Student Name: Robyn Alice Glanville Student number: 1600937 School of Architecture & Planning University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa Supervisor: Brigi a Stone-Johnson A research report proposal submi ed to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in par al fulfi llment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional). Date: 13th February 2024 WASTE NOT, PLANT, ROT A wastewater treatment centre that produces sustainable resources in Norwood, Johannesburg. WASTE NOT, PLANT, ROT A wastewater treatment centre that produces sustainable resources in Norwood, Johannesburg. Robyn Alice Glanville // 1600937 i Candidate’s declara on I, Robyn Glanville 1600937, am a student registered for the course Master of Architecture (Professional) in the year 2023. I hereby declare the following: I am aware that plagiarism [the use of someone else’s work without permission and/or without acknowledging the original sources] is wrong. I confi rm that the work submi ed for assessment for the above course is my own unaided work except where I have stated explicitly otherwise. I have followed the required conven ons in referencing thoughts, ideas, and visual materials of others. For this purpose, I have referred to the Graduate School of Engineering and the Built Environment style guide. I understand that the University of the Witwatersrand may take disciplinary ac on against me if there is a belief that this is not my unaided work or that I have failed to acknowledge the source of the ideas or words in my own work. Signature: _________________________________ 13th February 2024 ii Abstract This research inves gates the delivery of essen al resources - water, energy, and food around Orange Grove and Norwood, Johannesburg, where all three aspects are threatened by pollu on and inaccessibility. Drawing upon permaculture and biomimicry principles, the study explores localized resource management in neighbourhood nodes to address the pressing issue of sustained inequality in South Africa. Focusing on a wastewater treatment plant and an aquaponic farm in Orange Grove, Johannesburg, the project aims to generate sustainable materials, produce, clean water, and energy while fostering spa al and social jus ce opportuni es through community engagement and learning. iii Dedica on To the village who raised me, the friends who ques on me and lend me books, Jo and Summer for helping me, Brigi a who guides me, Ri and Mum who make me tea with love, Merlin who provided much needed singing breaks, Eric who calms and supports me, and myself; who has so far persevered. Acknowledgements Brigi a Stone-Johnson, for her incredible supervision and for being the most ra onal, kind, and well-read lecturer I have had the pleasure to work with. Her guidance has helped shape me as an architect, ar st, and environmentalist. Tony, the head gardener at Victoria Yards for incredible knowledge and keeness to explain. Mark, the aquaponic specialist who I have worked with for years for the gi of opportunity and excitement for sustainability. All drawings and photos are from the author during dates unless otherwise stated. iv 01 04 02 03 xii  1 Introduc on 4   1.1 Methodology 53  4 Theore cal approach 54   4.1 Principles of park design 58   4.2 Issues of migra on 60   4.3 Urban design principles and dialogue orientated . urban transforma on 70   4.4 Framework for self-sustaining neighbourhoods and . diversity 5   2 History of Orange Grove and Norwood 11   2.1 History of Orange Grove and Norwood 13  3 Service Delivery 16   3.1 Water treatment of the Sandspruit River 18     3.1.1 Water treatment precedent: St S thians Water Treatment Centre 21     3.1.2 Water treatment precedent: Rand Water Zuikerbosch treatment centre 23   3.2 Aquaponic farming 27     3.2.1 Aquaponic Precedent Study: Ichthys Aquaponics Urban Farm 32   3.3 Urban farming in Johannesburg 34     3.3.1 Urban farming precedent study: Victoria Yards 44     3.3.2 Impact and feasibility of urban farming and park 45   3.4 Material produc on and phytoremedia on 51   3.5 Local labour Table of Contents 05 06 07 76  5 Architectural design drivers 77   5.1 Biomimicry 83   5.2 Parametric design 86  6 Design 88   6.1 Site Analysis 102   6.2 Land Use Rights 103   6.3 Design accommoda on 105   6.4 Organogram 106  7 Design Development 107   7.1 Sketch Chare e and materiality 112   7.2 Site logic and response 115   7.3 Water Treatment Centre 116     7.3.1 Ini al design response and logic 117     7.3.2 Sketches and explora on PART 1 v 08 PART 2 118     7.3.3 Geometry 119     7.3.4 Precedent for Water Treatment Centre: Bosjes Chapel // Steyn Studio 120   7.4 Aquaponic Farm 121     7.4.1 Ini al design response and logic 123     7.4.2 Geometry and Biomimicry 124     7.4.3 Precedent for Aquaponic Farm:      Wooden Geodesic Dome Planetarium 126     7.4.4 Sec on detail of unit 127   7.5 Processing and Storage 128     7.5.1 Ini al design response and logic 129     7.5.2 Sketches and explora on 131     7.5.3 Precedent for Processing and Storage: TECLA Technology and Clay 3D Printed House / Mario Cucinella Architects 132   7.6 Workshops and stores 133     7.6.1 Ini al design response and logic 134     7.6.2 Sketches and explora on 135     7.6.3 Precedent for Workshops and stores:       The Nine Heasley Country Club / Shigeru Ban Architects 136     7.6.4 Material and construc on considera ons 148  8 Conclusion 150  PART 2 165  References 138   7.7 Restaurants, Grocers, and Soup Kitchen 139     7.7.1 Ini al design response and logic 141     7.7.2 Geometry 142   7.8 Open plan grid and entrance 143     7.8.1 Ini al design response and logic 146     7.9 Park design features vi List of Figures 7    9    12    17    18    20    22    24    25    26    27    28    30    30    31    32    33    34    35    36    37    38    39    40    40    Figure 1 - Timeline of Johannesburg Figure 2 - Timeline of Norwood and Orange Grove Figure 3 - Map showing Income brackets according to density and plot size and access routes to site Figure 3a - Water system layout in Johannesburg Figure 4 - St S thians Water Treatment Centre – 07/05/2023 Figure 5 - St S thians Water storage – 07/05/2023 Figure 6 - Zuikerbosrand water treatment centre Figure 7 - Grant Avenue at night Figure 8 - Mapping of businesses and cuisines that would benefi t from the proposed programme Figure 9 - Yields and ROI of produce within the Aquaponic farm Figure 10: Photo from inside Aquaponic Greenhouse at Ichthys Midrand Figure 11: Aquaponic Ver cal Towers Figure 12: Media bed and bell siphon system Figure 13: Bell Siphon and Media bed system Figure 14 - Aquaponics diagram Figure 15 - Winter Vegetable box from Victoria Yards Figure 16 - Internal shot of Urban farming at Victoria Yards Figure 17 - Internal shot of main farming area at Victoria Yards Figure 18 - Internal shot of pathway at Victoria Yards Figure 19 - Victoria Yards Programme analysis Figure 20 - Victoria Yards Weekend usage of space Figure 21 - Victoria Yards Visual Accessibility from the Road Figure 22 - Design elements from Victoria Yards Figure 23 - Aesthe cs, materiality, and clerestories in Victoria Yards Figure 24 - Clerestories in Victoria Yards Art Gallery List of fi gures vii 47    48    49    50    56    56    69    77    79    81    83    83    84    84    84    85    88    89    90    91    92    93    94    95    96    97    Figure 25 - Viability of growing construc on materials on site Figure 26 - Internal view of the sports hall Figure 27 - Bamboo as a construc on material Figure 28 - Structure and material elements Figure 29 - Intricacy and Centering Figure 30 - Enclosure and sun Figure 31 - Project thesis link to SDGs Figure 32 - Gooseberry study Figure 33 - Gooseberry study - form follows func on Figure 34 - Gooseberry study - life cycle Figure 35 - Render of Ting Xi Bamboo Restaurant Figure 36 - Construc on of Ting Xi Bamboo Restaurant Figure 37 - Load diagram of Ting Xi Bamboo Restaurant Figure 38 - Eleva on of Ting Xi Bamboo Restaurant Figure 39 - Sec on through Ting Xi Bamboo Restaurant Figure 40 - Ground fl oor plan of Ting Xi Bamboo Restaurant Figure 41 - Project Loca on in Country Figure 42 - Loca on of the Project at mul ple scales Figure 43 - Green structures, green links of the area, and accessibility of green spaces Figure 44 - Arterial Roads, and Transport Nodes of the area Figure 45 - Transport Nodes of the area Figure 46 - Zoning map Figure 47 - Trees and Wind direc on Figure 48 - View from Ninth Street and colour pale e of Norwood Police Department Figure 49 - View from Ninth Street and colour pale e of Paterson Park Mul -Purpose Centre Figure 50 - Public Ameni es and Community Centre at Paterson Park viii 100    Figure 51 - View from Ninth Street and colour pale e of example residen al area 101    Figure 52 - Mapping of issues around the site 102    Figure 53 - Land Use Rights 107    Figure 54 - Catenary and light explora ons 108    Figure 55 - Quartz Explora on 109    Figure 56 - Dry moss explora on in acetate box 110    Figure 57 - Process work of a emp ng eco-friendly biodegradable plas c with coconut husk 111    Figure 58 - Building material pale e from explora ons 112    Figure 59 - Site logic and reasoning 113    Figure 60 - Current Site Plan for Design 114    Figure 61 - Logic of the programme 116    Figure 62 - Ini al design of Water Treatment Centre 117    Figure 63 - Sketches for Water Treatment Centre 118    Figure 64 - Geometry of Water Treatment Centre 119    Figure 65 - Photograph of Bosjes Chapel 119    Figure 66 - Sec ons of Bosjes Chapel 121    Figure 67 - Current design of Aquaponic greenhouse 122    Figure 68 - Sketches of Aquaponic greenhouse 123    Figure 69 - Geometry of Aquaponic Farm 124    Figure 70 - Detail of Geodesic dome 124    Figure 71 - Photograph of Geodesic dome 124    Figure 72 - Eleva on of Geodesic dome 125    Figure 73 - Detail eleva on of Geodesic Unit 125    Figure 74 - Sketches of Geodesic Unit 126    Figure 75 - Detail sec on of Geodesic Unit 128    Figure 76 - Ini al design of Processing and Storage Centre ix 128    Figure 77 - Applica on design of online store 129    Figure 78 - Sketches for Processing and Storage 130    Figure 79 - Explora on of materials and ideas for Processing and Storage 131    Figure 80 - External Photograph of TECLA 3D Printed Prototype 131    Figure 81 - Chosen explora on for Processing and Storage Centre 131    Figure 82 - Internal Photograph of TECLA 3D Printed Prototype 133    Figure 83 - Ini al design of Workshops 134    Figure 84 - Sketches and models of Workshops 135    Figure 85 - Logic of Kagome pa ern 136    Figure 86 - Construc on op ons for Workshop design 137    Figure 87 - Programmed Kagome Pa ern on Rhino 139    Figure 88 - Ini al sketches of Entrance and Restaurants 140    Figure 89 - Ini al design of Restaurants and Grocers 141    Figure 90 - Geometry of the Entrance building 143    Figure 91 - Ini al design of Bamboo grid 144    Figure 92 - Bamboo Grid on site 145    Figure 93 - Bamboo Grid on site 146    Figure 94 - Unpaved pathway 146    Figure 95 - Paved pathway 147    Figure 96 - Seats designed into planter 147    Figure 97 - Natural sea ng Introduction 01 Part 1 1. Introduc on 2. History of Orange Grove and Norwood 3. Service Delivery 4. Theore cal Approach 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 2. History of Orange Grove and Norwood 3. Service Delivery 4. Theore cal Approach 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 1 Main Ques on: How can closed wastewater systems be used in architecture to promote a more holis c, regenera ve approach to design and construc on? Aim: The aim of this research is to pioneer a holis c approach to addressing the cri cal challenges of service delivery, encompassing water, energy, and food. These services face severe threats due to pollu on and limited access to essen al resources. By leveraging the principles of permaculture and biomimicry, this study aims to revolu onize resource management at the neighbourhood level, presen ng a poten al solu on to the persistent inequality issues plaguing South Africa. Specifi cally, through the development of a wastewater treatment plant and an aquaponic farm in Orange Grove, Johannesburg, the project seeks to establish a sustainable ecosystem capable of genera ng vital materials, clean water, and energy. Simultaneously, it strives to foster spa al and social jus ce by ac vely involving the community and promo ng learning opportuni es. Ul mately, the research aspires to transform the local landscape into a model of sustainability, resilience, and equity, paving the way for a brighter and more inclusive future. 