A casual meeting between two former workmates 20 years ago led to the creation of MAESTRO ARCHITECTS. Determined to succeed on the big stage, the duo, Charles D. Ogeto and Peter Kimathi, eventually weathered the challenges that typically confront most start-ups to make Maestro a respected architectural practice in the country, taking on and delivering mega projects.
We spoke to Managing Director Charles Ogeto on Maestro’s remarkable journey.
Maestro Architects was established by Architects Charles Ogeto and Peter Kimathi following an impromptu meeting at a restaurant in Kilimani, Nairobi in late 2003. Ogeto had known Kimathi from their days together at Githunguri & Partners, where the former worked before going into private practice. “I was an architect at Githunguri & Partners firm while Kimathi was a student intern”, says Charles. “We became quite close while engaged on several projects at the office”.
As they compared notes and caught up at the then Kula Kona restaurant, the two architects mooted the idea of joining hands to form a practice that would be able to take up major jobs and, as Charles puts it, “join the big boys club.” They thought of the name Maestro, denoting master – as in a building master. The firm was then registered and they set up shop at Mirage Plaza on Mombasa Road, where they still operate from to this day. The rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Maestro Architects can comfortably claim a seat on the apex of the architectural practice in Kenya. With an impressive portfolio of projects spanning across different genre, the firm now has the capacity to undertake projects of any magnitude. Maestro has been busy with projects in both Government and the private sector, undertaking design of offices, institutions, apartments, private residences, warehouses, mixed-use developments, religious buildings and others. Among the most significant projects the firm has handled is the Business Bay Square (BBS) in Eastleigh, Nairobi, probably the largest mall in East and Central Africa. The mall, an investment by Ten Commodities Wholesalers Limited, will be formally launched soon upon completion.
But it wasn’t a rosy beginning.
“The first five years was a struggle,” reveals Charles. “We were not known. The jobs were not coming. And we thought if this continued, we would have to close.” After a visit by a seasoned architect David Mutiso of Mutiso Menezes International, Charles says the duo got a lot of encouragement. “This is how you start,” Mutiso told the budding partners.
The two decided to change tact and go for government works. “To work for government, one had to tender and that required a number of documents. We visited the Ministry of Public Works and asked for a sample tender document, which we read like the Bible”.
Armed with some knowledge and the requisite documents, the firm made its tender debut in 2010. “We initially made a lot of mistakes”, remembers Charles, noting that tenders are quite complicated and one can be disqualified on simple grounds such as a missing document or lack of pagination.”
Eventually an opportunity came to tender for a project by the then Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) which is now known as Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). The Institute needed a headquarters building with a media centre and a hotel. Maestro put in their bid. But as fate would have it, the tender was cancelled three times by the PPOA (now the PPRA) over anomalies. When it came to putting in bids for the fourth time, perhaps aware that Maestro were by now fatigued, the client asked the firm not to give up but to submit yet again.” So we did it grudgingly since, as you know, tendering also has costs. We did it and forgot about it.”
Soon after, a man appeared at Maestro offices asking to see Charles. “It turned out to be the notification of their KIE tender win.” This marked the beginning of Maestro’s engagement with Government. Since then, the firm has handled many assignments and is still working on government projects.
MAJOR PROJECTS
KIE/KICD Headquarters
This was an expansive government project consisting of a Headquarters Complex, a Media Centre and a hotel as well as auxiliary facilities. The contract sum was in excess of Ksh 4.7 billion at the time of award. It was to be implemented in phases. The first phase containing the offices and a few other facilities is already complete while the others are to be built during the second and third phases. The works commenced in August 2013.
“This project was an eyeopener”, says Charles. “It thrust us onto the big stage and introduced us to the Government way of doing things, including collaboration with different state agencies.”
Kisumu Urban Projects (KUP) – Model Schools
This project, an initiative of the Kisumu County Government in conjunction with the Governments of Kenya and France (AFD), involved the creation of five model schools in rural areas. “We were selecting dilapidated schools and redesigning them to modern learning institutions with all the facilities necessary.” The project began in 2015 and was substantially complete by 2018.
