NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES (HONOURS) DEGREE – PART III
2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR
SEMESTER I
AAR 3001 DESIGN STUDIO III
Project 1: Proposed Vending Stalls

1.0 OBJECTIVES
This exercise will enable Students of Architecture to:
 Develop students’ ability to mediate spatially between competing dissimilar
socio-economic needs with innovative architectural solutions;
 Address spatial requirements of linking, urban needs and retail facilities
 Articulate Architectural form, Space and Environmental issues on an urban site;
 Provide an Architecture that is distinct and unique to the persona of a specified
client, and
 Develop Architectural Graphical and Oral Presentation Techniques.

2.0 BACKGROUND
Due to the closure of industries and high unemployment rate, the streets of Bulawayo have been
clogged with vendors, who block pavements, and streets as they eke out a living under punishing
economic conditions. Amid fears of social implosion BCC attempted to move vendors from the
city centre into certain identified areas at the edges of the city, albeit for political gains there was
a conflict of interest to clean up the chaos in the city. Currently vendors flood the streets in no
orderly conduct in disregard of city bye laws and without infrastructure to shelter the traders as
they conduct their business and other supporting facilities mandatory for such public areas.

Figure 1 Vending at Bulawayo City Centre (author)

3.0 CHALLENGE.
In the City Bulawayo, council had set aside 5th Avenue as a vending area for vegetables and other
Small Medium Enterprises to retail their products, albeit it has been over flooded by vendors of every
type of wares all competing for frontage selling space. The challenge lies in designing a
pedestrianized boulevard which shall demarcate retail space and walking space. You have been
DESIGN STUDIO STAFF: MR. B. Ncube; ARCH. S. Mambanda; H. Wilson; N. Mpofu; S. Mkandla
*Attendance to ALL Studio sessions as scheduled, and consultations with Studio Staff is compulsory.
commissioned to design the boulevard avenue responding to the challenges faced on site with the
deemed facilities.

In the Vending Stalls

An appropriate number of vending stalls with dismountable structural form with storage, public and
private ablutions, security offices, municipal management offices, food outlets and other supporting
facilities.
The working area/office is to consist all necessary spaces depending on the client’s needs and to the
student’s discretion.
Special attention must be given to city regulations concerning the area and the nature of the activities
to be carried out on site.
 The Local Development Plan; Issues of Land use; Coverage, Floor Area Factor, etc
 Model Building By-Laws: Sound Insulation; Circulation, Ventilation, General Health,
Drainage & Sanitation, Fire and Lighting issues
Keep in mind the urban grain of the neighborhood, the characteristic of the site and activities around
the site.
4.0 THE SITE.
The Site of the Project is at along 5th Avenue between Robert Mugabe and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo
street.

Source: Chronicle (2022)

DESIGN STUDIO STAFF: MR. B. Ncube; ARCH. S. Mambanda; H. Wilson; N. Mpofu; S. Mkandla
*Attendance to ALL Studio sessions as scheduled, and consultations with Studio Staff is compulsory.
5.0 PROGRAM
[Total Duration – 2 weeks]
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Brief Handout and Site Visit
Crit 01 Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Contribution 35%
Preliminary design proposal Introduction & Research (Max 4A1s): Site & Case Studies;
Basic Design Data & Regulations; Accommodation Schedule; Site
Analyses; [35%]
Zoning; Bubble Diagrams; Concept; Form Development and
Design Evolution [15%]
Preliminary scheme proposal: (4A1s) Site plan @ appropriate
scale; Floor plans @ 1;100; 1 Section@ 1:50; 2Elevations@ 1:50
[35%]
3 Perspectives & Massing model [10%]
Overall Quality of Presentation [5%]
Final Crit Thursday 21 September 2023 Contribution (65%
Final Design Proposal Introduction & Research (Max 4A1s): Design development
[10%]
Final Design Proposal: Site plan @ appropriate scale [15%]
Floor plans @ 1;100 [20%]
1 Section@ 1:50 [15%]
Elevations@ 1:50 [10%]
5 Perspectives & Final model [20%]
Overall Quality of Presentation [10%]

DESIGN STUDIO STAFF: MR. B. Ncube; ARCH. S. Mambanda; H. Wilson; N. Mpofu; S. Mkandla
*Attendance to ALL Studio sessions as scheduled, and consultations with Studio Staff is compulsory.