architecture Archives - Page 4 of 6

2020

in loco fellows blog series #12: “A love in motion and a work in progress”

January 16, 2020By RISE INT10 Comments

Everything we build ends up building us too, I feel that me being part of a social responsibility project to design and build an income generating facility centre for the youth of IDAL- Intellectual Disability and Autism Lesotho is showing love to others and a great platform for me to learn as a young Architect.

Starting from the beginning, my aspirations to study and practice architecture started at an early age in primary school after I won a second prize award of the Cashbuild Art at Heart primary school competition and ever since then, I knew I wanted to be nothing but an Architect.

Alongside that love of craft and passion, I felt I was destined for greatness in this field. However, life being life, with nothing guaranteed or served on a silver platter, studying was not a breeze as I had imagined. I thought I had the right formula for it and had things under control but things were tough. Despite all my difficulties, I managed to manoeuvre through it all and managed to acquire a degree in Interior Architecture from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.

After graduating, the pressures of life continued to press on, it’s been tough and stressful out here on field. In the practical world, one would find that the government and the private sector cannot provide jobs for everyone and that causes a lot of havoc.

Lesole Putsoane (sitting) with other fellows expecting an imminent storm

Being from an institution of Creative Technology, where I was taught from day 1 to create my own job, I started thinking of ways and strategies to escape poverty and I figured I could continue with freelancing as an Architect. It was something I was already doing while I was in school to make some extra income while I learn but projects would not come in as I wished, sometimes a month to 3 would pass by without a new client so I decided to use my time wisely when I still had it and started registering an Architecture and Construction firm (Far Beyond Imagination PTY LTD.)

This kept me busy but most projects would not be given to me because I was considered a rookie in this game so I had to scrape by and feed off the bottom of the chain. While in the process of proving myself and trying to win over clients one of my brothers sent me a poster of the rise in loco fellowship application and when I applied, I was fortunate enough be given an opportunity to be part of the 2019 design and onsite training fellowship programme.

Lesole Putsoane with the IDAL centre in the backgound

The 2019 cohort entails 13 recent graduates from different tertiary institutions and different fields of study (Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction management, Water and Environmental Engineering, Carpentry, Education and Agriculture) who were given a chance to design and build a facility centre for the youth of IDAL from inception to completion. The most amazing part of the project was that it was a participatory design process so we had to know our clients well. The project kicked—off and as time went by things got tough because of the challenges on site, pressure and distance travelling to and from site. However, I have been learning a lot, enhancing my design skills and also obtaining experience on-site and learning how to use different tools and machines. During the fellowship I had the chance to work in 3 different roles each for 2 months, Plant and Logistics Coordinator, Site Architect & Health and Safety Officer which have exposed me to different disciplines too.

Almost every Friday we have business trainings as a way to guide us into better future entrepreneurs, and to become job creators rather than job seekers. Not only have I learned technical but also soft skills that include public speaking, negotiating and many more.

Finally, there are a couple of projects that I also got a chance to work on during the fellowship apart from IDAL which have also contributed in developing my design and detailing skills. My experience with rise International has been a great journey and a great learning platform for me and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

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in loco fellows blog series #10: WE ARE THE CHANGE WE SEEK

December 17, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to know the second law of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

Drawing my inspiration from a strong belief that volunteerism is a powerful way of engaging people in tackling development challenges, I first heard of rise (Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise) back in 2017 when they were calling for applicants to their first ever cohort in Lesotho. Unfortunately I could not apply at the time because I had just landed a new job at one of the design and construction companies in the country but that did not stop me from following rise on social media. It was through the social media platforms where my interest in the organization and its volunteer program grew greatly as I realized what the organization was doing not only for recent graduates through the entrepreneurship trainings but also for the disadvantaged children at God’s Love Centre and the surrounding community.

Finally, in 2019 another call for applicants into the second cohort was out. I did not have to think twice about submitting my application because by then I knew for sure that I wanted to be part of the rise family, so without hesitation I submitted my application and I got admitted into the program.

