Theses and Dissertations (Architecture and Planning)
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Item The creation of sustainable human settlement through informal settlement upgrading: the case of Ivory Park, Johannesburg(2010) Nethavhakone, Mukondi EstherThe states that participated at the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat 11), held in Istanbul, Turkey from 3 to 14 June 1996, adopted Habitat Agenda which binds them to the pledge to achieve sustainable human settlements. South Africa, as one of the countries that adopted Habitat Agenda, raised the need to investigate if the adoption of Habitat Agenda in South Africa led to the creation of sustainable human settlements. From the Habitat II it was established that sustainable human settlements can be achieved through informal settlements upgrading. Therefore, this research investigates whether the creation of sustainable human settlements is achieved through the informal settlements upgrading in South Africa, using the case study oflvory Park, Johannesburg. To undertake this investigation a qualitative research method was utilized, whereby the researcher investigates the object of the case study in depth using a variety of data gathering methods to answer research questions. To gather data, three research tools were used namely; in depth interviews, observations and document study. In-depth interviews were conducted with Ivory Park councilors and data from documents and observations were used to support information gathered from interviews. The key finding in this research is that the upgrading process oflvory Park did not lead to the creation of a sustainable human settlement. This is because all elements for the creation of sustainable human settlements have not been fully addressed through the upgrading process of Ivory Park. Many reasons contribute to this situation, however, in the literature it has been stated that the achievement of a sustainable human settlement requires that all elements for the creation of sustainable human settlements are met. However, the informal settlements intervention approach adopted in the upgrading oflvory Park namely 'phased in situ' upgrading approach provides for the achievement of sustainable human settlements. The process of upgrading Ivory Park is slow and it is delaying the transformation to sustainable human settlement. Therefore, the conclusion is that Ivory Park is not yet a sustainable human settlement and if they continue with the same informal settlements intervention approach it will eventually become a sustainable human settlement.Item The characteristics of the major apartment areas of Johannesburg and their planning implications(2015-04-21) Kahn, MichaelThis Study is concerned with the socio-demographic, locational and certain planning aspects of multi-storeyed apartment developments in the city of Johannesburg. These developments form part of the great urban-industrial complex of the Witwatersrand and occurs at specific locations within the city, in numerous forms, and in several concentrations of differing geographical extent. The structure of this spatial differentiation of apartments within the morphology of the city reflects the interrelationships of differing demographic characteristics of apartment dwellers, the nature of development, and the setting of the concentrations of apartments. This has implications for planning because of the interaction between population groups and their need for a specific set and mix of social facilities and amenities. These planning implications are of particular relevance to local authorities that not only demarcates the location and type of apartment development , but must also provide or make allowance for the necessary social facilities.Item re - Connection: finding place in a Bulawayo train station(2012-08-30) Ckikerema, GillianEvery city experience is defi ned by the connective qualities of individual places within the city, however these human bodily experiences can potentially be disjointed if the individual places within the city are far from each other. Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo train station has become a lost place, a phrase associated with abandoned and under-used urban spaces, mainly because of their lack of connectivity to the city (Trancik (1986). As part of the government’s plan to improve Bulawayo’s public transport system, commuter rail transport is being introduced and expanded for public convenience. Creating a new transport hub at the train station is not enough to make sure that people will use rail transport as a form of public transport because the site’s location is outside the city. Th ough the place cannot be relocated nearer to the city, this thesis explores the ways in which this lost place can be reconnected to the city and transformed into a revitalised and vibrant transport hub for commuters from within and outside Bulawayo. One of the main aspects of ‘fi nding’ lost places involves using urban commuter rituals to rejuvenate the train station. Th ese rituals will be used to activate the internal and external spaces of the train station as a method of connecting the site to the city. Since movement is a vital entity of places of transit, restoring all commuter, private and public vehicular links from the city to the station will become another method of re-connection to be explored. Reconnecting existing comatose transit systems rejuvenates and improves the effi ciency of the urban life, however, more people in Zimbabwe are not using mass transport modes because of lack of security and their inaccessibility to the city centre. Public transport nodes are eroding fast and people are resorting to hitchhiking on a daily basis. Th is quality of life is taking over the city whilst abandoning other existing public transport systems. New routes of circulation are going to be established as a result of the new train station. Areas of commercial and social activity will occur bringing on the need for the area around the train station to be rezoned so as to accommodate the expected