Co-creating the future of housing in South Africa Luyanda Mpahlwa presentation slides: How do we deliver?

1. Co-creating the future of housing in South Africa
Models for delivery
How do we deliver?

2. How do we deliver?
In my observation, the discussion on urban housing looks primarily at inner
city conditions, yet, the biggest crisis is in our urban periphery, where the
majority of the population lives. We seem all scared to tackle the RDP space,
because it is too difficult and probably too dangerous.
Government cannot solve the problem alone and with the recent
developments, the 10x10 initiative, Empowershack, involvement of the City,
and now Human Settlements in The Western Cape Government, an
opportunity exists to explore different delivery models, and create a
paradigm shift in housing developments for the urban poor.
We should grab the current momentum and embrace the research
component expressed by Empowershack, and expand the knowledge base
of possible housing delivery models in our country

3. Models of Delivery
What is the Future of social housing and what are the future strategies?
• 10x10 Design Indaba Sandbag Housing is a project conceived and implemented 8 years ago
• Interest from government/private sectors to get involved in DIALOGUE ON SOCIAL HOUSING
• Projects such as Empower Shack should inspire us to get involved and find solutions

4. The role of architects & urban
practitioners?
• How RELEVANT ARE ARCHITECTS in the current
condition of African Cities?
• Who is SETTING THE AGENDA FOR URBAN
development?
• Power of Design: Are we maximising our CREATIVE
POTENTIAL?
• How can we NAVIGATE between THE FORMAL
AND INFORMAL CITY?
• Teaching & Knowledge: Are our Universities
producing with adequate sensibility for the post
1994 Condition?

5. IN PERSECTIVE: Post 1994 Housing Delivery –the current situation

6. IN PERSPECTIVE: post 1994 housing delivery

8. "Making housing is like a bird building its nest. You
start with a basic house, but you have to let people
change it to their own needs.“ - Charles Correa
Approach to social housing (idea’s and intents)
• 550 families were to be housed in a 6 acre plot
of land.
• Solution: low rise, high density housing creating
human scaled spaces.
Charles Correa’s Belapur Incremental Housing

9. Laurie Baker’s Low cost housing manual
Laurie Baker
Kerala

10. "We think of 400 square feet not as a small house but
as half of a good house. Our priorities are,
No. 1, location. We'd rather spend more money on a
better location of land.
No. 2: We were looking for quality housing. For us,
quality didn't mean a bigger house. The families can
make their house grow by filling in the unfinished
half.“
-Alejandro Aravena
Approach to social housing
Standardization and pre-fabricated systems do not
condition good living.
quality vs quantity houses which allows people to
develop their personal space as they wish and when
they wish.
Economy and affordability
provides a well-defined structure (spatially and
physically) that provides a framework for people to
further develop their house
House as an asset –to invest in and attain value.

11. ‘The Good Half House’
Alejandro Aravena
Chille

12. THE 10X10 DESIGN INDABA SANDBAG HOUSE, CAPE TOWN
Design for social change: initial interventions