IN-ACCESSIBLE: rehabilitation centre for the reintegration of disabled youth in Johannesburg
Date
2023
Authors
Rabson, Dinah
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Abstract
To understand the need for a project that addresses universal design and accessibility for children with disabilities, the report first discusses the South African context as it relates to disability and current methods of accessibility, particularly in the school environment. It further speaks to how this context affects the experience of children with disabilities, discussing their physical, social and emotional boundaries that create a gap between them and abled children. With a niche recognized, the project proposes a new rehabilitation social centre located in Orange Grove, that merges physical, social and mental rehabilitation in an integrated and accessible space that aims to foster interaction and movement. With contextual analysis, the research report directly links this proposed program with its site through their mutual need for upliftment, renewal and a cultural shift. In order to design such a space, the report uses phenomenological theory to explore lived experience and both existing and proposed design methods that focus on the individual user. It questions how architecture and spatial design can be used as a tool for healing and become an integral part of the rehabilitation process.
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional) to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, 2023