development. Th e station’s new programme will help realise the potential of places of transit as social centres that people can go to and not as temporal nodes of transit that people merely go through. Th e building’s new programme will allow spaces to create a new sense of place shaped by the users and their ritualistic activities. Whether they are formal or informal, these activities mark the new identity of the city’s commuter experience and at the same time act as a gateway to the many opportunities that lie in the city.Item Sustainable by design(2010-07-09T06:29:37Z) Render, Duanne A.The increasingly rapid breakdown in natural systems that humankind is currently witness to has brought home the urgent need for a new approach to society. Modern technologies born of the Industrial and Information Ages have brought prosperity undreamt of by previous civilisations, but it is rapidly becoming clear that this prosperity may have come at too high a cost. This work will explore the issue of sustainability within the framework of architecture and the built environment, and attempt to identify a new paradigm for architectural design whereby built-environment professionals are able to ensure the consistent realization of sustainable architecture. The first part of the thesis will address the origins of and need for sustainability, and explore it within the context of architecture and the built environment. This will be followed by a critical investigation into conventional design practice and the emerging alternative - integrated design practice, and how suitable each of these design practices are for the task of ensuring sustainability. The second part of the thesis will detail a practical implementation of the conclusions reached in section one, investigating sustainable design in architecture using a “Design-Based Research” approach.Item Towards an effective energy labelling programme for commercial buildings : A comparative evaluation of the Green Buildings for Africa programme in relation to international experience(2008-12-22T09:27:39Z) Reinink, Marloes WilhelminaInternational experience indicates that energy labelling programmes are rapidly evolving as a valuable tool for energy efficiency awareness and practice in the built environment. Four years after the launch of the South African labelling programme, Green Buildings for Africa (GBfA), it became evident that implementation was not successful. This study evaluates the contribution of a range of factors towards the sustained implementation and uptake of energy labelling programmes for commercial buildings based on a comparative appraisal of relevant international case studies and the GBfA. The analytical process is based on three types of energy labelling categories (mandatory energy audit, voluntary energy audit and voluntary benchmarking scheme) and two categories of factors (contextual and programme-specific). The key finding is that government involvement and support is critical, if not a prerequisite, for successful roll-out of an energy labelling programme. Key recommendation is that a local programme be initially based on a voluntary benchmark programme approach.Item Disaster planning and preparedness : The case of Protea-South, Johannesburg(2008-12-04T11:44:58Z) Tebid, Theophilus NjiDespite increasing philosophical knowledge of disaster planning and preparedness, disasters still remain a challenge in many communities. As a result, communities, environment and economies remain considerably vulnerable and at the risk of disaster destruction hence, sustainable development is undermined. The purpose of this study is to review and assess the state of community readiness in order to prevent and mitigate common hazards in the City of Johannesburg, especially in previously disadvantaged communities such as Protea-South. A survey and interviews was conducted with the local community members. Results show that, this community like many others, is at high risk, due to their living circumstances. e.g. the presence of densely built shacks on a flood plain; poor hygiene and sanitation, pollution, poverty etc. There is therefore a need for a paradigm shift by institutions from emergency response and the provision of hard infrastructure to disaster prevention, preparedness and soft infrastructure provision by means of an approach encompassing collaborative planning.Item An Analysis of Energy Efficient Building Principles(2006-10-31T10:54:41Z) Blackstone, Craig AnthonyThis research was conducted in order to highlight the misconception that there may be a single answer to the challenges of energy efficient design; a “single elixir that will be the answer to all problems” (Holm, 1996). Existing literature pertaining to energy efficient design principles was analysed and tested against a well known example of Southern African energy efficient building practice; the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC). BOTEC was selected as the case study for this investigation because it was designed to be a living exhibition of energy efficient design and as such a manual or ‘elixir’ for alternate design. BOTEC was analysed on site, personal interviews were held with the architect and a questionnaire was circulated to the users of the building in order to observe whether the principles used at the BOTEC building are appropriate and represent the “single elixir, the answer to all problems,” with regard to energy efficient design (Holm, 1996). Although BOTEC appears to perform well, interviews with the users of the BOTEC building suggest that the building does not perform well in winter at all. Interviews with the architectural consultant who worked on the BOTEC building expose a simple oversight in design which leads to ‘this building’s underperformance in winter’. In concurrence with Holm therefore, this report ultimately shows that there are no perfect solutions to energy efficient design and by applying a once successful solution without taking cognisance of specific climatic and geological differences, the building will not function correctly.