We handed over Nakasero Ridge Villa in March 2024. Eleven months on site, 4% under the construction budget, and — the part the client cares about most — all four mature trees on the site boundary still standing.
The first decision was the only one that mattered
The plot falls fourteen metres from the road. Every contractor who looked at it during early costing assumed a cut-and-fill platform with a retaining wall along the low boundary. That is the standard approach on Nakasero and it would have cost roughly UGX 180 million in earthworks and retaining structure before a single course of the house was laid.
We proposed splitting the house into three half-levels following the slope. Earthworks came in at under 120 cubic metres. The money saved paid for the concrete soffits, the eucalyptus screens and the PV array.
What went slowly
Two things. First, the board-marked concrete: the first pour was rejected and taken down, because the timber had not been treated consistently and the finish was patchy. That cost three weeks and a difficult conversation. The second pour was excellent, and the client has since said it is their favourite thing in the house.
Second, KCCA approvals took nine weeks against the six we had programmed. That is now the number we use for planning on all Kampala residential submissions.
What went well
- The courtyard works exactly as modelled — measured internal temperatures track 3–4°C below outside air on hot afternoons with no mechanical cooling running
- The rainwater tank has not run dry in two dry seasons
- The contractor, who had not previously done exposed concrete, is now actively marketing it
What we would change
The kitchen store is too small. We knew it was tight at design stage, we lost the argument to a bigger pantry off the dining room, and the client now agrees with us. Small thing, but it is the honest answer.
