HOW TO STOP SMOKING CIGARETTES: A REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE.

HOW TO STOP SMOKING CIGARETTES: A REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE.

It’s the time of the year when people are thinking of ideas for the new year resolutions.
www.a4architect.com would like to help smokers and their loved ones with tips on how to stop the habit as a new year 2012 gift.
To smokers, the highest chance is that their new year resolution will be to stop smoking.
Cigarette addiction is very easy to stop if you understand how it works. I personally had smoked for 13 years before I made the decision to quit in the year 2005.
I hope that my sharing with you how I was able to stop smoking will assist you or your friends to stop smoking once and for all.

UNDERSTAND HOW CIGARETTE ADDICTION WORKS IN THE BRAIN.

The average cycle for a smoker is 17 minutes between the time he/she smokes a cigarette and the time they feel like smoking again.
After smoking, the brain will receive a signal that the smoker is ‘thirsty’ for another cigarette 17 minutes after smoking.
The smoker will then smoke a cigarette . This ushers in another 4 minute period whereby the smoker ‘quenches’ his/her cigarette thirst. Whether the smoker smokes a cigarette during this period or not, the next 17 minute cycle will start.

TRICK

The trick lies in handling the cycles and playing with your psychology.
During the 4 minutes that the mind communicates to you that you need to smoke, delay the period by distracting your mind with anything or by psychologically procrastinating your cigarette thirst to the next 17 minute thirst cycle.

‘CHEAT’ YOUR MIND TO PROCRASTINATE THE NEXT CIGARETTE.

Another trick is never to allow your mind to think that you have completely stopped smoking. This will result in your in sending signals to you that you require to smoke hence very severe ‘thirst’ for smoking. You must play with your mind such that you ‘cheat‘ it that you have only procrastinated your next cigarette to your next cycle of thirst. This procrastination is what you will do for the next several years till the cigarette ‘thirst’ disappears.

Once you master the art of procrastinating your next cigarette, you are now in the right direction to stop smoking. The consolation is the fact that however severe the ‘thirst’ for smoking is, it only lasts for 4 minutes. After the 4 minutes, the thirst disappears and recurs after 17 minutes.
This is how I stopped smoking. Its now 7 years since I last smoked a cigarette .Once in a while while near a smoker, the ‘thirst’ still hits me. I use the same old trick of procrastination.

You can test this method to stop smoking or share ,recommend, tweet and facebook to your friend to help them stop this bad habit.
Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.
www.a4architect.com

DIAMOND HOUSE PHASE 0.25. COST:KES 80,000.

DIAMOND HOUSE PHASE 0.25. COST:KES 80,000.

The Diamond House Phase 0.25 is estimated to cost KES 80,000 excluding finishes such as plaster, paint and external works such as plumbing, septic tank, wiring e.t.c.

This is basically the cost of the foundation, walling, roof, doors and windows.See picture below-notice the elevated Phase 0.25 unit within the whole complete 3 bedroomed unit.

See the breakdown here

MAIN SUMMARY
Substructures	18,400.00
Reinforced Concrete Frame	–
Superstructure walling	22,494.40
Roof structure, covering, finishes and rainwater goods	19,464.00
Windows	4,720.00
Doors	6,552.00
External finishes	–
Floor Finishes	–
Wall Finishes	–
Ceiling Finishes	–
Sanitary Fittings	–
	–
Design
Prime Cost and Provisional sums	–
Sub Total	71,630.40
Technical Support	7,163.04
Total Estimate	78,793.44

 

The Diamond House Phase 0.25 is part of the larger 3 bedroomed Diamond House unit.

Within the complete 3 bed roomed unit, the Phase 0.25 is bedroom no.1.

The Phase 0.25 has a plinth area of 10m2. Depending on the budget or space requirement, this is a good starting point.

OTHER PHASES.

Once the Phase 0.25 is constructed, the house can continue to grow by addition of other phases. The next Phase ideally should be Phase 0.5 WHICH COMPRISES OF Kitchen, Living room and bathroom/toilet.

