“I Grew Up Where Architecture Was Designed to Oppress”: Wandile Mthiyane on Social Impact and Learning from South Africa


 Wandile motivates students in Swaziland to chase after their dreams. Image © Troy Homenchuk, Andrew Von Maur, Andrews University School of Architecture & Interior Design

Wandile motivates students in Swaziland to chase after their dreams. Image © Troy Homenchuk, Andrew Von Maur, Andrews University School of Architecture & Interior Design

Design justice is grounded in personal experience and built through everyday actions. Wandile Mthiyane is an architectural designer that embodies this idea, an activist that grew up in Durban, South Africa during the Apartheid. From an early age he was drawn to building and design, a background directly tied to his childhood. He realized he wanted to build a better future by working to undo the architectural effects of institutionalized racial segregation. Today, Wandile has become recognized for creating social impact, including his work to transform his hometown of Durban.

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