ATM Consults NIG. LTD

03/12/2024

Advantages of flat roofs over high roofs as well as its disadvantages:

Structural Advantages
1. Simplified Design: Flat roofs have a simpler design compared to high roofs, which require more complex structural elements.
2. Reduced Material Costs: Flat roofs require less material than high roofs, resulting in lower construction costs.
3. Easier Maintenance: Flat roofs are generally easier to maintain and repair than high roofs.

Energy Efficiency Advantages
1. Improved Insulation: Flat roofs can be better insulated than high roofs, reducing heat loss and energy consumption.
2. Increased Energy Efficiency: Flat roofs can be designed with energy-efficient features, such as green roofs, solar panels, and reflective roofing materials.

Functional Advantages
1. Additional Living Space: Flat roofs can be used as additional living space, such as rooftop gardens, patios, or decks.
2. Easier Access: Flat roofs provide easier access for maintenance, repairs, and installations, such as HVAC systems and solar panels.
3. Increased Flexibility: Flat roofs offer more flexibility in terms of design and functionality, allowing for creative uses of the rooftop space.

Environmental Advantages
1. Reduced Stormwater Runoff: Flat roofs can be designed with green roofs or other stormwater management systems, reducing stormwater runoff and mitigating urban flooding.
2. Improved Air Quality: Flat roofs can be designed with green roofs or other vegetation, improving air quality and reducing urban heat island effects.

Cost Advantages
1. Lower Construction Costs: Flat roofs generally have lower construction costs compared to high roofs.
2. Reduced Maintenance Costs: Flat roofs are generally easier to maintain and repair, resulting in lower maintenance costs over time.

Overall, flat roofs offer several advantages over high roofs, including simplified design, reduced material costs, improved energy efficiency, and increased functional flexibility.

Disadvantages of Flat Roofs:

Water-Related Issues:
1. Water Pooling: Flat roofs are prone to water pooling, which can lead to leaks, damage, and structural issues.
2. Leaks and Water Damage: Flat roofs are more susceptible to leaks and water damage due to their design.
3. Drainage Issues: Flat roofs require proper drainage systems to prevent water accumulation, which can be a challenge.

Maintenance and Repair Challenges
1. Regular Maintenance: Flat roofs require regular maintenance to ensure their integrity and prevent damage.
2. Difficult Repairs: Repairs on flat roofs can be challenging due to their design and accessibility.
3. Higher Repair Costs: Repair costs for flat roofs can be higher compared to pitched roofs.

Structural and Durability Concerns
1. Weight and Structural Integrity: Flat roofs can be prone to structural issues due to the weight of water, snow, or other external factors.
2. Durability: Flat roofs typically have a shorter lifespan compared to pitched roofs, requiring more frequent replacements.
3. UV Damage: Flat roofs are exposed to direct sunlight, which can cause UV damage and degradation of roofing materials.

Other Disadvantages
1. Limited Design Flexibility: Flat roofs can be less aesthetically pleasing compared to pitched roofs, limiting design flexibility.
2. Increased Risk of Punctures: Flat roofs are more susceptible to punctures from debris, foot traffic, or other external factors.
3. Higher Risk of Collapse: Flat roofs can be prone to collapse due to structural issues, water accumulation, or other external factors.

While flat roofs offer several advantages, they also come with unique challenges and disadvantages that must be carefully considered during the design and construction process.

21/11/2024

"Most people planning to start their construction project already have it in mind that hiring a professional will be costly. As a result, they often avoid engaging one until they've made a wrong decision.

In my interactions with clients, many are surprised when they learn our charges for supervising a building project or understand our profit margin.

It's hard for some people to believe that I can supervise a duplex from start to finish for the range of 2 million to 3 million naira, with a site engineer on hand who can communicate with me for instruction.

Being a professional or contractor in the construction industry doesn't mean we're unreasonably expensive or that people can't afford our services.

However, many clients have preconceived ideas based on what they've heard from others, often comparing two quotes directly rather than considering value.

Here's an example: a tile installer might offer to lay tiles for you without regard for areas with high traffic. They might suggest using cheap, 6mm ceramic tiles that could fade over time. Meanwhile, a professional engineer might quote for 10mm vitrified tiles with proper cement and sand layers. Often, clients see the total costs of both quotes and assume the professional's price is too high without considering the quality difference.

Some of us cannot compromise on quality by using inferior materials or offering lower-grade finishes. The reasonable cost we quote reflects the quality we deliver.

Before concluding that professionals in the construction industry are too expensive, please ask questions. Perhaps you may simply not want the type of high-quality finishes and materials we provide but that doesn't mean we're always unaffordable" woli!