Being a fellow in the in loco program was a dream come true because as an Architectural Technology graduate I have always believed that great architectural design is a result of collaborative effort combined with innovative and sensitive values that transform spaces and places into creative and unique solutions for the betterment of people’s lives and earth as a planet.

What really fascinated me about the program is rise’s design approach, which involves the client from the very early design stage so that we can better understand the needs and problems of the client. This approach allows us to work with the client and come up with solutions that the client understands and has ownership of; in this way the designer acts as a facilitator while the client designs.

It has been four months into the program and I am proud to say that I have acquired so much knowledge about different disciplines. This is all due to the fact that the in loco fellowship programenables multi-disciplinary interactions between different professions in the built environment.

rise’s in loco-fellowship programis such a great platform because it also acts as a positive space where recent graduates can have fun, exchange ideas on how to build a better tomorrow, help each other grow while also serving their communities.

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in loco fellows blog series #9: At school it’s just the basics. The real learning is on site by doing

December 8, 2019By RISE INT1 Comment

My name is Ntina (Peter) Makhetha. I am a 2017 Construction Management graduate. I first knew about rise’s in loco fellowship program in mid-2018 from one of my ex-tertiary colleagues who was one of the fellows in the first pilot program. Immediately after graduating we were all over the place looking for jobs. By the time I got to know about the opportunity applications were already closed. I saw how the in loco program gave them not only on site experience, but also the business training sessions turning them from being jobs seekers into job creators. I couldn’t wait for the recruitment of the second cohort so I followed rise on social media to be updated about second in loco fellowship applications.

Fast forward mid-2019 a post was published, I couldn’t miss it as I had been waiting for it, I applied and got lucky and was admitted. August came, we began our 6-month fellowship with my first ever experience, the participatory design workshop of the IDAL project, which was all about designing involving the client to understand and cater for their needs into the design. Within that 2 weeks workshop I took part in the Quantity Surveying Team, doing the Bills of Quantities. I learned more about teamwork as we had to work hand in hand with the design team and understand their drawings.

Later we went to site, for the commencement of the construction phase, as a Site Manager, it was such a huge opportunity and exposure to have taken a lead in the execution of a timber structure from its foundations to the top. Amongst all, the most critical tasks that I got my hands dirty on was setting out, excavation, levelling, reinforcement, concreting, raising up the pillars and roof trusses which are the major structural elements of the project. As the in loco program is about learning by doing, I switched roles 3^rd month into the fellowship and took on the Events Coordinator. role I wanted to improve my soft skills, especially my communication skills and be a confident public speaker which I managed to strengthen and now it’s safe enough to say I’m way better than before I joined in loco 2019.

At the moment I’m working as a Plant and Logistics Manager as well as a Quality Control Officer. I did learn a lot of things in a short time. I learned more than I anticipated, multitasking and working under pressure. Many thanks to rise through its in loco program for all the valuable experience and entrepreneurship skills which has enable me to start developing my own Construction Company.

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in loco fellows blog series #8: in loco experience

December 4, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

Watch and discover first hand about the in loco experience directly from Retsepile Rammoko, one of our 2019 fellows, who has produced this video himself. He is a digital media content creator, so enjoy his work!

Click HERE for the video

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in loco fellows blog series #7: Never lose hope, Give it a try

November 27, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

Some time after I completed my diploma in construction management in search for job opportunities, valuable skills and experience in the design and build industry, i come across one of my ex-classmates who introduced me to the impact of the in loco fellowship program. I never let the opportunity pass me by, I applied for the fellowship and was called for an interview. Guess what, today I am enrolled amongst the in loco fellows at rise International (Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise).

We are currently working on the project of IDAL (Intellectual Disability & Autism Lesotho) Centre. The first thing we did for the project was to conduct a Participatory Design Workshop, the aim being to understand the clients and their needs and thereof come up with solutions to their problems with the in loco materials and talent.

