Mbazwane resources centre.

Once outside the confines of South African cities, the harsh reality of Third World Africa quickly asserts itself. The problems of making architecture in this unforgiving context must at times seem insurmountable: how to exploit meagre resources, how to use unskilled labour, how to maximise space and how to develop an architectural style based on the logic of construction which can be copied and introduced to the local vernacular.

Harber, Masson & Associates are based in Durban, with a wide spread of community work across KwaZulu-Natal, in both rural and urban situations. Two of the practice's projects are described here, showing what can be accomplished with very limited resources, a willingness to experiment and a clear understanding of context and environment.

The Mbazwane Rural Resources Centre is near the Mozambique border, hundreds of kilometres from any architect's office. A non-government organisation, the Institute for Natural Resources conceived the idea of providing a focus for community education and development on the sparsely populated sand flats of Maputaland. Harber Masson's response to a vague brief (consisting merely of a list of anticipated activities) was to propose a flexible, loose-fit plan with a wide central space for public assembly and instruction, bisected by a kitchen and caretaker's flat. Around the edge of the central hall are cellular spaces housing classrooms, offices, and stores. Spaces are intensively used, so must be as flexible as possible - hence small storerooms placed adjacent to offices enable visiting agencies such as the Careers Information Centre to keep material in storage so that offices are only occupied for the duration of the visit.

The conventional processes of design and construction were adapted to suit the very particular circumstance. Initial design proposals were communicated with models and the choice of saligna poles for the structural frame suggested by the proximity of a nearby plantation. Models were also used to explain important principles such as cross bracing. A series of trusses was prefabricated on a template, and when eventually complete, the communal achievement was marked with a feast. When the timber frame was roofed over, it formed a self-contained shelter from the searing heat - almost like an African version of Laugier's primitive hut. Under this protective canopy, blocks were manufactured and used in the final assembly of the free-standing walls. The result has a dignity and resonance that wholly befits its setting.

The building was designed to demand minimal input from expensive professional consultants, the entire process being directed by a committee representing the community, The empowerment generated by the experience was demonstrated by the committee's latest achievement in applying for funding and laying over 100 km of water reticulation using the resource centre as a base.