the product is manicured by the folk living in an informal settlement - the value of which increases with the better looking better cared for erxelated branding platforms.
these erxelated brandable platforms can be made up in two ways - as a
1) a painted / waterproof signage over 100 x 100 informal settlement homes.
2) an agricultural platform which is cleverly designed as a logo to create green areas / food and sellable branding over 100 x 100 informal settlement homes.
cape town has huge communities living in desperate conditions - in tin shacks just outside the city - the informal settlements roof space could become a blank canvas that will benefit a few thousand informal settlement dwellers. an agricultural crop circle billboard put onto 100 x 100 informal settlement shack roofs. the families benefit from waterproofed roof and possible residual income - the erxell was developed for the express purpose of putting the poor and the wealthy advertising machine at the same table. building bridges between communities not yet properly linked.
QJD DESIGN STUDIO has been busy with this Erxell concept for a few years now - its a layering concept. the actual branding component is only a part of the overall idea. as south african urban space designers we design our urban sprawl for the destitute very 1 dimensionally - outwards and as fast as possible. what if we could create a brandable urban canvas that could be grid controlled and sold off per meter square - advertising paying for the size of the signage on top of the informal settlements roof space. only its not meter squares they will be purchasing but erxells - a form of grid measurement already endorsed by the SAID.
the idea goes one step further than just a 1 dimensional branding - what if the informal settlement dwellers could literally live under their own branded crop circle designed vineyards? yes that would require platforms and immense planning - time is what these folk have - they need a product to unlock residual income - a project that takes from the rich and gives to the poor whilst sustaining themselves. - using new lightweight steel structures which the human living component keys into. so the structure for the platform and abode are 1 - taking care of 2 things at once.
the platform will allow the growth of lightweight produce like veggies, vineyards and possibly wheat. so the cultivating fields are above the dwelling component. which forms the layering idea - the branding component forms a futuristic crop circle with the growing component cleverly interwoven into a design logo. much like the Victorian manicured gardens of old and crop circles combined. the value of the erxell unit of measure which is what the advertising giants buy from the informal settlement dwellers will increase with the better kept logos. which creates work, food and incentive to both cultivate and keep the cape flats looking green, green , green.
so the logo is an organic sculpture which needs maintenance - every plane flying over the cape flats will be able to see if the workers below are manicuring their fields - this will increase the rent able erxell space and ultimately be the monetary value - other than the actual food of course which can be bartered as in times of old.
my steps so far -
I have approached the South African institute of draughting. they have endorsed my new unit of earth brand able measurement - they have seen the future prospects of this form of large scale draughting. - the Erxell - 3 cubits X 3 cubits -( Erxell is earth sell and pixel combined) - thereby creating the glass bead of trade between the advertising giants and your little family living in shack 1 khayalitsha site b. this creates a system whereby we all benefit. a cultivated garden pointing skywards - creating a brand able billboard - everyone wins.
because this idea goes way beyond Raymond Loewy's MAYA concept - (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable). its been a slow education process. I am getting abit of airtime in design mags, its received recognition from Holcim and a few other accolades. - I believe the way forward is one shack at a time.
I believe altruistically if a system is designed in place to have a holistic affect on an entire community - the riff raff will not dare disrupt the balance - if the multitudes are aware that collectively they can draw attention to their plight and gain finance in this way - they will police their own area and make sure the criminal element doesn't rock the boat.people who want to use the platform for a living component will stop the entire show - no more aid until the living component is removed and its strictly set as an agricultural entity.
yours sincerely
quinton j damstra. erxell / wildetect / future city scape artist / hs2 .
