DLOZILIYAKHALA

Dloziliyakhala Traditional Medicine is a collaborative project between Afreetekture and Lemon Pebble Architects. The project was commissioned by the Department of Environmental Affairs in South Africa. The brief was to design a place where the late Gogo Mbai Mbai was to locate her traditional medicine production as well as a place for consultation with those who need healing. Gogo had this center as a lifelong dream, and just before her passing in 2021 she saw the 3D drawings that she felt sufficiently lived up to her dreams. The building is comprised of five pods made of earth, four of which sit under a shelter and one further out. The four under the shelter comprise of traditional medicine processing facilities and a consultation room. The fifth one is an overnight consultation and healing space. The large roof over the four pods is designed for solar PV installation and rainwater collection. The aim being to have the building be off grid, with dry season water being procured from a nearby river.