Hello Phill
The project team had a session with the architect working on the IV-Hopewell. We visited the site again and discussed the sketches I am attaching here below. We prefer something with an African touch, something traditional which will make any foreign visitor feel like he/she is in an African village. There will be a ground floor which will have the reception area/lounge; a small administrative office; an open kitchen; two living rooms-one will have a small bar which the other will be a TV/general resting area; cloakrooms. On the first floor, there will be a spacious conference room with all the sides/balconies serving as view points. Surrounding this superstructure will be several cottages of different sizes (I have attached a sample of three).Initially there will be eight cottages, spacious enough to serve as double rooms. Only the bathroom areas will be made of stones/concrete. The rest of the superstructure will be made of bamboo wood with huge oak trees (used here as telephone/electric posts) serving as pillars. The inside will be immaculately finished with block boards (like the finishing inside Gilanis restaurant where we took lunch after meeting Rotary officials when you visited).In summary, all building materials will be local ones we use save for the floors and the internal fittings.
There are two such ‘tourist camps’ in Nakuru-Flamingo Camp at the side entrance of Lake Nakuru National Park and Elementaita Camp. Both built in this simple manner. I asked how much they charge guests during peak tourist season and was just perplexed! Kshs. 10,000/= (US$207) a night at Elementaita and Kshs. 7000/=(US$121) a night for the Flamingo Camp.
We are meeting the architect and a quantity surveyor this coming Thursday and should make a decision if they should go ahead and develop the sketches into architectural plans and blue prints for approval by the city council. Even before the surveyor works on the detailed costs, they mutually agree that the entire building including furnishings (beds, furniture, etc) would reach about Kshs.4 million (US$68,966), this is inclusive of electrical connection/transformer to the site (supply line by Kenya Power & Lighting Company).
I still concur with you that the impact of this project will be instant and huge! It will immediately open this remote section of our city up and act as the catalyst for development. The surrounding two primary schools will be the first to benefit heavily from the electricity supply line brought that close. And if WTW’s fundraising efforts are blessed and get more successful, then new water well there will help serve the remaining members of this community with water. As a worthwhile return on investment, no doubt this is the finest I have seen in my lifetime. And you bet, the government will swiftly put up several amenities in this area……hence guaranteeing this community essential services they have lacked since time immemorial. I am imagining paved roads, an expanded trading centre at Barut and keener interest in this community. And you can guarantee….Kenya’s Minister for Tourism will be present for the Grand Opening.
I will take a picture of the grounds tomorrow for you. It is on the hill behind Hopewell….you can actually see it from some of your pictures of 2006.You stand atop that hill and you can see inside Lake Nakuru Park. Anyone with binocular in the cottages at the IV-Hopewell will be able to see all the feeding flamingoes from inside the rooms. The whole city stands below your feet from this point.
Got to stop now. I can write for hours on end. Look forward to hearing from you. Alice and James are still a little doubtful if this project is real.They were worried today when we stood on the land which we havent even acquired.I told them that if it is God's will,this project will be done.
Vitalice
This is the ground floor of the "superstructure". It starts on the bottom of the picture with a circle drive on parking spots on the left and some beautiful trees in the flag plaza from the original drawing. The passage than leads right to the reception area where our host or hostess will be waiting to meet our guests. Following the drawing to the right will be the kitchen, dining room, restrooms, and two living areas with decks and it looks like steps going down to the ground. Does anyone know what the star like thing in the middle of the dining room is? Is it a bar? A fireplace? I am not sure...if you look at the next picture you will see the same thing appears on the first floor.
Now we can look at the individual cottages, initially Vitalice says there will be 8 cottages of differing sizes done in an African village style. Is there anything else to say about this picture other than, "Um, SWEET!" I mean seriously look at this cottage absolutely AWESOME.
Here is an example of the inside of a cottage. This looks like a double room sweet with 2 separate bedrooms and 2 separate bathrooms for a total of 8 possible people to stay. I also really like the fact that while these will be in the proximity of the "superstructure" they will not necessarily be attached for some nice added privacy.
The project team had a session with the architect working on the IV-Hopewell. We visited the site again and discussed the sketches I am attaching here below. We prefer something with an African touch, something traditional which will make any foreign visitor feel like he/she is in an African village. There will be a ground floor which will have the reception area/lounge; a small administrative office; an open kitchen; two living rooms-one will have a small bar which the other will be a TV/general resting area; cloakrooms. On the first floor, there will be a spacious conference room with all the sides/balconies serving as view points. Surrounding this superstructure will be several cottages of different sizes (I have attached a sample of three).Initially there will be eight cottages, spacious enough to serve as double rooms. Only the bathroom areas will be made of stones/concrete. The rest of the superstructure will be made of bamboo wood with huge oak trees (used here as telephone/electric posts) serving as pillars. The inside will be immaculately finished with block boards (like the finishing inside Gilanis restaurant where we took lunch after meeting Rotary officials when you visited).In summary, all building materials will be local ones we use save for the floors and the internal fittings.
