Design justice is grounded in personal experience and built through everyday actions. Wandile Mthiyane is an architectural designer that embodies this idea, an activist that grew up in Durban, South Africa during the Apartheid. From an early age he was drawn to building and design, a background directly tied to his childhood. He realized he wanted to build a better future by working to undo the architectural effects of institutionalized racial segregation. Today, Wandile has become recognized for creating social impact, including his work to transform his hometown of Durban.
Wandile is the CEO and Co-Founder of social enterprise firm Ubuntu Design Group, and he has also been both an Obama Foundation Fellow and One Young World Ambassador. Over the past few years, Ubuntu Design Group partnered with Andrews University M.Arch class and worked closely with low-middle income communities to develop Ubuntu Home as a solution to the current housing deficit. This is but one project that shows how working with students has had a ripple effect in the Umbumbulu community. In an interview with ArchDaily, Wandile discusses his early inspirations, how the Apartheid has shaped his design approach, and how he is building community today.
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