The schools selected for redesign were Angira, Rota, Thim Bonde, Rweya and Got Nyabondo, all in Kisumu County. The design involved master planning for classrooms, ECDE, sports facilities, Administration and other facilities. The schools were done without having to demolish the existing facilities, which continued being used as the projects were underway. Demolitions were done only after completion of the new works. In one instance (Rweya), a new temporary school was constructed to hold the students and teachers facilities due to the dilapidated nature of the existing facilities and expansion of the adjacent road.
The schools were contracted to different contractors including Polish Contractors (Thim Bonde), Comacon Contractors (Rweya), Guumba Contractors (Got Nyabondo), Zhonghao Overseas (Angira) and Henan Hansheng (Rota).
Kenyatta National Hospital Staff Sacco – Apartments
This project involved the development of high-end apartments in the Westlands suburb of Nairobi. There were 50 two-bedroom units spread over 6 floors. Maestro’s initial advice to the client was to build high-rise apartments as they had foreseen the possibility of such developments coming up in the future in that area. “Unfortunately, the budget was constrained, says Charles. “So we ended up doing a low-rise design, which nonetheless came out very well.” However, as predicted, the area eventually began witnessing high-rise buildings such as the GTC Towers that dwarfed the apartments.
The construction was undertaken by Dickways Construction Company, with Central Electrical, Anthopi Mechanical, Unidata Systems, Maryatt + Scott, Hyperteck Electrical and Insta Pumps as sub-contractors.
Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) – Offices and Modern Warehouse
This is an ongoing project that commenced in 2018 and is one of Maestro’s largest. The Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) is a state agency charged with procuring, storing and distributing drugs and medical supplies for public health programs countrywide.
KEMSA required a state-of-the-art headquarters and modern warehouse to decongest their current premises. Maestro Architects won the competitive open tender. The design required an integrated master plan that featured state-of-the-art facilities that included automation of warehouse activities, climate control (ambient temperatures), fire station and a hazardous materials store, among others.
Construction of the warehouse was facilitated by The Global Fund and Government of Kenya.
The complexity of the project, especially the warehouse requirements, necessitated a benchmarking tour of Europe by the Maestro team. The team visited warehouses in Belgium and Denmark where they gained invaluable insights at global organizations such as Johnson & Johnson and DHL.
Phase 1 of the project (the warehouse) is now essentially complete and the project team is working on the final stages of Phase 2 that consists of the state-of-the-art offices with a helipad for emergency supplies.
KCAA height restrictions capped the development at a maximum of seven stories due the adjacent Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The main contractor is Vaghjiyani Enterprises Limited with Volcanic Plumbing, Master Power Systems, Seven Fourteen, Top Choice Surveillance and Ever Fortunes as the sub-contractors on Mechanical and Electrical works and HVAC.
On the Desk – LAPFUND – Crater City Mall, Nakuru
The LAPFUND project, currently in final design stage, is an extensive development in Nakuru set on 19 acres (where Eveready Battery Factory was situated) and featuring an industrial park, offices, residential houses, entertainment center, commercial mall and a hotel, among others. It will be known as Crater City Mall when complete. This will be one of the most consequential developments in the country and will change the face of Nakuru City.
Maestro Architects were recently prequalified to participate in an architectural competition ratified by BORAQS to design the Kenya Judiciary Academy. Maestro Architects emerged the winners of the design competition and were awarded the contract.
Other Completed or Ongoing Projects
Other projects by Maestro Architects include:
East African School of Aviation Chapel – Embakasi, Nairobi (completed)
St Veronica Catholic Church Syokimau, Machakos County (completed)
Villa Vista commercial development – Meru County (ongoing)
The Rolling Chaa, Hotel and Spa Resort – Nyamira County (ongoing)
The Wild side Active Living, Recreation Centre Mombasa Road, Nairobi. (completed)
The EASA Chapel
The East African School of Aviation (EASA) in Embakasi, Nairobi, has a multinational student population from all over Africa.
