Structure-and-Design-Issue-36-

ISSUE 36 51

commercial profile

MANDARA MANOR WELLNESS
CENTRE

….

…Exclusive Mental
Health Facilities textbyMichaelNott

photos by Mandara Manor, Structure & Design

52 STRUCTURE & DESIGN

andara Manor
Wellness
Centre was

®
opened on 30th October
this year by Deputy Minister
of Health and Child Care, Dr
John Mangwiro. Mandara
Manor is the third centre
in the group of mental
healthcare facilities that
includes Highlands Halfway
House and Borrowdale
Halfway House – all run
by a group of local doctors
and healthcare specialists.
4 #
% /
®
of the Highlands Wellness
' $ 3 ® # N

Mandara Manor Wellness Upon referral from a doctor or from family full board as well as a range of therapeutic
Centre is a psychiatric members patients can be admitted and treatments from a staff that includes specialist
and rehabilitation facility accommodated at the Centre for a minimum of 6 psychiatrists, psychologists and occupational
offering specialised care weeks up to a maximum of three months. Patients therapists. They can also enjoy a range of indoor
for people with alcohol and are admitted irrespective of race, gender or age. and outdoor activities including the use of the

® As well as residential patients the Centre also on-site gym with twice weekly training sessions,
as well as treatment for treats clients on an outpatient basis. a basketball court, massage therapy and beauty
a range of mental health therapy, visits from a barber and hairstylist, as
issues including depression While they’re at the facility patients receive well as indoor board games, Netflix and DStv.
and suicidal tendencies,
stress, anxiety and post-
traumatic stress disorder.

ISSUE 36 53

commercial profile

The well-equipped gym is an obvious new build, although the with ERC, DM Jena Associates and ZEIPF acting as project
architectural style takes its lead from the main building. managers and KW Construction as the main contractor. Work
There’s a fully equipped modern kitchen with a gourmet chef started on the project in December 2019 and was completed
in attendance to cater for particular dietary preferences or in October 2020 this year. ERC has maintained the traditional
restrictions. Zimbabwean home look and feel of the existing house while
extending and updating it. The original tiled roof with a gentle
Patients who would previously have sought treatment outside pitch and small overhanging eaves has been extended seamlessly
the country can now be accommodated locally saving foreign so it’s hard to tell which part is original and which part is new.
currency and travel expenses. In addition, the three treatment All the original ‘Crittall-style’ window frames have been replaced
centres have accepted clients from South Africa, Canada, the UK with aluminium frames so that they match the new sections and
and the USA as our local facilities are of world class standards. also give the house a more up to date look. ERC has added an
impressive entrance façade that gives the structure an imposing,
The project, situated at 9 Tiptol Close, in the tranquil suburb of serious look – without being intimidating. The front has been clad
Mandara, was funded as a portfolio investment by the Zimbabwe with stone tiles and the windows sheltered behind steel louver
Electricity Industry Pension Fund (ZEIPF). The ZEIP acquired slats. To the left of the façade there are two blocky monoliths with
the site in around 2013. It was a residential property with an black slate cladding and a concrete cross beam that together form
older house existing on the stand that needed some renovations a gateway to the emergency admission space where a ramp leads
but was basically structurally sound and solidly built. up to the solid teak exterior door. To the right there’s an outdoor
patio and seating area with a very high roof of corrugated iron
The renovations, extensions and newly built sections were resting on concrete pillars. The roof also partly shelters the access
designed by Ruswa Consulting (ERC Urban Design Consultants) to the main reception area.

54 STRUCTURE & DESIGN

4 I ®
® N ' Q
houses built at the time of the original structure
would have been fairly dark inside with rooms leading
off of long narrow passageways and a separate
lounge and dining room. ERC has created large open
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light, with pristine white tiled floors throughout and
N 4 ® Q
in what was presumably the original lounge, has been
preserved to add a homely touch. Where there are
passageways they’re wide and light rather than dark
and narrow.

There are now 8 bedrooms – each with a private well-
appointed bathroom en suite – so the facility can
comfortably accommodate up to 11 resident clients
at any one time. There are 4 bedrooms for men – 1
double and 3 single – 3 bedrooms for women – 1
shared and 2 private rooms – and an additional
gender neutral bedroom.