After this, Phase 2 comprises of a second bedroom. Afterwards, phase 3 can be constructed which comprises of bedroom number 3 which is the master bedroom ensuite with its own bathroom.

This completes the phases to make the complete Diamond house. If the land is a 1/8^th acre plot, a second 3 bed roomed unit can be constructed within the same plot.

OTHER USES.

The Diamond House Phase 0.25 can be constructed to be used as a store as the main house is being constructed. It can also be constructed as a stand-alone phase complete in its own phase e.g. at the backyard to be used as a small office, store or guest room.

PREFERED MATERIALS.

The Diamond house can be constructed with any available materials. The estimated cost of KES 80,000 has been done using iron sheet roofing, interlocking stabilized soil block walling and masonry foundation.

The same estimate can be achieved using machine –cut masonry walling. Preference to interlocking stabilized soil block is due to the fact that internal cement plaster and paint can be completely omitted.

FINISHES.

The KES 80,000 estimated cost is without finishes such as wall plaster,paint, ceilings and floor tiles.

The are additional costs that can be added to the house by the owner over time depending on their budget and aesthetic requirements.

TECHNOLOGY.

The Diamond House Phase 0.25 cost estimates have been calculated using the Diamond House technology. This Diamond House technology utilizes masonry foundation and unique roof design so as to reduce the costs associated with reinforced concrete works.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau

http://www.a4architect.com

 

building plan.

thanks very much for your informative web. i have a quarter of an acre on which am planning to put up my residential hse come next year. i would like to enquire on the following issues: (a) the cost of drawing up building plans for approaval for a 4 bedroom bungalow with the following details; 4 bedrooms one master ensuite with an office or study place, 2 full baths and one half bath , lounge and family room with one way fireplace , kitchen with pantry , separate dinning , all bedrooms with walk-in-closet , laundry , store and car port for two family cars , entertainment room , a jacuzzi tub ,with a shower area and half bath. (b) Is it possible to draw up this plan from 3D pictures of the house if i submit them to you. Regards.

By: eliud were

INCREASING EFFICIENCY IN RESIDENTIAL HOUSE DESIGN.

INCREASING EFFICIENCY IN RESIDENTIAL HOUSE DESIGN.
Increasing efficiency in residential house design is achieved through careful design of the major elements that comprise a house, mainly, foundation, walling, roofing, windows, doors and finishes.
Foundation.
For a bungalow house, the reinforced concrete can be replaced with masonry stone[contact Ministry of Housing ‘Newbuild Technology] for more details.

http://www.housing.go.ke/?cat=20

The Ground floor slab can be replaced with masonry walling instead of concrete.
Walling.
Walls can be left bare in their natural colours and textures and arranged in a pattern to give order and symmetry.
A good example of this is the Public Service club lounge area in Upper Hill. See picture below.

From Public service club

The masonry walls have been left natural without any plaster or paint. This comes out as an aesthetically appealing conscious design as opposed to as a mistake or unfinished work.
Roofing.
A roof design that uses les surface area can be used. The higher the roof angle, the more the roof material surface area and the more the timber trussing.
A ‘flat’ roof saves cost in reducing materials.
Doors and Windows.
Use of the low cost TnG doors in a pattern can reduce the costs associated with doors significantly. The TnG door can be colored differently to the door frame to bring out contrast.

From Public service club

Window frames which do not require expensive grill work can be used. Aluminum sliding windows or wooden frame sliding windows fit within this category. Louvre windows are also a very good option to save window installation costs.
External Works.
The size of the septic tank can also save overall construction costs. The septic tank should be of the appropriate size of the particular use. For domestic use, it should not be very large.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau
http://www.a4architect.com

Plot for Sale

. Syokimau: 5 acres. 2km from JKIA Resort Club. Price: 8M per acre

 

MOMBASA RD
• 33 ACRES (12+12+9) – Near Kenchic – For Housing/Subdivisions – 6.5M PER Acre (Neighboring Tamarind Estate among others

Kindly furnish us with f=more details on the above plots. We’re interested in getting plots in Syokimau area.

