Theses and Dissertations (Architecture)

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Nana's living library : an outdoor South African floral library in Pretoria CBD
(University of Pretoria, 2024-11) Shand, Dayle; mariette.dekock01@gmail.com; De Kock, Maureen
Urbanisation increasingly diminishes the availability of open space in cities, creating a disconnect between people and nature, especially in the heart of the Pretoria Central Business District (CBD), along Nana Sita Street. Here, local communities are restricted to poorly maintained public parks and occasional visits to natural landscapes, outside of the city, for brief interactions with nature. Meanwhile a deep connection with natural elements like flora is an important part of people’s lives. A notable example of lack of engagement is that local floral knowledge is primarily restricted to botanical gardens and nature reserves on the city’s outskirts. This project addresses these challenges by proposing a spatial framework to reintegrate nature within Tshwane’s inner city, emphasising underrepresented floral knowledge exchange. Central to this initiative is exploring methods of knowledge sharing and translating it to landscape architectural elements. Nana Sita Street serves as the primary spine of the precinct development, with improved pedestrian conditions and pathways, creating a network of new and existing green spaces in the CBD as satellite floral gardens. These foster improved human-nature relationships, celebrating authentic interactions with locally indigenous plants by transforming current derelict open spaces into gardens with medicinal, edible, culturally significant and useful plant species. The proposal is further detailed on one site within Nana Sita Street, where leftover space is transformed into an outdoor floral library complete with a discussion pavilion, exhibition walls, herbarium, workshops and demonstration areas. Other proposed development includes the repurposing of a petrol station into a vegetated area, adding residences, play areas and shops. The owner of the site, FABA Properties Ltd is considered to be the primary client and collaborates with the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the Future of the City Centres Network, which focuses on improving city centres. The proposal serves the diverse community, including working professionals, school children, theatre goers, families and visitors from surrounding areas. Overall, this proposal acts as a catalyst to highlight the importance of good quality urban green spaces, advocating for alternative representations of urban nature that integrate floral knowledge and its significance within local human-nature relationships.
Exploring opportunities and challenges in cultivating traditional African crops for sustainable urban agriculture : insights from the Melusi underprivileged community
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06) Botes, Karen; u29192910@tuks.co.za; Louw, Anrea
Urban agriculture (UA) is increasingly recognised for its potential to enhance food security in cities, yet integrating Traditional African Crops (TACs) into Sustainable Urban agriculture (SUA) remains underexplored, particularly in underprivileged communities like Melusi in Tshwane, South Africa. This study explores the opportunities and challenges of TACs integration in Melusi's SUA to address severe food insecurity and improve environmental, social and economic spheres of sustainability exacerbated by financial constraints and limited access to nutritious food. This research employs a qualitative approach grounded in the interpretive paradigm. It employs semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with Melusi community members and stakeholders. Thematic analysis is conducted using ATLAS. Ti software to identify patterns and insights on SUA practices, community perceptions of TACs, and barriers to implementation. Themes explored include SUA's socio-economic impacts, TACs' cultural significance, and environmental sustainability in urban agriculture. Recommendations include tailored strategies for enhancing local food production, fostering community engagement, and effectively integrating TACs into SUA initiatives to improve food security and resilience in Melusi.
Informal adaptations : reworking informal trades connection to city public spaces and building interfaces
(University of Pretoria, 2025-01) Toffah, Tariq; u19111292@tuks.co.za; Dlamini, Lesedi
This project, titled "Informal Adaptations: Reworking informal trades connection to city public spaces and building interfaces," focuses on the design of a mixed-use development at 232 Boom St, Daspoort 319-Jr, Pretoria, 0001 (GPS coordinates: -25.738708, 28.189034), with the aim of integrating informal traders into the urban fabric. The project is situated within a context of urban neglect and underutilization of public spaces, specifically addressing the challenges faced by informal traders in accessing secure and serviced trading spaces. The Department of Architecture's research field on urban regeneration and social inclusion provides the theoretical framework for this project. While there is no specific client, the project serves the needs of the informal traders in Tshwane, aiming to improve their livelihoods and promote their integration into the city. The theoretical premise underpinning the project is the belief that informal trade plays a vital role in the urban economy and should be supported and integrated into the city's fabric rather than marginalized. The project aims to create a more inclusive and vibrant urban environment by providing informal traders with access to secure trading spaces, essential infrastructure, and opportunities for social interaction and economic growth.
