Culverture
a system of affordable housing units developed from pre-fabricated concrete culvert pipes
Culverture is a system of affordable housing units developed from pre-fabricated concrete culvert pipes. The project explores the potential of prefabricated structural systems as an alternative to the labor-intensive in-situ construction methods used in South Africa and around the world. Culverture re-imagines commercially available prefabricated concrete culvert systems originally designed for water infrastructure as habitable living spaces. Within a space of eight square meters, the unit provides a bed, toilet, shower, kitchen and storage space – designed to be customized by each user. The configurations of the units when stacked allows for shared social spaces on ground and roof levels, and provides relief and interaction within what would usually be a solid housing block.