ABSTRACT
This chapter will explore the design and construction process of the new “green” house for the New Jerusalem Children’s Home, a non-profit organization situated in Johannesburg, South Africa. It will explain how New Jerusalem’s vision affected the project: “To be one of the best children’s homes in sustainable living, and in the provision of holistic and integrated quality care to orphaned, abused, traumatized, HIV positive, and vulnerable children in Africa” (New Jerusalem Children’s Home, 2016). From the initial decision, the intent was to construct the house using recycled shipping containers and, where possible, recycled and repurposed materials. This chapter outlines the difficult task that 4d and a architects had in persuading the client to accommodate vulnerable children in the shipping containers, as they largely resemble the many shacks made of steel sheeting which still house the very poor in so-called “townships,” i.e., the informal settlements, a legacy of the apartheid era. This chapter will also explore the design process of the project, including the building’s sustainability features and the various materials used to complete the building. Lastly, it will touch on the affect that the building has on the perceptions and lives of the many children living in it.