2 The project centres around a wastewater treatment plant that cleans the polluted water of the Sandspruit River in Orange Grove, Johannesburg, to use within an aquaponic farm that yields sustainable materials, produce, and energy. Architecture, especially in South Africa, is inherently poli cal. While architecture cannot solve social jus ce issues, this project proposes to assist spa al and social jus ce through programme development and community par cipa on (Awan et al., 2011, p. 44). Architecture can address the above issues by crea ng the environment to host the processes that can help people while crea ng spaces geared towards community par cipa on and support. This research focuses on the service delivery of water, energy, and food in and around the Sandspruit River in Norwood, Johannesburg. All three aspects are in danger of becoming polluted, inaccessible, or under threat due to global warming (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 4). The research considers a permaculture- based set of rules on how to localise resources in neighbourhood nodes. This research is relevant in South Africa as there is a signifi cant popula on who do not have access to basic resources such as clean water and aff ordable food; this sustained inequality in South Africa can be noted by the Gini coeffi cient of 63 (“Gini Index,” 2021; Palmer et al., 2017, p. 7). The project intends to create spa al and social jus ce opportuni es through service delivery. We have failed Sammy as a society, we have failed every person on the street who dies due to starva on and cold, we have failed to support local businesses, we have failed to produce clean, renewable energy, we have failed to look at people as individuals instead of a number. Service delivery of water, food, and electricity is a pressing issue throughout the world that aff ects all people. The unsustainable resources and service delivery channels are becoming increasingly strained under the pressure of overpopula on. As with most issues, those aff ected live in the already strenuous condi ons of poverty – the exact people that governments should be helping to protect. Sammy, the car guard at the Hokkaido restaurant on Grant Avenue, sits on a blue plas c bo le crate next to the bustling street, looking over the ludicrous SUVs and other oases of warmth. The glacial wind beats his face; warm breath is forced out of his chest on his hands with a vigorous rub to counteract the burning s ng of a Johannesburg winter. The pits of his stomach aching with hunger, he awaits a contribu on from the unlikely consumers of the street. He has not eaten in two days; his last meal consisted en rely of pap – he s ll smiles and greets everyone with kindness and gentleness. “Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is, to change it” Marx Epitaph (Awan et al., 2011, p. 63). 3 The following chapters will look at an overall understanding of the project area, including the history of the site of Paterson Park on the border of Orange Grove and Norwood in Johannesburg and the social jus ce issues around the area/project. Secondly, the specifi cs of the technologies used in the programme, such as water treatment centres and aquaponic farming. Thirdly, the theory behind service delivery in the area and how it can be a tool for spa al jus ce, theory regarding park design and urban ecology, and sustainable goal development. From there, the thesis will look at precedent studies to support the programme, strategies for the site and programme according to theory, a feasibility study of the programme, site and urban analysis of the area, the theore cal framework used for research and design development, the design of the project, and fi nally conclusions of the thesis. The feasibility of the project will be interlinked with relevant chapters. 4 “Crea ve research through design is a combina on of induc ve reasoning, interpreta on and imagina on linked to various themes, constraints (such as technological considera ons, building site, client, and user groups) and precedents (urban and architectural). The crea ve research process in terms of discourse and design alike, takes on an itera ve (induc ve-deduc ve), nonlinear, cumula ve, cyclical, and open-ended explora on to achieve its crea ve outcomes. The research combines qualita ve and quan ta ve approaches to knowledge and argumenta on, whilst the crea ve component translates the same into a defensible architectural proposi on.” (“Course Outline: ARPL7003A - Architectural Design and Discourse- 2023-FYR,” 2023). 1.1 Methodology The informa on used throughout this thesis will be collected through desktop study, site visits for contextual observa ons with photography in public use areas, drawings and note-taking. Expert informa on and opinion will be collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviewees include an aquaponic specialist, an urban planning specialist, a representa ve of the water treatment centre at St S thians, representa ves of Paterson Park, and fi nally representa ves of the Norwood Oaklands Residents Associa on. The ques ons for the experts will be used in a semi-structured interview that hopefully will result in informa on about the site, func onal programme, users, and urban landscape. 02 History of Orange Grove and Norwood Part 1 1. Introduc on 2. History of Orange Grove and Norwood 3. Service Delivery 4. Theore cal Approach 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 3. Service Delivery 4. Theore cal Approach 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 1. Introduc on 6 The melines below (see Figures 1 and 2) show a simplifi ed history of Johannesburg, Norwood, Orange Grove, and Louis Botha Avenue. The meline is limited to the relevant informa on for the project and should not be seen as a complete history. The informa on used for the meline comes from sources that were collected around the area during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s when people of colour were required a special pass to enter the area under Apartheid laws – to show how the area became more integrated and diverse over me, the laws and events that limited people into this space have been noted in the meline. The yellow do ed lines show the increase in the area’s popula on, while the green lines show the freedom for people of colour to live and par cipate economically. Figure 2 focuses on the specifi c site and explores how the Sandspruit River in Orange Grove was originally used as a water source for surrounding farms, and later as a public swimming pool. The posi oning, link to farming and public use of the Sandspruit River in Orange Grove reveals the ideal site at Paterson Park which has direct access to the Sandspruit eye (Burgess, 2016, pp. 5–9). Paterson Park had previously been home to its own public swimming pool and a range of public ameni es (Burgess, 2016, pp. 5–9). The previous history of this site is directly linked to what is proposed in the following chapters. 7 +30 000 BC The San hunted in the area, and later the Khoi used the land for grazing their ca le before moving to the desert Sources: Informa on (Burgess, 2016, pp. 5–9) Image of Randtjslaagte triangle, Khoi-San, Voortrekkers, mining equipment, and old johannesburg (Burgess, 2016, pp. 6,7) Image of orginal farm boundaries (Johannesburg 100 years, 1986, p. 2) Background Images: Ferreiras’ Camp 1887, Original corruga ed iron buildings. (Burgess, 2016, p. 7) 1500 Setswana and Sotho people lived near the area 1800 Mzilikazi – the founder of the Matabele kingdom displaced them in the wars. 1840 Voortrekkers took possession of the land, staking farms across the Witwatersrand. Figure 1 - Timeline of Johannesburg 8 1881 Jan Gerritse Ban jes and Stephanus Minaar discover a signifi cant amount of gold on the Kromdraai farm. 1884 A second good yield was found on farm Vogel- struisfontein by Bantjes 1886 George Harrison declared the gold-rich vein at Pretoria offi ces – securing the digger’s rights for a month. The undesirable triangle of Randtjeslaagte was unclaimed government property. The northern p lies just off Louis Botha. The government auc oned off 980 ny stands in the triangle and named it Johannesburg. 1896 Johannesburg is the largest town in South Africa, overcoming Cape Town which was 200 years old. 9 1889 Sandspruit River fl ows healthily to feed the orange orchards and gardens of farms. Lemoenplass, a sec on of the kilpfontein farm is labelled a ‘veritable paradise’, with ‘famous groves of orange, fi g, peach, apple, and the fruit trees with music of the crystal cascade laping down he rocks from a spar- kling fountain‘ by the Diggers’ News in Sept 1889 Sources: Informa on (Burgess, 2016, pp. 26 - 38) Image of Viljoens farmstead, The Orange Grove Hotel 1906, The orange grove hotel (Burgess, 2016, pp 26, 38, 26 ) Image of Orange Grove Waterfall Postcard (Sandspruit eye) (The Heritage Portal, n.d.) Image of Public Swimming pool at Paterson Park (Love Norwood, 1970) 1900 Public swimming pool and recrea on at the Sandspruit eye by ‘Death bend‘ in Orange Grove 19031902 Thomas Lloys-Ellis purchases Wayside Hotel (Orange Grove Hotel) Stands laid out in Norwood 1904 1913 19231917 1936 Orange Grove named. Orange Grove is con- sidered the favourite getaway space from the ‘riotuous city‘. Land act of 1913 restricts ownership of land for POC Na ves (Urban Areas) Act of 1923 Restricts movement and ownership of land for POC Electric trams connect from Hillbrow, Orange Grove, Houghton, Sand- ton, Alexandra, and once the road turns in Pretoria Road; connects Midrand . Electric trams supplemented by trolleybus system Figure 2 - Timeline of Norwood and Orange Grove 10 1950 1976 19941955 Group Areas Act of 1950 enforces racial segrega on and determines where races can live 1976: Soweto Uprising Protest against Afrikaans as the medium of instruc on in POC schools, leads to widespread demonstra ons and violence End of Apartheid Nelson Mandela is elected president with the ANC. Disman- tling laws of apartheid opens neighbourhoods to all people Freedom Charter ANC and allies create the freedom charter demanding equal rights for all people. Act to redesign society en rely. The govern- ment does not abide, and the segrega on intensifi es. 19611939 1947 Tramway is closed Highlands North suburb develops around school established in 1939. King George, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, and Princess Margaret visit and travel down Louis Botha 1960s Paterson Park with tennis courts, lawn-bowls club, sports fi elds, and a public swimming pool is a thriving space 1970s 1990s Paterson Park is revamped. Paterson Park is priva zed and fails. 2018 Community Centre at Paterson Park is redesigned and includes fi elds, swimming pool, courts, indoor gym and courts, public library and arts centre. 