 

Thank you,

By: Mogambi Mogaka

Good work and approach

Hi folks,

 

This is very good work. I like your approach in thinking new ways to tackle problems in a changing world. Maybe sometime, we might work together.

 

Get in touch.

 

Kariuki Kiragu, coordinator, shadaonline.

Housing /hostels

I would like  to enquire about  the possibility of  building low cost   hostels  and   class roms  at our  project in  Lungalunga  south cost  Kenya. 

I am looking at  at least  

1. 10 units of 12 by  12  self contained rooms  
2. classrooms  that ca  accomodate upto 50 persons each and
3. administration Block 

please advice possible cost margins  and time fram e

 

Lin Wafula

 

By: lin

KIAMBU KUGERIA ESTATE MAISONETTE HOUSE

Click below to view the pictures.

KIAMBU HOUSE

https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

Shuttering Slabs

I want to do the shutter for a 2 storey building. I have seen people using shuttering slabs which have already been cast instead of the traditional shuttering concrete that is done at once. Are the shuttering slabs recommended and cost effective?
By: Henry Kamau

JOINT VENTURE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES IN KENYA.

JOINT VENTURE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES IN KENYA.

The concept of Joint Venture for construction of houses is relatively new in Kenya. This method works well for properties designed for sale.

HOW IT WORKS.
In a Joint Venture, the Land owner contributes the land as part of his/her contribution, then the Financier contributes finances for construction. The profits are then split on a pre-agreed ratio with the land owner usually getting over 50% of the net profits.

ARCHITECTS AND PROJECT MANAGERS.
Architects and Project Managers can also agree to contribute their professional services as part of the Joint Venture and get paid at the end of the project when the profits are being split.
Here, most land owners and property developers are used to older methods of financing construction projects which involve raising capital by either selling of part of the land or borrowing a loan from a bank or both.
With the onset of Joint Venture concept, land owners can now be able to finance their construction more easily.

ADVANTAGES.
1. The land owner reduces the risk associated with bank loan repayments such as sudden increase in interest payments which result to the project cost escalation.
2. Land owner is able to easily access funds for construction since he/she will not have to undergo the rigorous bank loan application appraisal process.
3. Land owner is able to tap resource and obtain services from consultants such as architects, engineers, quantity surveyors without having to pay initial consultancy fees since the consultants offer their services as part of the Joint Venture contribution.

DISADVANTAGES.
Once the construction process starts, land in the general area of the construction increases in value. This increase in value is supposed to be well-captured in the Joint Venture contract so that the increase can be well-spread to all Joint Venture partners i.e. land owner, financier and consultants. This will avoid land issues such as the once recently witnessed between Suraya and the land owner in the Joint Venture.

FINANCING OF JOINT VENTURES.
In Kenya, Shelter Afrique bank finances Joint Venture projects. For the projects to be eligible for the financing, a Feasibility study carried out by a registered architect, quantity surveyor or valuer must be present. This feasibility study should show critical minimums such as Return on Investment, target market and land value ratio to the total project cost. These critical features will be used to check if the project is viable for the joint Venture.

CURRENT PROJECTS.
Everest park, along Mombasa road opposite KMC is funded on a Joint Venture by Shelter Afrique bank. It consists of 380 units and the total project cost is KES 1 Billion.

ELIGIBILITY.
Land owners with prime land are encouraged to contact consultants who are willing to partner with them on eligibility for Joint Venture financing form Shelter Afrique. http://www.a4architect.com conducts feasibility studies for such land owners for Shelter Afrique bank to make their recommendations. You can get more detailed info by contacting the below:

Arch. Francis Gichuhi Kamau
B. Arch U.o.N. MA.A.K.[A]
http://www.a4architect.com
info@a4architect.com
+254721410684