WISH Workshop on International Social Housing

www.wish.arch.unisi.ch

Responsible lecturer: Martino Pedrozzi
Assistant: Otto Krausbeck

ABSTRACT

The international Workshop on social housing design takes place every year from half August to half October in a city of an emergent country (in 2003 on Tucumán in Argentina, in 2004 on Mexicali in Mexico and in 2005 on Nanjing in China). The Workshop will take place this summer in the south-african city of Johannesburg.
The group of participants is composed by five students of the architecture faculty from the studied city and five students from the “Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio”
The students work under the guide of the lecturer, responsible of the Workshop (arch. Martino Pedrozzi) and an assistant of the “Accademia” (arch. Otto Krausbeck).
The task of the group is to elaborate low cost housing projects located in areas of the city already destined or suitable to this aim. The projects must become part in a context of concrete feasibility in respect of the principles of sustainable development.
Because of this reason, tightened collaborations are established with the agencies or institutions that are directly involved with the problem of the social housing (government, university, private sector).
During the course some specialists take part in order to have lessons on specific arguments.
The first two weeks are carried out at the partner university and are dedicated to information research and preparation of the design phase, which take place in Mendrisio in the following six weeks.
The results of the workshop are exposed at the “Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio” and at the partner university. The opening of the exhibition is accompanied with a lecture by the responsible, illustrating the WISH in general and the 10 projects specifically.
The WISH 06 will have Johannesburg as studied city and will count with the partnerships of the Witwatersrand University, the Social Housing Foundation, the Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) and the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO).

OBJECTIVES

• Contribute to the improvement of architectonic and urbanistic qualities on social housing of the studied city trough the elaboration of concrete architectural and urban projects.
  
• Make aware students about professional opportunities on social housing field
  
• Favour the knowledge transfer between local institutions (government, university, private sector).
  
• Promote cultural exchange between students from different realities, confronting them with concrete subjects and real society needs.
  
• Promote the “Accademia di architettura” at an international level.
  

PARTNERS AND CONTACTS

Contact: Martino Pedrozzi
Title: Design lecturer, responsible of the WISH project
Institution: “Università della Svizzera italiana”, “Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio”
Web site: www.wish.arch.unisi.ch
e-mail: mpedrozzi@arch.unisi.ch

Contact: Alan Mabin
Title: Head of School
Institution: University of the Witwatersrand, School of Architecture and planning
Web site: www.wits.ac.za
e-mail: mabina@archplan.wits.ac.za

Contact: Odette Crofton
Title: Division Head: Research & Development
Institution: The Social Housing Foundation
Web site: www.shf.org.za
e-mail: odettec@shf.org.za

Contact: Skhumbuzo Ndumndum
Title: General Manager: Development Management
Institution: Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO)
Web site: www.joburg.org.za
e-mail: skhumbuzon@joshco.co.za

Contact: Anton Gallup
Title: New Developments Manager
Institution: Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC)
Web site: www.jhc.co.za
e-mail: anton@jhc.co.za