© Markus Dobmeier
South Africa is a land of contrasts. Although it is economically more advanced than any other country of that continent, abject poverty is widespread. One of the structurally weakest provinces is Eastern Cape in the south-east. Here, South Africa's social differences are blatantly obvious. While this region, with its varied landscape, is becoming a popular destination for wealthy citizens of the country, it is also an area traditionally settled by the Xhosa, a people that even today lives in round huts with grassed roofs and where women still bring water home in vessels balanced on their heads.
The unemployment level is high, the standard of education low, and there is a lack of perspective. In a bid to change this, the Austrian organization s2arch set itself the task of improving living standards through good school education. S2arch sought support from various German and Austrian faculties of architecture which, in the context of design-and-build projects with students, were to assume responsibility for the planning and construction of school facilities.
The unemployment level is high, the standard of education low, and there is a lack of perspective. In a bid to change this, the Austrian organization s2arch set itself the task of improving living standards through good school education. S2arch sought support from various German and Austrian faculties of architecture which, in the context of design-and-build projects with students, were to assume responsibility for the planning and construction of school facilities.