SCHOOLTAINER-Classrooms for as low as Ksh 400k.

A4architect offers Architectural consulting services. Our team of Architects will work with you to realize your unique building design.

Schooltainers are the solution for your organization if you intend to construct an entire school, if you need to carry out an expansive expansion or if you are looking to construct just a single classroom.

This technology is already in use, successfully in other parts of Africa

A Schooltainer is a container converted into a classroom.There are two versions;

Version 1.

This is suitable for Nursery and Pre School classes and can comfortably fit 30 pupils. Its dimensions are 12 meters length and 2.4 meters width.

A schooltainer Version 1 being offloaded.

A schooltainer Version 1 being placed on the site.

Our designers change the containers to habitable spaces with large windows,ceiling and electricity connection.
The Schooltainer Version 1 is decorated on the outside .

Version 2.

This is 12 meters in length and 4.8 meters in width and is suitable for use as Classrooms or Std.1 upto Form 4 and use as library and Laboratory. This can comfortably fit up to 56 pupils.

A Schooltainer version 2 being constructed.

A complete Schooltainer Version 2 Classroom.
The a4architect Foundation builds the Schooltainer foundations using masonry stone and then places the container to a selected site.
Converted containers solve the difficult problem of the current Global recession, rising cost of construction and building in remote areas in Kenya. These fully equipped structures are delivered to remote sites anywhere in Kenya.

A 50 point check sheet is used when purchasing a container, to ensure that they are suitable for use as Schooltainers. Containers are made from 2mm corrugated steel and are extremely strong structures; 12 containers can be safely stacked on top of each other. Properly maintained containers can last up to 50 years or more. All Schooltainers are provided with maintenance schedules and appropriate paint to touch up. The conversion process is carefully monitored and designed to produce Schooltainers which can withstand most of the weather extremes found in Kenya.
Heat is generally transmitted through the ceiling, so very effective insulating panels are placed inside the Schooltainer at an appropriate distance from the roof. Extra large windows are placed opposite each other for light and to allow for cooling cross-breezes.
Containers are wire-brushed to remove all old paint and rust resistant metal etch oxide is painted over the entire container. Two coats of enamel are painted on top of this, followed by a further coat of enamel which is used to decorate the container. Schooltainers are placed on Masonry Stone strip foundations which allow airflow underneath. Professional builders build the foundations and use a ‘dumpy’ level to site across the 12 meters which separates each Masonry strip, ensuring that they are absolutely level. During the building process, they train local artisans in the construction methods they use; improving local skill levels.

REASONS WHY THE MODULAR SCHOOLS IS THE BEST OPTION FOR YOU
1. This is a cost effective way of construction. Converted containers solve the difficult problem of the current Global recession, rising cost of construction and building in remote areas in Kenya.
2. They are durable and long lasting and provide security as they are made from strong steel structures.
3. The Modular Schools are also portable which will enable the management to change layouts to fit their needs. These fully equipped structures can be delivered to remote sites anywhere in Kenya.
4. They can be custom made to suit the needs of your school.
5. The time period of construction is relatively short, and on average a single classroom will be constructed within an estimated time of 1 week.
The cost of the Modular School or classroom will be dependent on the specifications, interiors and special finishing ordered. On average however a standard classroom will costs from Ksh 400,000 + VAT for Version 1 and Ksh 650,000+VAT for Version 2.

Call us today on +254 721 410684 or email info@a4architect.com or prismafrica@yahoo.com to place an order.

Affordable Housing: Pre Built Homes:

Shelter is a basic human need and everyone needs to have a home.
The single largest investment in our lives is in a home.

