1,720,976 research outputs found
Urban informality as a generator for meaningful built form : towards a multi-purpose trade hub for Durban, South Africa.
Get PDFM. Arch. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.Urban informality is a process established by people in the informal urban context to shape existing formal cities to form new informal cities that facilitate their everyday lives. This phenomenon has grown substantially in Latin American, Asian and African cities to a point that people have transformed many of their formal post-colonial cities within these regions to informal cities that can facilitate urban informality. Instead of seeing this process as a way where people living in the informal urban context are trying to create cities and infrastructure that suite their context and way of life, architects and urban design professionals are repeatedly adopting 'western norms‘ to solve urban informality rather than facilitating it. This starts to create a gap between the architectural built form and the way people live. The research was then undertaken to bridge this gap between built form making and the lived realities in the informal urban context by using the underlying principles of urban informality defined by the people to generate meaningful built form within the South African, African context.
To achieve this, the research carried out investigations on current literature that dealt with three main principles that defined urban informality that could be used to generate an appropriate built form with the informal urban context. These principles were; socio- economic principles, emergence and the culture of urban informality and these started to suggest a flexible built form that can be adapted by its users to suit their needs. These principles were then tested against precedent and case studies to see their validity in the global and South African context. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a number of professionals that had a better understanding of the case studies than the author to make sure that the analyses and the conclusions based on those analyses were accurate.
The research findings ultimately defined an indeterminate built form that is formed through a participatory process between the collaboration of urban design professionals and the future inhabitants of the built form. This built form is 'loosely‘ defined and its inhabitants can manipulate and reconfigure it, to a certain extent, to suit the future unforeseen states of urban informality. The research also outlined a framework that can be applied in the design phase of a multi-purpose trade hub in Durban, South Africa
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Collective memory as an informant of consciousness in the built environment : towards a collaborative place of reconciliation for the mining community of Marikana.
Get PDFMining towns, like cities, are experiencing similar outcomes of rapid-urbanisation
where the opportunities that are presented by mass urbanisation and migration
(economic growth, jobs and increased social engagement) are increasingly
overshadowed by the consequences of over-urbanisation (housing shortages, slums and
failing infrastructure). These consequences, coupled with the growing gap between the
rich and the poor result in undesirable outcomes and lead to conflict, protest and
violence. As such, the majority of the South African population, while striving for a
better life, live in poorly serviced settlements on the outskirts of the city where crime,
oppression and exploitation, contribute to a growing fragmentation of the society as a
whole. These underdeveloped settlements and their working population contribute
largely to supporting the wealth of the city and generating profits for a small minority.
This is evident in the county’s mining operations where the disparity between the
mineral wealth below ground and the social condition and poverty above ground is
manifested in the failure of the social structure of the community and is responsible for
the psychological and physical condition of ‘in-betweenness’.
Halbwachs argues that culture and social framework, is presupposed by memory. As
such, the research aims to explore collective memory and its influence on social
cohesion as well as how it is manifested and mediated in the built environment. The
research is concerned with establishing a consciousness in design that values humanity
in the process and outcomes (i.e. From inception, through design development,
construction and realisation). Consciousness in the built environment suggests a
sensitive approach to social context while regenerating and revitalising new and
existing communities and simultaneously providing facilities that will contribute to a
socially and economically sustainable future in the wake of conflict and trauma. As
such it is argued that human-nature, self-interest and competition for survival, if
managed by conscience, promotes positive social advancement (Sumner, 1883)
Investigating the presence and activity of millennial's in Stellawood cemetery, Durban : toward the design of a cemetery that reintegrates the living with the dead.
Get PDFMasters in Architecture. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College 2015.Cemeteries have for centuries played a significant and influential role in society,
most especially within the urban fabric. Today, however many urban cemeteries are
becoming isolated and distant to life in cities; their real value lost to the society in
which they rest. With the intention of starting a discussion around the future and
potential of these lost city spaces, to explore deeper meaning and alternate uses, the
research within this dissertation looks to another user of cemeteries, the Youth who
seek a new but once accepted function in these incredible city landscapes. A young
generation of millennial’s eager for change, for reformation, for a new world and
structure of life, taking control over the terrain of the cemetery as their playground,
their own unique space within the city. The understanding adopted here is that these
spaces offer a freedom and unique set of features unlike any other public space.
These youth give a life, albeit a forbidden one, to these cemetery landscapes, they
add a new purpose and value in these spaces, engaging in Longboarding,
Skateboarding, Running, Cycling and Exploring the depths and beauty of a
landscape set apart from the normalities of society around them and it this potential
for the youth to add new life to these spaces that has yet to be realised
An explorative study on women's democratic participation and human rights in the Kwasani Municipality, Kwazulu-Natal.
