3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Humanising academic space: cultivating a holistic educational site on the Frankenwald estate(2016) Vaindirlis, CostandinoItem Indian women and public space: women’s landscape of Fordsburg, Johannesburg(2017) Mohamed, SumayyaThe urban spatial restrictions women are subjected to are universally acknowledged. These restrictions, which exist physically and symbolically within space, are used as a tool for gendered ‘othering’ and exclusion. Using a conceptual framework that include structures of power, spatial and gender theories as a tool of analysis this research seeks to analyse and track the process of spatial restrictions on the female body in their everyday lived experiences. The socio-political undercurrents of urban space is entangled within the power structures and ideologies that govern and objectify women’s presence and behaviours within public space. This has a debilitating effect on the way they access and use it. Indian women in Fordsburg are no strangers to these universal problems. They experience many of the same fears that have been documented within the Public sphere. Their resilience and constant presence in public space questions the validity of the Public/Private binary as well as common stereotypical assumptions surrounding their identities which operate at different scales. Their everyday lived experience showcases their strategies in coping and overcoming the challenges the complex nature of urban public space presents to them. Their strategies of reclaiming the space are unique and intricate. Their resilience in challenging the normalization of socio-spatial dynamics leads them towards reclaiming their identities, power and respect as women.Item Radical agenda - settings? exploring informality and the spatial and economic practices of informal people within the ambit of suggestion, contestation and movement towards an alternative city(2016) Ngobese, Siphelele Lisolam MelodyThis research report examines the extent to which the economic and spatial practices of informal people can be classed as radical genda-setting towards an alternative city. In so doing the practices and perceptions of business owners, market traders and street traders in Yeoville are explored. To give greater context of what informal people are possibly pushing up against, state practice and policy are also considered. The discussion further draws on the nexus between politics and governance as well as between the state and capital on the making of contemporary cities. Social movement theory provides the initial basis to carry out the discussion. The interweaving theories of quiet encroachment (Bayat), insurgent citizenship (Holston) and subaltern urbanism (Roy) give the exploration greater depth.Item Architecture for the mind and body: enhancing wellness in Kimberley(2014-10) Bester, Darren ElvisFor my thesis I have chosen to design an Advanced Fitness Research Center in Kimberley. The primary theme for my project is Motile Phenomenology: A Spatial Exploration of Architecture. My concept for Fitness Research Centre is to explore aspects around space environment and form so as to understand what elements in architecture motivates the users of such spaces. By understanding this dynamic, I will be able to imagine and create certain spaces that serves the differing needs of people using that space. In doing so I would further like to explore how architecture can be possibly designed to get the most out of the experience of each individual. This will help me understand the notion that multi-use spaces should and can be designed to provide a range of experiences created by both the space - “a three-dimensional extension we inhabit” and the designed structure of something - “the form itself” Architectural phenomenology is the way in which individuals reflect emotion over space, and it is through the use of materials and geometries that space can be instinctually constructed in order to impose certain intended reflections upon the users. Space created is not just a combination of forms and materials, but rather for the interface connecting the two. If architecture is created to primarily deal with the surfaces and enclosures it producers with the intention of been occupied by the body, then architects have the ability to design and fabricate technologies which are constructed and realised for the sole purpose of been sensitive to the needs of the users exploring that space. It is through the use of materials and geometries that space can be instinctually constructed in order to impose certain intended reflection upon the users. The architects imagination can somewhat play a very important role in presenting interaction between human body, space created and architecture. Although architecture depends on the materials used for its function and purpose, it is ultimately the relationship between the form and the subject than rather just the performance of the material itself.Item The urban stage: reinventing interstitial space in Alexandra(2014-12-12) Manala, MariaThis thesis seeks to explore the role of the performing arts in reconfiguring an unjust spatial history. By exploring the performing arts as a vehicle for creativity, freedom and a new consciousness within the city. Alexandra Township is still one of the impoverished settlements with very few public facilities, amenities and public space. The quality of its infrastructure is timeworn and does not meet all the needs of a society that is modernising. Finally there is now an increase in learners passing matric and wanting exposure to potential career options in the performing arts. This thesis will critically explore performance in the city - where the performer is seen as the self of all selves. It will also explore the meaning of public space in Alexandra and how the residents of Alexandra utilise public space for the purpose of performance. The idea of the building is to borrow from Alexandra where the building is seen as backstage and the township as the backdrop; A building that shapes and watches the urban life of Alexandra. This building speaks of an architecture which is connected with pockets of dignified public space. Fused with green spaces to create a theatre which becomes a green node for public space and the celebration of a performance culture found in Alexandra Township.Item Filmscape: socially integrating film production within the Johannesburg city context(2015-05-12) Jardine, BrandonCinema has been considered the primary art form of the 20th Century. However, due the falling number of cinema goers the art form is under threat of losing its significance in modern day society. The decline in cinema goers has led to the decreased profitability of the independent film industry. This has led to the reduction of the complex narrative in films and an increased focus on special effects. As a result films, and the way in which they are perceived, are losing their artistic integrity as an art form. Through the formation of a cinematic architecture