A helping hand
February 26, 2018Design with purpose
February 26, 2018
Homes of the future
With the demand for housing far exceeding government’s supply, informal dwellings are likely to be a feature of South African housing for decades to come. Thankfully, there are various projects that are successfully using innovative design ideas to better informal settlements.
Township existence is fraught with challenges. In addition to improving living conditions and restoring the dignity of those living in underprivileged communities, the Empower Shack project benefits people through job creation.
Empower Shack is an initiative of non-profit organization Ikhayalami Development Services. Its primary aim is to design, develop and implement affordable technical solutions for upgrading informal settlements. These, say Ikhayalami founder Andy Bolnick and Project Manager and Build Supervisor André Isaacs, “are designed, where appropriate, to be imbedded into a community-driven process and scaled up with the support of the state”
