COLLABORATORS HOMES. Adaptation of Bathroom and Side Facade. Chapter 4: Amaya Family

Welcome to the fourth and final chapter of "Collaborators Homes", as I mentioned on previous occasions, being a civil engineer has given me the privilege of being part of extraordinary projects that help the Venezuelan community. That is why I decided to share with you some of my experiences as a volunteer in the corporate social responsibility program: Collaborators Homes of the Marmoca Group.

COLLABORATORS HOMES PROGRAM

I will tell you quickly what the program is about so that those who did not read the first part can understand it. As I explained in the chapter 1:

This program is an initiative of the business group that aims to give back a little to their workers, giving them the opportunity to make an integrated improvement of their homes, in benefit of their conditions and the activities that take place there in order to improve the quality of life of the members of the selected families.

This is possible thanks to the fact that the company assumed 50% of the project's budget as a donation and the other 50% will be paid in the form of a loan by the worker in 24 installments during 2 years.

In 2017, working as a Construction manager in this company, I was invited to be part of the planning and executing team of this program; Without hesitation, I got to work!

THE SELECTED FAMILY

Sheilla Amaya has worked in the administration area of the company for almost 10 years and she carry out her duties with an impeccable performance, in addition, the conditions of her house presented a high degree of need for adaptation.


The insecurity generated by the low height of the side façade of her home was her main concern because the economic situation that we have experienced in Venezuela in recent years prevented her from improving her residence as she is the only income in a family of two (her 15-year-old son and her).

PHASES OF THE REMODELING PROJECT

Phase 1. EVALUATION OF INITIAL CONDITIONS

I went with an architect to Sheilla's house to assess the fundamental needs that had to be attended. During the inspection we noticed that there were two areas that were priority:

Her son's bathroom

The place only has two bathrooms, and one of them (the one in her son's room) had an unfinished construction. As we can see in the images, the available space was being wasted and already had part of the electrical and the plumbing installed necessary to begin with its adaptation.

^{Initial conditions of the bathroom.}

The Wall of the Side Facade

The house of Sheilla is located in a closed residential circuit but, being a corner lot, the wall of the lateral façade borders the outside of the circuit, specifically with an avenue that turns dark and lonely at night. That is why several times robbers broke into her house with the intention of stealing using that wall as access.


This situation represented a mayor concern for Sheilla on a daily basis, mainly because the pergolas on the wall had a high level of deterioration and anyone could easily try to break them to enter.

^{Initial conditions of the Side Facade.}

Phase 2. DESIGN AND PRESENTATION OF PROPOSAL

After the initial inspection, I worked with the architect of the project to devise and propose a design that would meet the requirements of Sheilla and her family, as well as calculate the cost estimate according to the available budget.

Bathroom

We selected a contemporary design with vibrant colors, polished concrete finish on one of the walls and the floor, modern sanitary pieces and a glass and stainless steel door for the shower.

^{Proposed Design for the Adaptation of the Bathroom.}

Side Facade

In the following image you will see a plan with the proposed designs for the adaptation of the lateral façade where the substitution of the pergolas for ventilation blocks is considered. Later, the design was modified by adding 45 centimeters to the height of the wall using three lines of concrete blocks.

^{Plan of the Proposed Designs for the Adaptation of Side Facade.}

Phase 3. EXECUTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

I made the requisition and procure of all the materials necessary to execute the activities framed within the scope of the adaptation project:

Bathroom

• Brickwork and cladding of existing window.
• Window construction in the shower area.
• Recessed and wiring of electricity pipes.
• Cladding of the lateral wall with polished concrete finish.
• Cladding and painting on the rest of the walls.
• Installation of tiling and flooring in the shower area.
• Construction of concrete furniture for the sink.
• Installation of bathroom pieces.
• Installation of faucets and accessories.
• Installation of sliding window and glass door for the shower area.

^{Photographs captured during the execution of the activities listed above.}

Side Facade

• Replacement of pergolas with ventilation blocks and concrete blocks.
• Cladding of the wall.
• Placement of stone finish in the interior panels.
• Construction and cladding of three lines of additional blocks to increase the height of the walls.
• Painting of the side facade.

^{Photographs captured during the execution of the activities listed above.}

Phase 4. FINAL REVELATION.

The time of execution of the project was extended to 3 months because the original design of the side façade was modified and the procurement of the materials to carry out the additional activities involved in the modification was uphill. However, all the proposed objectives were met with an impeccable final finish.
I wish I had more pictures to show you the final product in detail but unfortunately, at the same time we were finishing this project, my cell phone was stolen, so I lost most of the photos of the final phase. That is why bellow you will only see one side of the bathroom.

However, in the photographs you will appreciate that the final result is beautiful. Mrs. Sheilla and her son were delighted with their new spaces and expressed their gratitude as follows:

This house belongs to my son, and I am happy to leave his space ready. It has been an effort that has been worth.

Additionally, she highlighted something very important:

We are very calm because the work that was done in the fence provides much more security to our home.

This was one of my favorite projects since I am a lover of contemporary spaces. I loved being part of this incredible program contributing a bit to the society with my knowledge as an engineer and obtaining invaluable professional experiences.

In this way, I finish this post, thanking everyone for reading. Virtual hugs friends!

All the photographs presented in this publication were taken by me during the execution of this project.

If you want to take a quick look to the previous chapters of this program, click here:

• Kitchen Remodeling. Chapter 1: Espina Family
• House Expansion and Adaptation. Chapter 2: Camargo Family.
• Kitchen Remodeling. Chapter 3: Parra Family

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