About Us
Designing for positive social, economic & environmental impact
The Bantu Approach
"Bantu" means "people" in hundreds of African languages; it is a common thread which transcends boundaries and cultures. It is also a commn thread to our work, which is people-centric by design.
We work with a variety participatory tools to make decision-making processes around design choices accessible and assessable by all. Participation is the basis of our approach, providing various platforms for effective engagement at a multitiude of inter-connected scales.
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Our work is characterized by an integrated approach to urbanism, strategic planning, and ecological systems. Our abilities range from community participation in planning and design, to strategic and policy initiatives, to sustainability consulting at multiple scales.
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This approach is based on the transformative role of co-design, and aims at operationalizing nature-based solutions as tools for micro-level action inside complex urban landscapes.
Rigorous research and deep participation form the basis of all of our work, enabling us to generate specific impact strategies to spark positive change. By leveraging our expertise against local and institutional knowledge, we seek to maximize the value of both design interventions and built environment policy.
Working with community
We prioritize community participation and collaboration to ensure that our designs meet the needs and aspirations of the people they serve. By integrating local knowledge and fostering strong partnerships, we create spaces that are inclusive, equitable, and transformative for the communities we work with.
Working systemically
Interventions in the built environment can be seen as critical components of larger social and ecological systems, having influence beyond the boundaries of project sites. We seek to understand the ways buildings and spaces can enhance social upliftment, restore functioning systems or lost ecologies, and make contributions towards more sustainable and resilient built environment for all.
Working through interdisciplinarity
We bring a rich tapestry of expertise in professional design practice, capacity building, academic research, and urban policy development through multiple disciplines and across 4 continents. Our collaborative approach leverages this extensive background to deliver innovative solutions that address complex urban challenges, promote resilience, and and promote sustainable development across Southern and Eastern Africa.
How We Work
What is an impact strategy?
In each of our projects, Bantu's work centres around an Impact Strategy – a carefully calibrated set of goals and priorities, unique to each project – which guides the design decision making process.
A well-developed Impact Strategy is a dynamic tool (not a static document) used to maximize positive social, economic, and environmental impact during design, construction, and (where possible) post-implementation. Rooted in the capability approach, it reorganizes a traditional value-engineering exercise to include networked resources, monetary and productivity flows, as well as peripheral inputs into the process as part of the design determination.
Possibilities for synergies come from initial project or community visioning workshops, the outcomes of which are then analysed for overlaps with construction processes, operational requirements, or implementation modalities for the project. From this, core opportunities can be identified, and necessary support fo fulfill these opportunities can be planned. A framework of key indicators is outlined, identifying relevant data, targets, and feedback mechanisms.
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By working in this way, we seek to create benefits which outlive the duration of the project.
Recognition
With our partners, Bantu was awarded a Holcim Award for Sustainable Construction in 2014 for our work on the Kora Participatory Upgrading Masterplan.