4 ®
extension as older houses tended to have small
kitchens stuck away at the back of the house. The
®
cabinets as well as all the necessary modern
appliances needed to conjure up gourmet meals for
clients who can be a bit picky about food!

ISSUE 36 55

commercial profile

The interior décor has been carefully designed to be comfortable, up-market
but still relaxing, with a minimum of clutter and fuss to distract clients. The
big windows and white tiled floors could feel cold but the choice of teak
furniture and seating upholstered in soft colours and natural fabrics warms
the place up and makes it more welcoming. Unique art works, specially
commissioned from local painter Pearl Thompson, brighten up the walls
and add interest. Vases of fresh cut flowers, decorative bowls and candles
complete the tasteful décor.

56 STRUCTURE & DESIGN

Even the décor in the bedrooms has been considered with each room having its own personality. There are comfortable
Q Q ® N % Q
comforters, cushions and throws are spa-like quality to ensure as much relaxation and rest as possible.

ISSUE 36 57

commercial profile

The fairly simple gardens were designed and landscaped by Commonweal investments. There’s lots of manicured green lawn to give
an open feel with touches of colour added at the front reception and the rose beds on the sides. The driveway has been brick paved
and there’s ample parking for staff, consultants and visitors.

Mandara Manor is administered by Ms Gugulethu Vaki who oversees a staff complement of 23 people, including 24 hour nursing
services, for a maximum of 11 clients, so everyone is assured of top quality personal attention at all times.

To contact Mandara Manor Wellness Centre: Call: 0772697201

SUPPLIERS LIST

Ruswa Consultants - Architects

Beta Bricks Commonwealth
Halsteds Brothers Astra Paints

Levi Lynch Mcdonald Timbers
CAAPS Intergrated Building

Solutions

58 STRUCTURE & DESIGN

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engineers’ profile

The future of the working environment:
Inclinations to a practical and effective

change

By Innocent TMHhanEduFUTURE OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
INCLINATIONS TO A PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE CHANGE

The world can be unpredictable in some instances. Questions are all • The road to a zero carbon plan compelling operational estate
over: What long-standing time will hold? What will we learn? How
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will life adjust? The corona virus widespread has coerced millions to
take off their places of work and adjust to working from home. 1. Smart Personnel
7
N̾4
Several months after the flare-up, a lot of people are still working corona virus and the largest world-wide work from home experiment
from home. What was perceived to be a short-term break from the have taught us that we can be effective and get things done. The

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® downside has been that, it is hard for teams to be creative virtually.
change will come in the near future. We need to be in the company of others and we need to be able to
speak, interrupt each other, write things on walls, and have that
We at GreenA Sustainability do not subscribe to the perception stimulation that can only be found in the physical company of others.


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unexampled change in the working system, accelerating already Whilst many big corporations have announced their move to an
incubated trends of healthy buildings and resilience. We have all ®
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been interrupted, and we must prepare to face another interruption
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and be interrupters in the future too. When personnel are given the option to work from home whenever
they want, and chose the space in which they work to the best of
We have observed throughout this pandemic that technology their ability, it makes them happier. This flexibility and choice builds
® N trust, loyalty, attracts the best talent, and ultimately sustains a more
We should take advantage of this interruption to effect positive


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change. This comes in the form of enhancing employee’s workplace
experience, creating healthy work environments, which all results in 4

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improved employees’ productivity. the engine of functional output to hubs of collaboration, incubators
of ideas, and places where we strengthen relationships.
This article brings into light the trends affecting the workplace and
how they are making clients to adopt operating technology. In all 2. Improved user experience
sectors, there is an observation of a remarkable annual growth of Organisations need to bring people together to collaborate, share
workplace technology. This supports several key macro tendencies, Q N̾
many of which can be reproduced at building or organisational levels:
3
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• On-demand services offering new revenue streams concentrating on their needs. Employees’ expectations of the

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®
• A demand for smart digital infrastructure to support a rapidly Q
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changing technology landscape offering facilities and assist services bridging this gap of expectation.

• End users demanding more digital services that support health
̾

60 STRUCTURE & DESIGN

!̾& ̾ ?;>F
Transform To future needs – in space layouts,
include: buildings systems, workplace technology
and business processes to suit
• To be enabled to work with purpose. stakeholders needs including those of
end users.
• Commitment to health and wellbeing
" To outside future impacts such as cyber
• Permanent flexibility security, information security, pandemics,
social, political, climate and national
3. / %
® P % infrastructure changes.

