First Statement - 08/06/09

Over the past year I have developed an interest in the concept of innovation through necessity. Designing or making focused around “basic need” first, rather than the luxury of western society.I intend to focus my third year around design intervention within my home town of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I will be looking at the housing/interior layout of government houses(match-box housing) and shanty towns. I would like to create objects/pieces using the local resources and commissioning local makers where possible, taking into consideration the cultural aesthetic of South Africa. Before returning home, I hope to research into the use of multi-purpose space, duality within objects and resourcefulness within re-use/recycling. I will be testing and researching these ideas while in the UK, specifically looking at the use and transference of traditional skills within development projects within developing countries, as well as basic design ad manufacturing skills. South Africa has rich source in handi-craft skills, using plastic bags, metal tins and wire work. I will be looking at the use of found/recycled materials specific to South Africa. Once in South Africa I will begin my research by interviewing various home owners, documenting their homes and movements through the use of photography, film and drawings. I expect this research to inform the second phase of my projects, where I will be hoping to propose a design solution to an individual design issue. This issue may be a common recurrence within South African housing, or may be specific to one situation.