School of Architecture and Planning (ETDs)

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End date: 2024Subject: search.filters.subject.Architecture

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Groundwork: Exploring architecture-environment reciprocity in the Karoo
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) De Fine , Tammy Ohlson; Dörmann, Kirsten
    Groundwork locates architecture in the midst of the environmental crisis and calls on architects to intervene in ways that improve or enhance the condition of the natural world. This project is an architectural collaboration with nature in the Wolwekraal Nature Reserve in Prince Albert, South Africa. The design of a biodiversity research facility refers to existing but siloed theories and research to develop a cohesive approach for the insertion of buildings in sensitive environments. The research framework served as the launchpad for a qualitative analysis that incorporated social, historical, economic and ecological data, ground truthing and multispectral imagery. The building engaged a particular combination of materials, systems and construction methods that allow it to touch the ground lightly while still providing a state of the art, multi-functional research facility that responds to the needs of the multiple communities it is serving. The work challenges the buildings relationship to humans, plants and animals; and aspires to work in harmony with nature by eliciting cues from the environment that point to an architectural intervention the land can tolerate.
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    Form follows fashion: translating haute couture craft into architectonics
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mutinga, Mercy Ndanu; Hilton, Judin
    Architecture, urban design and urban planning by definition can be opened up to interpretation, much like the reverence of an artist (Barzandeh, 2010). As jacks of all trades, these professions inspire and inform trends through the use and application of colour theories, materials, geometries, design principles and structural techniques (Carroll, 2000). In fashion design, a parallel industry and profession, these objectives, principles and techniques are applied in a similar way to varied subjects seeking to achieve and translate different visions (Barzandeh, 2010). Although seemingly geared in diverging directions, the collision of these industries clasps the potential to create innovative and impeccable end results. Architecture and fashion design have been in prolific dialogue for millennia. They have always been tightly knitted in concept, theory and practice as they originate from the same root, which is art, as critic Noel Carroll described in his book ‘Theories of Art Today’. (Carroll, 2000). Mark Gelernter, an academic and architectural historian asserts that architecture is habitable art while fashion is wearable art (Gelernter, 1995). Fashion designers have consistently appropriated architectonic components into their creations, while architects are increasingly applying elements found in fashion design into building forms (Leung, 2010). When viewed in isolation, these professions appear to be two distinct and separate industries and art forms. However, when these two fields come together, they give rise to a formidable proposition (Barzandeh, 2010). In this new age, the social expression of fashion and architecture have seen revolutionary evolution, and the relationship between the two has become more apparent in each field. This thesis delves into the “dynamic connection” between fashion design and architecture, with a particular emphasis on the societal aspects of architecture and fashion design. It examines how these two fields impact individuals in society over time, influenced by factors such as technology, art, science, and culture. It creates and proposes a blueprint for a fashion institute and museum that recognizes the bold nature of fashion trends, the surface appearance of fashion design, and how it can be interconnected not only with architectural aesthetics but also with functional and spatial design aspects. The objective of this thesis is not just to effectively address the functional, formal, and technological challenges of this relationship between fashion design and the built environment, but also to suggest an urban and architectural design approach or master plan that can be implemented in analogous locations across Johannesburg and Africa at large. As the late Virgil Abloh expressed, “Young architects can change the world by not building buildings”. Young architects can change the world by creating successful and functional spaces through processes of interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts that respond to both contemporary needs and future issues.
