mae

Post-apartheid Johannesburg contends with glaring disparities in close physical proximity - gated suburban residential affluence stands within ten minutes driving distance of dense inner-city neighbourhoods teeming with street life, informal commerce, and movement, but still largely regarded as no-go zones by suburban residents. Johannesburg’s central business district saw an exodus of its population at the end of the 20th century, yet much of its built fabric is robust and suitable for rehabilitation. Former hotels, middle-class residential apartment blocks or office buildings have become housing for the poor. Housing Associations are beginning to take ownership of these buildings, legitimising the tenancy of their occupants and finding cost effective ways to improve the buildings.

Meanwhile on the outskirts of the city, new RDP (Reconstruction and Development Programme) housing has perpetuated the patterns of apartheid planning, providing low density, 27 sqm houses in monotonous suburban layouts that continue to locate the poorest furthest from the benefits of urbanity.

Despite the impressive delivery of 1.7 million houses since 1994, the housing backlog and demand for new housing is increasing due to: natural population growth; continuing in-migration; urbanised households tending towards smaller families; extended family structures; and an increase in child-headed households as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Over the past three years mæ has been supporting an annual housing initiative, the EUNIC Studio, based in Johannesburg. Working with the European Union National Institutes of Culture, alongside a South African Housing Association and local architecture graduates, we have developed proposals to improve the sustainability and urbanism of RDP housing in the townships and to refurbish existing buildings in the city centre. These include converting a redundant hospital into a mixed use building with low-cost housing, training, business and community spaces. The development, in the Hillbrow area of the city, will help regenerate a part of town that has been in decline since the end of apartheid and will provide much needed affordable housing and employment opportunities. The EUNIC Studio was created in 2008 in partnership with the European Cultural Institutes established in Johannesburg.  The studio aims, through knowledge share between professionals and students, Europeans and African, to research ways of improving the living conditions in South Africa.

The workshop draws together a wide range of contributors including French Architects Christophe Hutin and Jean-Philippe Vassal, Italian Architect Lorenzo Romito and Cape Town based Architect Carin Smuts and photographer Guy Tillim.

Project facts
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Date: 2008 - 2010
Client: British Council, European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC), and ICPM Property Management.