The double decker bus now hosts two offices after Sh1 million refurbishment. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA
As demand for office space in Nairobi grows, investors are
seeking more creative alternatives to cater for the needs of modern
workers.
For Vincenzo Cavallo, he has just built what
those looking for something different from the normal offices in
high-rise buildings need.
Recently, the Cultural Video
Foundation bought and transformed a London double decker bus into what
now hosts its office on the lower deck while the upper deck is leased
out to UP magazine Mondeas Limited.
Mr Cavallo of Cultural Video Foundation says initially the plan was to have a mobile office.
“The
idea was simple, we invest in a container then we make it nicely and if
the landlord decides to sell the plot where we are, we can always move
it to another location,’’ he said.
‘‘This would allow
us to invest in the infrastructure in the long-term even if we don’t
actually own a plot or any real estate property.’’
The idea was to take advantage of minimal spaces around Nairobi and turn them into office spaces.
One day while at Sarit Centre, Mr Cavallo saw an advert of a bus being sold in one of the notice boards in the shopping mall.
‘‘A
double deck bus for sale in Nairobi.’’ A few days later, he saw
another advert “1969 double deck bus perfect for a cafeteria.”
“When
I saw this, I thought, wait a second, if we buy this old bus and
restore it, we will have two offices, one downstairs and one upstairs,”
said Mr Cavallo.
With most people now sharing office
spaces in Nairobi, he decided to buy the bus and turn it into two
offices, targeting workers in the creative industry.
The
bus which was previously used by a school as an art room had been sold
to a scrap metal dealer where Mr Cavallo and his two partners bought it
from.
They found it a new home at 80 Muthithi Road in Parklands, Nairobi and renovated it from last year.
It
was in a bad condition and it took them one year to restore it and add
office features such as lighting, Internet cabling, working areas such
as desks and chairs. The roof has also been redone to shield workers
from harsh weather conditions.
The roof has been pushed up in to avoid use of air conditioning systems.
The
bus-turned-into-ofice is connected to electricity, it has a generator, a
fully-equipped video editing room and an upstairs office that can hold
up to 10 people.
Sapna Chandaria, the commercial
director of Mondeas Limited, which rented the upper deck says she chose
the bus office as it brings out the youthful reflection of her brand.
Next to the bus they have built a cafè and restored an old toilet.
The
bus is now a creative base where people come and share ideas before
bringing them to life. It has a kitchen, canteen and bar area used to
entertain guests and host monthly parties.
Sh1 million
“The
model is the same as that of the Nest or Pawa or the iHub, our
peculiarity is that we are working in a bus and that our space is
minimal, we can move it if we need to,” says Mr Cavallo.
Their
love for urban affairs, urban art, and urban issues blends well with
the bus office as it shows the connection with art and culture. It cost
about Sh1 million to turn the bus into an office and set up other
facilities like the bar and renovate the toilet.
What
appeals many to the bus office is that it gives a creative platform to
artists who do not want to live in and work from a concrete, restrictive
city-like environment.
When you arrive at work, and
you realise that your office is actually a restored double-deck bus,
things feel a bit better, you feel life can be a fun game and Nairobi
can be your playground, Mr Cavallo says.
“This is how
we survive, by turning life into a game, this is why whoever comes and
works from the bus will never get bored at work as they find it an
exciting place to work and live,” he says.
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