Imizamo Yethu Hub
Location: Imizamo Yethu, Cape Town, RSAProgram: Vocational Centre, workshop and hardware storeType: Individual design project (3 weeks)Level: BAS Hons semester 1Supervisor: Michael Louw (michael.louw@uct.ac.za)Description: My elective studio was “Studio Glocal”, where students were briefed to explore the tensions that exist between global and localized ways of designing and making architecture in Africa. Themes included collage as a method, the appropriate use of sustainable technology, the use of local materials and labour, skill-building, the incorporation of memory, identity, and the concept of hybridity. The studio focused on prototyping, interpretation, and the implementation of a set of replicable design strategies by appropriate technologiesResidents of Imizamo Yethu, an informal settlement, build shack houses out of discarded materials such as corrugated iron and timber offcuts. However, these materials do not adequately keep rain or cold winds out and are prone to fire and water damage. This project develops a solution to the accessibility of materials in Imizamo Yethu by promoting the use of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for the autoconstruction of homes in informal settlements.
Massing and Design Process
The building itself is assembled using the same materials that it distributes and manufactures within the space. Therefore, the design and material expression is defined by how S.I.P.s are assembled and connected, mainly as a modular principle. The layout of the space is to enhance openness to the public, letting natural light in, while also being fitted to its practical usage as a workshop space. There is visibility across the different spaces of the building which creates a sense of publicness and sociability 
Technology
Autoconstruction of informal dwellingsThis project develops a solution to the accessibility of materials in Imizamo Yethu by promoting the use of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for the autoconstruction of homes in informal settlements. The proposed building consists of a carpentry workshop and vocational training space where these panels can be built, stored and sold to make safe and comfortable homes accessible to the community.
