ICT CITY

Development design Considerations

In response to the terms of reference for the ICT City; (reporting as an urban
designer), I have the following, comments, responses, welcome, through this
interactive process.
1. It is interpreted that the ICT City will be a catalyst for growth, relating
the eco systems of Namibia.
2. We need to define the derivatives of an ICT City, relating what are the
key fundamentals about an ICT City that would grow other business?
3. Whilst the terms of reference for the ICT City relate both INTERNAL &
EXTERNAL fractals, (as outlined by the client/ stakeholders), we need
to further explore:
What is these other types businesses - as strategically?
How do we fertilize & grow them?
4. There is a call from the Client/ stakeholder that investment streams
need be set up, for the above avenue; but more ever, as there would
also be a need to boost job creation & spur economic growth we
need to be considering the typology of activities that could take place in
the ICT City, as well as the amenities, to accommodate, for (if) those
entrepreneurs in the space.
5. From a design perspective, what infrastructure do we need, that
improves ICT delivery, for the competiveness in the economy?
6. Considerations to building a green economy sees ICT infrastructure,
is a carbon polluter, yet so, we need assess how greening the
technologies in the building/s can subtract or minimize, lower the
carbon footprint.
7. What are the attractions to escalate investment in the ICT City, aside
an attractive, well functioning set of buildings?
8. As ICT Parks require off site storage facilities, it is proposed, the site
across the roadway, be used as the facility fitting this purpose.
9. Broadband activity & wi-fi will play an integral part to the functionality in
the ICT City, therefore, consideration as how the social spaces are
infused, in the City, will be of value.
10. Adding to the above point, research needs to be collated as how, the
ICT City, effects the lives of society, & how as an ICT City, those lives
can be improved with the values out of the ICT City.
11. What would the requirements be,(building facilities) in initiating a
University Faculty, that links with the ICT backbone?
12. What considerations do we give to the avenue emancipating
sustainable development?
13. What are exemplar models of facilities maintenance for the CITY?
14. As a city, with a population of some 5000 occupants & half that number
as residents, (not negating daily & week end migratory patterns) would
there be need to build new municipal infrastructure plants? Are any of
those plants in proximity?

15. Variant building typologies & activities have been proposed, but it is
essential, we define the synergy in the parameter between these
facilities, determining in each type of activity, integrates with the other.

Urban Development Methodology

The following is an explanation to the approach as how the initial Stages of
the ICT City project will be executed: (i.e. from an Urban Design Perspective).

1. Investigations and Reporting Stage

The purpose of the Investigating and Reporting (I & R) phase is to investigate
what options are required to complete the project in a way that fulfils the
demands of the client, stakeholders & team members. At this time,
inclusively, Legislative requirements, Regulations, compliance to any Acts and
National policies along with the assimilate standards, for a project of this
nature, (sees the Urban Design), infuse such protocol in an effective manner,
to create for a total Scope emulating the projects life cycle.

The information collected during I & R Stage, forms the foundation toward the
conceptual & visionary plans/ images, providing a pathway for more details
that need to be captured in the latter stages: relating design, assessment of
the civil infrastructure, assessment of the contractors physical works,
resources required, (if) the project Phasing, collating all avenues in the I&R
Stage from birth, to fruition, & project maturation, meeting too, the I& R needs
in the facilities maintenance, relating building occupancy, health of the
tenants. This essentially initiates the total paradigm of the development with
the aim, toward sustainability & the developments longevity.

Ideally, there are two main focus determinatives in that I&R process in which
the urban design, as a paradigm, must evoke: these are, how the sociability
aspects to the human habitat would be designed & planned, & secondly, how
the livability factors, in a scale of 1 to 10, should be integrated; this namely
creates an avenue, where during the Scoping Report Stage and gives fuel to
propagate those delineations required in the Schemes Assessment Report.

Subsequently, it is important to note, the functions of the urban designer must

be apparent in any of these earlier studies, relating Projects Feasibility
Report. Yet urban design (methods) can be concluded as a key issues to
determine that the investors & stakeholders take stock of, aside the relevant
Pr. Consultants and related Development persons required for the build, of
the project/ development.