Get PDFMaster of Arts in Conflict resolution and peace studies. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College 2015..Women’s democratic participation and human rights have been studied on a large scale and the focus has been mainly on women who are members of political parties and members of parliament. Human rights are also studied when human rights violations occur during conflict, but ordinary communities tend to be disregarded and no one seeks to find out whether they know their human rights and on what scale are they being violated. Women’s democratic participation is not only limited to women who are members of parliament or political parties; some women’s human rights are violated every day and hence awareness of human rights important even when there is no conflict. This dissertation will explore how women from KwaSani Municipality exercise their democratic participation and will assess whether they are aware of their human rights, how these rights may be violated and where women go to address the violations
Exploring school learning environments through the integration of green spaces.
Get PDFMaster of Architecture. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2016.This study is focused on what architectural contribution can be made to existing learning environments by integrating green spaces within primary schools. In pursuit of quality education, alternative methods of teaching and learning that use the natural environment is explored. The literature explored is underpinned by educational and architectural theories that present an argument for learning through experience of place as a means of improving the teaching and learning environment. Existing primary schools in Durban do not provide opportunities for learning within and from the natural environment; therefore, this study is orientated towards countering this. The research presented informs the design for an alternate primary school in Durban which aims at expanding the traditional learning environment from the confines of built classroom spaces to the outdoor natural environment
Exploring the role of digital technology in enhancing an environmentally responsive architecture: toward a fog water harvesting and visitors centre on Signal Hill
Get PDFMaster of Architecture. University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanThe development and progression of architecture throughout the ages has been for the most
part as a result of the influence of new technologies. Today, more environmentally
responsible and innovative buildings are being constructed thanks to research and
developments in technology. As the information age transforms into the digital age, the trend
for digital integration into every-day life is becoming the norm. Concurrently, the promotion
of sustainable living in our society has been facilitated by digital technology. While digital
technology and sustainable living might seem like completely different fields, they are more
interconnected than we may believe. This dissertation explores how digital technology can
enhance an environmentally responsive architecture. The thesis provides principles for
developing a connection between digital technology and environmental architecture in order
to facilitate a sustainable approach toward sourcing water
Physio social reform through restorative architecture: towards the design of a pre-release centre for female offenders in Durban.
Get PDFMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This dissertation has been conducted to investigate the need for prison environments to redefine
reform through the introduction of post punishment prisons which cater beyond punishment
and responds to user specific needs. This research will explore the interrelationship between
architecture and its users, through behaviourism, restorative processes, and gender sensitive
design approaches which could redefine the reform of female offenders as a holistic process.
Past and current prison environments have been explored in this dissertation in order to
motivate for a new post-punishment model which would focus on promoting reflection and
initiate offender reintegration, in the hopes of closing the gap between incarceration and
reform, and ultimately reducing the high rates of recidivism in South Africa.
Using an exploratory study that fully relies on a qualitative constructivist methodology, allows
the researcher to gather insightful information regarding the female offenders’ needs, their
experiences within the prison environment as well as their current process for reform. This,
along with the analysis of the existing literature, and various precedent studies, case studies
and a series of in- depth interviews with staff officials from the Westville Female corrections
centre and offender advocates from grass-roots NGO’s, established various themes which
responded to the research concepts of gender sensitive architecture, restorative environments
and post punishment reform.
Furthermore, as a result of the findings from the fieldwork component, this research concludes
that despite the Department of Correctional Services attempts to promote offender reform
within current prison environments, the outdated prison models, along with the lack of
understanding regarding the post punishment phases of reflection and reintegration, has
resulted in the current prison environment not being conducive towards the holistic reform of
offenders.
This dissertation concludes that for prison environments to facilitate the holistic reform of
offender must incorporate the tripartite solution of:
1. Gender sensitive architecture – responds to female offender needs.
2. Restorative environments: facilitates the processes of reflection and reintegration.
3. Post punishment reform – redefines reform so it is physio socially holistic
The right to human dignity : a study of communal water and sanitation facilities for the peri-urban settlement of Inanda.
Get PDFMaster of Architecture. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2015.Sustainable urban sanitation presents one of the many challenges towards service delivery and is directly related to poverty alleviation. Without appropriate social infrastructure such as water and sanitation - communities in the developing world can easily spiral into a decline. Water and appropriate sanitation, centre on community building and support communities to achieve high standards of health, equality, and good quality housing, good schools, safe, clean and friendly neighbourhoods. Without these social support infrastructure, peri-urban settlements struggle to become cohesive, and living communities with a sense of place, belonging or identity. In the developing world, communities without access to water and sanitation facilities suffer from a wide range of social problems and a platform for social discourse. Women are closely related to sanitation and water usage due to their social responsibilities at home and within their communities. Women tend to manage households and are the primary caregivers to children and extended family, also playing a nurturing role for the vulnerable, disabled and sick in the community. In South Africa, women living in rural and peri-urban areas face significant challenges. They live within a cycle of poverty, without appropriate access to a private toilets or to clean drinking water at the home. This research paper sets out to achieve an understanding of the daily living conditions communities face both spatially and programmatically, with a focus on women living in the peri-urban settlement of Inanda Durban. The objective set out tackles how architecture can be envisioned to meet dignified possibilities for and enrich the livelihoods of communities through the provision of appropriate and sustainable and suitable water and sanitation
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