Currently, there are major challenges for energy management. Post As each interruption comes, there is potentially an increased impact,
Covid-19, expert guidance recommends large increases of fresh unless we build buoyancy. There are many challenges that building
air and reduction of air recirculation. This new guidance is counter- users, tenants, operators and owners will face.

®

large percentage of carbon emissions, spending and emitting more The past has taught us that our ability to face these challenges
when buildings are only partially occupied. often relies on our ability to adopt new or mature technology in new
ways that support workplace needs. Transformation is needed, and
4. / %
® P - technology will be a fundamental piece of our buoyancy.

The greater use of technology to support greater operational 7 ®
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®
through a change. GreenA Sustainability is ready to meet the
and decrease the demands for operation management and user challenge with excitement at what positive change this can bring.
processes. And that is not just in terms of immediate returns, but
also in building resilience. Innocent is a sustainable building design consultant with GreenA
Sustainability Pte Ltd, a provider of consulting services on developing
5. ( Q 7 0
N 4 ® V

energy saving and comfort optimizing strategies by an integral approach
Health and wellbeing are very essential bringing a new perspective in building design.
to healthy buildings. Observing more parameters relating to indoor
air quality, enhanced ventilation, thermal comfort and transparency For a further discussion on the topic you can email
of the environment (in which employees spend most of their time)



® [email protected] or [email protected]
resilience to pandemics.

What we know is that we will continue to work in a world which moves
fast, full of noise and disruption. Employees value workplaces which
can accommodate different modes of work, from facilitating private
and quiet concentration, to enabling interactive and collaborative
environments.

The workplace and the ergonomics of working in the physical and
the digital environment are the key influences on productivity. The
workplace of the future will need to be highly enticing, highly adaptive
and highly tuned to users’ needs. This type of internal environment
underpins performance and ultimately generates success for an
organisation.

6. 4
"

Failing to change with the world has always meant lagging behind.
The world is changing faster than anyone anticipates and businesses
need to be more flexible than ever.

ISSUE 36 61

Longden Steel is
steel company

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PROJECT MANAGEMENT

- Structural steel; TECHNICAL ACUMEN &
- ENGINEERING SKILLS
- Gabions
- Security and fencing products; Longden Steel is
- Designing and fabrication of steel, individual steel company

components of building and non-building structures; PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- Wire products for concrete works;
- Mining roof supports;
- Threaded holding down bolts; and
- Electricity line materials, saddles, stay sets, bow

and thimble;
- Windows and Doorframes

CONGRATULATIONS TO TROIKA DESIGNS ON THE COMPLETION OF THE SITARI ESTATE

490 Goodwin R+o2a6d3,8PW6R4Oil4loD1w4U2vC6aT1lSe1,AHNaDraSreERVICES
0242 611311/ - Structural steel;
-
longdensteel.com PROJECT MANAGEMENT

- Gabions TECHNICAL ACUMEN &
- Security and fencing products; ENGINEERING SKILLS
- Designing and fabrication of steel, individual
components of building and non-building structures;
- Wire products for concrete works;
- Mining roof supports;
- Threaded holding down bolts; and
- Electricity line materials, saddles, stPayRseOts, DboUw CTS
and thimble; AND SERVICES
- Windows and Doorframes
- Structural steel;
- Rebar cutting, bending and xing
- GabionsCONGRATULATIONS TO TROIKA DESIGNS ON THE COMPLETION OF THE SITARI ESTATE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

- Security and fencing products;

490 Goodwin Road, Willowvale-,DHearsairgening and fabrication of steel, individual
0lo2n4g2d6e1n1st3e1e1l/.c+o2m63864414261-1cWoimreppornoednutcstsoffobrucildoinncgreatnedwnoornks-b; uilding structures;

- Mining roof supports;

- Threaded holding down bolts; and

- Electricity line materials, saddles, stay sets, bow

and thimble;

- Windows and Doorframes

490 Goodwin Road, Willowvale, Harare
0242 611311/ +2638644142611
[email protected]
www.lo62ngdensteel.coSTmRUCTURE & DESIGN

