The project aims to increase the quality of conditions for people living in the slums surrounding Cape Town, SA.
Ten international architects were teamed with ten local practises in Cape Town, working together in pairs they produced Designs to be entered into a competition.
The winning team was complied of Will Aslop, UK with local MMA Architects Cape Town. However they fell out over design issues concerning the type of materials to be used. Alsop wanted to created a wooden frame, pour concrete around it and then later burn out the frame. MMA architects felt that a firm so far removed form the reality of Cape Town slums could not understand role of the low cost housing to this community. So instead they went ahead and proposed a design seperately.
The houses use a design of an 'eco-beam' which is a wooden beam with a steel core. The frame is then constructed and this is the only part which construction workers need to produce. The next stage then sees the new occupants filling sand bags and placing them in the frame, then finally the sand bags a covered over with cememt. This innovative solution means that the labour cost stay low and money can be used in other areas.
