GROUP III:

SITE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS

Westlands, Nairobi
Group Members
1. ANGELA KOKI - B11/0519/2018
2. YEGON CHEBET -B11S/12525/2020
3. ARNOLD OCHIENG’ - B11/0529/2018
4. PATRICK NJUGUNA -B11/0608/2017
5. EUGENE JACK - B11/0533/2018
6. CHIIRA RUHENI - B11S/12483/2020
7. NICK MARETE - B11S/13100/2019
8. BENSON GITIYE -B11S/13703/2019
9. MARY KOINANGE - B11/0595/2019
10. WANJERI NJAU - B11S/14300/2018
11. MWENDWA MUTUNGA - B11/0602/2020
12. CHRIS KIILU - B11S/12938/2020
13. MAINA WAIRIMU - B11/4462/2020
14. OMONDI CHARLES -B11/0617/2020
15. JOHN MWAMBAMBA - B11/0613/2020
16. GLORIA CHEPKORIR - B11/0608/2020
17. GLORIA CHEBET - B11/0612/2019
 Content Breakdown
1. Site Inventory (Base Map)
2. Location & Access
3. Neighborhood & Context
4. Climate
a. Rainfall
b. Sunlight & Temperature
c. Wind & Humidity
5. Topography,Soils & Drainage
6. Vegetation
7. Infrastructure & Utilities
8. Conclusion: Site Suitability Map
SITE INVENTORY
SITE INVENTORY (BASE MAP) 3.INFRASTRUCTURE &
UTILITIES

1. LOCATION & ACCESS Presence of :

Location: Westlands ● Sewer line
Access roads ● Electricity line
● Main highways: ● Stormwater drain
○ Waiyaki way
● Security lights
○ Uhuru highway
● Existing shanties
● Streets:
○ Westlands road Absence of:
Area of site: 19,293 m² (4.76 ● Water line
acres)
● Use of site (currently) 4. TOPOGRAPHY,
2. NEIGHBORHOOD & DRAINAGE & SOIL
CONTEXT
● Slope: North
● Average Noise levels: 70 - 80 West to South
dB(A) SE, SW & E parts of the site East
● Views: Unobstructed views to the ● Highest
highway point:1690m
● Landmarks: GTC & National ● Lowest point:
Museum 1678m
● Prominent Architectural style in ● Soil type:
the area: Modern Architecture Laterite red soil
● Prominent Land use: Commercial - well drained
& Residential
SITE INVENTORY (BASE MAP) 6. CLIMATE
5.VEGETATION
● Number of trees on site? Subtropical Highland
About 15 trees Climate
At 1,795 metres above sea
● Position: Most of the trees level
on site are located along
the peripheries of the site ● Average Temp:21.5٥C
○ Max: 28٥C
● Species of trees ○ Low: 5 ٥C
○ Mango tree ● Sunpath: E - W
○ Meru oak ● Average Sunlight
○ Bougainvillea Hours: 12 hours
○ Avocado ● Average Annual
○ Banana trees Rainfall: 925mm
○ Maize plants ● Wind direction: NE -
○ Pawpaws SW
○ Watermelon vines ● Wind speed: 4.3 Km/hr
○ Sodom apples ● Average Relative
Humidity: 73.27%
● Scattered ground cover
There is scattered ground
cover on site as the site is
dumping ground
LOCATION & ACCESS
 LOCATION

AFRICA KENYA
WESTLANDS SUB-COUNTY
LOCATION

● Site is located at Westlands Sub

County, Nairobi County.

● Westlands is an economic hub that

houses a number of office buildings
(GTC, OneAfrica, Safaricom etc), two
SITE LOCATION large scale commercial projects
(Westgate and Sarit Centre Malls)
and one notable sports facility
Parklands Sports Club etc

● The area is therefore ripe for any of

the 3 developments thanks to the
huge demand for all the facilities.
 LOCATION
Site suitability for the 3 proposed developments
Parameter Office Building Commercial Building Sports Complex

