OUR JOB

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE JOB OF PROJECT MANAGERS OF FINISHING THIS MAGNIFICENT HOTEL IN LUSAKA.

116 STANDARD ROOMS, 10 EXECTUTIVE ROOMS, RESTAURANT, BALLROOM CONFERENCE CENTRES, 3 KITCHENS, RETAIL CENTRE ETC.
THE BUILDING IS AN ARC (TWO WINGS ON EITHER SIDE) WITH RECEPTION AT THE TOP, (PHOTO TAKEN OUT OF RECEPTION LOBBY TO SOUTH WING) 2 SMALL DOMES ON

(SOUTH WING SEEN FROM RECEPTION LOBBY)

EACH END (RETAIL & CONFERENCE) OF THE ARC & A HUGE DOME IN THE CENTRE OF THE ARC RESTAURANT AT THE BOTTOM & BALLROOM ON TOP.

A LOT IS CLADDED WITH GYPSUM BOARD ON THE INSIDE WITH BULKHEADS ALL OVER AS SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING PHOTO OF THE RESTAURANT.

OUTSIDE HAS BEEN CLADDED WITH A GOLD & BRONZE ALUMINIUM COMPOSITE.
THE STYLE IS MIDDLE EASTERN DONE BY AN EQYPTIAN ARCHITECT, EGYPTIAN TRADESMEN & MOSTLY ZAMBIAN GENERAL WORKERS & A RUSSIAN QUANTITY SURVEYOR (QS).

MARIANNE & I ARE ON SITE PERMANENTLY WITH QS AROUND NOW & AGAIN. ARCHTECT IS BACK IN EGYPT & I ANSWER TO AN EGYPTIAN CONTRACTS MANAGER. THE CLIENT IS A GREEK WHO’S OFFICES ARE 300m AWAY WHERE I GO FOR INTERNET NOW & AGAIN.

I HAVE A GENERAL SUPERVISOR WITH ALL TRADES HAVING THEIR OWN SUPERVISOR. I HAVE A STOREMAN & A WORKERS REGISTRAR & A VERY CHEEKY ASSISTANT. LOTS OF INFO IS LOST IN TRANSLATION & THE NAME OF THE GAME IS CHECK & RECHECK.

AFTER 2 WEEKS OF MARIANNE STUDYING THE PLANS & TRYING TO FIQURE OUT THE PLACE WE HAVE REALISED THAT MOST OF THE BUILDING HAS BEEN BUILT WITH CHANGES TO PLAN WITH NO ‘AS BUILT’ PLANS ON SITE.

WE HAVE A SAMPLE ROOM THAT HAS BEEN BUILT COMPLETE THAT WE CAN USE BUT AFTER THAT IT IS OUTDATED PLANS & ON SITE DECISIONS.

HEALTH & SAFETY IS NOT AS OVER THE TOP HERE AS IN SA BUT I DO SEE TO THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES. I NOTICED THE OTHER DAY 3 WORKERS BUCKETING WATER OUT OF A TRENCH, 1 WEARING CHINESE NIKE AIRS, THE OTHR WITH SAFETY BOOTS & THE THIRD WITH A PAIR OF SLOFFIES ON WITH LITTLE FLOWERS.

:)