The Power and Powerlessness of Designing Low-Income Housing Architectures in South Africa
Methodologies
Afua Wilcox (TU Delft - Urban Development Management)
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Abstract
Spatial planning in South Africa has historically been used as a tool to either connect or divide the population. The new democratic South Africa brought the promise of fully-subsidized housing for low-income households. The right to adequate housing was highly charged because of the country’s political history and complexity. This excerpt is a contribution towards the perspective of an architect when they are faced with the complexities of designing for mass low-income housing. It reveals the privilege, tensions and considerations in the author’s personal experience and her experience with these issues through visual explorations.