The first week of the program I had to work on the tendering process where i did the costing of the project by preparing the bill of Quantities. It was an enjoyable time for me to enhance the skills and knowledge I had prior to school by using the necessary tools introduced to us by the rise team which were the bills of quantities templates, schedule of works and the rise database. Such tools are necessary in managing time, cost and effort.

Two weeks later it was my time to get to experience the role of being the site manager. Very challenging moments to execute the project, giving tasks to the other fellows and the application of the managerial skills and knowledge I got at school, conducting site meetings, preparing site reports, schedule of works and many others.

The fellowship has changed me from being a job seeker to an entrepreneur through the business sessions we are getting, fire is burning inside me to bring tremendous changes into people’s lives. I gained a lot of both soft and technical skills in the managerial system by collaborating with the fellows and the rise team who I regard are my mentors.

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in loco fellows blog series #6: When opportunity presents itself, don’t be afraid to go after it

November 13, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

It’s a friday afternoon and my tertiary ex-classmate whom I hadn’t spoken to in a while drops me a WhatsApp text. To my surprise, the text is an invitation to the in loco fellowship which at the time, I had not heard of. This was my cue to do a little research. I searched it on Facebook and guess what? I got so excited about the fellowship and wished I had known about it earlier and applied. Before I knew it, I was called for an interview and here I am today, an in loco fellow at rise International.

From my research, I saw the fellowship as an integral part of my long-term career or academic life goal. I saw it as an ideal way of taking my civil engineering expertise from one level to the next. However, the greatest reason I wanted to pursue the fellowship was my desire to change my current path towards something I’m passionate about- Entrepreneurship.

Few weeks into the fellowship at the participatory design workshop, I’m all excited, learning but eager to go on site. And now we are on site as three girls from thirteen fellows. How challenging!

Through the fellowship I have learnt to work with different personalities, although it hasn’t been easy. But now that we know each other, I know how to handle each of them.

Amo in the back with other two fellows – Lits’oanelo (left) and Peter (right)

By nature, I am an introvert and having to work with other fellows was a bit challenging at the beginning. I struggled to express myself but as I get to know them, I’m opening up a bit and I love how they have changed my perspective on a lot of things and on life in general.

One of the most beautiful things about this cohort is that we motivate each other but with a dash of humour attached. I remember this other time when I forgot where a file in the Google Drive was located, and they said, ‘Really Amo?! A month into the fellowship and you still don’t know where the file is?’ From that moment onwards, I made sure I knew where every file is saved and paid attention to even the smallest details. Funny thing is, they also couldn’t remember where the file was!

Three months into the fellowship and I have acquired soft and technical skills I never thought I would have. I have acquired communication and negotiation skills and carpentry to name a few. I now know a bit more about construction from foundations up to the roof and I’m excited about my experience.

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in loco FELLOWS BLOG SERIES #5: Living the dream

November 8, 2019By RISE INT1 Comment

‘’My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we-architects can affect the quality of life of the people.’’ Richard Rogers

As an architectural graduate, I first got introduced to rise way back in 2015, at Limkokwing University when rise held their first lecture at my university. From that day, my admiration for architecture and perception about the built environment specifically with building with local materials was activated. I realized that I knew less about various methods of construction that existed in other African countries. From that day, I started following rise’s lectures, after seeing their impact and the drive about helping out less developed countries with resources they have.

Sello overseeing the installation of one of the wing frames

Fast forward, my senior architecture students got enrolled into the in loco program, where they worked on GLC*(God’s Love Centre Orphanage) in 2018 in Sekamaneng. This in loco program was ‘a learn by doing;.’ program, where graduates are equipped with all necessary skills (construction skills) before being introduced to the industry. I was very inspired and hoped they’ll recruit other graduates after the first cohort. It was a dream come true when I realized they were recruiting again this year (2019). I didn’t hesitate, I applied with the hope of being admitted, and my prayers were answered, I was accepted into the fellowship.

