BOTSWANA housing

Housing alternatives and active neighbourhoods

Botswana

Botswana is a middle-income country that is experiencing rapid cultural change and urbanisation, leading to an increasing demand for new homes and social spaces, both in the capital Gaborone and in the villages around it. Its already extreme climate with very hot summers and cold winters is exacerbated by the effects of climate change. The housing supply is struggling to meet the demand in terms of quantity, but often also in terms of quality. Many new build houses respond poorly to the climatic and cultural context. Materials used are often imported from as far away as Asia, and have a large ecological footprint. The change from living in relatively small village communities to living in larger urban neighbourhoods calls for new types of community spaces.

In October 2019, BASEHabitat students visited Botswana on a research trip to learn about the local context, and to forge vital connections with local project partners, including homeowners, architects and quantity surveyors and with organisations such as the University of Botswana and Botswana Housing Corporation, the government agency in charge of delivering social housing.

The students are now developing a range of proposals for improving housing conditions and developing neighbourhoods that respond to the cultural, climatic, ecological and economic constraints. These proposals operate within different parts of the housing sector in Botswana, both commercial and public.

The proposals will be presented to and further developed with our partners in Botswana, forming the basis for a longer term dialog and cooperation.

Video: Project Summary, July 2020

Booklet: Social Housing with Individuality, Ideas for Living in Botswana – compiled by BASEhabitat Master students.

Selection of student’s projects
Botswana JuliaTreitinger
Botswana Strack
Botswana Teufl