Chronicle Editor
Blessed Moyo, Sunday News Reporter
A double-storey house in Bulawayo’s Emganwini has captured the imagination of residents in the neighbourhood with many marvelling at the architectural oddity in the high-density suburb.
The unique construction has sparked intrigue and admiration among locals, especially considering the stringent building regulations enforced by the Bulawayo City Council for properties in high-density suburbs.
The imposing structure has become a talking point in the neighbourhood as passersby and residents alike pose to marvel at the sight, their curiosity piqued by the unconventional addition to the community’s skyline.
The construction of the double-storey house has generated a buzz in the neighbourhood, with discussions centred on the unique feat and the complexities involved in its realisation.
The sheer scale and ambition of the project, which is located within two residential stands, has left many residents in awe, igniting conversations about the future of architecture in the area.
Previously, high-density areas were restricted to single-storey dwellings, but the council’s revised by-laws now allow for double-storey buildings, provided they meet specific height and design requirements.
The Emganwini double-storey property could arguably be one of the few in the high-density suburbs.
A Sunday News crew last week visited the property which is in its final stages of construction and observed that it is not only being built on two residential stands, it is being erected on two corner stands.
At the property, they managed to interview a caretaker, who identified himself as Leroy, who revealed that initially the house had been a single-storey design but the South African-based owner was not impressed and felt the need to make it more appealing.
“The owner of the house who is based in South Africa had first built a single-storey house, however, when he came to check the progress of the house he saw that the house did not fit his expected standards, he then decided to make it a double-storey house, which is what you see here,” said Leroy.
This publication also managed to trace the wife to the property owner, who identified herself as Zanele.
Despite initially promising to grant the crew an interview, she later said her husband said they should wait till they finish construction work.
“My husband says let us wait for the house to be complete first then you can do the coverage,” she said.
Mr Langa Moyo, a neighbour who stays close to the construction site, expressed excitement saying the development has also initiated conversations about the changing dynamics of Emganwini and the potential implications for future construction projects in the area.
“We used to see such structures in the eastern suburbs but now we are witnessing a new era here in Emganwini, so it’s a milestone. I never thought I would witness the construction of a double-storey house here. It’s a testament to the evolving landscape of our community,” said Mr Moyo.
The emergence of this architectural outlier has prompted residents to contemplate the possibilities of modernisation and vertical expansion within their neighbourhood.
“This house is a wonder in our area and it puts our neighbourhood on the map, as a youth I am challenged and motivated to emulate such for the modernisation of our suburb,” said a youthful Emganwini resident Miss Unkobetsi Nare.
Online Reporter