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    Cultivating Terraformation - Propagating agronomic empowerment through agricultural waste transformation in the farming corridor of Ofcolaco, Limpopo
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mc Dougall, Kayla Kate
    Cultivating Terraformation is an exploration into the intertwined lives of the farm, the farmer and the farm worker. In the remote farming corridor of Ofcolaco, Limpopo, where history’s shadows still linger, a community is beginning to reawaken. The thesis traces the deep colonial roots of land once taken and now in the slow, tender process of being restored to those from whom it was seized. In these lands, a vision unfolds — a vision of uniting the farm, farmer, and farm worker to stand as a beacon of renewal and progression. The core of the research centres around the complex dynamics between the emerging black farmer and the generational white farmer. These two figures, bound by the same land but divided by history, represent both the obstacles and opportunities for transformation. As these farmers adapt to life in post-apartheid South Africa the tensions, alliances, and possibilities become the forefront of change. The goal is the harmonization of the relationship between farm, farmer, and farm worker. The objective is to break the sector's cycle of inequality through the creation of a new beacon in agriculture that unites and uplifts. This new sector aims to connect the land, those who own it, and those who work it, and join in on a journey of mutual development and empowerment. Central to this vision is the concept of material activism to unite all three entities of the agricultural sector. This approach redefines not only what the land and its people can produce but how it can sustain’ the environment and uplift its people. Through this alchemy, the study seeks to shape a post- apartheid farming industry that is more than a place -— it is a symbol that guides the agricultural sector toward a shared future. The aspirational endeavour seeks to offer the research as a blueprint for a reimagined agricultural landscape in South Africa. By addressing historical divides and present environmental challenges the systematic change strives to heal old wounds and cultivate new growth. The vision is a future where the scared land of our nation becomes a canvas of renewal, painting a picture of unity and resilience where the scars of the past are transformed into a tapestry of hope and harmony
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    Ruin, repair and the hinterland: adapting ruin in the east rand, ekurhuleni to form an ecology centre in the repair of post-extraction landscapes
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Edgar, Jack Douglas
    The Witwatersrand Mining Belt, a vast 100 km stretch in Gauteng, South Africa, bears the scars of extensive mining. This study focuses on Springs, a town deeply marked by the extraction of resources such as gold, coal, and clay. The aftermath of these activities is a landscape marred by toxic mine tailings, contaminated soil, and disrupted water systems, leading to the decline of indigenous ecosystems and the spread of invasive species. Current industrial proposals suggest further exploitation of these areas as dumpsites, worsening the environmental predicament. This thesis explores the environmental impact of mining activities in the Witwatersrand Mining Belt, focusing on the town of Springs. It highlights the degradation of native ecological systems due to mining and associated industrial development. The study emphasises the need for sensitive handling of these damaged landscapes to protect the environment, communities, and the region’s delicate ecology. It critiques the current approach of viewing post-mining regions as wastelands destined for further degradation and waste management. The research proposes a shift towards renaturing these sites, aiming to resolve major environmental concerns and propagate ecological repair across the East Rand and Witwatersrand mining belt. The thesis underscores the potential for rewilding these post-extractive regions, recalling the forgotten landscape of the Witwatersrand and envisioning a industrial past become catalysts for ecological restoration and community development. The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) sees considerable potential for rewilding to convert these post-mining landscapes into ecological treasures and community resources. This strategy not only seeks to mend environmental damage but also to address the socio-spatial inequalities resulting from apartheid-era planning, which have disproportionately impacted communities like Kwa- Thema located near these blighted lands. The suggested architectural intervention in Springs encompasses the formation of green corridors to link fragmented habitats and the development of a hub for ecological restoration and community learning. Employing sustainable design principles and materials salvaged from local demolition sites, my proposed intervention acts as a bridge between the ecological requirements of the landscape and the social needs of its inhabitants. By turning symbols of degradation into symbols of resilience, the project imagines a future where post-mining landscapes are rejuvenated, promoting both ecological health and community prosperity
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    Heirloom between the tracks— Revealing hybrid landscapes of rest and reflection at Langlaagte Cemetery
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-02) Skudder, Emma Catherine; Hart, Brendan
    Situated in a sea of grass alongside the Johannesburg railway lines, lie rows of graves lost in an overgrown landscape. Some marked, some unmarked, all invisible to the passer-by. This landscape is rooted between multi-cultural communities with a heritage dating back to the origins of Johannesburg. Paarlshoop, Langlaagte-North, Mayfair-West and Brixton border its edges, which establishes the core of this research— the site. To understand the intricacies of the site, is to understand the project intent. Where there are graves, there is abandoned heritage, lost memory and forgotten stories. Where there are railway buildings, there is existing community claim to be enriched. Where there are grasses, shrubbery, and treelines there is connection to agricultural pasts. Heirloom between the tracks, bridges the urban lifeways of the site with a heritage-focussed centre weaving together old and new, facilitating the surrounding community and providing a space for memory. With a contextual, history-driven, and postcolonial lens, the beacon of this thesis was using methods of remembrance, acknowledging the site’s unavoidable histories, tying back into the surrounding community through revealing, engaging, and re-inscribing. Spaces of commemoration and recreational landscapes, stitch new narratives onto the site for a multifunctional, small-scale heritage hub. This hub ties together archiving, storytelling and making spaces, with spaces of skills-development and contextually functional service provision. By establishing this site-centred facility, micro-industry, heritage, and identity are re-rooted and fed back into its surrounds, nurturing the existing conditions upon which they reside, establishing an architectural tapestry, a quilt, an heirloom.
