12 volunteer experts - 450ha site - 6 days
The team: Team Leader, Team Co-Leader, Architect, Architectural Assistant, Architectural Assistant, Civil Engineer, Civil Engineer/Livestock Specialist, Agricultural Engineer, Agriculturalist, Structural Engineer, Architectural Intern, Civil Engineering Intern, Structural Engineering Intern, Civil Engineer/Surveyor, Electrical Engineer.
IntegratedDESIGNgroup was invited by Watoto Church (Uganda) to partner with them in the service of the communities of Gulu and Kitgum, Africa. Together with EMI Engineering Ministries International East Africa (EMI), a design team was mobilized from around the globe to work with Watoto to develop a master plan for the Koch Agriculture and Technical College.
Watoto Child Care Ministries was formed in response to the great need for holistic care for orphaned children and vulnerable women in Uganda. Building from this mission, Koch Campus located just outside of Kitgum, was purchased to serve as an Agricultural and Technical college that is to not only provide valuable skills and education to the students, but also to be a source of hope to the community as a whole. Accommodating approximately 400 senior teenage students, with a further 100 adult staff and support personnel.
The recently formed team collaboratively completed a rigorous site analysis, a survey of the land, evaluation of water supply sources, analysis of the local culture, gained an understanding of the seismic risk in Uganda and investigated the local construction practices in order to initiate land use plans and a master plan. Then after further thorough discussions, developed individual building designs, all achieved in an intensive 6 day period.
Through the collaboration of a team of passionate professionals a visionary, environmentally sensitive master plan of a modern complex of buildings was achieved.
The team look forward to continuing the relationship between EMI and Watoto through further involvement as the design is implemented and adapted.