Building on Zanzibar, including Stone Town

Stone Town: hand carry and a World Heritage facade

The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and largely pedestrian. Panels, sand, stone and plant all arrive by handcart and shoulder through lanes narrow enough to touch both walls, and we size everything to the tightest turn on the route.

Externally there is almost no freedom: a new flue, a unit on a facade or a change to a roofline is a conversation with the authorities. Internally there is a great deal, and the buildings themselves — thick coral walls, courtyards, existing drainage — are well suited to wet rooms.

We price the hand carry as its own line rather than hiding it in materials, because on a Stone Town job it is the difference between a two-week and a three-week programme.

The beach side: salt and thatch

On the east and north coasts the constraints change to exposure. A4 stainless everywhere, deeper drained cavities, sealed end grain, and makuti detailed against uplift rather than simply laid.

Cabins sit on a ventilated void, never flat on a deck, because trapped moisture between two surfaces on this island never dries.

Ferry logistics

Everything imported lands at Dar and crosses by ferry, which adds a leg and a weather dependency. We consolidate into single shipments, pack to a checklist and leave a spares kit with part numbers, because a forgotten bracket is a two-day round trip rather than an hour.

In short

• Stone Town access is hand carry, priced as its own line
• External alterations are constrained; internal work is not
• A4 stainless, ventilated voids and makuti detailed against uplift
• Single consolidated shipments plus a spares kit, because of the ferry leg