Adjacent Highly Suitable Less Suitable Suitable

Buildings
The office occupancy levels in With several huge malls (Sarit Being that the closest sports facility
Nairobi have experienced a decline Centre, Westgate mall etc) in the is in Parklands, having one
of 3.9%, dropping to 71.5% from area already subscribed to by the established in the westlands
the 74.9% recorded in 2022. This local population, penetrating into the business district would prove
decrease can be attributed to over commercial market scene might prove fruitful. With none in the region,
600,000 sq ft of grade A office SITE LOCATION
challenging for the client. market demand is assured from the
space coming onto the market in large working class population
2022 (e.g GTC mentioned in the The average occupancy as of 2023 for coming in from different parts of the
neighborhood section.. retail spaces in westlands stands at city as well as the local community
77.6%. The demand is slightly lower (huge residential base in the area).
Putting up a grade A office building than the supply hence making the
would draw in multinational endeavour less feasible.
company users being that the
Westlands district is the most
sought after office location.
 The site is approx 3km from the CBD and is accessible
via the Westlands Rd.

ACCESS 1. From Westlands;

Accessed through Waiyaki Way, approximately 150m
past the museum hill expressway toll exit:
● Take a left onto Uhuru Highway for about 130m
● Then Take a left onto the Westlands access rd.

2. From Thika Rd’

Accessed via either Kipande Rd., Ngara Rd. or Limuru
Rd. which all lead to Uhuru Highway:
● Proceed on to Ojijo Rd.
● Take a left on the Chiromo Lane intersection. Head
straight up until the Westlands Rd. intersection
and take a right towards the site access gate.
Alternatively:
● Proceed along Uhuru Highway before taking a
right onto Waiyaki Way.
● Head towards Westlands up until the 1st U-turn
and drive backwards onto Uhuru Highway before
branching into Westlands Rd.
ACCESS- Hierarchical ease of access

Ease of access
Easy From Westlands;

Hard From Thika Road

 View of the Westlands Access Rd.
ACCESS

Number of access points: 2

● The site features a unique access point, accessible
through a small gate.
● It is partially enclosed by a temporary corrugated
iron sheet fence along Westlands Rd, guiding
visitors towards the primary access gate designed
for both vehicular and pedestrian entry.
● Access from the South/Southwest end is limited
to pedestrians only. This restriction is in place due
to the presence of heaps of dumped soil on the
site, hindering vehicular transit.
 ACCESS
Site suitability for the 3 proposed developments
Parameter Office Building Commercial Building Sports Complex

Access Highly suitable Suitable Less suitable

The site is accessible by major roadsWith the site’s access being a Such developments draw in crowds
(Waiyaki Way, Thika Rd. etc) making secondary road rather than a feeder often in-transit with buses and
it suitable for a wide range of usersroad branching of the main highways, vans.
in the Nairobi Metropolitan area motorists driving through might find it
challenging to access and exit the Westlands Rd. being the main
Westlands Rd. being the main SITE LOCATION
development with ease access route to the site offers
access route to the site offers wide narrow width clearance access (6m
enough access (6m road) capable to To make it more suitable, multiple road) needed to serve the huge
serve the traffic brought on by such access points might have to be traffic anticipated to be brought by
a development introduced along the main highways. such a development especially
This would even help ease up the when hosting competitions.
huge traffic exhibited on such
developments Navigating around for the users
would be difficult making it less
desirable
 The site is in a prominent location easily
LOCATION & ACCESS RESPONSE ●
accessible by the public making it ideal for
either a mixed-use commercial tower
incorporating different uses -offices,
commercial complex and even a small
sports facility for wellness and fitness
users with limits on hosting tournaments.

● The primary market catchment for each of

the proposed developments is the
Westlands Business District encompassed
in the greater Nairobi metropolitan area.

Justification

● It is situated adjacent to major transport

hubs of the city such as Uhuru Highway &
the Expressway.

● It bears proximity to some of Nairobi’s

iconic buildings e.g. the Global Trade
Centre etc which draw masses to the
region.
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT
NIVINA TOWERS.

PROSPERITY HOUSE.

