that was designed to start with 1 bedroomed, then over time move to 2 bedroomed and finally rest at 3 bedroomed was designed by www.a4architect.com.This is the Diamond House . The information was released to the public on 18th February 2010
https://www.a4architect.com/2010/02/18/haiti-free-house-plans-as-the-dust-settles/
A4architect.com released this information so as to assist the Haiti People after they suffered a devastating earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale. This happened on 12th January 2010 and left over 316,000 people dead. This was part of our Corporate Social Responsibility and the designs were uploaded for free on
https://www.a4architect.com/2010/02/18/haiti-free-house-plans-as-the-dust-settles/
Since then, www.a4architect.com has continued to improve the design through Research and Development processes.
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 1.0
JANUARY 2003
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| From ORIGINAL DIAMOND HOUSE |
This was designed by www.a4architect.com and constructed in the outskirts of Gaborone city in Botswana in 2003. The materials used for walling was fired clay bricks and was based on a white/Black color scheme which is the main theme for the current version of the Diamond House. This was based on a flat roof design.
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 1.1
18th FEBRUARY 2010
https://www.a4architect.com/2010/02/18/haiti-free-house-plans-as-the-dust-settles/
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| From Structural Insulated Panel[SIP] House-Office/Residence |
This was first released on 18th February 2010 and was mainly designed on a prefabricated panelized house template. The Room sizes were designed to fit prefabricated Structural Insulated Panel sizes of a width of 1.2m. The dimensions were all based on the 1.2 m wide panel and was designed for the Haiti –South America Market.
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| From Structural Insulated Panel[SIP] House-Office/Residence |
The house was designed to be increased from 1 bed roomed to 2 and finally to 3 bed roomed.
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 1.2
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| From A4ARCHITECT DIAMOND HOUSE version 1.2 |
On April 2010, www.a4architect.com came up with containerized house designs
https://www.a4architect.com/2010/04/14/plug-n-play-house-2-bedroomed/
The ever –increasing Dollar exchange rate coupled with global increase in steel prices pushed the costs of constructing the Plug n Play house upwards hence a better solution was needed.
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.a4architect.com published their Research on how to reduce costs of constructing a foundation by over 50% and still maintain same or higher quality Part 1.
https://www.a4architect.com/2010/09/14/how-to-reduce-construction-cost-by-over-50-and-still-maintain-high-quality-part-1foundations/
JANUARY 2011
www.a4architect.com published their Research on how to reduce construction cost and still maintain high quality part 2.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/01/27/how-to-reduce-construction-cost-by-over-200-part-2-superstructurewalling-doors-windows-roof/
On JANUARY 27, 2011, www.a4architect.com published their research on simplifying home ownership through 5 simple steps:
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/01/27/5-steps-to-constructing-your-dream-house-the-haiti-house-plan-2-bedroomed-construction-cost-kes-297000/
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/02/16/how-to-own-your-house-in-kenya-3-easy-steps/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
FEBRUARY 2011
DIAMOND HOUSE 1.2
www.a4architect.com released the Diamond House version 1.2 and published it through Youtube .
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| From A4ARCHITECT DIAMOND HOUSE version 1.2 |
MARCH 2011
After successfully completing various construction projects in Kenya, www.a4architect.com came up with a solution to reduce construction costs associated with Septic Tanks after realizing many Kenyans were wasting a lot of money in building oversize septic tanks without realizing that they are only used as curing devices as opposed to storage devices.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/03/16/septic-tank-kenya/
MARCH 2011
www.a4arhitect.com released another research on how to reduce the cost of house ownership in Kenya.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/03/02/how-to-reduce-cost-of-aqcuiring-new-home-in-kenya/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 1.3
In March 2011, a4architect.com released Diamond House version 1.3
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| From 3 bedroomed diamond |
This version fixed a few issues that were noticed within the previous version 1.2.
JULY 2011
www.a4architect.com published further research on how to reduce construction cost in Kenya.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/07/26/tips-to-reduce-cost-of-constructing-buildings-in-kenya/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 1.4
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| From DIAMOND HOUSE FRONT TYPE |
www.a4architect .com released Diamond House version 1.4 which offered a wider variety of choices to potential house owners in terms of house shape.
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| From DIAMOND HOUSE FRONT TYPE |
The roof colour,texture and materials could now offer a wider choice of preferences.
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| From DIAMOND HOUSE FRONT TYPE |
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| From DIAMOND HOUSE FRONT TYPE |
AUGUST 2011
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 2.0
www.a4architect.com released and published research on the most efficient house in Kenya-the Diamond House plan version 2.0. This was a culmination of research spanning all the way from 2003 to 2011-9 years.
Diamond House version 2.0 was inspired by the a4architect.com Ongata Rongai House.
