The Ikamva Youth Pods will be the first purpose-built spaces to support the very well run educational system in South Africa by Ikamva Youth, a public benefit organisation. The pods offer underprivileged youth space to do homework. The buildings replace the standard pre-fabricated classroom, but still offer the same convenience, being temporary, quick to build and cost effective.

The commission came about through the founder of Ikamva Youth being the life partner of Local Studio’s favourite photographer, David Southwood. The design is the complete antithesis of a pre-fabricated classroom in that it values transparency and lightness over clumsy solidity. The building is designed as a completely translucent box, promoting the values of the organisation. Challenges faced on this project related primarily to the disconnect between the architectural industries in Johannesburg and in Cape Town.

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