HARLEYS LIMITED.
 NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT

SITE

GTC TOWERS.
PURSHOTTAM PLACE.
VILLA ROSA KEMPINSKI STANBIC HQ
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT: Architectural style

Purshottam Place

(Hosting Google Offices and Stanbic

Bank)
● Architectural style- Modern
● Function- Office building
● Roof form- Flat roof
● Facade- Plaster (beige painting),
tiling (beige),curtain wall (blue
reflective glass)
● Height- 10 floors
● Use of open space - parking (238
cars)
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT: Architectural style
Prosperity House

(Currently undergoing renovation)

● Architectural Style - Modern

● Function- Office & Accommodation
● Roof form- Flat
● Facade- Beige tiling and curtain walls
● Zoning- Commercial
● Height - 10 levels, 8 office floors,
2-level basement parking.
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT: Architectural style

Elite

● Architectural style - Modern

● Function- Residential
● Roof form- Flat
● Facade- Plastered (white)
● Zoning- Residential
● Height- 20 floors, 16 apartment
floors, 4 parking levels
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT: Architectural style
Global Trade Centre (GTC)

● Architectural style- Modern

● Function- office buildings (42
floors), hotels (35 floors),
residential (24-28 floors)
● Roof form- flat
● Facade- White tiling, Curtain
walls
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT: Architectural style

Nairobi national museum

● Architectural style- Modern

● Function- Education and Research
● Roof form- Hip roof
● Facade- Beige paint
● Height- 3 floors
● Use of open space- Green space (for
nature walks and campsites) and
parking
 NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT:Landmarks
Local landmark: Nairobi National Museum
Distant landmark: GTC

● Landmarks have distinctive features that help define the identity of the city or it surroundings and are
unique and memorable.

● The site is surrounded by two landmarks which include the GTC and the nairobi national museum.
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT: Paths
The main paths surrounding the site are surface arteries:

● Waiyaki way,
● Nairobi expressway
● Prof. Wangari maathai road
● Uhuru highway
● Westlands road

Noise: Comfortable noise level average at 50 db(A). Due

to the highway the expected noise levels in the areas
close the highway and feeder roads (South, East, and
North) areas of the site receive 70 - 80 dB(A)

Visual exposure: The paths are a medium for the visual

exposure and dictate how the surrounding architecture
will be experienced.
 NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT:Districts
The site is surrounded by distinct areas mainly defined by their land use patterns

Commercial area characterized

by office buildings Residential area characterized
by apartments

Educational district with a

Educational and research
campus (UON- chiromo) and a
district
high school (state house girls)

Recreational area
State house girls

Commercial area (maasai

market)
NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT:Building Regulations

TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT G.C % P.R %

1. Block 1 Commercial 80 200

2. Block 2&3 Offices & High Rise Residential 35 80

3. Block 4 Offices 80 200

4. Block 5 Commercial/Residential Hotels 80 200

NOTE: BUILDING LINE - 9 meters from the main road and 6 meters from subsidiary roads.
 NEIGHBORHOOD & CONTEXT RESPONSE

1. Create buffers through landscape

elements such as trees on the
boundaries of the site
3. The height of the proposed
building should compete with
the existing and contribute to
the definition of the skyline -
design for commercial use to
maximise the site.

4. Avoid balconies along the

highway to buffer users from noise

2. Use courtyard element to buffer noise from Waiyaki

Way noise - inspiration from Villa Rosa Kempinski
CLIMATE: RAINFALL
CLIMATE: RAINFALL

● Nairobi receives 925 mm (36.4 in) of

rainfall per year, or 77.1 mm (3 in) per
month.

● On average there are 89 days per year

with more than 0.1 mm (0.004 in) of
rainfall (precipitation).

● The driest month is in July with an

average of 19 mm (0.7 in) of rainfall

● The wettest month is in April with an

average of 206 mm (8.1 in) of rainfall
 CLIMATE: RAINFALL RESPONSE

Incorporate storm water drainage channels to Have a water harvesting and storage system to
serve the proposed building efficiently for later
redirect rainwater and reducing overall runoff
use.
 Response to Rainfall

Reuse unused harvested water for water

fountain in proposed relaxation spaces.
Reuse unused harvested water for landscaping
 Response to Rainfall
Are the roads prone to flooding? Yes. How will this affect
Is the rainwater harvested sufficient to run the access?
building? No
The access will have to utilise permeable paving materials
What is the recommendation? To outsource like gravel or porous concrete around walkways and parking
from other sources like county government areas to allow rainwater infiltration and reduce surface
(Nairobi Water Company) runoff.

