BEA December 2019 - January 2020

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Architect• Safaricom Staff Pension Scheme,Athi River.• Leadership Centre, South C,Nairobi• KPLC Loresho Housing Scheme,Loresho, Nairobi• BCI Nest Housing Scheme,Kileleshwa, Nairobi• Kenya Civil Aviation AuthorityHeadquarters, JKIA, Nairobi• Kenya National Assembly Tower,Nairobi• Royal Orchid Hotel, Westlands,Nairobi• TBM Office Block, Upper hill,Nairobi• Victoria Towers, Upper hill,Nairobi• Physical Sciences Complex,Egerton University, Njoro Campus• Uganda National Records &Archives Centre, Kampala,Uganda.Each iconic building showcases a passionfor excellence, innovation and commitment toproviding comprehensive solutions for the builtenvironment. Beyond the borders MMI haspartnered in projects in countries such as Uganda,Sweden, South Africa, etc.“All our projects give us pride given thatevery project is different and has somethingunique to offer. For example, the LeadershipCentre is a Green Building with a unique Iconicconcept visible from the Southern Bypass andKCAA HeadquartersKCAA HeadquartersNairobi National Park,” says Arch. Fawaz. “TheUnited Nations HQ in Gigiri, is a complex withConference facilities, Offices, Housing etc. thatwas done many years back but still stands the testof time in many ways.”Though the construction industry experiencedexponential growth in the past decade, Arch.Fawaz observes that the sector is facing challengescurrently and the project pipeline has largelyslowed to an unsteady trickle.“There are nonew projects and theexisting ones havecash flow challenges.We still remainhopeful, however thatthe environment willimprove, for instancewith opportunitiesemerging from theaffordable housinginitiative,” he says.He attributes theslowdown to economicchallenges in theindustry which haveaffected investmentopportunities in thecountry, the bankinterest rates thatdiscourage borrowing,Building East Africa | December/ January 202024Promoting sustainable development
Architectand the government dragging its feet in paying forits projects. Arch. Fawaz also fingers the growingand worrying trend of unqualified Consultantssetting up shop and undercutting on fees,underlining that this is eroding the gains madein the growth of the architectural profession inKenya.The quality of graduate entrants into themarket has in turn been watered down bycommercializing of degrees in the building andConstruction industry leading to too manyhalf-baked undergraduates showing up foremployment.Local consultants are in turn demoralizedby the opening up of the market to too manyinternational Consultants and contractors that setup shop in the country without clear guidelinesprotecting local market players, thereby shrinkingthe market space for local participation. All thesebottlenecks can be tackled with goodwill andconcerted effort with the government taking thelead in terms of supportive policy formulation andimplementation, as well as meeting its financialobligations for its projects.According to the architect, stakeholders in theindustry also need to embrace change in termsof technology and association with internationalfirms in order to survive the market trends.“Clients are looking for competitive products interms of design, pricing and sustainability.International firms are setting up shop in thecountry and taking up big jobs since they are ableto deliver them at a cheap price, faster and morereliably,” says Arch. Fawaz, adding that there isalso need to be creative in terms of job creationwhere you can no longer wait for a client to comewith a brief and funding but create the briefyourselves, do extensive feasibility studies, anddiscuss with landowners and investors in order tohave a breakthrough in major projects.“The affordable housing program is anopportunity for the stakeholders to create jobsand products with the right balance whereaffordability comes in play, and focus on thecorrect market target with reasonable promises interms of delivery.”The affordable housing programme underthe Big 4 Agenda has so far received impressiveinvestment overtures totaling over Sh. 3 trillion(way above set target of Sh2 trillion), with a totalof 800,000 houses expected to be built under thepublic private partnership model and 200,000 tobe put up under a social scheme. This is a greatopportunity for local consultants and contractorswho have been urged to put their best footforward.MMI has played a significant part in thegrowth and development of the architecturalprofession, and the building and constructionindustry in Kenya in general. The firm is acorporate member of both the ArchitecturalAssociation of Kenya (AAK) and the Board ofRegistration of Architects and Quantity Surveyorsof Kenya (BORAQS) with some of its partnersserving as senior office bearers in the professionalbodies at various times since inception.As MMI’s profile grows even bigger andstronger, the invaluable skill transfer by thefounders and grooming of the next generation ofarchitects that has generated competence andenthusiasm in the current team will ensure thatMMI’s competitive capacity is maintained withstability and continuity, and clients will continueto be delighted with excellent services rivaled byfew.KCAA HeadquartersBuilding East Africa | December / January 2020Promoting sustainable developmentA25
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Page 9 and 10: BriefingPanafrican Equipment Group
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BEA December 2019 - January 2020

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