2. The Scoping Report

The purpose of the Scoping Report is to determine which project options are
viable and which options will be investigated further in the Scheme
Assessment Report. One of the requirements of the Scoping Report is that an
assessment be undertaken under the four categories of environmental,
funding, and economic and Client requirements. The social and environmental
category includes the preliminary scoping of environmental, social and

planning effects, including opportunities (Social and Environmental

Screening).

An urban design assessment should sit within the environmental section

With in the other three categories where appropriate. However, here It is
important that urban design is positioned early in the strategy and scoping
stages of the project in order to clarify the urban design matters that link all
environmental, social engineering and economic considerations. Urban
design objectives established early in the project will provide the framework
for determining how the project will deliver on (formulated) Urban Design
Strategies.

Urban design advice must be sought on the details of the proposed project
and incorporated into the whole of the project as appropriate to guide key
decision makers.

On larger complex projects, it may be appropriate that an Urban Design Plan

be developed to guide the implementation of urban design throughout the life
of the project. The Plan can be used as a tool to record urban design features
and concepts. It can also be incorporated as required into the Environmental
Management Plan.

The Urban Design Plan should be iterative and evolve with the project.

3. Scheme Assessment Report

Scheme Assessment includes the production to tackle the impositions
presented from the analyses & assessment. The SAR can also be used to
determine and justify the option to be put forward to gain funding for design
and construction. In the SAR the same four assessment categories are used
as for the Scoping Report. Once again, while urban design should be
integrated throughout the SAR, it is appropriate for the urban design
assessment to sit within the environmental section of the report.

Included within the SAR is a Social and Environmental Assessment (SEA) for
the preferred option, the detail of which is to be appropriate to the scale of the
effects of the project. The SEA should include information on how the
preferred option(s) address/respond to the urban design issues identified in
the scoping and scheme assessment stages of the project. This should be
outlined in the SEA as a separate specific section.

Always, the urban design section should build upon any previous analysis,
contain more comprehensive information and fully document the development
of the design and the contextual analysis of the project. The urban design
section in the SEA will be explicit and more developed, containing sufficient
information to ascertain the significance of the context, the urban design
concept and the associated benefits and impacts.

The urban design section must accurately demonstrate and illustrate what the
projects/ developments Life Cycle will look like and how it will be

experienced from the point of view of all users and of the community. Here it
is important to distil the projects urban design concept and benefits, ideally
with well-selected annotated graphics.

4. Design Philosophy Statement

At any scoping stage and during scheme assessment, a Preliminary Design
Philosophy Statement including design concepts, which outline all relevant
design assumptions and considerations, is prepared. The Preliminary Design
Philosophy Statement is updated during the Design and Project
Documentation phase to become the Design Philosophy Statement.
The main purpose of the Preliminary Design Philosophy Statement and the
Design Philosophy Statement is to ensure that, between the two option(s) do
there are no issues, relating, unresolved planning, construction, operational or
maintenance constraints and will identify any design issues that do not comply
with legislation or National construction code standards.

4a. In terms of the ambit of the championing urban designer, this should
ensure that the design encompasses the projects urban design objectives
and is consistent with National Urban Design Protocols. But there is more!

While urban design is relevant to the whole of the Design Philosophy

Statement, the particular stages as where urban design methods are
necessitated, by prerequisite are:
The outline of the philosophy used for the completion of the design,
which is consistent with the Social and Environmental Assessment
documented in the SAR.
The design assumptions; and
The statement detailing the philosophy behind the environmental
aspects that will require maintenance.

5. Designs and Project Documentation

The design of the preferred option, undertaken during the Design and Project
Documentation (D&PD) phase is required to take into account all
environmental and social effects identified in the Social and Environmental
Assessment from the SAR phase of the project. This includes to be infused
into the urban design paradigm also.

6. Final Design Report

The Final Design Report details the interpretation of the design requirements.
The Final Design Report should include illustration of how the physical
deliverables and the design standards, assumptions, materials and
methodology used in the completion of the design of the various elements of
the project meet the urban design objectives for the project.