Durable and low-maintenance materials: Choose exterior

materials with high resistance to weather damage i.e brick
paving
CLIMATE:
SUNLIGHT & TEMPERATURE
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE

● In Westlands, the month of February experiences the highest daily hours of sunshine,
with an average of 11.41 hours per day.
● Conversely, May has the lowest daily hours of sunshine, with an average of 10.93 hours
per day.
● February is the warmest month of the year with an average temperature of 27.4 °C while
July is the coldest month, experiencing the lowest average temperature of 13.3 °C
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE

Sun Path diagram in the hottest months

During the hottest month of February to

March, the site experiences more direct
sunlight on the Eastern, Southern and
Western facades
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

● Adequate levels of ● The Western ● Use of daylighting ● Glare in the

sunshine hours facade is likely to to save on morning and
throughout the experience solar electricity evening on the
year heat gain all ● Solar water eastern and
● Temperatures evenings heating southern facades
ranges are within throughout the ● Natural cooling ● Solar heat gain on
the comfort zone, year methods, no need the western
no extremes. for ACs facade
● Warm ● Harvesting of
temperatures solar energy
throughout the
year.
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
1.DAYLIGHTING Capturing daylight in buildings offers several
benefits, including:

● Enhancing human performance and

well-being
● Potentially improving productivity, increasing
job satisfaction, or reducing absenteeism.
● Creating dynamic lighting effects that vary
throughout the day and year, providing a
broad electromagnetic spectrum with
excellent color rendering.
● Allowing buildings to be illuminated at
higher levels than those relying solely on
electric lighting. This enables people to
continue working on specific tasks during
power shortages or breakdowns.
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
The main consideration in daylighting is to enhance visual comfort and minimize
heat gain from light penetration.
It can be achieved by the following four daylighting strategies:
1. Penetration -collecting natural light inside the building
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
2. Distribution -homogeneous spreading of light
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
3. Protect - reducing sun ray penetration with external shading devices
Sun Shading elements
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
4. Control - using movable screens to regulate light penetration and avoid discomfort

Roman Blinds and rollers

CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
2.PASSIVE COOLING
● This involves minimizing energy consumption and improving indoor thermal comfort
● It mostly focuses on heat dissipation and heat gain control in buildings.
● This is possible by preventing heat from entering the interior (heat gain prevention) or
remove heat from the building (natural cooling).
1. Heat gain control

Sun Shading elements Choice of materials for the

Double glazing building envelope
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
2.PASSIVE COOLING
2. Heat dissipation

Interior landscaping, Stack effect

and Cross ventilation
CLIMATE: SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
3.HVAC SYSTEMS
CLIMATE: WIND & HUMIDITY
CLIMATE: WIND

On site the wind blows from the North

East direction towards the South West at a
speed of 4.31 km/hr.

KEY
- WIND
CLIMATE: WIND RESPONSE
1)Tall building.(Skyscraper)

For tall buildings, average wind speed

increases with height, while the different
combinations of eddies (circular movement
of wind), decreases with height.

Turbulence buffeting (strong, repeated

assaults of wind) can affect tall buildings
or towers
CLIMATE: WIND RESPONSE

2) Low story building

A courtyard acts as an air tube that lets

out the internal air into sky due to the
difference of air density between indoor
and outdoor .This mechanism is called
the stack driven ventilation.
 CLIMATE: HUMIDITY

Jan Dec

Relative humidity throughout the year

The average annual average relative humidity is 73.27%.

The optimum relative humidity percentage for an office building is 40-60 %.

Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor actually in the air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum
amount of water vapor the air can hold at the same temperature.

Westlands,Nairobi is considered to be a high humid area.

CLIMATE: HUMIDITY RESPONSE
High humidity affects the performance of buildings by causing condensation, mould growth, mildew,
staining, slip hazards, damage to equipment and the corrosion and decay of the building fabric as
well as poor performance of insulation.

