Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)

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Subject: search.filters.subject.SDG-3: Good health and well-being

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    Spirit of place: demystifying the significance of sangoma practices in our communities, education, and well-being, while looking at how they can exist in modern spaces
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Pitse, Dikeledi
    With the evolution of technology and the modern man, sacred spiritual practice and African tradition has become lost amongst our people. Ancient communities took pride in preserving ancestral teachings and rituals that kept us connected and grounded before the rise of modern medicine as we know it. The role of the sangoma/traditional healer in these communities was seem as extremely significant, in that they can communicate with our forefathers. These modes of communication provide clarity on where we come from, as well as where we should go. Therefore, I will be looking at ways in which this sacred practice can be preserved and have a legacy in the modern environment. Additionally, I will show that indigenous knowledge can form part of higher education. Lastly, through research and interviews, I will show the types of spaces that are required in urban the environment for traditional spiritual practices to remain part of everyday life.
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    Healing from the Past, into the Future: Socio-Cultural & Health Remediation for a Holistic Wellness Facility in Riverlea Township (Extension)
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) McCulloch, Claude Martin; Jivan, Sundeep
    The Witwatersrand Mining Basin has been in existence since 1852, which is astonishingly more than a century old. It is the world’s largest gold and uranium basin and has created extraction from over 120 mines stretching from the East to the West of Johannesburg. It is an integral part and the backbone of Johannesburg’s economy. However, regardless of how much mining has boosted the economy, it has not played a sustainable role with the health of the citizens of Johannesburg. This is largely because of radioactive chemicals within the pyrite basin, holding 600 000 tons of uranium, amongst other chemicals as well (Liefferink, 2022). These radioactive chemicals are spread from the mining basin into the surrounding environment via windblown dust (Coetzee et al., 2008). Monitoring of these occurrences have shown that this dust is inhalable due to its structure and particle size, that being either PM 2,5 or PM 10. These happen at residential settings and have exceeded the levels of occupational health standards. A link is suggested from (Nkosi et al., 2015) between the respiratory issues amongst residents that live in communities next to mine tailings & waste facilities. These communities are exposed and have an increased prevalence of ‘chronic respiratory symptoms’ compared to other communities (Van Wyk, 2013). There are currently 585600 people living in communities next to mine tailings according to the 2011 census. (Kneen et al., 2015). The community I will be conducting my research will be in the Township of Riverlea, located in the South-West of Johannesburg. Riverlea is in close proximity to industrial areas and mine dumps. Research has shown that harmful pollutants can from these areas can have negative effects such on the respiratory system, as the particles are airbourne (Makene, 2007). Built in 1963 during Apartheid, ‘coloured’ residents were forcibly removed from other parts of the city and given new homes by the government. The township is conveniently located 500m away from the mine dumps, thus making it a high exposure zone to airborne dust pollution (Kneen et al., 2015). The respiratory diseases in Riverlea are caused from environmental problems. To relate this Architecturally, I research that social and cultural problems may be a symptom towards the residents being unhappy about their environment. This unhappiness and deals with the ‘Sense of Place’ for the resident’s and I believe, alters their social and cultural behaviour, hence many of these communities suffer from poverty, drugs, and crime (Najafi et al., 2011). This can be done using the design methods of Salutogenic design, which promotes healthy living and creates better places that can reduce stress, encourage physical activity, and afford opportunities for socializing, enhancing the general daily health and wellbeing of people (Cushing et al., 2020). I aim to design a holistic wellness facility that remediates the social, cultural and environmental problems which contests the current narrative of the context - that being poverty and respiratory disease.
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    Birth Freedom: Healing Architecture’s Impact on the Experience of Childbirth and Healthcare Through a Community Maternity Centre in Alberton
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Grobler, Leonie; Szentesi, Anita
    This research explores the topic of childbirth and maternal health care in a community context where such facilities are lacking in focus and accessibility. The study explores the narratives of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period through the lenses of phenomenological experience, feminist theory, and healing. Its focus lies in how these concepts can shape the design of maternal healthcare architecture. The aim is to research and design a community health care centre that focusses primarily on aspects surrounding childbirth, and secondarily, aspects of female reproductive healthcare and family planning. The intervention aims to challenge the clinical nature of healthcare, improve accessibility to quality and affordable healthcare, and give women freedom over their reproductive healthcare choices. The site of the study is within the town of Alberton, located South of Johannesburg, in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. The goal of the research study is the development of a birthing centre model that serves as an alternative option to existing clinical birth settings which are part of larger hospitals. Research will be conducted through site analysis, contextual analysis, data analysis, theoretical and architectural research and precedent studies. This information will be used to guide the design process and develop a resolved building. This research project consists of two parts, a research report, and a set of design drawings, which will be combined into a single thesis document.