A posthumanist critique of PRASA’s Metrorail infrastructure and its contribution to perpetuated inequalities of the majority, Hatfield, Pretoria
(University of Pretoria, 2023-07) Devenish, Paul; Toffa, Tariq; chrisjt388@gmail.com; Thompson, Christopher
This research is contextualised in the post-apartheid urban environment railway infrastructure of PRASA’s Metrorail, which has inherited many stations with built forms, structures and operations informed by the apartheid era’s spatial planning policies, and practices. Apartheid adapted and applied modernist principles to spatial planning, which created built environments of mono-functionality, rationality, operational efficiency, and racial segregation. This resulted in spaces of austerity which currently limits social justice, economic efficiency, and environmental sustainability. PRASA’s Metrorail is currently experiencing infrastructure failure, vandalism, and crime, which has prompted the implementation of station revitalisation strategies as part of their modernisation programme. The modernisation programme aims to also reflect their values of ‘safety’, ‘fairness and integrity’, ‘teamwork’, ‘service excellence’, ‘communication’, and ‘performance driven’. This research investigates the recently revitalised Rissik Station as a case study for similar passenger railway station typologies, to uncover inherited apartheid rational non-human systems that may persist and perpetuate inequity for its users, through a posthuman critique. Applying the posthumanist critique to Rissik Station helps reveal nuanced interactions between the entangled human and non-human actors (hard and soft infrastructures) to understand and make explicit what is implicit about the station that others the human component.
Emthonjeni urban park : utilising landscape narratives as an informant for decolonized landscape design approaches
(University of Pretoria, 2024-11) Shand, Dayle; mabaso.siphiwe@gmail.com; Mabaso, Siphiwe
The City of Tshwane is largely devoid of formally provided Public Open Space for Afrocentric cultural activities related to nature and landscape – which at present often take place in rural landscapes. This has implications for identity making and feeling ‘at home’ in the city. The aim of this project is to create an urban park that gives the residents of Malusi informal settlement, (who are mostly from rural landscapes and urban settings outside of the highly urbanized province of Gauteng) a feeling of ‘home’ in the city. Simultaneously, the project aims to addressing the shortage of public spaces in the city, and specifically in informal peripheral areas, while also reinstating the City of Tshwane’s Nursery to a functional and meaningful landscape in the urban fabric. The South African landscape, and people’s relationships to it, are deeply scarred by the abhorrent and discriminatory planning of the apartheid and colonial governing systems, evident in the 1913 Natives Land Act (27 of 1913) and the Development Trust and Land Act (18 or 1936). The forceful removal of people from the land has impacted how people now use and relate to spaces, especially in urban environments. Spatial inequality is South Africa, resulting from past laws and race based spatial planning, excluded the needs of Africans in urban areas and persists today. This means that even today most African urban residents stay the furthest from the city due to the inherited apartheid spatial planning patterns, where parks and other natural resource-related services remain limited in light of the high population levels in these areas. The impact of this, is that there are limited spaces, which truly represent African use of space, and which could support the daily, and lifetime needs of urban residents, especially in light of the fact that urbanization remains an upward trend in South Africa and will ultimately further change people’s relationship to the landscape. The aim of the project is to use the concept of ‘biocultural diversity’ as a tool in designing public open space. Biocultural diversity is an approach that argues against the predominant worldview where culture and nature are in opposition, and instead promotes an argument that they are intertwined. The narratives, and experiences shared by participants in the research project undertaken earlier in the year, as well as the authors own personal understanding of African place-making and use, are used as informants to create an urban park where cultural activities can take place. The design approach also integrates current activities that are happening in an around the existing site, while upgrading the site to be a landscape that connects people from home through the provision of spaces to perform cultural activities, farm, and harvest medicinal plants, and to relate back nature.