11 2.1 History of Orange Grove and Norwood Income areas, poli cs, current exis ng ameni es for communi es, the Sandspruit River and pollu on. As seen in the above meline, the Sandspruit River in 1889 was thriving, “The spruit was crystal clear and the water so pure it was almost sweet” (Burgess, 2016, p. 1). The river was used as a water source for the orange orchards and gardens on the farms in Orange Grove. The land was abundant with ‘famous groves of orange, fi g, peach, apple, and the fruit trees with music of the crystal cascade lapping down the rocks from a sparkling fountain‘ (Diggers’ News in September 1889) (Burgess, 2016, p. 26). The waterfall was used as a public swimming pool for people in the area or traveling on Pretoria Main Road to spend me in Orange Grove or town (Burgess, 2016, p. 29). A er this point, the area further develops, and the river becomes subterranean and channelised so plots can be sold off and developed (Burgess, 2016, p. 28). The Sandspruit River has become increasingly polluted, with ‘gargantuan amounts of sewerage’ found in the water source (Bega, 2023). This pollu on, coupled with the poor stormwater design of Ninth Street next to Paterson Park (where the water meets the surface again), has created a poten ally dangerous scenario that may result in the local users becoming ill, plants becoming rife with bacteria, and removes the ability of users to grow their food. From discussions with locals, some plots have collapsed due to the river and damaged sewer pipes running underneath. Given the area’s signifi cant agricultural history, there is a poe c resonance in reclaiming inaccessible public land and using it for urban farming. The inten on is to breathe new life into the Sandspruit River and reintroduce agriculture in a technologically advanced way that is accessible to all. This ini a ve aims to support individuals adversely aff ected by an unjust and discriminatory society, fostering a more equitable future. The general area of the site includes Paterson Park, Orange Grove, and Norwood in South Africa, which is home to a growing diverse community. It was not designed to cater to this size popula on and has been in a transitory state since its incep on. Apartheid gave rise to a system that debilitated specifi c communi es and ensured a series of poverty cycles that are usually inescapable. The proposed project site on the precipice of Norwood and Orange Grove, Johannesburg, is posi oned next to disadvantaged communi es and fi nancially thriving communi es such as Houghton, Orchards, and Oaklands (South African Research Chair in Spa al Analysis and City Planning, 2017, p. 5). Figure 3 shows how the income brackets are situated around the site. The usefulness of this map is to show how the site sits on the precipice of income brackets and can use the fi nancial resources of the wealthier to support the development that will assist both the wealthy and the impoverished. From the thriving Sandspruit River that had public use and agricultural value to an area that no longer has its basic services maintained, the proposed area of Orange grove is in dire need of interven on with regards to public use spaces, access to clean water, and food produc on. The following chapter looks at the current state of service delivery in the area, what could be an improvement in this space, and interrogates precedents and exis ng designs of the proposed program. 12 High income bracket Income brackets according to density and plot size Figure 3 - Map showing Income brackets according to density and plot size and access routes to site Routes to access site Main Arterial route Medium to high income bracket Access via vehicle Low to medium income bracket Pedestrian access Threats: Limited access to pedestrians and cars, awkward place to turn right, possibly could be promo ng further gentrifi ca on in the area and be useful for the wealthy. Opportuni es: The site needs to be as pedestrian friendly as possible and must expose the programme so those who feel they do not belong, can see that they do. (AfriGis, 2017) HOUGHTON ESTATE NORWOOD VICTORIA FELLSIDE FAIRWOOD ORANGE GROVE LO UI S BO TH A SITE GR AN T AV EN UE OSBORN ROAD SANDSPRUIT RIVER Sandspruit River Service Delivery 03 Part 1 1. Introduc on 2. History of Orange Grove and Norwood 3. Service Delivery 4. Theore cal Approach 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 4. Theore cal Approach 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 1. Introduc on 2. History of Orange Grove and Norwood 14 Service delivery, including access to sustainable resources such as food and clean water, is a fundamental issue in South Africa and is currently running on systems that are failing in a manner that is unequal and exclusionary to the impoverished (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 4). While Orange Grove had access to well-connected and maintained service delivery for a good por on of Apartheid, the area experienced a decline during the 1970s and 1980s due to economic and demographic shi s (South African Research Chair in Spa al Analysis and City Planning, 2017, p. 5). Louis Botha and Orange Grove can be linked to the decline of Johannesburg CBD, while Norwood is linked to the Northern Suburbs that are home to higher income brackets (South African Research Chair in Spa al Analysis and City Planning, 2017, p. 5). During site visits, the decline of the area has become apparent through the lack of servicing of public spaces. The systemic injus ce of low-income areas has become more apparent over the years. In this area, it can be noted through the lack of maintenance resul ng in polluted water sources, failing sewer systems, and poor stormwater design. During Apartheid, service delivery was focused on a small privileged percentage of the country as a discriminatory tac c; this dysfunc onal system remained a er the ins tu onalised segrega on policies were changed as inequality and exclusion were and s ll are entrenched in the service delivery system (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 7). It is impera ve to address these issues as a na on as it aff ects the most vulnerable, making it harder for people to escape poverty cycles. This includes: • Sewerage spilling onto Ninth Street, this was noted through sight and smell. • Li er gathering on the streets, specifi cally by stormwater drains on Ninth Street. • Stormwater drains are not serviced and have caused fl ooding on Ninth street, repairs that are done (such as laying down water pipes) are not completed wholly so large por ons of the street are kept as sand. • Some of the public ins tu ons such as the library on Ninth street are in disrepair, have been abandoned, and/or have been vandalised. 15 The South African popula on is currently recorded as 59.39 million people; 20 million people in the popula on do not have access to safe water, 8 million do not have access to electricity, and 14 million do not have access to basic sanita on (Dorasamy, 2021; Sarkodie and Adams, 2020). This thesis considers Norwood and Orange Grove, both of which are connected to municipal water, electricity, and sewerage connec ons. This area is privileged based on this fact; the considera on behind working in this area is that it is easier to set a precedent in an area that requires 20% to be fi xed compared to an area that requires 80% of the service delivery issues to be fi xed (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 7). While it would be useful to set this project in a highly disadvantaged area, I am taking the stance that “designers [have to] contribut[e] in making these promising cases more accessible, eff ec ve and reproducible” (Awan et al., 2011, p. 61), which would be achievable on the chosen site. Once a precedent can be set, it is easier to reproduce it in areas that might not be as viable through economics but would impact social viability. The following sec on looks at arguably the most important resource of the project; water. The sec on will introduce how the Sandspruit River is connected to the Johannesburg water system and will look at exis ng precedents in South Africa to inform technical design choices for the fi nal design. 16 3.1 Water treatment of the Sandspruit River As seen in the historical meline, the Sandspruit River (the central river in Orange Grove) had been an integral part of farming in Orange Grove before being forgo en to the depths of the earth as a subterranean channel. The Sandspruit River, Jukskei River, and Braamfontein Spruit River are connected before separa ng into their separate streams (see Figure 3a on page 17). All three of these streams are polluted and are health hazards (Fiddes, n.d., p. 39). The Jukskei is being researched and restored by Water for Future at Victoria Yards. The following treatment centre is a highly eff ec ve precedent linked to the Braamfontein Spruit, located at St. S thians in Johannesburg, South Africa. The following precedents show the poten al water cleaning possibili es and space/ water storage requirements for a similar-scale project. 17 Figure 3a - Water system layout in Johannesburg (AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd, 2017) Legend Water systems in Johannesburg Green links Site Loca on Green Spaces BEZUIDENHOUT VALLEYVALLEY EMMARENTIA DAM JAMES & ETHEL GREY PARK LINKSFIELD RIDGERIDGE GILOOLY’S FARMFARM HOUGHTON GOLF COURSE RHODES PARK JUKSKEI RIVER SANDSPRUIT RIVER WANDERERS GOLF COURSE SANDRINGHAHAHAHAHAHAMMMMMM GOLF COURSEGOGOGOGOGOGOLFLFLFLFLFLF CCCCCCOOUOUOOO RSE HUDDLEH PARKRKKPARKRKRK 0km 1km 2km 3km PAPAPAPAPAPATETETETETETERSRSRSRSRSON SSSSONO ONOO PARKPARKKK SANDSPRUIT RIVER 18 3.1.1 Water treatment precedent: St Stithians Water Treatment Centre Designer/Contractors: Pure Care (Pty) Ltd. Date of comple on: December 2021. Zoning: Educa onal. Cost of project: R6 million. Capacity of the project: 250 000 litres per day. Breakeven point: Financial Model that will yield a Return on Investment in 18 months (St S thian College, 2021a). The overall objec ve is to Source, Process and Supply 250 000 litres per day of potable water that complies with the full legal SANS 241 requirements (St S thian College, 2021a). Total size of project: 471m² + 436m² = 907m². Water treatment building size: 110sqm. Supplies more than 70% of all water requirements of the college (St S thian College, 2021b, 2015) (St S thian College, 2021a). Water storage tanks: 3. Size of water storage tanks: 545 000L, 68 000L, 270 000L. The St. S thians Water treatment centre off ered useful informa on regarding the logis cs behind a similarly scaled water treatment centre similar to the one in the design. Figure 4 - St S thians Water Treatment Centre – 07/05/2023 19 Poten al issues that have to be considered: • The water they are cleaning comes from a borehole. The water the proposed project is cleaning will likely have addi onal issues that will need to be considered, such as plas c fi ltering and heavy metal fi ltra on. • Water quality must be at a certain standard to enter the aquaponics component and be dealt with before entering the system. • The water treatment plant will be at the lowest part of the site, so the water will require a pump as it cannot be gravity-fed. Useful informa on from a small-scale water treatment centre: • The size of the water treatment centre is appropriate for what I am trying to achieve. • 250 000 L/day would be suffi cient to cover the aquaponics and return clean water to the system. • The fi nancial model for this is reasonable and would make a viable project. • A minimum of 20 weeks will need to be planned for when doing the phasing of the project. 20 Figure 5 - St S thians Water storage – 07/05/2023 For this programme to be included in the proposed design, it is impera ve to understand how the process of cleaning water works so it can be appropriately integrated and showcased to inform people. The following precedent is a large-scale project for a province but clearly explains how the water purifi ca on process happens and what is necessary. 