With a large percentage of Rwanda’s population composed of millennials and a growing middle class, affordable housing is one of our most critical needs. As Rwanda targets its vision of attaining 35% of urbanization by 2024, the provision of home ownership continues to be a key element in the country’s development blueprint to support this vision.
Remote Group is an engineering, construction and real estate development firm in the country, that feeds into Rwanda’s vision of supporting urbanization and provision of affordable quality homes.
To respond to the high demand of modern and affordable housing tailored to the capacity of people especially first-time owners, Remote Group is constructing over 200 housing units in Rugarama, Nyamirambo and more 100 units in Masaka Fields. The former is a joint venture with Shelter Afrique, a pan-African housing finance institution, and Development Bank of Rwanda, while the latter is a design collaboration with Mass Design.
The developments are both located on the outskirts of Kigali, and offer excellent housing options for urban dwellers, established families, young professionals and first-time owners. The houses are constructed with a careful blend of modern aesthetics and warm welcoming minimalist features. The community buildings accommodate shops and markets with ample public parking. They are also in close proximity to recreational centers with good opportunities for children to play in ecologically friendly surrounding landscape.
Talking to Hope Magazine about their current developments, Remote Group’s Head of Commercial Real Estate, Brandon S. Peters, said that both Rugarama Park Estates and Masaka Fields provide residents with access to a wide array of amenities.
“Rugarama’s apartments are designed to really create a vibrant and active community. It will become the urban social center of the district with facilities such as pharmacies, hospitals and schools nearby. In contrast, Masaka Fields, is a more laid-back development, a place to enjoy a peaceful life with family and close friends. With its proximity to the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) Headquarters, it too is a great location to have a thriving community.”
MODERN FACILITIES AND PRICE RANGES:
Rugarama Park Estates offer a variety of apartment layouts, with something for seemingly every income group. They offer Studio Apartments which are the most affordable at RWF 12 million and feature an artistic-open living room with kitchen and a private bedroom accompanied with a private yard at the back.
Their two-bedroom apartments start at RWF 17 million, while their spacious three-bedroom apartments start at RWF 35 million. The last option is a town house which has a family-home style with an attached private garden in front and a bigger yard at the back. Dining, living, and kitchen are located on the ground floor and the upstairs hosts the bedrooms and shared bathrooms. They are almost sold out and final units are going for RWF 27 million.
At Masaka Fields, the apartments also come in at a variety of price points the Studio apartment lists at RWF 20 million while their two-bedroom apartment is available for only RWF 32 million. For their larger layouts, the two-bedroom apartment with attached studio can be yours at RWF 43 million, as can a private semi-detached house for RWF 61 million. All these options include a storage unit, open or closed kitchen with living room with those on the ground floor also including yards and gardens.
Remote Group’s Corporate Client Officer, Claudette Rubangura adds that the goal and mission that drives Remote is to promote home ownership and a green Rwanda. “We’re not looking into selling rental homes, we’re specifically allowing people to purchase homes and have the equity of their homes as they grow.”
Remote is able to deliver effective designs that are well built in such a short time frame in part because they utilize an efficient construction method referred to as Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (ACC) masonry which are produced locally. “This concrete is considered a sustainable building product because of its excellent insulating and structural qualities with resulting in increased energy and building efficiency.’ says Brandon, “It’s also able to reduce noise pollution and improve indoor air quality.”
When asked what the future holds for Remote, Claudette Rubangura says “We have a new project called Zinia Private Residences, which is also in the pipeline. It is located in Kicukiro, within a walking distance to Kicukiro market, bus stops and the town center. The project will have 100 units and we are also really excited to start to share more about the project and design soon.”
About Remote Group:
Remote Group was established in 2016 to address Rwanda’s growing need for affordable, modern, and culturally relevant communities. The company provides high-quality home options to first-time buyers, families, and investors looking towards the future.