Nicole Moyo's sustainable waste-to-energy infrastructure Ukubutha can be constructed by slum communities to enable them to live self-sufficiently.
Presented at this year's Design Indaba, Ukubutha is a concept system of dome-shaped huts that collect biogas from human waste to turn into energy, and fertiliser for community gardens.
South African urban designer Moyo developed the system to empower low-income communities to create their own energy and waste systems, and provide them with ownership of the infrastructure that they can maintain themselves.
"Ukubutha is a response to an international crisis, today more people have access to a mobile phone than they do to basic sanitation services," Moyo explained at the conference.
"The project is a reaction to a truth, which is our cities are growing at a very rapid rate and we need to rethink service delivery, especially in communities that have limited access to municipal resources."
Ukubutha was initially designed by Moyo for an informal settlement in South Africa's administrative capital Pretoria, but she hopes it will be adapted for use wherever required.
The design takes the form of a series of huts, which are positioned in open areas along main streets for ease of access.
Inside, they house toilets and anaerobic digesters to collect methane, a renewable fuel source produced by human waste. The anaerobic digesters chemically break down organic material to produce biogas – a methane-rich gas that can be used as a fuel.
Residents can use the methane to cook at home or in communal areas, while the remaining waste is transformed into fertiliser to be used in community gardens to grow crops.
The form and structure of the huts are a modern interpretation of South African "dome bee hive" huts, which are made from materials like thatch grass and bark, with polished cow dung or concrete floors.
While Moyo's scheme replaces these materials with weather-proof alternatives, they are constructed with similar, simple building techniques that allow communities to easily build the huts themselves.
Ukubutha will also incorporate communal spaces for residents to learn skills, as well as cistern-wells, where water is harvested from rain, mist and fog, for safe drinking-water facilities.
Informed by the design of Warka Water's wooden tower structures that harvest water from the air, the wells will have a woven outer-membrane made from local wood, bamboo and bioplastics.
"We are gathering because we know the system needs to change," added Moyo at her Design Indaba presentation. "There are ways that we can assist communities so that they can start to think about education, instead of where they can find a flushing toilet."
Design Indaba is an annual design conference. It took place this year between 27 February and 1 March, with other projects on show including an eco-friendly coffin, and a system of digitised couture that reduces the amount of fabric needed to make clothes.
Ujenzi wa mazingira ya Nicole Moyo wa kubadili taka kuwa nishati unaweza kujengwa na jamii za vitongoji ili kuwawezesha kuishi kwa kujitegemea. Ubukutha ni mfumo wa dhana ya vibanda vyenye umbo la dome ambavyo hukusanya biogas kutoka kwa taka za binadamu ili kugeuka kuwa nishati na mbolea kwa bustani za jamii. Mwanzilishi wa mijini wa Afrika Kusini Moyo, aliunda mfumo huo ili kuwezesha jamii zenye mapato ya chini kuunda mifumo yao ya nishati na taka, na kuwapa umiliki wa miundombinu ambayo wanaweza kujitegemea. "Ukubutha ni jibu kwa mgogoro wa kimataifa, leo watu wengi wana simu ya mkononi kuliko wanavyofanya kwa huduma za msingi za usafi wa mazingira, ""Moyo alielezea katika mkutano huo." "Lakini mradi huu ni mwitikio kwa ukweli, ambayo ni miji yetu inakua kwa kasi sana na tunahitaji kufikiria tena utoaji wa huduma, haswa katika jamii ambazo zina upatikanaji mdogo wa rasilimali za manispaa. """ Ubukutha ilibuniwa na Moyo kwa ajili ya makazi yasiyo rasmi katika mji mkuu wa Afrika Kusini Pretoria, lakini anatumaini itabadilishwa kwa ajili ya matumizi popote inapohitajika. Muundo huo unafanyizwa kwa njia ya vibanda, ambavyo vimewekwa katika maeneo ya wazi kando ya barabara kuu ili kuwezesha upatikanaji. Ndani yake, kuna vyoo na vifaa vya kuchimba gesi ili kukusanya metani, chanzo cha mafuta kinachoweza kurejeshwa ambacho hutokezwa na taka za wanadamu. Digesters anaerobic kemikali kuvunja chini nyenzo za kikaboni kuzalisha biogas <unk> gesi methane-tajiri ambayo inaweza kutumika kama mafuta. Wakazi wanaweza kutumia gesi ya methani kupika nyumbani au katika maeneo ya pamoja, wakati taka iliyobaki hubadilishwa kuwa mbolea inayotumiwa katika bustani za jamii kukuza mazao. "Kama ilivyo kwa nyumba za zamani za Afrika Kusini, nyumba hizo za ""dome bee hive"" zimetengenezwa kwa nyasi na magamba, na zina udongo wa ng'ombe au sakafu ya saruji." Ingawa mpango wa Moyo unabadilisha vifaa hivi na mbadala wa hali ya hewa, vimejengwa kwa mbinu sawa za ujenzi rahisi ambazo huruhusu jamii kujenga vibanda kwa urahisi. Ubuthutha pia itajumuisha nafasi za pamoja kwa wakazi kujifunza ujuzi, pamoja na visima vya maji, ambapo maji yanakusanywa kutoka mvua, ukungu na ukungu, kwa vifaa vya maji ya kunywa salama. Kwa kutegemea muundo wa minara ya mbao ya Warka Water ambayo hukusanya maji kutoka hewani, visima vitakuwa na utando wa nje uliotengenezwa kutoka kwa mbao za ndani, mianzi na bioplastics. "Tunakusanyika kwa sababu tunajua mfumo unahitaji kubadilika", aliongeza Moyo katika uwasilishaji wake wa Design Indaba. """Kuna njia ambazo tunaweza kusaidia jamii ili waweze kuanza kufikiria juu ya elimu, badala ya mahali ambapo wanaweza kupata choo cha kufulia." Design Indaba ni mkutano wa kila mwaka wa kubuni. Maonyesho hayo yalifanyika kati ya Februari 27 na Machi 1, na miradi mingine ilionyeshwa ikiwa ni pamoja na sanduku la mazingira, na mfumo wa couture ya dijiti ambayo hupunguza kiasi cha kitambaa kinachohitajika kutengeneza nguo.