21 3.1.2 Water treatment precedent: Rand Water Zuikerbosch treatment centre – Vereeniging Useful informa on from the large-scale water treatment plant: Poten al issues that have to be considered: How this informa on has impacted my design: Designer: Contract split by Rand Water. Date of comple on: December 2024 . Cost of project: R3.9 Billion. Size of Project: 2.56km². Future capacity of project: 600 Mℓ/day. Designed for 1000 Mℓ/day. The water treatment centre on site has been designed to consider the water treatment process, the requirements, and how to use the byproducts to generate posi ve outcomes. • The process has been included at a smaller scale in my design, and the water treatment centre has direct access to the polluted water on site. • Phytoremedia on has been included on-site before the water enters the system to help clean the water through natural processes. • Bamboo has been used for phytoremedia on and will later be used in construc on. • The site generates its own electricity so there is a constant electricity supply to the centre. • Sludge can be fed to the biogas digestor to generate gas from organic compounds. • If the cleaning process has sludge, how will it be dealt with on the site without causing environmental issues? • The me to construct the project would be around 21 weeks (Ncube, 2022). • Requires access to a constant supply of electricity – backup power systems are necessary (Ncube, 2022). • This project size is appropriate to clean enough water to supply en re provinces. This program is not an appropriate size for the proposed site. • The steps for purifi ca on are simple and use minimal energy and chemicals to clean the water. • Some fi ltering could be swapped out for eco- friendly subs tutes on-site, such as bamboo for phytoremedia on. 22 Figure 6 - Zuikerbosrand water treatment centre (AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd, 2022; Mashilo, 2018; Rand Water, 2023) Steps for purifi ca on: A) Water collected from Vaal Dam. B) Water is screened – the fi rst fi lter of large items such as fi sh, s cks, leaves. C) Water fl ows in the buff er dam before the 7-step fi ltra on. 1) Coagula on - Water and raw limestone are mixed to destroy bacteria or algae to stabilise the water. This is done in the poly-dosing plant. 2) Floccula on – The par cles coagulate in the above site (fl oc) and fl oat to the top. 3) Sedimenta on – The water fl ows into the sedimenta on bay where the fl oc from above sinks to the bo om and is considered sludge. The water above the sludge layer is clean and is pumped to the carbona on bay. The sludge is removed using desludging bridges. 4) Carbona on – Carbon dioxide is added to the water to stabilise the pH levels that were changed when raw limestone was added. 5) Filtra on – Process within a dark fi lter house to prevent the growth of algae. Water may s ll contain germs and algae; water is taken through sand and small pebble fi lters to trap small living organisms. 6) Chlorina on – water is disinfected using chlorine to kill any germs. 7) Pumping – Pumped to boos ng sta ons and tested biweekly. (AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd, 2022; Mashilo, 2018; Rand Water, 2023) 23 Using Aquaponic farming to decentralise produce, remove unnecessary CO2 emissions, and increase job opportuni es for local labour. 3.2 Aquaponic farming As previously men oned, the proposed area had previously been used for agricultural purposes, the loca on of the site and the poten al to create natural resources could have a posi ve impact on the community. The following sec on will look at Aquaponics, the cuisines of the restaurants on Grant Avenue and a precedent study located in Midrand, South Africa. Aquaponic farming combines aquaculture (fi sh) and hydroponics (growing plants in nutrient-rich water, without soil) to create a closed-water system that uses signifi cantly less space and minimal resource wastage compared to tradi onal farming prac ces. The logic of an aquaponic system is to use the nutrient-rich water produced by fi sh excrements in the fi sh tank, fi lter the water through biological fi ltra on (bacteria) and mechanical fi ltra on (physical fi lters), the nutrient-rich water is then pumped to the plant area where the plant’s roots are submerged and provide the necessary nutrients for op mal plant growth, the plants clean the opera on by being able to source precise quan es required daily or weekly. For produce stores, the opportunity to improve effi ciency and sustainability through produce cost reduc ons, reduced energy usage, and minimal food waste. Lastly, an aquaponic farm provides residents access to aff ordable, organically grown food that contributes to improved overall well-being and a more sustainable food system. Addi onally, the design incorporates a biogas digester plant that takes food waste, including any off cuts or fi sh bones and produces gas that can be used to cook with and heat the fi sh tanks. water through this process and the clean water is then pumped back into the fi sh tanks (Goddek et al., 2015, p. 2). Aquaponics is an elegant solu on to reducing land usage and unnecessary water wastage, increasing plant yield, and removing the area constric ons of well-known farming prac ces. Currently, there are no exis ng policies na onally, provincially or in council addressing urban farming and the use of aquaponics in a site such as Paterson Park (City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, 2021, p. 58). The exis ng paradigm of cul va ng produce in farms on the outskirts of towns or other provinces with favourable clima c condi ons enforces a cycle of redundant transporta on, excessive energy usage to maintain the cold chain required for stores such as Woolworths, excessive energy used for storage, and the resultant food waste due to unsold products. The decentralisa on of resources, including produce and fi sh, creates the poten al for improvement. For local restaurants, the ability to streamline their 24 Figure 7 - Grant Avenue at night (AfriGis, 2017) The project viability of the aquaponics looks at Grant Avenue, the street perpendicular to 9th Street, where the project is situated (See Figure 7). Grant Avenue has a diverse, large popula on of restaurants, produce-selling stores, and residents. The following diagram (Figure 8) shows a mapping of the street regarding the loca on of the stores and restaurants, the types of cuisines, what plants are used frequently in the cuisines, and how long the plants would take to grow in an aquaponic system. 25 Figure 8 - Mapping of businesses and cuisines that would benefi t from the proposed programme Fast grow me: 30 - 60 Days Arugula (rocket), Swiss Chard, Mint, Parsley, Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Cucumber, Tomatoes North Indian Cuisine Minimal plants / Takeaways Chinese / Japanese Cuisine Lebanese / Afghani / Mediterranean Fast grow me: 30 - 60 Days Le uce, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Fenugrek, Coriander, Mustard greens, Chilli pepper, Tomatoes Fast grow me: 30 - 60 Days Le uce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Onions. Medium grow me: 90 - 120 days Potatoes, Curry leaves, Cumin Slow grow me: 8 - 10 months Garlic, Ginger Slow grow me: 8 - 10 months Garlic, Ginger Fast grow me: 5 - 60 Days Mustard Greens, Watercress, Scallions, Bean Sprouts, Bok Choy. Medium grow me: 50 - 90 days Eggplant, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Corn, Onions Medium grow me: 60 - 90 days Shiitake mushrooms, Chinese Cabbage Slow grow me: 8 - 10 months Garlic, Ginger Tilapia, Trout (12 - 18months) Slow grow me: 90 - 120 days Bell peppers, Fennel, Eggplant. Tilapia, Trout (12 - 18 Months) (AfriGis, 2017) 26 Figure 9 - Yields and ROI of produce within the Aquaponic farm 27 Figure 10: Photo from inside Aquaponic Greenhouse at Ichthys Midrand (Glanville, 2023a; Hess, 2023a) 3.2.1 Aquaponic Precedent Study: Ichthys Aquaponics Urban Farm Developer: Jus n Hess. Loca on: 48 Kruger Rd, President Park, Midrand, 1685. Size of development: 10 000sqm. Zoning: Farm. Programme: - Aquaponic farm with fi sh: 5000 sqm. - Admin building / Training area: 387 sqm. - Processing and Cold storage: 390 sqm (GCRO, n.d.). The breakeven point is not reliable on produce as this farm sells farm setups to others farmers. Useful informa on from Ichthys: • The average size of a greenhouse for aquaponics: 645 sqm. • Cold storage and processing facili es are required on-site for ease of produc on and CO2 emission reduc on. • The precedent showed the aquaponics process and how it works logis cally (See Figure 14). • The amount of water required is equivalent to 15,000 litres per tank. This informa on needs to be considered for water treatment purposes and the weight of 15 tonnes per tank. The following precedent looks at an exis ng aquaponic farm situated in Midrand, South Africa. The precedent sets an example for how commercial aquaponic farms run, the space and water requirements, and possible issues that a project may face. This aquaponic greenhouse precedent revealed posi ve aspects, such as helpful informa on regarding logis cs and poten al issues that may become relevant to my design. 28 Figure 11: Aquaponic Ver cal Towers (Glanville, 2020a; Hess, 2023b) Poten al issues that will have to be considered: • The Ichthys Farm is not built to have the public interact with the space. I would need to design so that the public can’t impact the system’s health but can interact with the process. • The greenhouse will be a safety concern as the material is easily cut through. This issue needs to be mi gated without changing the usability of the structure. 29 How this informa on has impacted my design: • The size of each greenhouse is 700 sqm. • Cold storage and processing facili es are available on-site, and the site has been selected to be close to a range of poten al clients to reduce emissions further. • The farm has been designed as a circle to emphasise the idea of a closed system further so that tours can be educa onal. • The water tanks within the farm hold 15,000 litres of water, and reduced carbon concrete has been used in these areas to compensate for the load. • The farm has been designed so that viewers can interact with the plant por on and see the fi sh without being able to put their hands in the water. If the users interact with the water in the plant sec on, the water will be fi ltered through mechanical and biological fi lters before returning to the fi sh. • I have designed the greenhouse as a geodesic dome with glass panels, reducing the ability to break in. If people are able to break in, the most valuable assets are the fi sh and pumps, which can be easily replaced and are quite challenging to take surrep ously. • The aquaponic farm within this project has been designed to highlight the beauty of the system while considering logis cs and poten al issues that could harm the program’s func onality. 30 Figure 13: Bell Siphon and Media bed system (Glanville, 2020a; Hess, 2023b) Figure 12: Media bed and bell siphon system (Glanville, 2020a; Hess, 2023b) 31 Figure 14 - Aquaponics diagram (Glanville, 2022) 32 While the yield and variety of aquaponics makes a strong case as to why it is the preferred method of farming, the next sec on will look at how urban farming can be a useful tool in natural resource management, can reduce the carbon emissions that are linked to transporta on of produce and will look at an exis ng precedent located in Lorentzville, Johannesburg. Urban farming has incredible poten al to reduce unnecessary carbon emissions and costs to the consumer if managed correctly and using permaculture logic. Victoria Yards, Lorentzville, South Africa, is an elegant precedent of adap ve reuse, skill development, and urban farming. It sets a precedent for the transforma on and destabilisa on of broken paradigms. 3.3 Urban farming in Johannesburg Figure 15 - Winter Vegetable box from Victoria Yards “Even in the most seemingly most intractable situa ons, there are opportuni es for destabilisa on and transforma on” (Awan et al., 2011, p. 39). Through interviews with Mike (the events coordinator and owner of the Victoria Yards Bar), Tony (the principal gardener and manager of the grounds), and secondary research, I was able to receive signifi cant material regarding how the project worked, why it works, and what could be done to improve the concept. Unfortunately, the urban farming por on of the project has not been fi nancially viable since its incep on in 2018, and the farm relies on a limited group of dedicated customers and impulse purchases. The products sold are of high quality and organic. Figure 15 shows 15 diff erent vegetables worth R260, the same amount of vegetables sold for R360 – R440 from local farms nearby, such as Farm Fresh Online (FarmFreshOnline, 2020). 