ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BRIEF Residential House Typologies & Hillside Estate Concept Limbe, Cameroon

About the project

Hi, thank you for your interest in this project. I’m attaching the architectural brief and topographic survey for review. This is a sloping 3-hectare site in Limbe, Cameroon, but our initial development is only approximately 1 hectare. We intend to start with around 5–10 houses to test the market, with additional houses added on the same hectare if sales are positive. Future expansion into hectares 2 and 3 should remain possible. The immediate architectural priority is the development of 3 related house typologies, all within the same architectural family: 1.) 3-bedroom bungalow 2.) 3-bedroom two-storey house 3.) 3-bedroom two-storey / stepped variant specifically adapted to the sloping terrain Target internal area is approximately 130 m² maximum, with construction efficiency, standardisation and cost control being very important. The sloping-site model should work with the terrain rather than relying on excessive excavation, retaining walls or fill. At this stage I am primarily looking for architectural design, not civil or structural engineering. A civil engineer will separately advise on roads, drainage, earthworks, platforms and infrastructure. The final masterplan should ideally follow that civil engineering assessment. However, if you are experienced in hillside residential planning and can provide a useful preliminary site-layout/masterplanning concept from the topographic survey, please quote this separately. Architectural design deliverables The architectural commission at this stage is intended to develop each house typology to a well-resolved architectural design level, rather than to produce the complete engineering and construction documentation package. For each typology, I would expect at minimum: - properly dimensioned floor plans; - all principal elevations; - roof plan and roof design concept; - minimum two relevant building sections; - finished floor levels and key external ground levels where relevant; - clearly resolved staircase geometry for the multi-storey models; - proposed window and door positions, sizes and proportions; - basic exterior material and façade concept; - total internal and external area schedule; - exterior 3D views/renderings sufficient to communicate the architectural intent; and - editable native project files, including relevant CAD, BIM and/or 3D model files, in addition to PDF drawing sets. For the sloping-site typology, particular attention should be given to the relationship between the house and the natural terrain. At least one longitudinal section should clearly show: estate road level → house entry level → internal floor levels → natural ground profile → downhill side of the building. The intention is to demonstrate how the house works with the slope and where excavation, fill, retaining structures or elevated construction may potentially be required, without undertaking detailed structural engineering at this stage. Once the architectural typologies, civil engineering strategy, house platforms and final masterplan have been agreed, the architectural source files will be transferred to the locally appointed multidisciplinary project team for further technical development, including structural engineering, foundations, retaining structures, MEP, drainage, detailed construction documentation and local statutory/approval drawings. Please provide your quotation by phase, either as estimated hours × hourly rate or as a clearly defined fixed fee. I am not looking for a percentage-of-project-value architectural fee. Please indicate separately: A. 3 house typologies — hours/cost/timeline B. Preliminary masterplan/site-planning concept, if offered — hours/cost/timeline C. Any later architectural technical-development support, if required — estimated hours/cost D. Optional additional renders/animation/visualisation — separate cost I would also appreciate 2–5 examples of residential projects you personally designed, especially houses or residential developments on sloping/hillside sites, ideally showing plans/sections together with renders or completed photographs. Interior design, detailed finishes and procurement will be handled separately with our interior designer, so I am primarily assessing your architectural design ability, hillside experience, technical competence and ability to design an attractive but commercially efficient product. After reviewing the attached documents, please let me know what part of this scope you would be comfortable undertaking and your proposed fee/timeline.

Skills required