3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item DHYAAN: reimagining Tolstoy Farm through a spiritual identity(2020) Ganda, RachnaMore than 100 years ago, Mohandas K. Gandhi, an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer and his friend Hermann Kallenbach, a German born architect shaped the idea of an utopian environment separated from the city. Tolstoy Farm, was founded and located just outside of Lenasia, Johannesburg, which is now owned by Corobrik, where they have declared a portion of the land a heritage site. This thesis explores opportunities for connecting architectural design to the principles and concepts, which emerged out of the narrative and events that took place on Tolstoy farm. South Africans experienced segregation through religion and race. Architecture can be seen as a medium to establish a dialogue among these groups. This design aims to allow its users to experience a new “sense of place” that arouses curiosity, creativity, spirituality and comfort, starting to delve deeper and find the balance between architecture and the human body. This proposal will also explore different methodologies around spirituality to assist the reader in understanding the relationship around principles in Indian culture such as meditation, ayurvedic practices (the human body) and Vaastu Shastra (architecture). It is believed that not only do these elements give us the ability to heal but also boosts the energy around us and uplifts our spirits. This intervention aims to merge seemingly unrelated ideas in an unconventional and unprecedented way, ultimately resulting in a fusion of concepts, highlighting the past and bringing it out into the present. This ‘hybrid’ architectural piece draws on a program, from a healing center, combining a general clinic and an ayurvedic treatment center, which allows harmonious living in an urban landscape. Not only am I looking at the well-being of the users but also architecture that encompasses the teachings around Gandhi on site and the “Satyagraha” movement for non-violent protest. Each part of the program is seemingly different, yet each of them feed off of the other. This enables a multi-sensory ambience, a spatial experience and embodied spirit that resonate within the human soulItem Renewing perceptions: an architecture centre in Newtown(2009-06-19T08:48:31Z) Kununka, Francis K. P.No abstractItem On the road to Durban:using empowerment evaluation to grow teachers' arts and culture curriculum knowledge(2008-05-13T06:57:22Z) Glass, Donald L.South Africa has engaged in an outcomes-based curriculum innovation that includes Arts and Culture as a new learning area. Few empirical studies have examined what the curriculum innovation looks like in practice in this high inequity and low capacity school system. This study examines what teachers' curriculum looked like, what influenced their design decisions, and what the growth of their curriculum knowledge looked like. A small sample of new grade 7 Arts and Culture teachers from a disadvantaged township setting participated in an adaptation of empowerment evaluation to gather curriculum data over a 1.5 year period. The findings of this evaluation-research study showed teachers using a more dialogic process to design curriculum with varied influences from policy, learning support materials, and handson arts practice, rather than a linear design process starting with learning outcomes. Gaps in curriculum knowledge about outcomes and assessment were also identified. As part of the empowerment curriculum evaluation (ECE), learning outcomes seemed to play a more powerful role as heuristics in growing their meaning(s) in practice, and generating valid assessment critiera. Evidence was found to argue that the ECE was associated with curriculum knowledge growth and increased self-determination for the teachers who had some initial experience in the learning area before participating in the study. ivItem Research into the usability of software produced in a utility for the utility and consultants(2008-05-12T12:30:26Z) Stanford, GarethRSAT (Reticulation Sag And Tension) software is a tool available for use as part of the medium voltage Eskom Distribution standard. This software is scrutinised for its usability and for errors such that it can be revised to improve the usability of the tool. The type of software being studied is used to ensure optimum design performance and reduce the probability of a conductor failure on distribution lines. The algorithms for calculating tension, sag and clearance values take into account research into optimum design tensions. This ensures low bending forces due to conductor vibration. An algorithm for creep is designed based on common life expectancy of line conductors. The design methodology and algorithms were then put into software form as RSAT. Review and alterations include the changing of compiler, user interface, data storage mechanisms and the inclusion of options allowing the addition of new data.