33 The project employs three people: the head gardener, a picker, and a packer. The issues that the farm deals with are poten al clients reques ng vegetables that are out of season, limited marke ng strategies, not having the capacity to host an online business for the farm, and not having the space or capacity to extend the shelf life of products such as pickling or jams (Bensusan, 2023). To mi gate the above issues, the head gardener is exploring alterna ve paths to generate income through product crea on. The posi ve aspects of the farm include supplying the schools in the area with vegetables at a low cost (one of the boxes feeds 150 children per day) and supplying vegetables to an onsite soup kitchen that provides hot meals every week to large groups of recyclers, the farm also is used as an educa on programme for children and is Figure 16 - Internal shot of Urban farming at Victoria Yards used by the Green College to teach people how to preserve food (Bensusan, 2023). The social viability of the farm is excep onal as it creates a support structure in a highly impoverished area. In response to the informa on collected, my design makes use of an aquaponic farm that has a substan ally higher yield of products per plant and square meter, can produce any plant regardless of the season through environmental control, and has included a programme for service-added products to extend the shelf life of products with increased variety. Due to the capacity of the design, an online store and wholesale clients would be economically viable. The project also includes a soup kitchen that would improve the project’s social viability in an area with many impoverished people. 34 Figure 17 - Internal shot of main farming area at Victoria Yards (Glanville, 2020b) 3.3.1 Urban farming precedent study: Victoria Yards Developers: Group 44 . Architects: Daff onchio & Associates Architects. Loca on: 16 Viljoen St, Lorentzville, Johannesburg, 2094. Zoning: Industrial 1. Sponsors: Nando’s, Divercity, Itooart Insure, Business and Arts South Africa, Hollard Insurance. Size of Development: 30,000 sqm. Type of Development: Urban renewal, adap ve reuse. Previous use of site: “Grand laundry in the 1920s”- Green (von Geusau, 2020). Objec ve: ”This needed to be a property where ar sans could showcase their work among a suppor ve community of like-minded people” (von Geusau, 2020). Type of programmes available: Restaurants, ar sans, gin dis llery, urban farming and medicinal farming, Water for the Future, galleries, rentable event spaces and workshops. 35 Figure 18 - Internal shot of pathway at Victoria Yards (Daff onchio & Associates Architects, 2018; Glanville, 2020) Social sustainability: Community gardens, upskilling members of the public through farming, job crea on in the area, money genera on for the area, areas for children to go to do homework/ work areas (Group 44, 2018). Environmental sustainability: The project incorporates minimal changes to the site for reuse, urban farming, and new buildings that use sustainable materials (Group 44, 2018). 36 Figure 19 - Victoria Yards Programme analysis (Group 44, 2018; AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd, 2023; Daff onchio & Associates Architects, 2018) 37 Figure 20 - Victoria Yards Weekend usage of space (Group 44, 2018; AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd, 2023; Daff onchio & Associates Architects, 2018) 38 Figure 21 - Victoria Yards Visual Accessibility from the Road (Group 44, 2018; AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd, 2023; Daff onchio & Associates Architects, 2018) 39 Figure 22 - Design elements from Victoria Yards (Group 44, 2018; Daff onchio & Associates Architects, 2018) 40 Figure 23 - Aesthe cs, materiality, and clerestories in Victoria Yards Figure 24 - Clerestories in Victoria Yards Art Gallery (Group 44, 2018; Daff onchio & Associates Architects, 2018) (Group 44, 2018; Daff onchio & Associates Architects, 2018) 41 Useful informa on from Victoria Yards: • It is recommended to include addi onal programs that make the space more usable, such as ar sanal spaces for making items out of grown materials. • Urban farming and landscape design create an urban oasis for the community to interact with. • Programmes like this should create opportuni es to upskill the community through farming and social programs. • The pedestrian public should be able to interact with a site that is also accessible through vehicles. • Materiality should be chosen to draw people in and minimise environmental damage. • Businesses and restaurants should clustered for op mal design and logic. • It is necessary to co-exist with the neighbourhood. • The design should use small local teams during construc on to ensure that money earned on- site goes back to the community and creates an opportunity to upskill during construc on. • If you give an opportunity to incubators of design and community, it will make all the diff erence. 42 Poten al issues that have to be considered: • Accessibility is limited at Victoria Yards – areas are diffi cult to access for those who are diff erently abled. • There is gentrifi ca on of the site; the users travel from areas outside the direct precinct, and those in the precinct don’t feel welcome. • There are dead ends in the design that rarely have people going to the areas; these areas consist mainly of small businesses. 43 How this informa on has impacted my design: • The project includes a range of programmes to create mul ple sources of income. • The site is designed to draw pedestrians from the main road and allows users in a vehicle to park off the main road. • The materiality chosen reduces the impact of the project on the environment. • Local labour and local material produc on are crucial to this project to promote upskilling in the community. • The site has been designed for accessibility. • The project fi lters the programme from most public to the water treatment centre, so people are constantly within the poten al dead zones. • All buildings have been designed as an experience to help spark interest in the programmes. • The urban farming and public use spaces of my design have considered how this successful precedent runs and have drawn lessons that could aid the usability of the site and programme. 44 For the project’s aquaponics and urban farming aspect to be viable, they will have to create addi onal products through value-adding services. The processed products will increase the shelf life of the products and reduce wastage (Aus n, 2023). To incorporate this into the project, the aquaponics por on of the farm has a processing centre that allows for the processing, storage, and distribu on of products, with a store at the front of the site to sell the products on-site (Glanville, 2023b, p. 5). An example of the value-added service is using tomatoes grown in the project, crea ng sundried tomatoes, and storing them in olive oil. The process involves taking fresh, non-shelf-stable tomatoes, subjec ng them to minimal processing, and conver ng them into a shelf-stable condi on. This method enhances the value and usability of the original product, allowing it to be stored for an extended period un l it is opened (Aus n, 2023; Glanville, 2023b, p. 5). It is advisable that the project adopts this approach to increase the farm’s profi tability. While the aquaponic farm might break even, incorpora ng processing methods will contribute to genera ng profi ts (Aus n, 2023; Glanville, 2023b, p. 5). 3.3.2 Impact and feasibility of urban farming and park Park Maintenance and design The water treatment on site cleans 250 000 litres of polluted water daily; the aquaponic has a once- off requirement of 155 000 litres across the three greenhouses and then is topped up throughout the project (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). The project can be supported by Johannesburg City Parks and the Department of Water and Sanita on with possible fi nancial reduc ons for cleaning polluted water that can go back into the system (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). The project could be presented to the departments to determine if it can be reimbursed for “the maintenance and watering of the park by the allocated budgets in each department” (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). With or without this funding, the control of the aesthe cs and maintenance of the park is necessary for the project to be successful (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). The following sec on will reveal how designing the park can create the ideal environment to grow materials for the construc on of the proposed buildings, what materials can be grown on the site, if it is a viable solu on, and fi nally will consider precedents that use the proposed materials. 45 The project intends to promote a logic of building and construc on to contradict the current status quo of using materials that have a high embodied energy, require excessive transporta on, and take advantage of the labour force. Through the aquaponic farm design and water treatment centre, the design will grow a signifi cant quan ty of materials that can be used as alterna ves for construc on materials. The design must be phased to allow the project me to grow the materials. The use of site-grown local materials is more sustainable for the environment and the economics of the project with a direct impact on the “skill base and economy, and [reduces] the reliance on mul na onal conglomerates” (Awan et al., 2011, p. 60). Bamboo will be used in the phytoremedia on of the water, which will assist in cleaning the water by removing heavy metals; the water with nutrients will, in turn, promote a high yield of bamboo (Bian et al., 2020). Hemp, soy, fl ax seeds, and mushrooms will be grown in the aquaponic system and can be used for insula on and non-loadbearing structures. 3.4 Material production and phytoremediation The fi rst material of bamboo has been used in other projects in South Africa for phytoremedia on and has shown that the clusters of bamboo become naturalised and maintain a self-sustaining popula on (Canavan et al., 2021) and are therefore not considered an invasive alien (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). The second main material of hemp will be grown in the aquaponics system and manufactured onsite to create hempcrete bricks and panel boards (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). The fi nal main construc on material uses compressed coff ee ground panels, with the coff ee grounds collected from the restaurants on Grant Avenue (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). Figure 25 below tabulates a cost and feasibility analysis of the above-men oned materials regarding the me of the plant to grow to maturity, the cost of the plant in the system, what the cost of the same material from a reputable supplier would be, the equivalent cost of a standard construc on method such as bricks, and the social/environmental benefi ts to growing the plant on site (Glanville, 2023b, p. 6). 