Europe Meets African Traditional Building Techniques

Submitted by: Dorothée Dehon

Witklipfontein, near Parys in the Free State, is one of the original farms of The Vredefort Dome. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, Dorothée Dehon and her family have got stuck into helping to conserve the environment. They have turned it into a private game farm on which sits the ecolodge. She sent us their story.

“Permaculture is about taking care of the earth. Caring for humans and all living things. Sharing skills and surpluses.”

Hello Stayers! We are farmers and hoping for a better world. Our belief is that it is time for a change, not only regarding South Africa, but human impact in general. We do this by practising permaculture.

Permaculture is about taking care of the earth. Caring for humans and all living things. Sharing skills and surpluses.

Using Traditional African Building Techniques for Contemporary Architecture

We have made a big turn in our life from architect and interior designers to farmers. Using our skills, we have done some development on this farm. We started with the workers’ house. This house was the prototype for the main house that we wanted to build. It is off the grid and built out of soil and stone. We wanted to start off with decent accommodation for the unskilled workers that we had hired.

Transferring Skills

The point was to teach them or reteach the traditional building techniques and prove that one could use them for contemporary architecture. On the other hand, they would learn how to build an efficient house from A to Z. We chose to give up on all kinds of fossil fuel power and go for manpower only. This meant more workers and a longer time for building, but also feeding more families. Most workers stayed six months to two years, learning, then finding a better job. It was very intensive for us to keep starting over with new people, but that was the deal.

At the same time, we built a permaculture garden that feeds all the people on the farm with fresh and natural veggies. A big chicken flock and a goat-breeding programme round off this project.

Learning Together

Six months after, we started the main project: an off-the-grid house, sustainable and respectful of the environment. It took three years. Over 40 workers have learnt new skills and got better jobs after working with us.

“…the most important was the skills they were learning, a promise for a better future.”

“No, we didn’t have a huge budget for a huge house. I must also admit that the wages were not high but we made sure that the plates were full. The workers didn’t need to use their salary for food, medical care, clothes, or hygiene products, either. But the most important was the skills they were learning, a promise for a better future.

We, all together, have learnt a lot through the process. And we were rewarded with some architecture awards and often get some news from the previous workers who still thank us for teaching them and taking care of them.

Hopes for the Future

One hopes that other people will follow the path of sustainability and sharing of skills. We can learn from each other. African ancestral building techniques can be one way for a more respectful future.

South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. May our impact be as little visible as possible, but as beautiful as can be.

And Recognition for the Project

We were greatly rewarded by South African architecture awards, such as GIFA, SAPOA, AFRISAM.

We have also had some articles in South African magazines, but our consecration was when we were published in both most renowned international online architecture magazines: Designboom and Archdaily.

So here it is: Parys and Vredefort are now on the worldwide map for contemporary sustainable architecture!!!

So… #WHO’S STAYING??? #WE’RE STAYING!!!