Beehive Administration Building -

Chilomoni, Blantyre

Beehive Center for Social Enterprise Administration

The Beehive Administration building is situated in the heart of the Beehive main campus. Following the opening of other buildings on the main campus, such as the Mother Teresa Children’s Centre and the John Paul II IT Institute, and with Krizevac’s ambition to continue constructing buildings, the need for a centrally-located administrative hub for the accounts and construction teams arose.

Building Design

“A well-articulated structure designed with simplicity. The building is the foundation of the campus, from where Engineers, Architects, Accountants and others generate their ideas.”

(Henry Gama, Beehive Finance Employee)

Location

Beehive Main Campus, Chilomoni, Blantyre, Malawi

Type

Offices

Year of Construction

2011 – 2012

Design Architect

Noella Chikuse

Project Architect

Martin McColl

Project Engineer

Hendrix Mgawana

Total Development Area (Approx. GEA)

238m²

Number of Storeys

Construction Cost

49,810,262 MWK
(£51,830 GBP – rate correct as of 21st September 2020)

Cost per m²

209,286 MWK/m²
(£218 GBP/m²)

The brief stated that the building should be simple, functional and flexible, in case one day the building’s function were to change. The two-storey building has therefore been laid out with two large, open-plan office spaces per floor, at the end of a central circulation corridor; these can be used for a wide range of functions, but currently house the Construction Design Office on the ground floor, and the Finance Office on the first floor. There is room to comfortably accommodate 8 people per office. Along the corridors are a series of smaller, enclosed office spaces, which are able to accommodate between 1 to 3 people. On the ground floor, there is an open-plan entrance space with lots of glazing, to create a welcome and open atmosphere, and directly adjacent to this is a Board Room, used for meetings by both staff and visitors.

The Administration Building is constructed from Beehive’s site-made Hydraform blocks, formed from local soil; these blocks are used in a load-bearing capacity, removing the need for any reinforced concrete framing. The building was therefore very economical and quick to complete. The blocks are exposed externally, with render only at floor-slab level, again, meaning that initial construction and on-going maintenance costs are low. The rectangular windows are repeated around the building, and all are openable, allowing a good level of passive internal temperature control. The large open-plan office spaces have evenly-spaced windows along three facades, allowing decent levels of natural lighting throughout the year.

Social Impact

Prayers
are said at the beginning of all meetings to give thanks.

Catholic Community Support

People currently employed in Finance

people employed in construction

Job Creation

On the job
training
is given in both departments to employees and interns

Quality Education

The construction team helps the community in times of emergency such as the 2019
Typhoon

Supporting the Vulnerable

“Good buildings come from good people, and all problems are solved by good design. That is waht the admin building does. It is where young people fish their greatest skills.”

(Henry Gama, Beehive Finance Employee.)

The Finance and Construction departments both have a wide spread impact across Beehive. The finance department works with all Beehive’s enterprises and accounts are managed centrally by the team. Monthly reports enable management to monitor the sustainability of each and highlights whether an enterprise needs to be adapted or indeed closed. Centralised accounts allows the Finance team to collate all surplus profits form Beehive’s enterprises and reinvest them into the outreach work at Mother Theresa, as well as scholarships for the poorest of the poor at one of Beehive’s schools. The construction team helps maintain all of Beehive’s existing infrastructure, whilst also designing/building new projects. The design team, supported by international Architects and Engineers, develop each project from conception through to detailed design. They work closely with construction team, who construct each building using Beehive’s very own hydraform blocks. Most of these workers are employed for individual projects and come to Beehive unskilled. Through their time at Beehive, they are able to develop key skills that help them get future work. Many are also women, and working with the team allows them to earn their own income, leaving behind the traditional ‘house wife’ role.

Meet The Team

My name is Victor Likado. I joined Beehive in October 2017. I have worked in several departments namely Beetech and Construction. In 2018 I joined the Administration Department, and now I am working as the Deputy Human Resources Manager. My job has a wide range of functions. In short, ranging from recruitment; maintaining a safe work environment; employer-employee relations; compensation and benefits; labour law compliance; training and development of staff and many more. My job serves the interests of both the Employers and the Employees. My favorite moments are when I see both parties satisfied with our services.