AfriSam + BlackStudio invite people to 'build their newspaper ad'

There is little point in building houses that are not planned properly.

Without proper building plans, low-cost houses quickly develop structural problems and the cost overruns related to poorly designed structures can turn a new home into a debt nightmare.

To help resolve this problem, South African cement manufacturer AfriSam and architects BlackStudio created Plan (a) - open-source, usable building plans on one-page, which they distributed free of change through newspapers and is now available to download online.

The plans themselves allow builders to construct homes in a modular fashion, multiple home configurations can be built off of one plan, including a one, two or three bedroom home.

Download the plans here.

With public trust in key institutions of society at an all time low, people are looking to business to provide leadership during these times of radical change.

Brands that are bold enough to use their extensive professional networks to create real public value like this are naturally differentiating themselves from those who are not making as much effort to be a part of much-needed solutions.

We look forward to more of them stepping up and reminding us all that they are society's new leadership superteam and cementing their place in our collective futures.

(thanks to Gillian Rightford for spotting this)