Incorporation of a working air

conditioning system in the building that
assists passive ventilation in reducing
moisture in the air thus creating a
conducive working environment for its
users.
TOPOGRAPHY, SOIL & DRAINAGE
TOPOGRAPHY, SOIL & DRAINAGE
The site has a slope of 6% Moving downwards
from the North to the South.
A storm water drainage is already provided on the
SE end of the site. Permeable pavers and green
spaces are encouraged to allow absorption of
water into the ground so as not to overwhelm
existing drainage.

There are currently

1690

1687

1685 mounds of soil on

1683 the site speculated
1678
1680
to be from other
construction sites.
Sustainable options
such as use of the
soil in landscaping
and construction
should be explored.
 TOPOGRAPHY, SOIL & DRAINAGE
The site is located in Nairobi region which is mainly
covered by Tertiary volcanic materials overlying
folded Precambrian Basement System rocks of the
Mozambique belt. Weathering has resulted in the
reddish-brown color.
(Red volcanic soils)
The soil is well drained. Vegetation in the
landscape is recommended, along with additional
(Murram+water) storm water drainage on site connecting to the
main one.

Pile foundation is recommended for a high storey

(Rock) building.

(Westlands Skye Development Limited, 2015)

SITE SECTION
SITE SECTION
VEGETATION
VEGETATION: RESPONSE
● Retain the bougainvillea because of
its beauty and add more along the
edge of the site.

○ Due to the nature of its roots it

is not to be planted close to
buildings.

● Retain the Meru Oak as it is a rare

species and holds value to the local
residents it will be retained.
● Clear the ground cover on site since
they have grown on earth mounds
that are to be excavated.

● Retain Trees along the edge of the

site to act as barriers to sound and
more to be added .
INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES
 Existing buildings on site
There are a few shanties on site mainly used
INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES
●
by small scale vendors especially as food
outlets.
● There is also a squatter residential house
occupied by one family.
● Presence of:
○ Garage
○ Car wash
○ Small business shops
○ Eatery
○ Parking spaces

e
ag
○ Residential house

ar
G
Drainage
Ho
me ● The site benefits from an underground water
drainage system, which is crucial for managing
rainwater and preventing flooding.
Sewage
● No manholes and sewer lines particularly on
site but along the sidewalk on the boundaries
of the site
Water supply
● The site relies on water supplied by Nairobi
Water (Kanjo), which is transported to the site
by road. This could potentially lead to supply
inconsistencies and increased costs.
Electrical lines
● There’s power from the main grid along
Westlands road
Security lights
SCALE 1:500 ● Along to road and on site
INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES

CAR WASH

EATERY

RESIDENTIAL
DUMPING HOUSE
GROUND

KIOSKS
MANHOLE
INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES: RESPONSE
● Due to the recommendation for commercial
use this presents an opportunity for an
on-site sewage treatment due to the high
number of users. An innovative and
eco-friendly system like a biodigester,
reducing environmental impact and
promoting water conservation.
● Greywater Reuse: Explore the possibility of
treating and reusing greywater (from
showers, sinks, and washing machines) for
irrigation, toilet flushing, or other
non-potable uses
● Rainwater Harvesting to complement
water from municipality and support
non-potable uses: Due to climate change,
and increased and unexpected rains; a
rainwater harvesting system with storage in
underground tanks will ensure reduced
water bills, improved water security, and
reduced pressure on public water sources.
INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES: RESPONSE

Green Infrastructure Solutions:

○ Bioretention Swales: Incorporate

bioretention swales, landscaped
depressions that filter and absorb
stormwater, reducing runoff and
improving water quality.

○ Green Roofs or Green facades:

Incorporate green roofs that retain and
utilize rainwater while providing
insulation and reducing the urban heat
island effect.
CONCLUSION:
SITE SUITABILITY MAP
SITE CONCLUSION

A
C E

E
B E
D
 REFERENCES
Westlands Skye Development Limited(2015). Proposed Development of Office Block-EIA
Study Report.
https://www.nema.go.ke/images/Docs/EIA-1250-1259/EIA_1251%20Modern%20mixed%2
0use%20commcercial%20complex%20report.pdf