We are disrupting the built world around us to create positive impact on the places we live and the people who inhabit them.
the challenge
Rapid population growth, urbanisation and a severe skills gap in the construction industry in East Africa is placing huge strain on our built environment and poses a major threat to the health of both people and planet. Yet it doesn’t need to be like this.
If we design smart, centred on climate and human dignity, we can create towns and cities which are healthy today and for future generations. By engaging the vast numbers of unemployed youth, especially women, we can create new jobs and address the skills gap in service of a better world.
2.2bn
people will live in Africa by 2050, double today’s population.
58%
of Nairobi’s buildings
are unfit for human habitation (NCA, 2016).
40%
of global carbon
emissions are due to the construction industry.
130k
skilled artisans in Kenya, making the skills gap a key barrier to growth.
>25%
of Kenyan youth aged 18-24 years are unemployed, with women most affected.
<6%
of the constrution workforce in Kenya are women. Nowhere in the world are women >15%.
Impact Areas
Climate
Energy, Emissions & Materials
We achieve sustainability through the use of local material sourcing and low to no embodied carbon emissions.
Well-Being
Dignity, Health & Well-Being
We design spaces which promote the dignity and health of users, focusing on core environmental comfort factors.
Women
Job Creation & Skills Training
We boost the local economy by prioritising labour for women and youth within the communities where we work. During employment we support skills development and leadership opportunities.
BUILDHER
Our sister-organisation, Buildher, equips disadvantaged young women (ages 18-35) in Kenya with accredited construction skills, leading to greater financial prosperity, changing male attitudes and promoting gender equality within the construction industry.
At BuildX Studio, we work hand-in-hand with Buildher to disrupt the male-dominated construction sector. We are creating opportunities for women through training and employment, and inspiring a new generation of female leaders.
50%
of our leadership and teams, both in the office and out on site, are women.
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