Location: Wellington, South Africa
Program: Community project
Client: Ackerman Pick ‘n Pay Foundation
Area: 90sqm

In many areas in South Africa, the typical house size is 36sqm. They are often occupied by many people. The Ackerman Foundation Pick n Pay 36sqm Challenge was to find solutions to maximise space and increase comfort in small homes. The Nested Bunk Beds was our winning entry to the 36sqm Challenge.

A new non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Shoebox Homes was established to manage the roll out of the bed system for orphanages and townships across South Africa.

The first project to adapt the bed system was an Aids Orphanage in Wellington. At just 90sqm, it was a challenge to accommodate all 20 children in a conventional house. We redesigned the floor layout of the new orphanage to demonstrate the space saving benefit of the Nested Bunk Beds.

The result is a generous multipurpose room with four sets of the bed system installed. During the day, the space turns into a big play room by pushing back the beds into a single stack. At night, all the beds can be fully extended to give all 20 children a comfortable place to sleep.