British Embassy Building, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

British Embassy Building, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Client:  Orostream International Contracts Limited (OSi)

Partners: OSi, Kingspan, a local Ethiopian fabricator

Product:  Kingspan KS1000RT (Roof Tile Effect Profile) Composite Roof Panel

Description: When we were first approached by the client on this project we were a bit sceptical with many risks and logistical difficulties to overcome. We worked with OSi through the planning and design stage and became confident that we could deliver.

Working in partnership with OSi to deliver this project, the design and technical support along with expertise and knowledge of the installation was key to the success of this project.

The security and safety of the installation team was a top priority.  The need to have all materials on-site for the entire project with no scope to pickup anything locally was a challenge.

In most construction projects there is usually something unforeseen and the contractor came to us with a variation to clad around the new window of the gable due to a change in the window size. We had ordered addition flat sheet for emergency unforeseen works and our Technical design consultant came up with a solution with this materials using a local Ethiopian fabricator to bend and shape the sheet into a plank system which we were delighted with.

The whole project was a great experience for the installation team. They had to overcome additional challenges working in Ethiopia, the 4th highest city in the world. They had to climatise to the altitude as well as all the additional vaccines and safety measures.

“Working in Ethiopia was challenging and an excellent experience. The high altitude was tough during the first week until we got used to it.  The weather went from cool in the morning (6-10c) to hot in the afternoon (20 -25c).  The time difference made it difficult to communicate with people back home.  The language barrier with the different nationalities also took a bit of getting used to and trying different foods was also an experience.

It was a great project to be part of. There were giant tortoises walking around the site daily and we would also get visits from a troop of monkeys who decided to use the steel frame and scaffolding to swing around and play on.

Evenings were spent in the garden bar at the hotel watching the World Cup.  Pints of beer were only 80p!!”  Kane and Steve, Installation Team