DJ Spooky visits 10x10

"I went and visited a couple of interesting architecture projects outside of Capetown to see how development is going on in post Apartheid South Africa. Design Indaba is hosting a project called 10x10, where 10 architect teams are asked to come up with some interesting visions for the future of sustainable, low environmental impact, low income housing. It's a really interesting project."

- Paul D Miller aka DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid

Paul D Miller on site with Design Indaba 10x10 Housing project manager Rosemary Lombard.
(Photo: Nadine Botha)

Design Indaba 10x10 Housing shortlisted for Design Museum's Brit Insurance Design Awards 2009

Brit Insurance Design Awards is the Design Museum's annual exploration of the most innovative, interesting and forward looking designs produced over the last twelve months from around the world and celebrated in seven categories: Architecture, Transport, Graphics, Interactive, Product, Furniture and Fashion.

The 10x10 Housing project initiated and run by Design Indaba has been nominated by Patrick Burgoyne of Creative Review in the architecture category. The Design Museum will feature the project in the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year Exhibition running from 12 February - 14 June 2009 in London.

Download the Design Museum's press release here.

See Patrick Burgoyne's in-depth article for the CR Blog earlier this year here.

Community Leaders at Freedom Park

Without the tireless assistance of Wayba (communications), Ardiela (administration) and Lee (construction supervisor) of the Freedom Park Development Association, the 10x10 Housing project would not be possible. Their diligent and no-nonsense approach ensures that relationships between the Freedom Park community and Design Indaba remain positive, and that everything runs smoothly on the ground - communicating concerns and needs, keeping the beneficiaries' files in order and brokering consensus.
Wayba, our community liaison officer - she is the chairperson of the Freedom Park Development Association committee.

Wayba and Ardiela of the Freedom Park Housing Support Centre chat to Mike (Design Indaba project manager), December 2008.

Photos: Rosemary Lombard

Construction in Progress - November 2008

Digging foundations.

Preparing foundations, with a wet course and sandbags with dry cement added.

Foundations laid, ready for frames to be erected.

Mike Purdham (Design Indaba) with Westley van Wyk (MMA).

Schalk van der Walt (TecHomes) with Mike Purdham (Design Indaba).
(Photos: Rosemary Lombard)

Construction in Progress - November 2008

Construction in Progress - November 2008

Kids love packing sand bags!




Photos: Rosemary Lombard

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Housing visits 10x10

Luyanda Mpahlwa (MMA Architects) welcomes the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Housing to Freedom Park.

Leshni Shah (Interactive Africa/Design Indaba) (left) and Luyanda Mpahlwa (MMA Architects) (2nd from left) discuss the rationale behind the Design Indaba 10x10 Housing Project with the PPC.

Luyanda explains the principles behind MMA's 10x10 design.

The PPC communicates its support for the Design Indaba 10x10 initiative.

The PPC meets the building contractor, Schalk van der Walt of TecHomes (2nd from right).

Photos: Rosemary Lombard

Press Release: Design Indaba 10x10 solution wins $100 000 humanitarian design prize

MMA Architects’ principals, Luyanda Mpahlwa and Mphethi Morojele, have won the inaugural Curry Stone Design Prize of $100 000 for their ingenious solution to the Design Indaba 10x10 low-cost housing challenge. The annual international prize recognises breakthrough design solutions with the power and potential to improve our lives and the world we live in.

Design Indaba’s 10x10 Housing Project challenged 10 architectural teams, composed of handpicked South Africans paired with international alumni of previous Design Indaba conferences, to provide dynamic design solutions for the low-cost housing sector on a completely pro-bono basis.

The objective was to come up with affordable, attractive, innovative responses to the urgent need for housing the urban poor. Sustainable design, construction and operation principles were to be incorporated.

The first solution to the Design Indaba 10x10 challenge, MMA’s design for a single-family home leveraged a modest budget by borrowing elements from indigenous mud-and-wattle building techniques. The design forgoes traditional brick-and-mortar foundations in favour of a two-storey frame of timber and sandbag infill construction, which is both energy-efficient and requires little to no electricity or skilled labour to construct.

Design Indaba will oversee the completion of 10 such houses in Freedom Park, a township in Greater Cape Town, with volunteer help from local women in the community.

