A modern city, Nairobi increases 64 high-rise buildings, such as Nyayo House and I & M Bank Tower, etc., 35 low-rise buildings, including Roast House and Pioneer House, among others, 5 skyscrapers, such as Times Tower and Kenyatta . International Conference Center. There is also a monument, a bell tower and an airport tower.
Building types and styles have the ability to enhance and change your lifestyle, enhance your outlook, and most importantly, make you productive. Likewise, poor building designs can be oppressive and make you feel miserable. This implies that construction types and styles can determine the investment potential of a building.
What are the types and styles of construction that are prevalent in Nairobi?
Mainly, Nairobi has modern buildings. You will rarely find traditional building designs except for very old buildings such as the Macmillan Library.
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Since Nairobi was the capital of the British East Africa Protectorate, most building types and styles here have European elements.
Due to the fact that building types and styles impact our lives, from work and school to communities, in Nairobi they often represent our social status and are clearly different between upper, middle and lower class. neighborhoods There is significant diversity between the buildings inside and outside the CBD.
Types and styles of buildings within the CBD
Both residential and commercial properties in Nairobi’s CBD are mostly high-rise buildings with multiple floors, elevators, and emergency exits, and some have built-in parking areas.
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The buildings are built with blocks and mortar.
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Most of them contain basement, ground and mezzanine floors.
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The floors and ceilings are tiled.
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More recently, buildings are using glass, arches, pillars, modified metal grilles, and custom architectural designs to enhance building types and styles.
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To improve construction designs arched masonry is made.
Types and styles of buildings outside the CBD
Commercial and residential properties located here are no more than 5 stories above ground.
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The buildings for industries are made of block and mortar or a combination of these with bars and iron sheets with cemented floors and iron sheet roofs.
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The office buildings are similar to those in the CBD, except they have fewer floors.
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Properties are attached or detached with block walls separating them
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Most of them have individual enclosures and parking areas.
Construction Types and Styles in Low-Income Neighborhoods
The types of buildings in these areas are often intended to meet the housing needs of the occupants, and therefore less attention and effort is devoted to improving the building design.
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They often involve 4-5 story flats or semi-detached houses made from blocks and mortar and divided accordingly into single, double, dorm, 1 and 2-bedrooms.
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Iron sheets are the preferred material for the roof and the floors are cemented.
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In the slums or squatter settlements within Nairobi, the houses are made of mud or iron sheets for the walls, plain dirt floor, and iron sheets are used for the roof.
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Most of the buildings are built in rows and columns and limited space is left for enclosures and parking lots.
Types and styles of construction in middle and upper class neighborhoods
In these neighborhoods, the sophisticated designs and style of the buildings are taken into account when building.
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Most middle-class buildings are high-end duplexes or apartments located in gated communities called urbanizations with a single common point of entry. A farm can have 25-30 housing units.
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Most of the high-end buildings are single-unit houses or older buildings that are equipped with 6-10 bedrooms, guest wings, utility rooms, large complexes with adjoining farms/gardens.
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Most of the buildings are installed with a concrete slab floor and a clay tile roof.
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There is a great application of architectural creativity in the style and design of houses.
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Blocks and mortar are often used, although wood and bricks are often integrated to enhance the appearance and designs of buildings.
goes green
As global awareness of the need to conserve the environment increases, newer buildings in Nairobi are going green through the use of renewable building materials, the installation of solar panels and the use of translucent iron sheets for lighting , among other things.
Furthermore, technology and innovation are being used to develop futuristic buildings that meet present and future housing needs, as seen in Tetu City and Konza City.
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