7. Design Infill
To ensure urban design elements developed in the SAR or detailed design
stages of the project are maintainable the ICT Network Operations team
should review and support the design.

8. Design and Pre Determinative Construct models:

Specimen Design and Project Documentation
The purpose of the Design and Construct model is to change the point of
responsibility between the consultant and contractor, with the contractor
becoming responsible earlier for delivery of the project outcome by taking
over delivery of the final design and then constructing it. The contractor also
bears the risks associated with any changes in design except those instructed
by the Client. This risk is offset by having the opportunity for early input into
the design to introduce their own innovations and practicalities as the work
progresses.

The Design and Construct form of contract enables a reduction in cost and
time. Savings on time and cost are made due to the design being undertaken
in parallel with construction.

9. Contract Scope Given that the control over the design process is
diminished when projects are put out for tender on both design and
construction, it is important that urban design excellence is managed by
clearly defining the projects urban design outcomes within a competitive
tendering framework and then monitoring its implementation. It is important to
ensure that the urban design implications and elements identified in the
previous stages of the project, for example the Design Philosophy Statement
is carried forward into the final design developed by the contractor.

10. Conclusion
During each stage of the project, for example the completion of the I & R
phase and the commencement of the D & PD CC phase, it is important to
ensure that the urban design objectives and concepts are captured in order
for them to be further developed and transferred to the next stage of the
project.

The Development Process Explained

As an Urban Designer, I would deal mostly, if not always with clients who are
developers. They usually have a piece or pieces of land which they either own
or are considering buying and have a vision for how they would like to develop
a particular project. These projects can be large or small. We have dealt with
all sorts of pieces of property of varying sizes and uses. Our developer clients
range from very experienced to ones who are new to the process.

For instance, several years ago, I had a client who was a co owner of a large
property in the DRC, Africa, the size, 22 hectares. Granted this property, (as
much like in Dubai), was created from pumped earth/ sand from the bowels of
the Congo River, & with some civil work was stabilized.

Now clients wanted to, along with project investors & stakeholders, develop
that entire property with mixed use zones! much like the ICT City), yet the
client & stakeholder were at sixes & sevens, as how to map out the
development route. As a means of helping them, I put together a rather
comprehensive outline to which explained the development process and the
necessary steps to completing a successful development project. As no
project is the same, & the eco system determinatives vary, region to location,
relating project position & or development criteria, Ive have used this
conscript many times since then to explain to similar clients what steps they
are likely encounter along the way to completing a project of such magnitude
which reflected their vision.

As I said, every project is different and the stages or phases may vary, but the
condensed outline below, is intended to explain the typical process as best I
can.

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OUTLINE

SITE SELECTION (Client / Stakeholders & urban designer)

Though the site selection is a given (i.e for the ICT City) it would still be
appropriate as necessary that we obtain an audit of where site is serviced, the
capacity of these services, & conclude what civil infrastructures will still need
to be done (i.e. considering the ICT Citys proposed building Phases).

Yet we must consider in that audit, the neighboring sites, built form
surrounding the location of the site & future development, all need to be
determined. This gives answer also to some of the criteria needed in the
feasibility stage that informs for the development, synopsis/ development life
cycle. The civil infrastructures servicing however may also vary depending on
the answers/ red flags indicated in an EIA or EiR (env impact report).

Now consideration must also be given, to the close proximity to major

population centers and market sources, etc. that are in operation.

Other questions to ask would be:

What proximity to transportation gateways and networks

Suitability of the climate for proposed uses (here we are talking about access
between buildings, on street, & in general pedestrian flows.
Do we need to enhance upon the scenic setting and environment
Predominance of gently sloping terrain, adequate water supply and minimal
natural hazards, any steep gradients.
Adequate & or available infrastructure
Suitable existing zoning or the ability to gain government approval for
development, can this be accelerated.

