SHADE

With so much focus on cities, we at MSSA have prioritized our pro bono division to focus on arguably the most affected by climate change, the rural poor. In Africa many of these people are still attached to an ancient but endangered way of life. The world has radically changed around them yet they persist to believe in environmental sensitivity that is normally seamlessly tied to a cultural and spiritual belief system.

With sustainability today so much about new technologies, materials and international rating systems for us as African’s should we not be seeing sustainability more as remembering who we are. We are one of the few continents that still possess most of its biodiversity because we have learned to live as part of the natural realm not independent of it.

Our SHADE projects target rural communities that are in an informal way protecting their natural, indigenous environments. We provide professional architectural and engineering support to these people groups by living with them and learning from them.