Reframing the ruin : reinterpreting a Bakoni site through experimental preservation
(University of Pretoria, 2024) Bothma, Cobus; celine34776@gmail.com; Nel, Celine
Located just south of Mashishing (Lydenburg), this project centres around a cluster of Late Iron Age ruins left by the Koni, who are a pre-colonial agro-pastoral society that shaped the Mpumalanga escarpment with extensive terraced landscapes and circular stone-walled settlements. Positioned on a site with varying degrees of stone ruin condition, this project aims to transform these remains into a productive interpretation centre and archive, narrating a story of harmonious interaction between people, landscape, and livestock. Currently, the general public remains unaware of the origins of these ruins, making this project a platform for public archaeology through collaboration between Mashishing community members, other locals, tourists and archaeologists to reframe their understanding and explore the significance of this heritage. Through its focus on the considered reactivation of these ruins, the project enhances Mashishing’s cultural identity while supporting sustainable ecotourism, responding to the disruption caused by a road that fragments one of the ruin homesteads, and subsequently aiding in the future protection of these historic sites. With an integrated program that includes an artefact archive, a small-scale dairy with traditional sour milk processing (amasi/mafi), an eatery, and a communal pottery workshop, the site embodies circularity as dairy products are created and fermented in locally crafted clay pots, connecting service and production in a closed loop, reflective of past site use. Importantly, this workshop provides members of the Mashishing community—some of whom are active potters—a dedicated space to share and showcase their craft with others, creating a cultural exchange that benefits heritage preservation. This space is designed to attract tourists, students, archaeologists, museum curators, farmers and members of the Mashishing community, creating a strong tourism node between major attractions like Dullstroom and the Kruger National Park. The architectural approach embraces three core concepts: memorialisation, re-signification, and reframing. Memorialisation subtly reinforces lower-significance ruins using earthen berms, paying homage to their historical context. Re-signification emphasises high-significance ruins with minimalist boundary markers, while reframing uses framed views and programmatic prompts to offer intimate, reflective engagement with selected ruins. By blending contemporary and traditional construction techniques with a focus on reversible construction, the project facilitates sensitive re-inhabitation, positioning Bakoni heritage as a driver of cultural and ecological development.
Itireleng : community and climate resilience through multivalency
(University of Pretoria, 2024-11-28) Hugo, Jan; cannongrant4@gmail.com; Cannon, Grant Daniel
In response to rapid urbanization and the apartheid scars of spatial segregation, this project proposes a multifunctional community centre in Itireleng, an informal settlement near Laudium, Gauteng. The design explores how architecture can catalyse socio-economic upliftment in marginalized communities by incorporating multivalency, flexibility, and resource efficiency. The project integrates sustainable design principles and incremental urban development, creating resilient, adaptive spaces that foster community engagement and growth in challenging environmental and social conditions. In the post-apartheid era, the city faces the challenge of reintegrating segregated and marginalised communities, which suffer from inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, insecure land tenure, and lack of access to essential services like water, electricity, and sanitation. The population of Region 4 in the City of Tshwane is growing at a rate of 4,6% per year, exceeding all other regions. The vulnerability of informal settlements like Itireleng is further exacerbated by climate change risks, with rising temperatures putting added stress on residents and infrastructure. This project addresses these pressing socio-economic and environmental challenges through architectural intervention. The proposed community centre will serve as a hub for socio-economic development, offering a multiple services and functions. Educational facilities such as an Early Childhood Development Centre, vocational and skills development training and workshop spaces, a library, and digital labs are integral parts of the design. Additionally, transport facilities, sports facilities, market areas, and workshops for mechanics and local traders create opportunities for skills development and economic growth. By addressing the immediate and long-term needs of the community. The programmes aim to foster social interaction, learning, and empowerment. The concept revolves around multivalency, where building elements serve multiple purposes to maximize efficiency and utility. Flexibility and modularity are central to the design, allowing spaces to adapt as community needs evolve. Bioclimatic façade responses enhance indoor climate control with minimal energy input, while incremental development ensures the project can expand in line with the future growth of the surrounding urban fabric.
