Abstract:
In 2008, the World Health Organisation’s life expectancy for an average South African was forty eight years of age. South Africa therefore has a drastic need to improve its health care facilities
with regards to ease of access, quality of service and the level of care in order to ensure and improve the health of its citizens. Currently, the Department of Health is implementing a change from a traditionally curative based health care system to a preventative and promotive based system. This thesis will indicate how a preventative and promotive health system can complement the curative system. It will as a result develop a new type of building and spaces to accommodate the new health care system’s needs: A Preventative Community Health Centre (CHC). The two main types of diseases that are critically effecting South Africans and attributing to high mortality rates are HIV/AIDS and Non- Communicable Diseases (non- contagious disease
i.e. heart diseases and stroke). These diseases result from unhealthy lifestyles and behaviour
and there is as yet no known cure for them other than preventive care. The centre in this thesis aims to educate South African citizens in a suburban context of a township on healthy behaviour and healthy lifestyles in healthy spaces. However, the success of a CHC depends on the participation of the community in which it is situated. Therefore, to encourage the frequent use of the building, the health care facilities must be de-stigmatised. The project is located between a curative institution and a shopping mall. This therefore creates a new urban context. The major focal points of this project are- accessibility, re-design of waiting areas and diversification
of health care facility program.
