FAQS

Friday Funnies

Have a great weekend guys...see you Monday.

Throwback Thursdy #5

The Ladder

No one really knows when the ladder was invented. However, the earliest evidence of it is located in Valencia, Spain. The Spider Caves have a Mesolithic rock painting of a ladder that’s about 10,000 years old. This painting shows two men using a ladder to access a wild honeybee nest, most likely to get honey. The painting shows a flexible ladder that was made up of some kind of grass.

While this is the first evidence of the ladder, most researchers are certain it is much older than that. The roots of the functional design of ladders as we know them today, can be traced right back to the ancient Hebrew and Egyptian cultures; these are the civilizations that developed and perfected it. Over the years, different kinds of ladders have been created to suit different purposes.

Just a little Funny to get you through your week.

This Next Series we will be focusing on is 9 most beautiful train stations from around the world.

First in the Train Station Series:
Grand Central Terminal, New York, USA

The building's construction started in 1903 and it was opened on February 2, 1913.
Architect : Reed and Stem; Warren and Wetmore
Architectural style(s): Beaux-Arts
Dimensions: 275 ft × 120 ft × 125 ft (84 m × 37 m × 38 m)
Area : 37,000 square meters
Cost: $11 billion

Monday Mention #6

Exquisite Bathrooms ZA

ABOUT
Exquisite Bathrooms aims to transcend the view that bathrooms merely fulfill a function. Instead, its central tenet lies in the understanding that today a bathroom is a space of indulgence that cleanses and nourishes both the body as well as the soul.

Andre is competent and accommodating and very easy to work with.

Check out their website: www.exb.co.za

Friday Funnies

We sometimes feel how he looks lol

Throwback Thursdy #4

The Hammer

The first hammers were made without handles. Stones attached to sticks with strips of leather or animal sinew were being used as hammers with handles by about 30,000 BCE during the middle of the Paleolithic Stone Age. The addition of a handle gave the user better control and less accidents. The hammer became the primary tool used for building, food, and protection.

Our mid-week funny to get us through the week.

Lastly Number 5 on our Sky Tower Series:

South America:

Name: Torre Espacial, Buenos Aires
Construction began on September 1979 and completed in May 1981

Height: 200 metres (660 ft)
Building type: Observation tower
Structure: Steel tower or mast
Construction Cost: Unkown

Friday Funnies

How accurate is this? lol

Throwback Thursdy #3

The Spirit Level

The spirit, or bubble, level, a sealed glass tube containing alcohol and an air bubble, was invented in 1661. It was first used on telescopes and later on surveying instruments.

Current Project: Newlands

New Build Apartment Block
28 secure apartments over 5 floors
3rd story rebar being installed.

Number 4 on our Sky Tower Series:

North America:

Name: CN Tower, Canada
Construction began on February 6, 1973 and was completed in 1976
Site area: 254,000 square feet
Height: 553 metres (1,815 feet)
Building type: Mixed use:
Observation, telecommunications, attraction, restaurant
Structure: hexagonal post-tensioned concrete tower
Construction Cost: CA$63,000,000

Monday Mention #4

A&F Building and Project Management

A&F Building and Project Management aims to provide a personal, hands-on service and to form quality relationships with their clients during their journey of building, whilst delivering a great product for an affordable price.

Services offered:
Bathroom renovations
Kitchen renovations
Interior / exterior renovations
Maintenance / handyman services
New Build

Working with A&F is always a pleasure.
Check out their website:
www.afbuild.co.za

Friday Funnies

It's getting to that time of year.

Throwback Thursday #2

The Scale ruler:

The first ruler was a measuring rod made of copper alloy, dating from 2650 BC. German assyriologist Eckhard Unger found that measuring rod. In 1500 BC, ivory rulers were used by the Indus Valley Civilization. Some findings in Lothal proved that a ruler was calibrated to 1.6 millimeters, and it was 4400 years old.

Number 3 on our Sky Tower Series:

Africa:

Name: Hillbrow Tower, Johannesburg
Construction of the tower began in June 1968 and was completed three years later, in April 1971.

Site area: No information Found
Height: 269 m (883 ft)
Building type: Radio tower
Structure: The structure comprises a reinforced 232m concrete tower, topped by a 38m high steel mast
Construction Cost: $10,000,000

Monday Mention #3

Matt Pretorius Architecture

Matt Pretorius Architecture is based in the southern seaside of Cape Town. Founded by Matt Pretorius associated with Elemental Studio and it’s dynamic young team of architectural practitioners. MPA focuses on contemporary design excellence in architecture.

Matt is very easy to work with. What we love about his designs are that they are biophilic in design.
Please check out their Website: www.https://mattpretorius.com/

Friday Funny

We all know that one guy lol

Number 2 on our Sky Tower Series:

Europe:

Name: Ostankino Tower, Russia
Construction began in 1963 and was completed in 1967
Site area: 15,000 m2 (160,000 sq ft)
Height: 540.1 metres
Building type: Observation, telecommunications, tourism
Structure: pre-stressed concrete with steel reinforcemen
Construction Cost: 65 million USD

Monday Mention #2

Stuart Thompson Architects | STARC

Stuart Thompson’s Studio of Architecture focusses on the delivery of contemporary design excellence in architecture and interior design. STARC specializes in the innovative design of homes and buildings using green building methods that support our modern life and work styles.

is very hands on and proactive. A pleasure working with him as he is always polite and easy going.

Please have a look at their website: www.starc.co.za

We keep it light here at FAQS on a Friday.
Please give a follow on instagram for the most hilarious memes on Quantity Surveying.

Throwback Thursday #1

Let's have a look at the evolution of the tools we use in the construction industry today.

The Tape Measure:
James Chesterman (1795–1867) was an English metal worker who, in 1821, received a British patent for a method of using a spring to rewind measuring tapes. In 1842 Chesterman and James Bottom patented a woven cloth tape that incorporated strands of wire.

FAQS Current Project: House Vredehoek

Alterations and Additions to Student Accommodation

We are involved with stages 3 -6 and are currently in the construction phase. The monochromatic look fits well for student accommodation with the existing Timber floors in all bedrooms and new porcelain tiles in all bathrooms and common areas.

There’s a key type of landmark that’s always guaranteed to draw in tourists, no matter where it is: an observation tower. Slender, gargantuan structures that dominate the skyline, allowing visitors from around the world to have a 360 view of entire cities.

Every Tuesday we’ll be showing you one tower per continent – the tallest that each has to offer, this will be called The Sky Tower Series. Let's look at the height and construction cost of each tower.

Asia:
Name: TOKYO SKYTREE
Site area: Approx. 36,900m² (tower plus the East and West districts)
Height: 634m
Building type: Observatory (first at 350m; second at 450m)
Structure: Steel, steel-reinforced concrete, and reinforced concrete
Construction Cost: Around ¥50 billion (US$400 million)

Monday Mention: Masterpiece Architects

Project: Camps Bay
Year: 2018

Today's mention is Masterpiece Architects. I had the pleasure to work with them on a number of projects. I mostly dealt with who is practical, accommodating and easy to work with and communicate with. Just a very cool guy all round.

Working on Project Camps Bay there were a few budget constraints. We resolved this by changing the concrete roof to a soft roof.

This client actually purchased his own plant to assist with excavations 😱🫢

The Streams | We’re out of the Ground soon.

Lateral Support completed by Keller Geotechnics …now for the Foundations, then the real fun commences. 💯💯💯

Custom built pool ☀️⛱️🏖️by …bringing to