The project we are working on as the second cohort of fellows is the IDAL (Intellectual Disability & Autism Lesotho) Center, where we designed and are currently building a pavilion, a timber-made structure, which is so intriguing to work with, because it’s one of the rare methods of construction in the country for big projects like this.

As an architecture graduate, I have learned more than I had anticipated about construction and by actually not just designing and handing over a project to be constructed by a construction professional, but also getting my hands dirty. I also learned concrete mixing, to using a concrete mixing machine, timber construction and tools, detailing, business and entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills.

At first I was appointed to be a buyer or procurement officer, which entails a lot of paper work and buying construction materials and equipment in this context. This was a challenging role, but I got used to it as time went on. Currently I’m working as a site architect, which entails, reporting progress on site, faults, daily tasks and weekly reports.

Lastly, I’d like to thank rise for recruiting us into the fellowship, it has been really amazing and a very valuable experience of reaching out to the communities and empowering youth as fresh graduates before being introduced to the industry to pursue our dreams. And our slogan is, if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.

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in loco fellows blog series #3: Success comes from good networking and a lot of experience

October 13, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

In this day and age in our country of Lesotho in order to succeed in any profession you’ve got to have connections and experience, a college diploma/degree alone does not guarantee success.

I got introduced to rise back in 2017 when one of my lecturers at my former school insisted that I should attend a lecture by rise founders and that I would get to learn a lot from the lecture. Without disappointment I did get to learn a lot; about the projects rise has done in Southern Africa that tackled major issues in less privileged communities and about sustainable building using locally sourced materials. This captured my interest in rise and I started following them and attending some of their lectures and film screenings to acquire more knowledge that I could have not get from school.

Fast forward to June 2019 I’m an unemployed graduate and struggling with my freelancing business of Architecture and Graphic Design, with a few clients under my belt. Two friends of mine told me about the in loco 2019 program and that I should apply for it as it would be a great learning experience for me where I would acquire entrepreneurial, design and construction skills. I did not hesitate and I applied for the program since I had already known about the in loco program from the previous year

My prayers were answered and I had been accepted into the program. Now into the program, the project we are currently working on is the IDAL (Intellectual Disability and Autism Lesotho) centre, first off we had to design it but in order to do that we had to understand our clients (people with intellectual disabilities and their families) and their needs. We conducted a Participatory Design Workshop (PDW), which helped us to better understand our clients and their problems, and came up with solutions together. The PDW was a new concept to me but with guidance from the rise members I quickly learned it and I would say it’s a very useful tool to have as a designer.

Jeff casting the foundations with other fellows

A few weeks into the program now on construction site I’m gaining a lot of construction experience from concrete mixing to working with timber, learning from the challenges we encounter, developing my skills through my fellow in loco fellows and the rise team and creating networks. Half of the program is the business enterprise where we are taught to be job creators rather than job seekers and I would say it’s coming along fine, I’m still open to learning more and challenging myself.

A lot of challenges have presented themselves but through hard work and dedication from me and the rest of the fellows we have yielded goods results and I can say I am proud to be part of the cohort.

Jeff, proudly standing in the centre of the IDAL Centre currenty under construction

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Lesotho, a land with a big smile

October 6, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

Lesotho, a land with a big smile enclosed in too narrow borders to release its strong energy. For me this is the sentence that best describes my experience in this beautiful country. I’m an architect, I’m from Italy and it was my first time in Africa.

The choice to fly to Lesotho and be part of the in loco fellowship came very spontaneously thanks to a dear architect friend, Luca Astorri, for whom Africa is his second home. I didn’t ask questions, I didn’t know what to expect, I trusted him and the joy on his face while speaking about it. It was enough for me to buy the ticket.

Clarissa Orsini with rise’s Founder, Daniela Gusman and Program Director, Luca Astorri

Once arrived, I was welcomed with open arms by a world completely unknown to me. It was not easy at all to have the courage to let myself free to fall in this great and profound embrace. After the first moment of dizziness the emotions overwhelmed me, everything was impregnated of joy and suffering in the same moment, I didn’t know how to behave.

