The idea behind the project was to provide the Mugambone
Farmers Self Help Group with a facility that would add value to their produce –
Bananas. Personal interaction with the farmers highlighted the following
trouble spots:
- · A sizeable quantity of produce was lost due to the lack of working benches. The product ended up too dirty to be sold, if it survived being trample over by this point.
- · The farmers needed a number of supporting facilities such as meeting rooms, wet areas, storage and ripening chambers, composting area and parking for trucks.
·
In order to meet sustainable design standards,
rain harvesting techniques would have to be applied. This water would be used
to wash the product and recycled to water the grounds around the facility. The size
of the land limited the extent to which this could be applied.
In response, a double volume collection area was provided. It
rested on a raised platform in order to ease loading and off - loading of delivery
and supply trucks with ramps for access into the structure. The open sides
allowed considerable daylight into the area, with heaves long enough to keep
out the harsh sun and slant rain, which is common in Meru Central. The roof has
a clerestory opening at the top to allow for ventilation, especially since the
area shall be holding huge amounts of human traffic when it is in use.
Support facilities were placed in a ring around this
collection area. The washing area, ripening chamber and storage chamber are
placed together to minimize translocation distances for the product that usually
results in damages. The shelving in the ripening and storage chambers is
designed to accommodate the crates bananas are stored in to achieve the same
purpose.
The structure is designed with easily accessible materials
in mind.The walls shall be constructed with natural quarry stone with a plaster
and paint finish.A stone slab floor finish shall be used for the flooring, with
a bit of granite for the management offices. Roof trusses shall be made of
steel in large span collection area.In the other structure,wrot softwood timber
should do.
What do u think of the project?
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