CASE STUDY: BOLE APARTMENTS

Figure 3- 57 Location of Bole Apartments Source: Google Maps

BUILDING SITING & ORIENTATION

The beautiful sets of buildings that form the outskirt of bole road are found in front of the famous
Shoa super market. Faced with south western direction, these building are few of the main
apartments that were built during that era

BUILDING FUNCTION & DESCRIPATION

Block 985 of these apartments has a semi basemen, basement and eleven stories above the
ground floor. The building is backyard is accessed after one has stepped down four or five steps
slaughter space & unfortunately as a playground for children. The park doesn’t serve as parking
basement supports both rooms of apartments & the extension of garbage disposal. This mix of
function has become unhealthy and unattractive. People live next to the toilet Leakage that has
been laying these for months.
The un-segregated back yard space has been the reason for many of the resident’s children’s
sickness. The manhole & septic tank have long before stopped functioning, resulting the foul
smell of the environment.
The building is comprised of two & three bed room apartments. It is very sad to realize that the
circulation lights do not work properly. So if people come late at night they have to use lamp
(portable) on order to see easily. And also during day time due to the placement of stairs natural
ventilation & light is not available. The smell from the slaughter space on the back yard is
sensed all the way to the second floor especially during holiday seasons. It’s also unfortunate to
realize
that this fourteen story building does not have any working elevators from the available 3.and
safety is an issue when children are playing in the unprotected pit of the elevator. The electricity
of the building is placed on the backyard and it has been attacked by termites & pests resulting

in its malfunction. This is due to the architectural poor design of 66placement of sensitive items

(objects).and the electricity sometimes causes contacts when children play with it.
On the entry level it is said to observe that toilet discharge is just lying there in front of the
apartment’s doors. During the field work of this particular buildings research people were more
than willing to express their aggravation & anguish towards the building function.
These include, no access for the disable & mothers expecting a child, no segregation of function
for garbage disposal & slaughter, no function septic tank (septic tank is full and has been
leaking), no natural light equipments, Parking problems, no proper managerial office and etc.

INDOOR ENVIRONMENT FINDINGS

TEMPERATURE OF THE BUILDING
Because of the building material, respondents claim that the inner temperature is more or less
stable. When it is cold outside the rooms are warmer & when it is hot outside it is cooler. But
these that occupy apartments facing the main road are a bit challenged with afternoon sun &
glare when opening windows to cool their apartments.
LIGHT & WINDOWS
As stated above repeatedly, the corridors 7 circulation area does not have natural light reaching
them. This causes discomfort the positive side of the building when it comes to windows & light
is that every room has windows.
VENTILATION and DAMPNESS
These are some of the problems the people living in block 985 faces daily. These & many
more problems cause the people to have a serious cause of sicknesses
Figure 3- 59 unmanaged green infrastructure microbial growth and dampness within the apartment

GREEN INFRASTURTURES
The back yard has green garden. It is right next to the garbage which makes it not functional
and children cannot experience.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION FINDING
Without adding the energy stress the country is currently in, the building electrical system can
easily be considered an almost total failure. This is due to, as repeatedly mentioned, different
placement of electrical equipments leading to exposure to pests & termites. So the backyard
can
easily be designed to support a renewable energy. By the simple act of separating wet & dry
garbage’s & wastage.
WATER CONSUMPTION FINDINGS
Even though the water stream condition is known throughout the city, people living in the
building still didn’t learn to store or recycle water. And use clear water for washing cars & others
secondary activities that do not need clear water to be accomplished.
3.17.6 WASTE MANAGEMENT FINDINGS

Figure 3- 60 Garbage disposing system of respondents

BUILDING & MATERIAL
Durability is dependent on building material but it is not the only component that is a
determinant in the life span of a building. Certain factors like maintenance & facilities may seen
insignificance but still determine the active duration of a structure.