- Jehu Nwaoha

19/07/2024

Exquisite ♥️🌹🌺

19/07/2024

Your ideal home

20/06/2023

Now Going for ₦110,000,000 (3 bedroom terrace with an attached BQ) fully furnished at the District by Dantata, Gwarimpa.

03/02/2014

Center hall homes have undeniable appeal—they’re balanced and symmetrical, with rooms that are clearly defined. This Washington, D.C., colonial had yet another thing going for it: It overlooks the city’s Rock Creek Park—leafy, scenic national parkland that’s unbuildable.

Yet this house, a 1980s cookie-cutter take on the colonial, wasn’t exactly capitalizing on its great situation. "Each room seemed independent, and there was no flow through the house," says architect Jane Treacy. "You entered and exited from the same point, feeling trapped in each room, which made the house feel small. What’s more, the place didn’t take enough advantage of having a national park in the backyard.

Here’s how the design team opened up the home to establish clear sightlines throughout and create a dream kitchen with zones that speak to every possible function a kitchen needs to perform.

The Kitchen Drove the Entire Remodel. It was the motivator for opening up the house and clearing sightlines throughout. The project team started by designing a 10-foot-by-40-foot addition in the back of the house that would maximize parkland views. By adding 10 feet to the rear of the house, the eating area was enlarged, and a visual connection to the outside was established using low-E windows for the 40-foot span of glass wall.

Sightlines and Flow Drove the Floor Plan. "When you have three kids, you end up getting a lot of people coming over to your house," observes Treacy of playdates. For an active family, visual connections between the rooms was key. Now, "when you come in the front door, you have a sense of a whole way out of the house," says Treacy.

Zone 1 The curved island is what you see when you walk in the front door. A prep space topped with stainless steel and finished with Wenge veneer, it has an integral sink, storage drawers, and an undercounter fridge. There’s a 4-foot distance to the wall oven, making the island a close landing spot for hot dishes, with a distance that’s sufficiently wide for two cooks to work in at the same time. The island’s curved side draws traffic into the kitchen while diverting it away from the cooks’ space.

Zone 2 The cleanup island, topped with quartz composite, is where the secondary sink and dishwasher live. The sink—which is where active cooks actually spend most of their time—has a plum view of the outdoors, and there are stools on the other side of the island for hanging out.

Zone 3 The computer desk is for kids and grown-ups because this is a family house. "The whole idea was about flow for an active family and getting all components for living housed on this floor," says Treacy. The workplace feels cozy yet not hidden: it, too, has prime views of the park. Incorporating an area like this into the kitchen allows for homework, bill paying, and emailing in a space that’s open yet organized.

Zone 4 The breakfast table, which looks out onto the woodlands, offers one of the best views in the house. Because the table is set in a corner, there’s also a good view of where the kids play. From here, sightlines extend back through the living room and clear to the front of house.

Zone 5 The fridge and the appliance wall are an independent area of the kitchen. Designing a separate "machine zone" that includes pantry storage both above and below the ovens means that all sides of the larger curved island can be well utilized by multiple cooks at once.

03/02/2014

Perched on the shoulder of a precipitous slope, the Kafka Residence presents the lofty outlook of a cliff dwelling.

“It’s a really wonderful site, with spectacular views of the ocean,” says architect Taal Safdie, who composed the building as a series of overlapping, flat-roofed forms that descend in stepwise fashion from the road. One enters at the uppermost level, where a rectangular plan is sliced diagonally by a wall of sliding glass panels. “It allows the indoor and outdoor spaces to become one,” Safdie says. Living, dining, and kitchen areas share a single, open space, merging fluidly with the elevated deck that caps the lower-level family room and bedrooms.

Kitchen functions hug the uphill side of the space, supported by an elongated L of wall-hung base cabinets with an open kick space. “We have the cabinets floating,” Safdie says, “so they don’t look like kitchen cabinets.” The kitchen workspace extends into a pantry that conceals the refrigerator and ovens, and whose storage capacity obviates the need for wall cabinets elsewhere. A 15-foot-long island provides casual seating and reinforces the room’s strongly horizontal orientation.

A band of glazing at counter height, capped with a shelf made of the same quartz composite as the countertops, lights the work surface without inviting scrutiny from passersby. “You can’t really look into the house from the street,” Safdie says. Another cantilevered shelf caps the cooktop’s marble backsplash, which matches the custom dining table. “There are very few materials,” says Safdie, who specified cabinets faced with the same walnut veneer that clads the room’s walls and ceiling (as well as the custom light fixture that hangs over the island). “Whatever you see from the living spaces we wanted to make look as little like a kitchen as possible,” she says.

22/12/2013

You can't bet you didn't love this!

24/11/2013

Dare not like it!

17/10/2013