丨ZimbabweHarare丨Kristina Ziadeh（与当地工匠合作）

Dzimbanhete - Creative Village

Harare, Zimbabwe

image: DACI | © all rights reserved

Location:

Harare, Zimbabwe

Category:

recreation & sport

Phase:

design development

The Creative Village in the All Afrika Village at Dzimbanhete is a community-led, shovel-ready project that reclaims indigenous design and art to build rural resilience. Co-designed with local artisans and German architect Kristina Ziadeh, it offers vital, climate-responsive spaces for making, learning, and exchange. It’s a replicable model of bottom-up, culturally rooted development through architecture, creativity, and collective memory.

Project leader:

Chikonzero Gift Chazunguza

What is still needed to proceed?

Finance

Still 100% of

€ 41,850

Skills

Stuff

Hands

Support

The project

What’s needed?

Introduction

The All Afrika Village, a project by Dzimbanhete Arts & Culture Interactions (DACI), emerged from the urgent need to preserve and evolve African knowledge systems, aesthetics, and community-based innovation in architecture, art, and daily life. Rooted in Zimbabwe’s rural-urban interface, the village was initiated as a living space of cultural memory and creative experimentation. Since 2008, DACI has served as a gathering space for artists, thinkers, and makers; responding to the fragmentation of traditional practices and the need for a platform that nurtures cultural continuity. Over time, the idea of a Creative Village, a dedicated space for contemporary art, design, and architectural expression became critical. The urgency lies in the lack of proper infrastructure for showcasing and producing art in rural Africa, especially structures that reflect both modern sensibilities and indigenous knowledge. In 2021, German architect Kristina Ziadeh joined the initiative, drawn by DACI’s communal ethos and ecological approach. Her PhD research at the Technical University of Berlin aligned with DACI’s vision, leading to a collaborative design of the Creative Village, featuring an art gallery and studio spaces. The shovel-ready design reflects deep engagement with local context, values, and climate, and it now seeks support to be brought to life.

Impact

The Creative Village will be a lasting anchor for cultural, educational, and economic growth at Dzimbanhete. It will provide vital infrastructure for artists and makers to create, exhibit, and exchange knowledge; building a self-sustaining cultural ecosystem rooted in African values and innovation. With dedicated gallery and studio spaces, the project opens long-term opportunities for workshops, artist residencies, cultural exchanges, and local training programs. We anticipate engaging over 300 local youths and artisans annually through skills development in art, design, and sustainable building practices. The project also strengthens Dzimbanhete’s role as a cultural hub, attracting both local and international visitors, which is expected to increase foot traffic by 40%, creating income-generating opportunities for surrounding communities in hospitality, guiding, and crafts.

Qualitatively, the project fosters a deep sense of pride and identity, empowering communities to define and present their narratives. It revives intergenerational learning, where elders, youth, and artists come together to innovate from tradition. The gallery and studios become more than buildings; they are communal spaces of inspiration, healing, and visibility. Over time, this model can be replicated across rural Africa, proving that culturally grounded architecture and the arts can power development, not just reflect it.

Core team

The Creative Village is led by a diverse, community-rooted team committed to culture, learning, and indigenous design. Chikonzero Chazunguza, Founder and Creative Director of DACI, is a visual artist and educator who created the platform to foster cultural continuity through contemporary expression.

Jonathan Dube (Samaita), a traditional healer and Cultural Director, embeds ancestral knowledge into the Creative Village’s vision.

Rutendo Bako, an artist and media practitioner, is the Arts Administrator, with expertise in creative programming and community engagement.

Dr. Kristina Ziadeh, a German architect, co-designed the Creative Village with local artisans. Her PhD focuses on vernacular, climate-responsive architecture at the Technical University of Berlin.

Manasa Chimedza, Finance Manager, ensures the financial integrity of the project.

Sabina Mutsvati, an experienced community coordinator, drives local engagement, logistics, and women’s mobilization.

The team is supported by DACI’s extended network of elders, families, youth, artists and, who continue to shape the project with lived knowledge and collective care.

Image gallery

DACI Aerial view image: C. Chazunguza/Googlemaps | © all rights reserved

Creative Village_AAV_light image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

Creative Village_participatory design phase_01 image: DACI | © all rights reserved

Creative Village_participatory design phase_02 image: DACI | © all rights reserved

Creative Village_presentation German embassy

image: DACI | © all rights reserved

Creative Village_proposed site_01

image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

Technical drawings

Masterplan

image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

Site plan image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

Floor plan image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

Sections

image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

Elevations

image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

Detail brickwork image: Kristina Ziadeh | © all rights reserved

External links published PhD of Dr. Kristina Ziadeh about the culture-based design of the Creative Village

Creative Village proposed site

Help bring our project to life!

Finance: Still 100% of € 41,850

Skills: Planning & Management

Stuff: Materials

There are no updates yet.

Where are we now

The new exhibition space in the Creative Village has been fully designed. In 2023, architect Kristina Ziadeh co-created it with DACI’s directors and artisans during a residency, then finalised it through her design-based doctoral thesis using culturally specific, climate-responsive parameters. We are now refining technical plans and actively fundraising for the construction phase. We seek partners in sustainable building and cultural infrastructure to begin construction by late 2025 and bring this shared vision to life.

An indication of our team’s capacity:

98% expertise already found

50% builders already found

Finance: € 41,850

Funding this project will enable the construction of a landmark exhibition and working space where artists from Zimbabwe and beyond can create, exhibit, and exchange work. It will strengthen Dzimbanhete as a centre for learning and creativity, boosting cultural tourism, generating local income, and deepening community pride. With exhibitions, residencies, and events, the space will foster artistic innovation, cultural exchange, youth mentorship, intergenerational storytelling, and knowledge-sharing; serving as a replicable model of community-driven development. Empowering artists, uniting communities; building lasting cultural spaces.

architectural plans 2,500

building permission planning 850

engineering plans 1,500

materials for the first phase 25,000

labour 12,000

Skills: Planning & Management

We are still in need of a civil engineer to carry out essential structural calculations for the exhibition building. While not required to be based in Zimbabwe, the ideal partner will have strong knowledge of masonry construction and an openness to alternative, non-standard materials and methods beyond concrete and steel. Additionally, we seek expertise in sustainable, climate-responsive architecture, cultural infrastructure planning, and heritage-based tourism. Advisors will contribute to a replicable model of culturally grounded development while benefiting from meaningful engagement, knowledge exchange, and impact-driven collaboration.

Stuff: Materials

We are seeking in-kind donations of materials and tools for the construction of the Creative Village exhibition space. Needed materials include clay bricks, timber, stone, cement, natural insulation materials, and solar panels for energy sustainability. Small tools like trowels, hammers, wheelbarrows, and mixing tools will also be valuable. Donations will help reduce costs, and suppliers will benefit from exposure as supporters of sustainable, community-driven development. The project fosters local craftsmanship, pride, and skills, benefiting both artists and the community.