STRUCTURAL
ENGINEERS’
ROLE ON
BUILDING
SUSTAINABILITY

BUILDINGS ARE BUILT-UP MASS. AND THIS MASS CONTAINS VALUABLE RESOURCES THAT ARE BECOMING
INCREASINGLY SCARCE AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY CO 2 EMISSIONS. STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS IN PARTICULAR

CAN MASSIVELY REDUCE MATERIAL CONSUMPTION.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE be designed to resist the high force winds and to be resistant to
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS: corrosion. Reusable materials should top the list of construction
materials if things are to be turned around.
They are popularly known as structural engineers, although
structural engineering is not the only part of their work. They are Project supervision and management is another of the facets that
also responsible for ensuring that the building is given a well- N 7 ®
Q - . V
designed, economical and appropriate supporting structure and, of resources depleting, it has become of utmost importance to ensure
course, that it is sustainable in the end. They deal with everything that construction crews limit waste and reuse as much as is possible.
that forms the skeleton of the structure, the bones that are usually Sustainability is focused on eliminating waste, and supervision to
not visible. They exchange with the architects or the building ensure little waste is produced, goes a long way in preserving natural
services planners. The role they play in detail naturally depends on resources.
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than a sports arena. However, for integrative and thus optimal It is the role of the engineers when managing a project to educate
planning, they should be there from the start, i.e. already in the the client and encourage the use of modern improved construction
interdisciplinary planning competition. Unfortunately, this is often methods. One area we can look at is the use of premix concrete
not the case in reality. versus site-mixed concrete. Apart from the fact that premix is
cheaper, it also supports a key sustainability principle, water
The primary task carried out by engineers involves calculating the conservation. Premix concrete uses only enough water as required to
loads and stresses that will be generated in a building and then achieve certain strength. However, on site, it’s drastically different.
providing a solution that will enable the structure to withstand the The crew mixing concrete tends to add more water than required to
loads and stresses. The key part that is often overlooked by most make it easier to mix, this means that water is being wasted at the
engineers is doing this in an economical way. Most buildings end up same time, the strength of the mixture is reduced.
structurally sound and overdesigned which makes them expensive to
build and increase the carbon footprint. WHY STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS SHOULD TAKE THEIR ROLE
SERIOUSLY TO ENHANCE SUSTAINABILITY:
Engineers are responsible for selection of suitable construction
material. Materials are a core driver of sustainability. A sustainable For a long time, the discussion about sustainability in construction
built environment would also require more ambitious and updated was primarily centred on saving energy. The big issue of today and
building codes in order to limit energy consumption, reduce pollution tomorrow, however, is also on the consumption of resources and
and protect natural areas. The use of contemporary materials like the associated CO 2 emissions. Considering that between 80 or
timber and steel boxes (containers) have taken off all over the 90 percent of the resources are in the shell construction, i.e. in
world, with ourselves still to catch up to this highly sustainable idea. the foundation, supports, walls, etc., the structural engineers is
The construction of steel framed buildings should be examined, as presented with many options for working in terms of sustainability.
this system offers speed of construction and savings in cost over 4 N 7 ®
mere traditional construction methods. However the system must necessary knowledge and appropriate advice.

ISSUE 36 63

engineers’ profile

Recently we visited a site just to have a look at the reinforcement Figure 2: Embodied carbon on a typical insitu
steel that had gone into the building. reinforced concrete block

Upon inspection, and later, calculations, we concluded that the building
® I N / Q
structural engineering terms, is when the structural designer provides
more steel than really is necessary. The building does not collapse;
it’s like using a Toyota Hilux D4D to carry a 2 litre Water container for a
distance of 2m. It works, but it’s unnecessarily expensive.

This, unfortunately happens when clients select an incompetent We did a study on a low rise student accommodation in Mutare to
N " ® Q appreciate how much carbon that can be saved. We compared a four
they will put more steel than is required to ensure they are absolved storey cross laminated timber (CLT) block with a too often default
of any structural failure liabilities. In some instances, they want to option – a concrete framed option with stud partition walls to form
hurry to the next job, the engineer will put more steel than is required living spaces within.
®
project quicker and move on. When cross laminated timber (CLT) is used, the embodied carbon of
low rise student accommodation can be reduced by up to two-thirds
Over the years, we’ve had a look at many projects that have when compared to concrete; based on the study we conducted.
been designed by fellow engineers, and it is true, that many are The reason behind the result is because like all good building
overdesigned. Apart from the detrimental environmental effects, materials, the CLT (cross laminated timber) lends itself so beautifully
clients’ pockets have suffered unnecessarily. to the application.