46 The analysis displays that u lising bamboo as a construc on material would bring fi nancial benefi ts due to its availability on-site as a byproduct of phytoremedia on. Construc on phasing will depend on the growth me of the bamboo, which takes approximately three years to mature for produc on (Glanville, 2023b, p. 7). Hemp plants reach maturity in just four months, allowing for earlier u lisa on and infl uencing the project’s phasing. Although the cost of hemp plants may not be fi nancially viable, the material’s social, environmental, and precedent- se ng possibili es outweigh the cost implica ons (Glanville, 2023b, p. 7). The coff ee ground les are both fi nancially and environmentally feasible while also providing social benefi ts such as establishing rela onships with local restaurants and crea ng opportuni es for community educa on. Therefore, growing plants on-site for this project is viable and has a wealth of benefi ts that add to the community. The construc on phasing will be based on the growth me of the plants; the coff ee grounds will be u lised for the preliminary structures, the hemp will be used a er four months, and the bamboo will be used for structures a er three years. A secondary use of the growing of materials on site is that they can be sold or used by onsite designers to create ongoing income sources for the project while crea ng local jobs (Glanville, 2023b, p. 7). 47 Name of product Time to grow in the system Cost to grow in the system The cost to purchase this item Cost of Corobrik equivalent for reference of growing on site Environmental Bamboo (Moso Bamboo) 5 years to reach full maturity for 20m in a few months (maturity height) 2 year old plants with well developed root systems will be used in The bamboo is being used for the water treatment system so the cost is absorbed by that programme and pole (SaBambu, 2023) 57 bricks to one 20 m bamboo pole = 57 x Improves the water Absorbs pollutants and heavy metals from polluted Minimal water Hemp for hempcrete and compressed panel boards 3 – 4 months to reach maturity to be used in hurds is used for the hempcrete and hemp compressed panel – this cost includes the cost of a small plant or seed, the labour costs per plant in a commercial aquaponic farm, and Due to reputable sources hemp panel board brick standard brick single brick compared to more products such and medicinal uses (dependent on - friendly material Fast-growing product, minimal grounds panels collected from restaurants on Grant Avenue to reduce unnecessary waste on the street No cost to grow in the system, only cost labour costs and resin which can be Not available in the market to brick partnerships with Community engagement regarding recycling and waste Waste diversion and permaculture Material Figure 25 - Viability of growing construc on materials on site 48 The following precedent looks at the design quali es of bamboo and the possibili es to work with construc on that uses minimal change to the plant. The project is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand and is a zero-carbon sports hall for 300 students (Chiangmai Life Architects and Construc on, 2017). Figure 26 - Internal view of the sports hall (Chiangmai Life Architects and Construc on, 2017) 49 Figure 27 - Bamboo as a construc on material (Chiangmai Life Architects and Construc on, 2017) 50 Figure 28 - Structure and material elements (Chiangmai Life Architects and Construc on, 2017) 51 South African labour is known to be cheap and is one of the main reasons many buildings use labour- intensive materials that would not be viable in other countries. While this may seem like a posi ve aspect for the economics of construc on, it is, in fact, a sign of a systemic issue that con nues an inescapable poverty cycle that has been perpetuated since Apartheid. “Poli cal manipula on of space to entrench power rela ons and deliver cheap labour is the hallmark of South African history. In order to force the black majority to work for low wages, fi rst in the mines and the farms, and later the booming construc on and manufacturing sectors, the cost of reproduc on needed to be kept low” (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 25). As a designer, I do not want to perpetuate the cycle of taking advantage of the disadvantaged. The design uses construc on logic that those employed by the project through the farm will have skills developed in sustainable construc on prac ces and will be paid to build and maintain the building. This prac ce allows skill development to increase poten al earnings and job security. 3.5 Local labour Training the local labour or the unemployed in new construc on techniques will make the construc on systems and structures easy to understand and construct on-site (Awan et al., 2011, p. 60). The advantages of growing construc on materials on site and training local labour in new construc on techniques are poten ally life-changing for those who interact with the project. The project creates opportuni es for locals to learn how to grow sustainable resources and how to use them in the construc on industry; this idea is libera ng as it reveals possibili es for local construc on materials to be used in other projects and to promote the local economic growth with minimal emissions. Essen ally, we can start to work towards an industry that helps support small business owners instead of solely suppor ng conglomerates that source the material at the cheapest price with li le regard for human rights and the environment. Impact and feasibility of using local labour Ensuring the quality of the aforemen oned growing materials is crucial to addressing poten al threats and guaranteeing the work’s integrity. Before using these non-standardised materials in construc on, thorough tes ng will be required, accompanied by obtaining a cer fi cate of Agrément, enabling the project’s use of such materials (Agrément South Africa, 2023)(Glanville, 2023b, p. 8). Training the labour force in u lising alterna ve materials and construc on methods is essen al to mi gate risks eff ec vely (Glanville, 2023b, p. 8). To further mi gate threats, sec ons of the design incorporate a structural frame system using bamboo or aluminium and employ non-loadbearing walls, so the wall materials bear only their weight and environmental loads (Glanville, 2023b, p. 8). The training of local labour not only serves to mi gate risks but also presents an opportunity for skill development within the community (Glanville, 2023b, p. 8). 52 Labour skill development in this project is a core component of the construc on; I believe it is necessary to signifi cantly impact all who interact with the project (Glanville, 2023b, p. 8). The government off ers funding for skills development, specifi cally, “The Department of Small Business Development” and the “Enterprise Incuba on Program”, which could provide funding to train and pay the salaries of the workers during the training period (Glanville, 2023b, p. 8). The funding available from the Enterprise Incuba on Programme is R5 – R10 million (Glanville, 2023b, p. 8) (Department of Trade, Industry and Compe on, 2023). For this project, local labour is defi ned as living within the community or a 5km radius of the site, and this can be increased if need be. The boundary is set to promote and assist in long-term employment in the area with minimal transport. While it may be more fi nancially viable to hire trained non-local labour or to take advantage of illegally residing residents, this would confl ict with the conceptual approach of the project to support and develop the community in a sustainable manner (Glanville, 2023b, p. 8). Cheap labour in South Africa is o en referred to as a posi ve aspect of our construc on industry. It is a sign that the industry takes advantage of a large group of people and does not pay them a livable wage for work that will have a las ng eff ect on their health. This sec on looked at the approach to construc on and material choices while the following sec on explores the theore cal approach to design that makes the public feel welcome, safe, and keen to interact with the space. 04 Theoretical approach Part 1 1. Introduc on 2. History of Orange Grove and Norwood 3. Service Delivery 4. Theore cal Approach 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 5. Architectural Design Drivers 6. Design - Site Analysis 7. Design Development and precedents 8. Conclusion Part 2 Final Design References 1. Introduc on 2. History of Orange Grove and Norwood 3. Service Delivery 54 The theore cal approach of this project will be linked to the following authors and books: Jane Jacobs’ “The Death and Life of Great American Ci es” (1961). Although the book was published in 1961, the informa on is s ll highly relevant and links directly to the advocacy of small, self- sustaining neighbourhoods with mixed-use development that this project intends to achieve. “The city as resource: texts and projects 2005- 2014” by Rieniets et al. (2014) regarding poverty- stricken areas and design opportuni es. “Textbook: collected texts on the built environment, 1990- 2018” by Chris aanse (2018) and “Massive Small: The Opera ng Programme for Smart Urbanism.” by Campbell (2011) for addi onal informa on on urban design and architecture. “Urban Design Lab (UDL) Handbook: Dialogue-oriented urban transforma on processes and prac cal approaches from La n America and the Caribbean” for urban design guidelines and principles (Urban design lab handbook, 2019) regarding urban design prac ces and Circle Lab (Circle Economy, n.d.) for regenera ve, circular design for ci es. Park design and how to create a thriving community hub Paterson Park is located along Ninth Street Norwood; the street is regularly populated with vehicles and pedestrians as it is a main route to access Louis Botha Avenue, one of the city’s main arterial roads. The surrounding buildings include low to medium-rise residen al proper es, a police sta on with a jail and police barracks behind it, and a recently renovated community centre that consists of a swimming pool, sports fi elds, an indoor gym and basketball court, various courts, an arts centre, and a public library. The exis ng park is currently locked off using ClearVu fencing, which allows the users of the area to witness the complete failure of a public space that is not maintained and is poorly managed. Paterson Park does not aid in real estate stabilisa on and does not act as a community anchor. The mere existence of the park does not indicate that it has a posi ve eff ect on the community. Instead, it demonstrates that a poorly managed and designed park can nega vely impact a neighbourhood. 4.1 Principles of park design 55 Addi onal issues that have been witnessed on-site include that the community centre parallel to the site does not show the programme or proposed users from the outside and uses the same ClearVu fencing, which may discourage the public from trying to fi nd out what is happening as they are not welcome at Paterson Park that uses the same material. The ini al issues of the park can be linked directly to the points above made by Jacobs regarding badly performing parks such as: 1. Paterson Park is not used for a large por on of the day (Jacobs, 1961, p. 94); in this case, the park is never used as it is locked up. 2. Paterson Park lacks “eyes” on it and creates dangerous spaces in the surrounding areas that cause people to avoid the area (Jacobs, 1961, p. 95). This issue may change due to the proposal of an apartment building in the UDF. 3. Paterson Park is not downtown and, therefore, should be in an area where there are programmes that allow for work, cultural, residen al, and commercial ac vity (Jacobs, 1961, p. 101). While Grant Avenue, perpendicular to Ninth Street, thrives in all four programs. Ninth Street currently lacks work and commercial ac vity while being disjointed from Grant Avenue and, therefore, needs interven on to help assist the park’s success. Jacobs suggests that poorly managed parks are: 1. Not used for the majority of the day (Jacobs, 1961, p. 94). 2. The area’s lack of “eyes” on it creates unsafe spaces in its surroundings, leading people to avoid the loca on (Jacobs, 1961, p. 95). 3. If a park is not situated downtown, it should be located where there are programmes that incorporate work, cultural ac vity, residen al, and commercial ac vity (Jacobs, 1961, p. 101). 