In 2016 we began work on our new training centre, our ‘Centre for Excellence’ for the construction sector in Zambia.

Situated on a two-hectare site next to the Great North Road on the northern edge of Lusaka, the centre is at the heart of our ambitious plans to significantly increase the number of young people we train.

With large parts of the site now operational, work has started on landscaping the finished areas. Sustainability is at the heart of our approach and we are keen to ensure that plans and design for landscaping meets a number of key requirements:

Aesthetics

• Makes the site smart and attractive to visitors
• Brings continuity across the whole site

Social & ecological properties

• Use of plants that are native to Zambia
• Use of plants with ecological properties e.g. plants that purify water or repel mosquitoes

Minimise maintenance

• Use hardy plants that do not require frequent watering
• Use plants that only need to be trimmed or pruned once a year, and can be done so without expert guidance

Shading

• Use of “canopy” type trees where possible to provide shading to footpaths and external plazas

Soil erosion

• The site has a natural gradient of 6% and is susceptible to ground water run off and soil erosion – use of natural planting to protect slopes and embankments

Existing planting

• Complements existing planting at the centre including sisal, moringa, jatropha, veviter grass and lemon grass

We look forward sharing photos as the landscaping progresses.