Northbank Gambia - Huge Baobab tree
Enormous ancient trees in the sticks at lamins hometown compound.
Wassu stone circles Gambia - Jan 2020
Stone henge - Gambian style (althougth way before UK called it gambia)
UniKunda Set out Jan - Knackered.com
UniKunda Accomdation block 1 - Diging trenchs 2
UniKunda Accomdation block 1 - 1st set out
As per the fibonacci site plan layout, we set out the 1st accodtaion blok.
Its curved 38m long on front, 54m long on rear, One end 5.5m wide, the other 9m wide. To include 8nr apartments each tapered and differnet sizes
Like a Horn shape
Track to Unikunda neighbour is planting Jan 2020
Walk from trck down to UniKunda showing Eastern neighbours land
UniKunda Dec 2019 - From roof pre-sheeting
Video from the store roof top prior to sheeting 1
Silvers Beach bar Dec 2019
Our neighbour has been working on his beach bar, the video finishes with the camera facing our overgrown UniKunda
BUILDING 3 - ACCOMDATION BLOCK SET OUT
The last few days Lamin, Bams and I have been setting out the foundation lines for the first Earthship accommodation block, it's basically 4 x quarter circles to form a block for 8 lodges, its curved and tapered so odd shape to set out.
300m2 / 38m front / 56 rear ranging from 5-9m wide.
We are now digging a trench just a shovel wide and 4" deep to be a line to work from for the 1m x 0.5m foundations.
Working in 32c African sun is so tough, it zapps your energy. We have an incomplete borehole 16m deep but the store roof is finished. We have all the electrical materials ready to go, then Basirou will render the store, we tile the floor, fit out..Lamin moves in for 2020 and we will have our own house/store for next December . Exciting times.
Digging is so much more enjoyable when it's your own place looking at the ocean listening to reggae sets.
Its Dirty, spikey and dry though... Home on 16th so only a few days to go..
3-4yrs of hard work ahead.. Loving every minute
Abdoule's DJ Stage & Beach Bar
Great spot, great veiw and all round great guy, so pleased he is our neighbour. This bar will be awesome in a year or two..
The camera pans the ocean, Abdoules bar, Uni-Kunda (LH of track) Abdoules land, his English neighbour... Then ocean :-)
Cant wait to get the UNIKUNDA 5K TURBO-SOUNDSYSTEM ON THIS VERY SPOT NEXT DECEMBER!!
UniKunda Basecamp Building 1 - At beam level
Building 1 Store & Flat - 1month in, built to beam level.
Building method info below.. (Boring to most I’m sure!!)
To complete building 1 the plan is... Next, the columns in corners and wall centres are shuttered & poured - 1day.
Then, a continuous ring beam around the outside wall will be shuttered 200mm high, steel fixing of 4 bars, then poured the same day - 1day
Then Shuttering removed and 3 courses of blockwork to the outside wall Eaves level, plus gables and 6 courses to the ridge wall...
(Roughly a 20deg roof)
The central Ridge wall makes the roof structure very strong and easy, as we just need rafters from side wall to ridge wall Each side is 8m x 4m. Plus it makes the store 100% secure and independent.
Then the roof structure will be; the two gable ends with hardwood 50x50mm bedded on top as a rafter/plate (strapped to the wall)
Then 2 pairs of 4m span rafters splitting roof length of 8m into bays of 2.6m. The two pairs of rafters will be in 35mm box SHS steel so very strong and wont rot like softwood. We did plan to use hardwood but more expensive as need more rafters than steel. So across one side the roof structure will go....
Gable wall hardwood 50x50mm plate - 2.6m gap - Steel - 2.6m gap - Steel - 2.6m gap - Gable Hardwood
So only 4 pairs of rafters essentially....
Then we tie the steel rafter pairs to their opposite to create 2 X "A" frames with 35mm box section and M6 Nuts and bolts. These ties will go "through" the ridge wall so will also help tie the roof to the blockwork and prevent damage in high winds.
These 4 pairs of rafters, two steel and two hardwood on gable blockwork, will then have 50x50mm hardwood battens at 500mm centres from eaves to ridge. These will be screwed to the steel from the underside through pre-drilled holes.
Then we sheet the grid roof structure in laminated corrugated tin sheeting fixed to the battens. The roof will be a bouncy, but strong enough as only holding sheets and will be well tied to blockwork. This i