56 The fi rst two design elements include ‘Intricacy’ and ‘Centring’. The park requires various reasons to be visited, level changes, and a climaxs based on Jacobs’ criteria for func onal parks (Jacobs, 1961, pp. 103–106). Figure 29 - Intricacy and Centring The second two design elements include enclosure and sun. The park should be enclosed and the buildings should shade minimally. Figure 30 - Enclosure and sun The design addresses the aforemen oned issues by incorpora ng the following elements and theories based on Jacobs’ criteria for func onal parks (Jacobs, 1961, pp. 103–106). 57 While design elements are necessary to consider, the programmes on Ninth Street are a limi ng factor of the site perpetua ng the above-men oned concerns. The benefi t of the posi oning of Grant Avenue is that the street has an abundance of shops and services and a con nuous lively sidewalk. A perpendicular street to the park’s street with the above characteris cs has been noted to assist other successful park precedents (Jacobs, 1961, p. 95). The diversity of the programmes and func ons assists with crea ng a user group that is diverse in schedules, which has the power to create a thriving park (Jacobs, 1961, p. 97, 1961, p. 101). To tap into the market and user group of Grant Avenue, Ninth Street will have to become an extension of the already thriving area and have to support “demand goods” instead of “impulse sales” (Jacobs, 1961, p. 107). The requirement for addi onal programmes to the site is that the park will not func on as a ‘generalised park’ and will have be er chances if it func ons as a ‘specialised park’ due to its posi oning and surrounding programmes (Jacobs, 1961, p. 108). The design incorporates a mul -faceted programme with demand for goods such as food that could be more aff ordable than the surrounding stores, crea ng a selling point for users to visit the site. With the proposed design, there is a confi dent expecta on that the community centre across the road will experience increased visibility and a ract a larger pool of poten al users. The inten on is that the project will become “a creature of its surroundings and of the way of its surroundings generate mutual support from diverse uses” (Jacobs, 1961, p. 98) and this will result in a more viable, usable programme for both the proposed design and the community centre. Poverty, pollu on, and access South Africa’s deeply unequal society and general rural-to-urban movement pa erns have resulted in a large popula on of impoverished people and vagrants living in Johannesburg. The following theory examines why this has happened, the possible eff ects, how the government could assist, and whether the proposed project would be useful to this context. 58 Why is there migra on to the city, is it benefi cial to the individual or the society? The migra on from rural regions to Johannesburg can be understood by considering what the city can off er compared to rural life; the city has more job opportuni es at higher salaries, improved access to socialised healthcare, access to social benefi ts, and possible educa onal opportuni es to aid their children’s future (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 11) . Of course, people will try to move to the city because it can off er a be er quality of life. With that being said, there is much a miss with living in a city; “the increase in social risks correlates directly with the growth of a city, as does the increase in wealth and produc vity. With every doubling of the number of inhabitants, cases of disease and criminality also rise by 15% per capita”(Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 14)1. The increase in health issues due to air and water pollu on, a lack of community, a lack of genera onal support in the home, and an increased cost of living 1 City as Resource by Rieniets et al is a collec on of work from Professor Kees Chris aanse at ETH Zurich, edited by teaching collaborators. The book is based on Professor Kees Chris aanse’s work, he is an interna onally renowned urban design prac oner and teacher. contribute to this. The reasons to move to the city do outweigh the reasons not to; this is useful for society due to the signifi cant progress in social, cultural, and intellectual spheres that ci es promote and achieve – the educa onal opportuni es increase the opportuni es to specialise, which in turn off ers more opportuni es for the urban labour market, le ng individuals use their skills most effi ciently and produc vely (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 9). This informa on is relevant as Orange Grove has seen a signifi cant increase in people who have migrated from more rural areas (South African Research Chair in Spa al Analysis and City Planning, 2017, p. 5). People moving to the city put addi onal stress on infrastructure and city services that are struggling with the increasing popula on; Orange Grove currently has failing service delivery as the infrastructure has not been updated to contain the exponen al growth. This failure is not the shor all of the individual but rather the shor all of a government that is elected to maintain and update these kinds of infrastructures. Impoverished people (seeking employment) moving to a South African city has a list of posi ve outcomes such as “reduc[ing] rela on growth, as ci es all over the world have lower birth rates than rural areas. They alleviate the lack of educa on, as their level of educa on of the migrants’ children and grandchildren rises. And they create wealth, because they off er be er income opportuni es in the surrounding countryside, albeit at a lower level” (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 12). 4.2 Issues of migration 59 The migra on from more rural areas to Orange Grove may posi vely impact the project as the locals may have useful experience in small farming techniques and could help share their knowledge to improve prac ces. The project could help inform the locals about waste disposal, such as the process of biogas digestors that are more prevalent in urban spaces. Service delivery, such as waste disposal, is split between mul ple layers of governance and needs to be reviewed as it regularly fails due to bureaucracy. The rela onship between local, city, provincial, and na onal governance is complex. The na onal departments are responsible for the service delivery of water, sanita on, and electricity (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 63). The Department of Water and Sanita on is responsible for water resource infrastructure and suppor ng municipali es with service delivery (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 63). The Department of Energy is responsible for electricity genera on and transmission as a na onal func on; they regulate municipal undertakings (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 63). The Municipal Systems Act (RSA, 2000) integrates “performance management, monitoring, and evalua on prac ces with respect to the local government” (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 86). Sec on 46 of the Act requires that all municipali es submit an annual performance report to their provincial member of the execu ve council (MEC), Sec on 47 requires the MEC to report on all municipali es in the province to the na onal minister for local government (Sec on 47), and sec on 48 requires the Minister of Coopera ve Governance to consolidate this informa on na onally (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 86). This repor ng system has not succeeded due to insuffi cient defi ni on of performance indicators, comparing performance across mul ple municipali es with diff erent priori es, and poor repor ng and consolida on of informa on of provinces and the Na onal Department of Coopera ve Governance (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 87). This has resulted in failure and lack of maintenance in municipali es as the departments are unaware of the failing systems requiring assistance (Palmer et al., 2017, p. 87). 60 The trends of modernist urban design implemented by designers such as Ebenezer Howard tried to reduce the previously men oned risks to provide greater security and comfort for users (Campbell, 2011, p. 17; Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 15). As a result of this, urban design principles such as spa al separa on and distancing have been adopted into urban design layouts (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 15). Mul zone areas have been simplifi ed into single func onal zones, cars are seen as a priority, and pedestrians have been removed from the roads (Campbell, 2011, p. 17) (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 15). This planning has backfi red in many areas and works against the idea of Jane Jacob’s “eyes on the street” for the safety of areas (Jacobs, 1961), resul ng in areas that are only func onal during the day and dangerous at night/weekends. “Eyes on the street” refers to the concept that people from diff erent programmes and spaces should view public spaces at diff erent mes of the day – an example would be an apartment block and restaurant overlooking a park (Jacobs, 1961). To counteract these issues, the following needs to be considered for the project: Exis ng urban design and possible design choices “The biggest challenge for contemporary urban design is, therefore, to plan the city itself as a regenera ve cycle, not only in terms of shaping its spa al and aesthe c quali es, but also in rela on to its development over me” (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 1). Johannesburg and the neighbourhoods of the project are rapidly changing – the overarching reason that people are s ll moving to these spaces is that the ameni es of the countryside do not match those in the city as they do in countries that are further developed (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 12). As the country further progresses and the wealthy emigrate – there is no certainty for what the future of this area holds. The project and programme have been designed to house aspects (such as water treatment and food produc on) that are necessary regardless of popula on and have mul ple income streams to protect the use of the site for the public (IOL Staff , 2023). To be able to design future urban design possibili es, it is necessary to consider poten al future uses and issues. While the future is uncertain, it is possible to extrapolate current limita ons and design for a range that may become relevant. If the future takes another path, the design is linked to current knowledge and promotes core beliefs of renew-ability, diversity, and equality. All of which respond to Jane Jacobs’ “Self-destruc on of diversity” that is seen in the urban design process that regularly results in a homogeniza on of use and built form (Jacobs, 1961, pp. 241–256; Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 74). We can’t design for every eventuality, but we can design for be er possibili es. Designs such as mine need to integrate safe, walkable spaces on site and buildings that can accommodate change to be future-resistant. My design includes walkable spaces that are accessible, well-lit, and overlooked by apartments and pedestrians. The design features structures that can be easily changed internally and promote experience regardless of the program – crea ng future possibili es. The following guidelines are based on the “Urban Design Lab (UDL) Handbook: Dialogue-oriented urban transforma on processes and prac cal approaches from La n America and the Caribbean” as the pillars and design principles are recent, based on reputable authors, and have many successful precedents in countries similar to South Africa to learn from (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, pp. 116–119). 