1to1 was originally founded as a student based organisation in 2010, and has its core focus in facilitating students of spatial design disciplines (architects, planners, engineers e.t.c) in being exposed to and trained in working with and for residents of poor or unsafe areas in South Africa.

1to1 facilitated the growth of the student league by working with existing university programmes and facilitating design/build action research workshops within or post the course curriculum that take students directly into the field in order to encourage critical experience with South Africa’s most fluid and dynamic neighbourhoods.


1to1 aimed to develop a larger network of students from universities across South Africa with the goal of creating a space for emerging practitioners to explore this field. The project was closed in 2015.