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| From 3 Bedroomed House, Ongata Rongai |
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| From 3 Bedroomed House, Ongata Rongai |
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| From 3 Bedroomed House, Ongata Rongai |
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| From 3 Bedroomed House, Ongata Rongai |
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 2.0
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| From DIAMOND HOUSE FLAT ROOF |
Diamond House version 2.0 could now be easily integrated into other completely different floor plans and house shapes.
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 2.1
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| From RONGAI TUALA DIAMOND HOUSE |
More flexibility in terms of floor plans and exterior designs could now be achieved.
DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 2.1
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| From RONGAI TUALA DIAMOND HOUSE |
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| From RONGAI TUALA DIAMOND HOUSE |
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| From RONGAI TUALA DIAMOND HOUSE |
AUGUST 2011
www.a4architect.com published 10 advantages that potential House owners, Banks and Financial institutions can benefit if they worked with us by utilizing the Diamond House concept.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/08/16/10-advantages-of-using-haiti-house-plan-by-www-a4architect-com/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
29TH AUGUST 2011
www.a4architect.com compiled the Diamond House into a product and came up with a method of implementation that the Banks and Financial Institutions can use to dispense the Diamond House plan.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/08/16/10-advantages-of-using-haiti-house-plan-by-www-a4architect-com/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
31st AUGUST 2011
www.a4architect.com published their research into how the Diamond House architecture can mark a Paradigm shift in East African architecture.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/08/31/the-diamond-house-design-a-paradigm-shift-in-east-african-architecture/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
19th SEPTEMBER 2011
www.a4architect.com published their research on how the Diamond House concept can be utilized to enable East Africans/Kenyans, majority of whom rent houses, to own their homes at an affordable cost-KES8,900 per month.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/08/31/the-diamond-house-design-a-paradigm-shift-in-east-african-architecture/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
17th SEPTEMBER 2011
www.a4architect.com published a video on YouTube showing how the Diamond House conserves the environment by saving on the number of timber used for roof trusses and eventually the number of trees cut.
23RD SEPTEMBER 2011
www.a4architect.com published their research on how the internet can be used to enable Kenyans/East Africans access the Diamond House through Banks/Financial Institutions.
https://www.a4architect.com/2011/09/23/online-architectural-consultancy-service/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+A4architect+%28A4ARCHITECT.COM%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
4th OCTOBR 2011
On 4th October 2011, Family Bank released the GROWING HOME concept.
10th OCTOBER 2011.
Family Bank and www.a4architect.com agree to work together with the Diamond House included in the Family Bank’s Growing Home product.
11TH OCTOBER 2011.
Currently, a4architect.com is working on DIAMOND HOUSE VERSION 2.2 to be released by the end of October 2011.
The Version 2.2 offers a wider choice of floor plan layout, utilizing the American style Kitchen within the confines of the shape of Version 2.0.
OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE COME UP WITH SIMILAR CONCEPTS.
Since the publishing of the Growing house phased construction by www.a4architect.com in 18th FEBRUARY 2010,
https://www.a4architect.com/2010/02/18/haiti-free-house-plans-as-the-dust-settles/
1. JULY 2010. Housing Finance Bank of Uganda.
The Housing Finance Bank of Uganda first published their Growing House on 29th JULY 2010.
http://housingfinance.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57
Their Growing House concept does not in any way involve architectural design and does not utilize customized house plans.
2. OCTOBER 2011.National Housing Corporation of Kenya. -STILL IN DEVELOPMENT AND NOT AVALIABLE FOR SALE as of 11th OCTOBER 2011.
http://www.nhckenya.co.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=22&id=100&Itemid=29
The NHC has also used a similar concept on their Kericho project which is still in its infancy stage and not developed. Currently [11th October 2011], the NHC is still developing the concept and their houses are still not on sale to the public until further notice once they are through with it.
3. FAMILY BANK-OCTOBER 4TH 2011.
http://www.familybank.co.ke/Info/Family%20Bank%20Introduces%20the%20Growing%20Home%20Mortgage
The Family Bank growing home concept was released on 4th October 2011. The www.a4architect.com Diamond House will be among the designs that Family Bank customers can choose for them to take advantage of the 9 years of research and Development into efficient housing which includes a very wide choice of house designs that their customers can choose from.
This research is continually being updated for the betterment of the Kenyan/East African Housing as a whole.
CONCLUSION.
www.a4architect.com will keep researching and developing new innovative Housing Solutions which are intended to offer Kenyans/East African and other people in the world solutions that will make their housing more efficient and in effect, avoid wastage of their hard-earned resources and keep costs low.
We at www.a4architect.com are open to partner with willing Banks and Financial Institutions that would like to tap into our 9 year long research.
Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau
www.a4architect.com
info@a4architect.com
+254721410684
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