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    Manufacturing imaginaries: a catalyst for reimagining Marshalltown
    (2024) O’Donovan, Gabriel Storm
    The inner city of Johannesburg oscillates between images of a vibrant city full of possibilities, and a dystopian city that has fallen into disrepair - illustrating the profound complexities of the city and its resilience, where spaces of dystopian desolation lie adjacent to dynamic spaces of ambition and hope. Since Johannesburg’s establishment various regimes of representation have sought to create a city in their image (Matsipa, 2014) – from visions of Johannesburg as a temporary mining camp with the sole purpose of extracting wealth, to the modernist images of a “New York in Africa” (Chipkin, 2008). This project explores how visions from a past epoch can be re-imagined and questions the role of the architect in facilitating new urban transformations. This research report investigates the accumulated archive of abandoned buildings in the inner city and presents an architectural intervention that acts as a piece of urban infrastructure – facilitating the reinterpretation of these neglected structures. It draws inspiration from current examples of ad hoc spatial interventions that challenge the notions of permanent and purpose-made architecture. The site forms part of an abandoned city block in Marshalltown, Johannesburg. This city block serves as symbol of urban decay and neglect, portraying feelings of desolation and abandonment (Bruwer, 2002) – making it the ideal site for the proposed architectural intervention as well as a source of inspiration.
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    A bathhouse in Cyrildene - a phenomenological approach to the design of a bathhouse in Johannesburg
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2020) Kow, Alan; Chungu, Gerald
    In Johannesburg, there is a lack of global bathhouse typologies. They either don’t exist or are in a form which caters to a niche subculture. Bathhouse culture has been around for hundreds of years and many people around the world take advantage of it as a form of communal bonding, relaxation and general hygiene. In addition to this, when done correctly, it has the effect of stripping away of social class and distinction as well as providing a safe and entertaining environment for those within its walls. This study aims to bring my personal experience of an East-Asian bathhouse into Cyrildene, a predominantly Chinese neighbourhood, that is slowly losing its cultural identity. Building on existing data on historic bathhouses from around the world, it asks: How can the concept of phenomenology be used to guide the design of an Asian style bathhouse in order to enhance the Asian/Chinese cultural experience and help in the revitalisation of Derrick street as a distinct cultural hub In Johannesburg? The main methodologies that will be used in this report will be from literature reviews on historical analysis of bathhouses around the world but more specifically in Eastern Asia. One on one interviews with the residents and shop owners living in Cyrildene as well as the owner/s of a spa. Observations based on mapping and photography will also be employed. The last will be the use of auto-ethnographic data from my own experiences. The main hypothesis of the report will be seeing if the bathhouse typology through the use of a variety of different programs that range from bathing to eating to sleeping in addition to the application of architectural phenomenological theories helps make it suitable for Cyrildene and thereby revitalise and strengthen the areas existing cultural identity.