The management wanted to accommodate the students in an interdenominational chapel, which could be inter-changeably used by all Christian disciplines for worship. “Our response was to draw inspiration from nature, free forms (rocks) and leaves (roof) with a twist to the tower which completes the poetic composition with lighting on the curved surfaces following the Fibonacci series in size”, states Charles. Modern EPS and steel construction were used due to time constraints and budget.
The main contractor was Lexis International Ltd with Relcon Power Systems Ltd and Denmar Plumbing Contractors as the sub-contractors for MEP works.
St. Veronicah Catholic Church, Syokimau
St Veronicah Catholic Church is a community church under the Catholic Diocese of Machakos. With the ever-growing Catholic population of Syokimau, it was desirous of the church leadership to have a modern church to accommodate all the new members immigrating to the new suburbs.
Maestro Architects led by Architect Charles Ogeto won the Selective Design Competition organized by the church committee. The design was meant to evoke memories of the Noah’s Ark attracting worshippers in twos (couples) and to deviate from the typical church designs. With a capacity of over 3500 pax, it is now a highly desirous location for church weddings and other related activities and has become a permanent landmark in the Syokimau suburbs.
Villa Vista – Meru
Villa Vista is a commercial development in Meru County, on the Meru–Maua Road, opposite Kenya Methodist University (KEMU). It features expansive gardens that span across a local stream which has been incorporated in the design. As a hybrid commercial hub, Villa Vista offers offices, hotel accommodation, shopping facilities, entertainment joints, food courts and kids Fun Park with activities being interlinked via foot bridges and road bridges across the valley to create an amazing location for a one stop family recreation.
The Rolling Chaa
The Rolling Chaa is a cozy boutique hotel nestled on the sloping hills of Kemera location of Nyamira County. The name Chaa is coined from the sound of flowing water that emanates from a spring at the tip of the land which flows to join River Ekemera (Gucha).
Rolling Chaa is envisioned to cater for the urban traveler who seeks high quality modern facilities with an exquisite touch – health and spa, gym and pool, fire pits, local guided tours on quad bikes, bicycles and a mix of agricultural activities- picking tomatoes, milking cows, lighting the fire pit, etc.
Maximum accommodation is to be limited to 30 rooms with high-end finishes and luxurious accommodation.
Wildside Active Living
The Wildside Active Living is a sports-oriented community recreation center to get the youth out of the house and away from gadgets to actively engage in sports. It features football turfs, swimming pool, table tennis, scrabble, chess, pool games, etc. It is designed for active engagement and refreshments. The area, Syokimau, Mombasa Road section, is rapidly developing with high-rise apartments with no social or sports amenities for families to relax and uplift youth spirits. The Wildside Active Living therefore provides a suitable environment and facilities for physical and mental reinvigoration as visitors watch animals at the adjacent Nairobi National Park with a magnificent view of Ngong Hills silhouette.
WHAT NEXT FOR MAESTRO ARCHITECTS?
As Maestro Architects celebrate 20 years of impacting the built environment in Kenya and the East African region, the future indeed looks bright. As a lean but a highly dynamic team, the Practice has been able to accomplish in a few years what many others take much longer to build. A clear definition of roles is critical for the office directors and staff and this is very evident at Maestro.
According to Charles, sustainable cities are the future of architecture and architects must embrace sustainability and green architecture by continuously improving their skills.
Maestro Architects must chart the course that will guide the business in the days ahead. According to Charles, the future is likely to take the shape of collaborations and joint ventures. And rather than taking on supervision works directly, Maestro envisages a situation where they appoint teams including other architects to deliver a project. “The role of Maestro would be design and contract management”, says Charles.
“Maestro offices would be a coordinating hub for these operations which will encourage young architects to join in the collaboration”, he concludes.
