Type Arts and crafts-centre
Date May-November 2023
Client The Vuka project
Location Mahlanya, Eswatini
Collaborators Bonginkhosi Ndzebele, Fela Dlamini, Thabo Lukhele, Dane Armstrong, Yebo Artgallery
Phase Preliminary design
Materials Loadbearing wood construction, earth bricks, earth plaster, ceramic rooftiles

‘Vuka’ means ‘Wake Up’ in SiSwati, and urges youth to take control of their own life by learning new skills, through which they can make a life for themselves. The Vuka project is a social engagement initiative by Bonginkhosi Nndzebele. Different techniques like ceramics, wirework, weaving and up-cycling materials, are being thought by artists Fela Dlamini en Thabo Lukhele. Besides youngsters can get training in permaculture and using locally available resources.

The center will comprise of a workshop space, an exhibition space, a shop, and a cafe. Bongi has a lot of experience in permaculture, and therefor holds he ambition to make the Vuka Center as a closed loop facility. The structures will be built with locally available materials and on the terrain they will grow a permaculture garden, for which the eco-toilets and the cafe will supply fertiliser. The facility will function as an integrated whole.

In order to engage the youth in the making of this center, we organised different workshops. Within the first workshop we made clay models of a place in our life that gave a pleasant feeling. After the making of the models, we shared our stories and talked about different qualities that buildings can offer. Besides we went to visit the permaculture farm with earth constructions to show how earth constructions can be high quality buildings. Lastly we measured the site, and made drawings of what the Vuka Center could become.