Family-Style living for "The Lost Generation"

Children in South Africa who have lost one or both parents to AIDS are left to care for themselves and their siblings are referred to as "The lost generation". Many of these children suffer from emotional and psychological issues because of their lack of care, structure, and trauma of losing their parents. We want to aid these issues by designing a place for orphaned children to live, be loved, and have the same opportunities as if their parents were still alive. our solution is to design a home that functions as its own community while becoming part of the greater community and culture. The rounded plan reflects the traditional architecture of the Zulu people by encompassing cob structures and timber verandas with the addition of modern corrugated metal roofing. 

The design is not only culturally significant but also cost effective by being constructed out of the materials that surround the area. 

Connecting the two structures is a timber veranda which casts shade over the community and eating area. In addition to the structure, there is also a water collection system connected to the roof which gathers rain water and directs it into a holding tank. The colors used within the building play off the theory of Chakra. Green encourages emotional stability, purity, and calmness. Blue helps to encourage communication skills and eases anxiety. And orange aids in the ease of depression and physical ailments. 

The goal of this home is to give the children a comfortable and safe environment which allows them to not worry about the struggles that they once had to face. The main focus is to provide the children with the opportunity to go to school and ultimately become self-reliant members of society. Research shows that orphaned children who are raised in family settings are less likely to experience cognitive delays, poor physical growth, and negative behavior than those who are raised in an institutional setting or on the streets. 

Team design proposal by : Hailey Allen. Iliana Menendez. Tracey Wright.