MASTER PLAN PROCESS

1. Background Information
2. Detailed Site Topographic Survey (Surveyor)
Site Analysis (urban designer/ town planner)

The initial step in the master plan process is site analysis, sees we will
typically spend however much time is required on-site for the purpose of
assessing the physical location and setting of the site. Here it may well be to
have traffic engineers assess also & review transportation, road networks and
access. We will look at various opportunities and constraints within the site as
they relate to the functionality (socially & economically) of the said
development. We will meet with whatever local planning or regulatory
agencies, so they can provide us with background on current regulations,
governmental plans and entitlement processes. Approval processes, licensure
procedures etc. And we will review any and all studies, the plans prepared for
the project area. Some other criteria would include:

1. Site Characteristics
2. Regional Relationship
3. Access
4. Government General Plan/Zoning Regulations
5. Previous Plans/Studies
6. Development Opportunities
7. Development Constraints

Development Concept (Urban Designer)

We will begin to put together a number of preliminary development concepts,

usually in the form of diagrams to look at various development scenarios.

We can also generate preliminary unit counts, densities and areas to go along
with each alternative scenario. We will normally present these to the client
with the goal of trying to get a concurrence on a preferred development
approach or scenario. Now considering the aim in this development is to plan
for an ICT City, there is technological driver as a dynamic to also consider.
We have commenced research into ICT Parks, information technology
servicing a populous in a built environment, but are yet to draw any data
relating the make of an ICT Park, that divulges the social dynamism to place
through an ICT paradigm. Indeed we are confident, we will find a few
exemplar projects, to draw from, as the process unfolds.

But the aim of the Concept/ vision plan is to essentially obtain concurrence
with the client on the direction to proceed to begin to refine and detail the
preferred concept. Here we will work back and forth with the client to arrive at
the final development concept.

1. Development Goals and Objectives

Understanding the clients goals and objectives. In that regard we have

digested the Terms of Reference for the ICT City: and with respect to this
particular project, client & stakeholders, it is imperative we collectively spend
as much time as necessary trying to understand what your vision is so we are
not designing in a bubble. As necessary, the years of experience, around a
round table, bears evidence that the project sees client & stakeholder
content when we deliver the final development concept.

2. Preliminary Development Program (Client/Land Planner)

We will also work with you, the client & stakeholders to develop a preliminary
development program, here we need you to brief tells us what uses, densities,
unit counts, etc. the client & stakeholders expect: this is infused within the
master plan. If you do not have a detailed brief for the project, as yet, we can
brainstorm that aspect (together) to try to flesh out a program that is
appropriate to the site & the zoning by prescript, meeting the town planning
regulations.

3. Market Assessment (Market Consultant)

Often times, a client may have prepared a market and feasibility study prior to
our involvement in a project. If this is the case, we will use that report and the
findings in it as a basis for the development brief and the various planning
alternatives. If the client wishes to do the market study once we have
prepared some preliminary concepts that will work as well. In any case, if
there is no market feasibility study, Id suggest we include a Market Analyst, if
Consultant, to the project team, we will work closely with them to provide input
on a development brief or program as well as to test their assumptions to
what development activities would make the site, viable, apart from the
anchor building for Telecoms Namibia.

4. Preferred Development Concept

After preparing several development concept alternatives, we will review them

with the client and work to arrive at a preferred development approach or
concept can form the basis for the master plan and can be refined and
detailed.

5. Preliminary Project Phasing Plan (Civil Engineer, Land Planner)

Throughout the master planning process, we work closely with the client and
their civil engineer to determine project phasing. Phasing is extremely
important both in minimizing upfront design and engineering costs as well as
predicting and therefore mitigating, potential project/ build red flags.

6. Final Master Plan (Land Planner)

Once the preferred development concept has been approved, we will prepare
a final master plan. Please consider, this is, in our view, a flexible document
that can change or be revised based upon market or political changes.