DOES THAT MEAN OUR BUILDINGS ARE SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS? Where in other schemes additional partition walls are needed (which
adds to the carbon), student accommodation is naturally segmented,
The majority yes. A few numbers make it clear to us what masses lending itself perfectly to a CLT (cross laminated timber) frame using
we are talking about when building. Let’s take a normal two-story the shear walls as partitions.
residential building. A concrete deck that is 20 centimetres thick
weighs 500 kilograms per square meter. In addition, it is estimated & Q ® C;
that around 50 percent are used for columns, walls and other minutes, a rating which is easily met by the CLT (cross laminated
components. A normal residential building already weighs several timber) with simple plasterboard covering on the walls and minimal
hundred tons. Now think about the enormous effects that it has if we thickness screed topping on the floor slabs. This screed also serves
can save a few centimetres per floor or wall. to dampen any vibrational issues which might arise.
The lightness of the timber frame compared to the other solutions
A quick example of lightweight construction that comes to mind is also means a less carbon intensive foundation can be used. Where
use of ribbed slabs, which is a common method of construction in our the concrete frame needed a heavier foundation, the lightness of the
neighbouring country, South Africa. This method of doing concrete CLT (cross laminated timber) meant only ground beams were needed
®
– a saving not only in embodied carbon, but cost as well.

N 4
® N ) N By knowing how to design in timber, the use of this material can
When bricks were made they were initially made without holes, but
Q

Q
®
someone realised that a lot of the weight in bricks was redundant and embodied carbon building.
holes were introduced. The weight reduction of a building built using
® N 4 Q Q IS BUILDING AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE THE ANSWER OR
was also successfully applied to steel. Why then do we stick to solid SOMETIMES ITS WORTH ANOTHER TON?
construction elements?

Figure 1: Embodied carbon on a typical cross laminated timber (CLT) block
The concrete frame option came in with 272 kgC02e/m2 compared to
just 87kgC02e/m2 for the CLT frame in terms of embodied carbon.

Of course, easy to build is an obvious way to save resources. We
®

of optimization to save materials. In practice, the utilization of
components is often only 80 percent, although 100 percent would be
acceptable in the truest sense of the word. With simple optimization
studies, we could certainly easily achieve material savings of 10-20
percent. Structural engineers could do a lot more educational work
here. But of course these studies cost time and money and are
not (yet) included in their range of services. Too great caution and
ignorance therefore lead to unnecessary material consumption.

64 STRUCTURE & DESIGN

The rise of factory-made and site-assembled buildings is certainly welcome. The precision is much higher. On site, 100mm can easily become
120mm multiply this over 4 floors you have a redundant 80mm of concrete.

In a controlled environment it becomes much easier to optimise design. Human error, especially a tired crew on Friday afternoon, is
® N ! N

OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN ADDITION TO WEIGHT REDUCTION IN TERMS OF RESOURCE CONSERVATION:

There is great potential in reuse at the material, component and building level. We must therefore also consider other alternatives and steer
them in the right direction. With conventional building materials, for example, steel can be easily recycled. And when it comes to concrete, you
can use recycled concrete, because the quality is in no way inferior to normal concrete.

With a view to the reuse of components, there are already valuable research approaches that can be made reference to.

1. Rodney Chishakwe is a Director of KCVisart Design Studio, an engineering consultancy keen on designing sustainable buildings.
For a further discussion on the topic you can email [email protected]

2. Innocent Mhandu is a sustainable building design consultant with GreenA Sustainability Pte Ltd, a provider of consulting services on

N 4 ® V



integral approach in building design.
For a further discussion on the topic you can email [email protected] or [email protected]

ISSUE 36 65

Delivering the Future of the Built Environment

Our approach here at TDW integrates OnaDsgn* TDW010121
contemporary thinking and experimentation
with an environmentally conscious and Scan the code to see
context-driven logic. current projects online

www.troikadesignworkshop.com

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68 STRUCTURE & DESIGN