The Vertical Living City

What is The Vertical Living City?

The Vertical Living City is a multi-story regenerated building that has been transformed into a re-introduction centre In Johannesburg South Africa. The Vertical Living City houses residents that suffer from poverty, and helps them transform their lives by giving them the opportunity to lead better lives. Almost everything that one needs is provided for within the building – Shelter, food, water, education, emotional support, safety and a sense of belonging. The residents have a chance to break free from their poverty cycle because they finally have solution that caters for all of poverties symptoms.

Where is it located?

The Vertical Living City is located in an abandoned building, The Clegg House in Johannesburg CBD, South Africa.

Why do we need The Vertical Living City and Why will it work?

55,5% of South Africans population is living in extreme poverty and there are no current signs of improvement. Dozens of people are living in unsafe derelict buildings that are run by gangs, who charge exuberant nightly rates and take complete advantage of the people who are suffering, homeless shelters are overrun and also charge a nightly fee, although this is a minimal fee, people are never guaranteed a bed every night. Due to the above people are not able to access their basic needs or services and have a very low chance of ever breaking out of their poverty cycle.

Currently there is no solution in place that caters to all of poverties symptoms, governments tend to focus on one or two such as housing and education but their current efforts and promises are not being provided to the people struggling and that is why privatised projects focused on these solutions are so important. The Vertical Living City is a privatized project that focuses on all of the poverty symptoms so that we are able to treat them individually and in turn each solution will positively affect the next symptom. The Vertical Living City has a real opportunity to break the poverty cycle of its residents by giving them support from every angle, and could potentially be a new and successful way of housing thousands of affected people in the hundreds of derelict buildings in South Africa.

The Vertical Living City is a holistic design solution that was made specifically for its end users, and because of this, every part of the design has a specific purpose that will contribute to the rehabilitation of the residents. All the spaces were designed to facilitate the residents’ personal growth, empowerment, mental health and knowledge making their journey easier and increasing their ability to break free from poverty. The Vertical living city provides all the tools directly to the residents but also allows the residents to be in control and take initiative to learn and progress in order to promote self-empowerment. Due to the all rounded holistic solution, The Vertical Cities approach is could tackle poverty head on and all of its symptoms.

The cycle of The Vertical Living city is housing someone affected by poverty, give them mental support while also offering education and practical skills. While they are mentally and physically empowering themselves, they are provided with fresh water, food, fruits and vegetables along with a safe and stable environment that will support the success of self-empowerment. Eventually when a resident feels confident enough, they will have assistance in finding and retaining employment until a point where they feel they can move out and positively integrate into society. Every element of The Vertical City works together and that is why it has the opportunity to be a successful design solution.

The Vertical Living City's cycle in direct relation to the poverty cycle

Poverty Cycle

Do Residents need to pay to live in The Vertical Living City?

The Vertical City houses people affected by poverty and that stay within the Johannesburg CBD Area, people who would like to stay within the building will need to be willing to work, learn and take charge of their own lives. Although The Vertical Living City is free to everyone, residents will need to ‘pay’ for their rooms in time and contribute to the building with their skills.

On the start of The Vertical Cities Journey, the residents will need to contribute to the build and regeneration of the building, this teaches them some building skills as well as giving them a sense of pride and belonging to the building which has both mental and physical advantages.

Once The Vertical Living City is up and running, residents will be required to do small duties or jobs that contribute to their skills and strengths. Some Jobs may include – Building Maintenance, Plumber, Cleaner, Gardener, Children caretaker and School bus driver, all these jobs play an important role in the upkeep and success of the building all while giving the residents a sense of purpose and responsibility.

Materials Used

The Vertical Living Cities aim is to provide high-end design solutions but with new and innovative materials that are sustainable and affordable. Currently, there are many new building techniques and materials that are based around regeneration and sustainability that are suited for the building.

Structural Walls

All new walls will be built using a technique called the Eco-Brick. Residents will collect used 2l plastic bottles and fill them with used plastic. These bricks are then stacked on top of each other and sealed with concrete. The Vertical Living City will be using a self-healing concrete that is more durable than ordinary concrete and will require less maintenance in the long run.

Wall Finishes and details

Throughout the design, there are hexagon shaped tiles that are made out of recycled plastic that has also been compressed into a mould. The tiles will have a marble look due to the mix of plastic color. Plain plastic tiles are also used within the bathroom walls and give the same look and feel as traditional tiles.

Flooring

Most of the flooring is finished with the self-healing concrete for the same reason as the walls, for durability and maintenance. The accent flooring is newspaper wooden floors which is basically old newspapers that have been condensed into logs and then cut into planks, making it extremely strong and durable. The newspapers are recycled so the cost of materials is relatively cheap.

Furniture Material

All the seats that are covered in the fabric will be a locally sourced hemp fabric, not only is this an incredibly sustainable material but it is also hard-wearing and comfortable.