The 10x10 Housing Project, in a nutshell

Mr & Mrs Jonkers and one of their six children outside their new home.
(Photo: Rosemary Lombard)

Low-cost housing is an issue of huge social relevance globally: over 50% of the world's population now resides in urban areas. The impact of this is particularly visible in the urban sprawl of informal settlements around South Africa's cities. A number of national housing initiatives have been given a high profile by South Africa's Minister of Housing, Lindiwe Sisulu. The Minister has also communicated the government's encouragement to developers, financial institutions and the construction industry to deliver on the visions and goals of the National Housing Policy. However, the non-involvement of architects and urban planning professionals in the housing delivery process has led to the neglect of urban quality of life.

Initiated by Design Indaba, the 10x10 Housing Project’s aim falls in line with the organisation’s fundamental mission to “create a better future, by design”. The overarching aim of this project is to stimulate wider debate and creative engagement around the delivery of sustainable low-cost housing, while simultaneously benefiting some of Cape Town's most impoverished families directly.

Design Indaba challenged 10 architectural teams, composed of handpicked South Africans paired with international alumni of previous Design Indaba conferences, to provide dynamic design solutions for the low cost housing sector on a completely pro bono basis. The objective was to come up with affordable, attractive, innovative responses to the urgent need for housing for the urban poor. Sustainable design, construction and operation principles were to be incorporated.

The first qualifying solution to the Design Indaba 10x10 challenge came from MMA Architects, and 10 of this design are currently being built for families in Freedom Park, a township in Greater Cape Town, with partial sponsorship by PG Bison/Pennypinchers and help from local women in the community. The first Design Indaba 10x10 house nearing completion.
(Photo: Rosemary Lombard)

Experiences and outputs are to be compiled and ultimately presented as open source material, disseminated online and handed to the South African Ministry of Housing. In this way, the 10x10 Project seeks to contribute to the global pool of knowledge available to anybody interested in the design or construction of low-cost housing.

Check out this blog for photos and regular updates on progress.

Olga Jonkers, recipient of the first 10x10 House, discussing the finishing touches to her house with Nadya Glawe, outgoing Design Indaba 10x10 project manager, June 2008.
(Photos: Rosemary Lombard)

Design Indaba 10x10: Ten houses for Freedom Park

Design Indaba’s 10x10 Housing Project is pleased to announce that building has started on the designated plots in Freedom Park.
Launched at last year’s Design Indaba, the 10x10 Housing Project challenged 10 architectural teams to provide innovative and dynamic design solutions for the low-cost housing sector. Ten of the first solution will be built in this first phase of the project, thanks to sponsorship from PG Bison and Pennypinchers. Future constructions involving the other nine designs are envisioned.

Said Justin Berry, group marketing manager of PG Bison: “As a leader in the South Africa’s building industry, PG Bison is proud to be part of a project that proposes a meaningful solution to the housing problem in South Africa.”

The solution to be implemented is the entry from architect Luyanda Mpahlwa, assisted by Kirsty Ronné. Using an innovative new building system, Ecobeams, which complies with all the rules and regulations of the Cape City Council, fits within budget and fulfils all the requirements with regards to testing and certification of an alternative building system.

"To be part of this project meant a lot in terms of making a significant contribution towards innovative, dignified solutions to the housing situation. I'm looking forward to seeing the final construction," said Mpahlwa.

The design also offers a number of improvements on the standard RDP house. Ecobeams are equal, if not superior, to brick-and-mortar, but cheaper and more eco-friendly. Taking this into account Mpahlwa has increased the size of the house and created a fluid interplay between public and private spaces in and around the house. The house is also built on a framework, making it easy to expand, and involves the whole community in its construction.

The design, and those of the other architects from around the world will be distributed as architectural open source. “All of these designs will bring new materials and concepts to low-cost housing, and will be an absolute boon to poor families across Africa,” said Ravi Naidoo, founder of Design Indaba and director of Interactive Africa.

The participating architectural teams are: Jo Noero (Cape Town) and Cameron Sinclair (San Francisco); Vanessa September (Cape Town) and Lindy Roy (New York); Luyanda Mpahlwa (Cape Town) and Will Alsop (London); Andrew Makin and Janina Masojada (Durban), and Christoph Egret (London); Lesley Carstens and Silvio Rech (Johannesburg), and Thomas Heatherwick (London); Stefan Antoni (Cape Town) and Eva Jiricna (London); Ruben Reddy (Durban) and Mark Dytham (Tokyo); Martin Kruger (Cape Town) and David Adjaye (London); Henning Rasmus (Johannesburg) and Shigeru Ban (Tokyo); and Don Albert (Cape Town) and Tom Dixon (London).