News
November 2008
Octagon will visit Nairobi, Kenya to take part in the Global Entrepreneurship Week. From November 17-23 Entrepreneurship Week will connect young people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators.
September 2008
Visit to Kenya, Uganda & Ethiopia
Octagon took part in the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry trade mission to Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. We also donated a demonstration CoreHouse to NACHU in Nairobi. The house was very enthusiastically received. With thanks to NACHU.
August 2008
Visit to Comic Relief Projects
Octagon accompanied Comic Relief, NACHU and Sacoma to see Comic Relief funded projects in various settlements in the Nairobi area. With thanks to Comic Relief, NACHU and Sacoma.
May 2008
Visit to Nairobi
Octagon visited Nairobi and presented at the World Entrepreneurship Summit. We also visited Bellevue settlement. With thanks to Sacoma and NACHU for organising our visit.
Sacoma Website: www.sacoma.org.uk
Nachu Website: www.nachu.or.ke
February 2008
Visit to the Philippines
Octagon took part in the British Trade Delegation to Manila in the Philippines. This was organised by Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and involved visits to the Asian Development Bank and various NGO's.
January 2008
Octagon team up
Octagon is working in the UK with R K Timber and Saint Gobain Building Distribution, one of the World's top 100 industrial corporations, to develop demonstration CoreHouse units for use by international aid agencies.
Octagon in Geneva
Octagon was present at the 2008 Aid & Trade Exhibition in Geneva on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 January.
See our CoreHouse in the demonstration area:
For more information on this event:
October 2007
Octagon visited Kenya and Sudan
Octagon visited Kenya and Sudan on a UKTI mission organised by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
Octagon also took part in the Humanitarian Development Summit in Nairobi, 17-19 October. For more information on this summit:
July 2007
Octagon in South Africa
Octagon visited the south west area of the Kibera slum, in Nairobi. Many thanks to the UN Habitat Nairobi.
June 2007
Octagon in South Africa
Octagon visited the Kwa Reuben area of the Mukuru slum. Many thanks to Share an Opportunity (SAO).
May 2007
Octagon in India
Dr Dirk Bolt attended the International Workshop in Bangalore, India and presented a paper entitled "A model for the replication of affordable housing technology: an eight-point plan for implementing cost-effective housing".
Please contact us if you would like a copy of Dirk's paper info@octagonEU.com
Octagon in South Africa
Octagon attended and exhibited at the 6th African Aid Conference & Exhibition, held in Johannesburg, South Africa. For more information on this conference:
http:// www.fairconsultants.com
Octagon also visited Soweto.
February 2007
CoreHouse demonstration in Geneva
We erected the CoreHouse in just under six hours; we could have done it faster, but there was a major snowstorm in Geneva the day before the Aid and Trade show opened! It snowed all that night and most of the next day, but the CoreHouse stayed perfectly dry and was warm enough to sleep in.
This is now the sixth time that the demonstration CoreHouse has been built, taken down and built again, and it was still easy to put together.
January 2007
Octagon in Geneva
See us at stand A20 at the Aid and Trade Show, Palexpo, Geneva, 24 and 25 January 2007.
Visit our demonstration area Z10, just opposite our stand A20. Have a go at building the ReBUS wall; the person who completes the wall in the fastest time wins a 2-night break for two, including dinner, bed and breakfast in the beautiful Scottish Highlands.
http://www.fortingallhotel.com/index.htm
Shelter in our CoreHouse in the Palexpo car park while waiting for the 4 x 4 demonstrations.
Hear Dr Dirk Bolt speak on “Housing the Homeless” on Wednesday 24 January.
November 2006
Octagon in Pakistan
Octagon visited the earthquake zone in Pakistan in November 2006 and saw the devastation caused by the October 2005 earthquake and the re-building work now underway.
June 2006
Geneva
Octagon took part in the Business Mission to the United Nations in Geneva with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 19 to 21 June 2006.
May 2006
Octagon Europe Limited was formed in May 2006; the previous company, Octagon Scotland Limited, was founded by Dr Dirk Bolt in May 2003. The new company, Octagon Europe Limited, has a strong management team and links with the Kilmartin Property Group. Our aim is to become a major player in sustainable and affordable housing and in the global manufacture of shelter structures.
March 2006
Seeing the wood and the trees
When he retired to Scotland, Dr Dirk Bolt was greatly impressed with the wonderful scenery around his new home in Aberfeldy in Perthshire. In particular, the Dutchman was struck by the surrounding trees and woodlands. His interest has now developed into an exciting business concept which he believes could revolutionise timber house building.
2005
G8 Summit
Octagon exhibited CoreHouse on the occasion of the G8 summit in Gleneagles in 2005.