It is necessary to get rid of many mental patterns and preconceptions in order to be in tune with this country and make a tangible contribution. It wasn’t easy at first but the guys from the fellowship were wonderful in helping me with this process. Being in contact with them I realized that it is not important where you come from and how you are used to doing things, there is always something new to learn and there is always a different way to teach others, there is no right or wrong approach. The only thing that matters is that you have to be open to challenges and not be scared, this is the only universal language and for me it was the only language to communicate with them and feel part of something much bigger then myself. It seems simple and for me it was, but only thanks to the people I met who have always transmitted love and understanding towards me. The first few weeks were just about this: teaching and learning.

Participatory Design Workshop with IDAL – Intellectual Disabilities & Autism Lesotho

As an architect I taught them what they needed to know at that time, we followed them step-by-step to convey the important notions and procedures to the world of work. As wonderful human beings they taught me the practicality of life, the ability to always (almost) smile, despite the surrounding conditions.

They are participating in this fellowship because they have great faith in the world and they want to make it better with their contribution for themselves, their families and their country. When they speak about something, they never do so in the singular form, the speech always includes their loved ones and their community in which they welcomed me and they made me feel part of it and I will never stop to thank them for all of this.

I feel really grateful to all this.I came back to Italy with a great joy that accompanies me every day. Even in difficult times, thinking back to Lesotho reorders priorities and makes fatigue much more bearable. It is a country that has also given me incredible landscape memories but without the people who live there it would not be the same.

I left from there with the certainty that I would come back and I would like to come back soon to be really useful for whatever is needed. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that, every now and then it is good to leave the emotions aside and bring yourself into the capacity of being practical, pragmatic, doing what is needed where and when it is needed without asking too many questions, and making yourself completely available.

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in loco fellows blog series #2: Becoming who, I will

October 2, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

For too long a time, I believed that success in the construction industry in the tiny Kingdom of Lesotho had been reserved for prominent professionals who have grown with stature in the country. That employment didn’t include all but those individuals for whom the society has great reverence. To an extent, there is truth to that; experience definitely sets precedence in a sense of surety, especially when we consider the amount of knowledge one should have when creating something as complex as a house. Even so, this is only a part of a large whole.

I got introduced to rise through one of the lecture series they run at my school. What caught my attention about these series, along with the film debate sessions, was the creation of an interactive space for people of predominately students and recent graduates of different disciplines within the built environment. This habitat was a rare yet an exciting setting to be part of, and a much needed one at that.

Kole taking a selfie with some of the other in loco fellows

My interest in the organization of rise grew amicably with each interaction, whether it be social media, or community donation drives. Then finally, I came upon an advertisement of a job application for the next cohort. I was religiously following the cohort progression of the GLC Centre by then, and I did not want to miss out on the amazing opportunity to become part of their pilot program, in loco. Without hesitation, I took a leap of faith, and after a couple of, what seemed all too long, weeks, I became part of the 2019 cohort fellowship.

Kole sitting on scaffolding with Retsepile – another Architecture fellow

In this venture I have learnt so many skills and trades that I had not thought I would have known in such a short space of time. The profound opportunity to amass a network of skillsets from young and eager individuals has truly been a mind changing experience. By going against the norm where people assume that in order to create a well built structure you have to be very experienced, but that’s not really the case because we are young graduates with not much experience, but we are erecting an iconic building in the country. I have been able to consistently challenge myself while harnessing plenty of techniques including carpentry, social media marketing, as well as my architectural designing craft.

The cohort has taught me that with the removal of a miniature mindset persona of having the experienced gain all the power, it invites a conversation that indulges with not just the freshly eager to work graduates, but also that these creative minds can also learn to create opportunities for themselves and others as well. Entrepreneurship is vital in our communities, and rise has helped me to learn how to harness that power to invoke a positive shift in a life of more than many.

My believes grown from rise can be combined in three words: challenge, change, cohesion.

Blog by Nkhole Thakhisi, fondly known as Kole.