There are two such ‘tourist camps’ in Nakuru-Flamingo Camp at the side entrance of Lake Nakuru National Park and Elementaita Camp. Both built in this simple manner. I asked how much they charge guests during peak tourist season and was just perplexed! Kshs. 10,000/= (US$207) a night at Elementaita and Kshs. 7000/=(US$121) a night for the Flamingo Camp.
We are meeting the architect and a quantity surveyor this coming Thursday and should make a decision if they should go ahead and develop the sketches into architectural plans and blue prints for approval by the city council. Even before the surveyor works on the detailed costs, they mutually agree that the entire building including furnishings (beds, furniture, etc) would reach about Kshs.4 million (US$68,966), this is inclusive of electrical connection/transformer to the site (supply line by Kenya Power & Lighting Company).
I still concur with you that the impact of this project will be instant and huge! It will immediately open this remote section of our city up and act as the catalyst for development. The surrounding two primary schools will be the first to benefit heavily from the electricity supply line brought that close. And if WTW’s fundraising efforts are blessed and get more successful, then new water well there will help serve the remaining members of this community with water. As a worthwhile return on investment, no doubt this is the finest I have seen in my lifetime. And you bet, the government will swiftly put up several amenities in this area……hence guaranteeing this community essential services they have lacked since time immemorial. I am imagining paved roads, an expanded trading centre at Barut and keener interest in this community. And you can guarantee….Kenya’s Minister for Tourism will be present for the Grand Opening.
I will take a picture of the grounds tomorrow for you. It is on the hill behind Hopewell….you can actually see it from some of your pictures of 2006.You stand atop that hill and you can see inside Lake Nakuru Park. Anyone with binocular in the cottages at the IV-Hopewell will be able to see all the feeding flamingoes from inside the rooms. The whole city stands below your feet from this point.
Got to stop now. I can write for hours on end. Look forward to hearing from you. Alice and James are still a little doubtful if this project is real.They were worried today when we stood on the land which we havent even acquired.I told them that if it is God's will,this project will be done.
Vitalice
Here is the view from the "front" or should I say the "side"? WOW! This is the main building or as Vitalice refers to it as the "superstructure". Is this gorgeous or what? Looks like a frint entrance on the left, a nice deck and just beautiful archetecture. If you can only now picture the hill behind it and all of Barut/Nakuru in front of it...
This is the ground floor of the "superstructure". It starts on the bottom of the picture with a circle drive on parking spots on the left and some beautiful trees in the flag plaza from the original drawing. The passage than leads right to the reception area where our host or hostess will be waiting to meet our guests. Following the drawing to the right will be the kitchen, dining room, restrooms, and two living areas with decks and it looks like steps going down to the ground. Does anyone know what the star like thing in the middle of the dining room is? Is it a bar? A fireplace? I am not sure...if you look at the next picture you will see the same thing appears on the first floor.
Next comes the first floor layout...you can see right away it matches with the ground floor...I know you are guessing why I didnt become an architect right? Honestly it took me a minute to realize that the lines drawn on this picture are the roofs from the ground floor. To me it looks like the first floor has multiple balconies, 2 toilets, that fire pit (?) from the ground floor, and something over the kitchen from the ground floor. I do like the idea of a fire pit...but I am excited to know more about the first floor layout drawing. The most important piece of the first floor is the large conference room!
Now we can look at the individual cottages, initially Vitalice says there will be 8 cottages of differing sizes done in an African village style. Is there anything else to say about this picture other than, "Um, SWEET!" I mean seriously look at this cottage absolutely AWESOME.
Here is an example of the inside of a cottage. This looks like a double room sweet with 2 separate bedrooms and 2 separate bathrooms for a total of 8 possible people to stay. I also really like the fact that while these will be in the proximity of the "superstructure" they will not necessarily be attached for some nice added privacy.
Here is another look at a different cottage style. On the top part of the drawing you will notice a covered living area without walls...and the sleeping area is covered with a window and a watertank above the bathroom. Now on the second drawing you can see the beds, a small sitting area, and the bathroom with all the amenities an American could want including a shower, sink, and toilet! Is anyone getting the travel bug yet?
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