4.3 Urban design principles and dialogue orientated urban transformation 61 The founda on rule that the following principles and pillars rely on is that urban design must be human- centered when iden fying and addressing urban problems (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 116). Co-design Use a bo om-up approach that uses input from mul ple relevant stakeholders such as “local communi es, experts, academic partners, and representa ves from the public and private sectors”(Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 116). The ideal process would include a local support group and invi ng the key actors in communi es to par cipate in co-design together as a means to promote the genera on of ideas and have realis c and individualised solu ons while giving the community a sense of ownership over the project (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 116). Community ownership and empowerment Community ownership is propelled by including the groups throughout the design process through the above-men oned local support group while also including the municipality in the decision- making process to con nue the core values a er the designers leave (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 117). Par cipa on is o en confi ned to informing the public about designs without two-way communica on (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 117). The power dynamic mimics teacher/student rela onships or parent/child rela onships. It is necessary to strengthen democracy and empower the community in this process by giving them the pla orm to voice their opinions and ideas. Crea vity and fl exibility Due to the scale of urban design, many variables may dras cally change, such as me, space, people, and resources (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 118). A “Glocal” approach with in-situ ac vi es “Global knowledge meets local circumstances” (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 118). Local users share their experiences of the site, and designers share their experiences from prac ce and other precedents to create a more holis c approach. 62 Pollu on, energy, and the future Unfortunately, the rise in popula on increases the amount of pollu on and energy consump on in the city at a faster rate than in rural areas. Not just in Johannesburg but worldwide, “ci es account for about 70% of the total energy requirement and about 80% of the greenhouse gases that are emi ed in ci es. This is despite the fact that only around 50% of the world’s popula on is city dwellers” (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 19). The high energy consump on of Johannesburg can be seen as a result of dependency on the long-term availability of cheap energy (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 19). We can now see this as a cruel joke in South Africa as we con nue to have coal as our primary energy source and load- shedding for months on end. The structures in the city were designed to use a high level of this cheap, dirty energy to operate and maintain – a choice that has had a nega ve impact on economics, the environment, and the livelihoods of so many (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 19). Any structure that is built or retrofi ed needs to be considerate of this informa on and a empt to alleviate some of the strain on the system and the environment. Today, making ci es environmentally friendly and resource effi cient is therefore one of the most important tasks of policy and planning” (Pawlyn, 2016, p. 1; Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 19). The following sustainability guidelines are all connected to reducing excessive consump on that is ubiquitous in the industry. Resiliency and sustainability Designing projects that are resilient, self-sustaining, and maintained by the community (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, pp. 118–119). Projects should be designed with co-designed dynamic solu ons that empower ci zens while strengthening the community. Users must iden fy, take care of, and contribute their skills to improve the project (Urban design lab handbook, 2019, p. 119). While it is diffi cult to achieve all the above in this thesis due to ethical clearance limita ons and me constraints, I have incorporated as many of the above criteria that would be possible in this scenario by interac ng with the space personally, living locally, a aining informa on from experts in the fi eld across each category, and interac ng with academics to assist with impera ve knowledge. 63 • Use a minimal amount of energy, making use of passive green technologies (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 20). Regardless of the project genera ng clean energy, the overarching issue is overconsump on. • Use a minimal amount of space (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 20). It would be ideal to retrofi t a building for projects to use exis ng structures that do not have working programmes to reduce unnecessary carbon emissions. Instead, this project intends to create a precedent for growing construc on materials and to act as a carbon sink. • Reduce how many vulnerable resources are used (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 20). The project cleans water, one of the vulnerable resources that are frequently wasted in construc on. The project improves the microclimate by plan ng indigenous plants, improving the river’s water quality, and maintaining a green space in a built- up area that experiences the urban heat island eff ect. Construc on and use of buildings should: • Minimise harmful emissions during opera on and construc on (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 20). The emissions from this project are minimised with the programme and design; furthermore, it removes harmful emissions from the environment through phytoremedia on (the removal of heavy metals in water) and water treatment. The project has a posi ve environmental and societal impact on the area as it cleans polluted water while producing organic produce. • If the building is demolished, to minimise the amount of pollutants le behind (Rieniets et al., 2014, p. 20). The project uses products that can either be recycled, such as glass and aluminium, or naturally decomposed, such as bamboo, hemp, coff ee grounds, and mber. • Be adaptable to future possibili es to increase life span and sustainability (Pawlyn, 2016, p. 144). The project creates spaces that can be adapted internally for many possibili es by using non-loadbearing internal walls and access to natural light from clerestories. 64 To enhance the above guidelines, the Sustainable Development Goals have been used as criteria for this project as holis c sustainability goals; the project will be using addi onal sustainability criteria at a later point that are specifi c to design and construc on (The Global Goals, 2023). 1 – No Poverty The project starts to address Target 1.1 (Eradicate extreme poverty) and Target 1.2 (Reduce poverty by at least 50%) in the area by off ering food provided by the soup kitchen, and by making healthy food more aff ordable by removing unnecessary costs in transporta on (The Global Goals, 2023). The project addresses Target 1.4 (Equal rights to ownership, basic services, technology, and economic resources) and Target 1.5 (Build resilience to environmental, economic, and social disasters) by providing access to localized, aff ordable clean water and food (The Global Goals, 2023). The pandemic revealed how easy the supply chain is to break during a crisis, and the load-shedding revealed how close the system is to failure. It is necessary to build resilient projects that must not only be self-suffi cient but also be localized. 2 – Zero Hunger The programme of the soup kitchen, the shopfront to sell the produce from the on-site aquaponic farm, and Gcwalisa (a store that sells pantry items at bulk prices) are linked to Target 2.1 (Universal access to safe and nutri ous food), and Target 2.2 (End all forms of malnutri on) (The Global Goals, 2023). The Aquaponic farm addresses Target 2.3 (Double the produc vity and incomes of small-scale food producers) and Target 2.4 (Sustainable food produc on and resilient agricultural prac ces) as the farm has a much higher yield of produce per m² than current farming prac ces and will upskill the labour who work in it as it is specialised (Aus n, 2023; Fish 2.0, 2015; The Global Goals, 2023). These eff orts ensure that the project enhances both economic opportuni es and environmental sustainability. 3 – Good health and well-being Target 3.3 (Fight communicable diseases) - The water treatment of the Sandspruit helps to reduce water-borne diseases by trea ng water that has high amounts of sewerage (Bega, 2023; The Global Goals, 2023). Target 3.9 (Reduce illnesses and death from hazardous chemicals and pollu on) The project helps to alleviate water pollu on in the area, and produces fruit and vegetables that are grown in non-contaminated soil or water (The Global Goals, 2023). 65 4 – Quality Educa on Target 4.4 (Increase the number of people with relevant skills for fi nancial success) The local labour is upskilled through construc on skills training programmes, and in aquaponic management and maintenance (The Global Goals, 2023). 5 – Gender equality Target 5.8 (Promote empowerment of women through technology) The restaurants provide free- to-use Wi-Fi in a safe enclosed area, and on Ninth street (The Global Goals, 2023). 6 – Clean Water and sanita on Target 6.1 (Safe and aff ordable drinking water) The water treatment centre cleans the stormwater and water from the Sandspruit to help provide clean water to the community (The Global Goals, 2023). Target 6.2 (End open defeca on and provide access to sanita on and hygiene) A public bathroom is provided that is open for all and at the front of the site for ease of use and safety for all (The Global Goals, 2023). Target 6.3 (Improve water quality, wastewater treatment and safe reuse) The project improves the water quality of the Sandspruit River and treats stormwater and its own wastewater (The Global Goals, 2023). Target 6.4 (Increase water-use effi ciency and ensure freshwater supplies) The project is designed with construc on techniques that are majority zero- waste as minimal concrete is used on site (The Global Goals, 2023). The project uses effi cient water usage, and the farm includes a closed-loop system, reducing poten al water waste in agriculture by 95% (Fish 2.0, 2015, p. 5). The water treatment centre provides a freshwater supply to help reduce the number of people suff ering from water scarcity. Target 6.7 (Protect and retore water-related ecosystems) The water treatment facility helps to restore the Sandspruit River (The Global Goals, 2023). Target 6.8 (Support local engagement in water and sanita on management) By designing the en re project as an experience for people to understand and learn from, the locals are promoted to engage in the process and management (The Global Goals, 2023). 66 7 – Aff ordable and clean energy Target 7.2 (Increase global percentage of renewable energy) The aquaponic farms and restaurants use bio-gas digesters to create gas for hea ng, cooking, and electricity (The Global Goals, 2023). The parking lots are covered with solar panels to generate addi onal electricity. 8 – Decent work and economic growth Target 8.2 (Diversify, innovate and upgrade for economic produc vity) The varied programmes innovate the exis ng typologies and create addi onal economic poten al in the area by providing job opportuni es and fresh produce to the restaurants and grocers (The Global Goals, 2023). Target 8.4 (Improve resource effi ciency in consump on and produc on) The buildings are designed to effi ciently clean and use water in construc on and management. The produce grown on-site provides the area with easy-to-access food with minimal transporta on and wastage (The Global Goals, 2023). Target 8.6 (Promote youth employment, educa on and training) The project employs local labour and upskills them dur