by Peter McIntosh | Dec 22, 2017 | Anita Venter, City of Cape Town, Delft ECD, Early Childhood Development centre, Early Childhood Development centres, Earthen Schools, Ecobricks, Local materials, Long Way Home, Natural building, Natural building course, Peter McIntosh, Sustainable building, Tyre building
“The future belongs to the few of us still willing to get our hands dirty.” – Roland Tiangco As the end of the year approaches, we want to wish you well over the festive season, and thank you for your support in 2017. You helped us finish the Delft...
by Tarien Roux | Aug 9, 2017 | Anita Venter, Q&A, Sustainable human settlements
In honour of women’s day we asked Anita Venter a few questions about her grassroots development initiative using sustainable building methods in Bloemfontein. We have great admiration for the shack replacement initiative and what she has done to empower her change agents to become more self-sufficient and build community in her local context.
by Peter McIntosh | Feb 29, 2016 | Alternative building, Anita Venter, Guest post, Living Sustainably, Local materials, Natural building, Permaculture, Peter McIntosh, Qala Phelang Tala, Reclaimed materials, Shack replacement, Start Living Green, Sustainable building, Sustainable human settlements, Uncategorized
Do we as ethical natural builders have a right to deny someone a home simply based on the argument of its purity? Surely it’s about having the humility to acknowledge that sustainability is about economy and social justice as much as it is about ecology. Scott...
by QPT Qala Phelang Tala | Oct 26, 2014 | Amanda de Gouveia, Anita Venter, Clay, Cob, Community, Earth testing, Local materials, Natural building, Qala Phelang Tala, Start Living Green, Sustainable human settlements
I came to learn how to build a cob wall; instead I learned the story of my life before I even stepped onto the building site. It was day 18 at the Freedom Square shack replacement building site in Bloemfontein, but my first day on the premises. The walls of Lientjie’s...
by QPT Qala Phelang Tala | Sep 30, 2014 | Adobe, Amanda de Gouveia, Anita Venter, Clay, Cob, Community, Earth testing, Events, Insulation, Local materials, Mud brick, Natural building, Peter McIntosh, Qala Phelang Tala, Sand, Start Living Green, Sustainable human settlements
Imagine being outside on a chilly Free State winter morning with the sun just coming out and starting to gently warm your body. Now imagine being told to take off your shoes in order to trudge in icy cold mud. I glanced at my fellow volunteers and I saw a collective...