1. Conceptual Infrastructure Plan (Civil Engineer)

1. Roadway Plan
2. Sewer
3. Power reticulation
4. Telecommunications
5. Grading and Drainage
2. Preliminary Cost Estimates (QS)
3. Financial Feasibility/Cash Flow Analysis (Client/Project Stakeholders/)
4. Government Review and Approval (Client/Local Planner)
5. Landscape Master Plan (Landscape Architect)

DETAILED DESIGN (For Individual Architectural Projects) (Architect,

Civil Engineers, Electrical, Structural Engineers)

Project Assimilation

Consultant Selection

Project Design
Concept Design
Design Development/ Incl. greening
Construction Documentation/Working Drawings
Engineering (Structural & Civil Engineer)
Roadway Designs
Water System Reticulation
Wastewater System
Sewage Treatment Facilities (package plants or by Municipality)
Wastewater Transmission System
Wastewater Recycling
Telecommunications System
Grading and Drainage
Site Grading
Cut and Fill Analysis
Drainage System

Final Cost Estimates (QS)

Why Green Accredited Development

Research from the World Green Building Council states, greening buildings
through design and construction, does not necessarily need to cost more!

That, particularly when strategies, considering eco systems of the natural &
built environment give considerations, to passive & alternative means that
derive for alternative energy; processes that must be implemented right from
the start.

Now an intrinsic value, to carbon footprint mitigation & energy consumption

reduction (for investors), sees occupants become more knowledgeable about
and concerned with the environmental aspects to the operations of buildings,
and with that improved dynamic, relating sustainability credentials, the
landlord/ investors can enjoy increased occupancy rates and a building/s that
are more marketable.

Around the world there is a pattern of green buildings that are gaining a
reputation to attract tenants, as too these buildings eventually, command
higher rent, improved tenant occupancy and appreciate in value over time, not
only the building/s that become a greater asset, but the address of that
building/s too.

The operational costs in harnessing Green buildings therefore see the

landlord save money through reduced energy and water consumption,
ensuing even down to a grey water system that would water the surrounding
building/s gardens. Now which landlord doesnt want lower long-term
maintenance costs on their facilities.

Energy savings in green buildings typically exceed any design and

construction cost premiums within a reasonable payback period, in a matter of
a few years. Ref: www.worldgbc.org/business-case12 Jones Lang LaSalle,
(January 2010)

Market insights: Selling sustainable buildings, THE BUSINESS CASE FOR

GREEN BUILDINGS, sees in door environments can improve the health of
employees productivity and improve the general occupant health and well-
being, resulting in many benefits for that businesses/ employer.

Risk mitigation, sustainability risk factors can significantly affect the rental
income and the future value of real estate assets, in turn affecting revenue
relating future values, in the buildings life cycle.

Extreme weather events and systematic changes in weather patterns affect

the insurability of real estate and lead to questions about the resilience of
assets.

Scaling up from green buildings by greening our built environment at both the
neighborhood and city scale, to deliver on large-scale economic priorities see

climate change mitigation, energy security, resource conservation are all

ingredients in the equation to creating resilience and to bear for quality of life.

International real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle advises that over the next
decade, it is likely that capital and rental values will gradually reflect the
sustainability of buildings and their capacity to cope in dis/ stressed
conditions.
There is a significant role that people must play in reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and here, considering the ICT City design, we need identify key
interventions for both mitigating and being at the frontier to evoke these
adaptations, in the ICT Citys buildings, so that investors and occupiers, enjoy
sustainable benefits throughout the buildings life cycle.

In New Zealand, the PCNZ/IPD Green Property Investment Index provides a

measure of investment performance across office buildings that have been
awarded a Green Star rating. The index, launched in November 2012 and
sponsored by Goodman and CBRE, comprises data from 12 participants,
representing approximately NZ$1.3 billion of Green Star rated office buildings.

That research also found that office buildings with a Green Star rating
returned 8.9% and out performed non-rated buildings, which returned 6.4% in
the year to September 2012. Return outperformance for Green Star rated
buildings was driven by a positive capital growth component of 1.7%.
Conversely, non-rated office buildings experienced a negative 1.4% capital
decline. Seethe New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) for further
details.

This Report has been concluded by:

Franco Airoldi
Urban Designer.