a more spatialized experience can be projected upon the audience. This creates a space of pure experience and hedonistic escape for the cinema goer. It can then be said that through architecture, the reinvention of the cinema typology and an increased approachability within the independent film industry, an experience can be created that could not be replicated in one’s home. The rise of the home theatre and internet based media has come to justify the need for the cinema to act as a social space. The non‐exclusivity that was once a strong driver of the 1930’s ‘Golden Age’ of cinema has become increasingly fictional in the present day context. The decline in cinema goers stems far beyond cinema and lies in the relevance of film to the common man. This thesis aims to break down the barriers that surround the film and cinematic universe and allow it to flood the surrounding city context embedding itself in the local culture. The physical design should programmatically encompass elements of pre‐production and postproduction with Johannesburg acting as the physical film set for production. The average man should have the ability to enter this building, gain the skills and knowledge to develop a film, rent the relevant equipment, edit the film and use the building as a platform to showcase work and earn an income. This ultimately transforms the building and its urban framework into a cultural knowledge database where depictions of local culture and time can be archived for future generations. Flexible professional workspace and the timesharing of highly specialised equipment allows for the rapid expansion and contraction common to the highly volatile industry. Park Station as a site choice acts as a cultural interchange. This provides vast interconnectivity that is needed to host large scale events such as the Jozi Film Festival and the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs). A study of the history of cinema and its impact throughout has inspired and informed this work. The temporal progression of cinematic style has resulted in the loss of both luxury and ‘The Spectacle’ of cinema. This being said, this progression has improved the availability, variety and increased the immersion of the audience within the film. Cinema architecture, through a more inclusive approach, can be reinvented to once again act as the primary platform of display for the independent film industry. Film will thus start to form an integral part of the surrounding streetscape and pedestrians’ daily lives. The building design will cater for the escapist and the socially integrated; the in‐between and the excluded.Item [Car]nival: empowering Lenasia's informal 'motor-tainment' industry(2015-04-29) Mistry, RajivThis thesis is part fantasy, part real and part ironic. The automobile enthusiast market has evolved into a fully-fledged entertainment industry where driving is a mere portion of the car experience. With a rich cultural, social, political, spatial, and economic presence in South Africa, it is clear that this informal culture has a religion and following all to its self. Reflecting this, Lenasia, located south of Johannesburg (a predominately Indian township as a result of the apartheid regime) has become notorious for modified cars, loud music and raging petrol-heads. With minimal infrastructure in and around the urban footprint to support this growing culture, car enthusiasts have no option but to take to the streets of the residential suburbs to flaunt their glistening cars and test their roaring engines. This in turn has become a conflicting issue between some frustrated community members and passionate car enthusiasts. More importantly, it has also become a life threatening predicament which has claimed several lives within the community thus far. This recurring conflict has emerged as the vital point of enquiry for this thesis. Addressing the concerns with which this stimulating yet life threatening culture is synonymous, the location of the site plays a vital role in this proposal. The chosen site, Albert Street, is located on the edge of the township. It has a history of being drag raced on and is embedded in an established and robust industrial district which hosts a range of depleted automobile and other workshops which build, “pimp” and recycle cars. This intriguing juxtaposition of construction, de-construction and transformation has proven to be a suitable theme with which to engage in terms of appropriating the anatomy of the street arena and associated fabric into a celebrated “motor-tainment” utopia by night and after hours, but also preserving the current industrial networks of production, retail and repairs by day and during working hours. It will boast programmes amongst others: an appropriated drag racing strip, a multi-purpose activity capsule, a customisation and training facility, various “rent a workshop” spaces and safe spectatorship areas with medical, security and various other support facilities.Item How genealogy reveals the changing relationship between people and their use of recreational public space(2011-04-18) Mdzeke, NandiphaThe public space is and has been an integral part of communities for centuries. It serves as a convenient setting for a broad variety of leisure and recreational activities, as well as enhancing the image and perceived value of a community. Recreational public spaces provide a location for people to meet, relax, and exchange ideas. They can serve the needs and interests of all kinds of people, young and old irrespective of their cultural backgrounds. This report seeks to trace the genealogy of people and their use of recreational public space. Thus it uncovers the history of how space is perceived, interpreted and understood by people who live in Yeoville. It focuses on the understanding of space as an agglomeration of people, objects and events.The report also seeks to conceptualize people’s perception on the use of recreational public space and explore the changing relationship between people and their use of space in Yeoville. Through the process of perception we create a sense of place, i.e. a relationship within a specific context. If a place is memorable, it is because it carries perceptual attributes such as clarity, differentiation, uniqueness, structure and form. Planning practice seems to overlook the importance of incorporating genealogy into planning for diversified cultural communities. The use of narratives or storytelling can have a great significance for planners when planning for these communities. Identifying the core components of a Good City Form and the production of space, the paper goes on to connect these elements based Lynch’s theory of ‘Good City Form’ which was propounded in 1981 and also Lebfebvre’s theory on ‘The Production of Space’ (1991), translated from La production de l’espace(1974). Lynch’s Good City Form (1981) form the theoretical base for this report as his five performance dimensions are used to measure whether Yeoville does meet the criteria.Item Item