Structural insulated Panel House at Chinese Road contractors Offices opposite Warren Concrete at Kasarani, Nairobi

However, several factors have pushed up the cost of a decent home very high in Kenya.
We have come up with the Prefabricated House solution to challenge this situation and make decent housing available to all.
Use of prefabricated technology whereby the house is prefabricated in a factory greatly saves on materials in that the customer only pays for the used materials as opposed to the normal traditional method whereby a lot of material is wasted on site.
Prefabricated technology also saves in labor since the house parts are easily fastened to each other during installation.The quality of construction is also kept high since the houses are made in an ISO 9000 2000 certified factory as opposed to the normal traditional method whereby the quality of construction and workmanship is not easily determined until the building is completed.
We use current global building technological advances, mainly Structural Insulated Panels on structural steel structures for wall, roof and floor. Structural Insulated Panels are made of two steel panels with polyurethane form insulation in between them and come in panels of 1.2 meters by 2.4 meters.
The room space design is flexible and can be customized to a customer’s requirements. Customers can select a house plan form our list or request a new house plan design according to their wishes. Once house plan design is agreed, the house is then installed in the customer’s land anywhere in Kenya.
We aim at providing genuine housing solutions to all in the most economically viable and environment friendly way.

Prebuilt Homes: Good Return on Investment.

Prebuilt homes are advantageous in investment in that due to their mobile nature, they can be transported to any location that the customer has land and erected .They can also be rented out to increase customer’s income.

Increase rental income.

If you want to improve your rental income easily, this is one of the best ways. Just have a prefab house installed in your backyard and rent it out at market rate. You can have the house designed to your specific requirement in terms of size, number of bedrooms, color and texture. These houses are far much cheaper to construct compared to the traditional houses costs in Kenya.

Quick Business space expansion

You may also be in need of more office space for your business and need a quick solution for expansion. The prefabricated house designs are flexible, quick to install and can be designed to suit all your requirements. Whether the land is in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Lokichoggio or South Sudan, these houses can be easily transported to the site and quickly installed.

Quality Assurance; ISO 9001-2000

These are houses that are manufactured in factories and assembled on site. The walls, roofs and doors are made of Structural Insulated Panels.[SIP].

The SIP Panels are made of two layers of steel with polyurethane foam insulation in between them. This results to a strong walling that is very energy efficient: when it’s cold, no heat can escape from the house and when it’s hot, no heat can penetrate from the outside into the house.

These houses are designed to withstand strong winds, typhoons and earthquakes and most manufacturers are ISO certified. In Kenya, the weather is not as harsh i.e. there are no winters and the temperatures are not so high during the hot season.
These houses are designed to withstand very hot temperatures and very cold winters. These houses are also designed to withstand earthquakes, strong winds and typhoons which are virtually non-existent in Kenya.

The SIP panels come in various finishes and colors. Customers can choose which color and texture they prefer.SIP roof panels can be finished with Asphalt shingles.

SIP panel homes can come in several storeys, usually 3 storey heights.

The above factors coupled with cost-effectiveness, time saving and ability to pre-determine the exact cost of construction make Prebuilt SIP panel houses increasingly advantageous over the traditional Brick-and –cement houses throughout the world.

Mobile Homes

Mobile houses are built or prefabricated in factories and transported to site where they are erected using bolts and nuts.

The walls and roofs are made of Structural Insulated steel panels with polyurethane material sandwiched in-between the two layers of steel for insulation purposes. These panels are lightweight and easily lifted by a single person during construction. They are common in developed countries such as USA, China and Britain.

Advantages

Due to the fact that they are made and prefabricated in factories with state-of-the-art machines, there is efficiency and less wastage of materials and estimated final costs of construction are accurate and to the point.

Speed of construction:
Use of lightweight Structural Insulated Steel panels for walls and roofs increases construction time since these materials are light and the panels can be lifted by a single panel. A 1-bedroomed house will take 2 days and 4 skilled people to erect and complete.

Quality:
Also, the quality of the materials used and workmanship is easily assured due to the precise factory environment prefabrication which conforms to the latest ISO standards.

Savings on costs:
Mobile homes are 35% cheaper to construct than traditional homes. There is no need for expensive foundations since these houses are lightweight and can be placed on stable ground comfortably.

Energy efficiency:
Mobile homes are very energy-efficient: during cold weather, they retain most of the heat in the house and during warm weather, they insulate the interior of the house.

Flexibility:
Mobile homes give you the flexibility to move them to any location you may wish. These homes can also increase in size by addition of more panels to create more rooms and vice versa so you can start with a 1 bed roomed house initially and as the family size grows, increase it to a 2 or 3 bed roomed house.

These houses are slowly gaining popularity worldwide over the traditional houses with the onset of global movement towards efficiency.