Menlyn’s melting pot : revitalising fluid food trade at the Menlyn Junction
(University of Pretoria, 2024-11-25) Barker, Janri; nnmabasa15@gmail.com; Mabasa, Neo
The Menlyn Melting Pot design proposal aims to transform Pretoria's Menlyn Piazza into a cohesive and adaptable space that supports local entrepreneurs, fluid food vendors, and the broader community. Currently, congestion and competition for space between taxis, pedestrians, and fluid food vendors along the sidewalk on Lois Avenue—situated between Menlyn Park and Menlyn Maine—create an unstructured setting that leads to persistent conflicts, lack of infrastructure, and safety risks. The absence of designated zones for storage, preparation, or trading forces vendors to work under precarious conditions, often resulting in inefficient methods and repeated removals by local authorities. This project focuses on resolving these spatial and social conflicts by reimagining the public space to better accommodate all users. The plan introduces modular vendor stalls, communal seating areas, and a redesigned sidewalk that designates zones for vendors, pedestrians, cyclists, and taxis to ensure smooth flow and reduce congestion. By creating a well-organized, inviting urban environment, the design empowers fluid food vendors through adaptable stalls that can be tailored to their specific needs, supported by a shared prep kitchen and vendor support services like the culinary workshop and entrepreneurship learning hub. These services provide vital infrastructure for safe food preparation and offer opportunities for skill development and business growth. The framework connects Menlyn Park to Menlyn Maine, positioning Menlyn Piazza as a central hub that bridges these retail areas. Additionally, the incorporation of regenerative farming and green spaces enhances the project's sustainability, aesthetics, and environmental impact, promoting local food production and community engagement. The Menlyn Melting Pot proposal seeks to create a vibrant public space that supports social and economic inclusion while ensuring the sustainable growth and recognition of fluid food vendors within the urban fabric.
Katleho Healing Centre : an architectural strategy for the design integration of Traditional and Modern Healing for GBV survivors through food production in the city of Pretoria, South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2024-11-27) Schoulund, Darío; sam_moola@icloud.com; Moola, Sameeya
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a profound and pervasive issue in South Africa, affecting nearly every aspect of life. It is systemic and deeply entrenched in the country’s institutions, cultures, and traditions. Historically, women’s roles in society have shifted dramatically—from being complementary in pre-historic times to becoming patriarchal and limiting in post-apartheid South Africa. This patriarchal society, especially prevalent in disadvantaged areas, has created environments that are unsafe, unjust, and lacking in opportunities for growth. The focus of this project is on the rehabilitation of survivors of GBV. Western approaches to healing typically follow an egocentric perspective, viewing trauma as a mental issue and relying heavily on scientific methods. This often marginalizes generational indigenous knowledge, offering a one-size-fits-all solution to psychological suffering that is widely adopted across the world. In contrast, the traditional African worldview emphasizes culture and socio-centric perspectives, seeing individuals as part of a larger whole. In this view, the community shapes and supports the individual, with any personal pain and stress perceived as communal problems. This creates networks of social relationships that foster self-worth, self-control, a sense of belonging, and security. Research on current shelters for abused women in South Africa reveals a predominant focus on Western trauma healing methods, neglecting the crucial cultural and communal aspects of traditional methods. This gap highlights the need for integrated approaches that harness culture and community for healing, aiding survivors in reintegrating into society and empowering them to gain independence. This project proposes a facility for medium to long-term healing, integrated into the urban fabric of Pretoria. It aims to channel the healing power of space and time, focusing on three main components of post-trauma healing: Self (adapting cognition), Others (improving coping style) and World (facilitating social support). To facilitate these stages of healing, the project utilises the food production process as a framework, drawing parallels between healing and the stages of production, post-production, and consumption. This approach becomes the core programmatic strategy of the proposal. The facility champions fundamental symbolic aspects of traditional healing as a touchstone. Situating the project in the heart of Pretoria allows it to integrate into the existing systems and eliminates physical barriers that women face when seeking help, such as location and lack of transport. The urban vision addresses two dominant issues in Pretoria CBD: oversized city blocks and vehicular dominance. The project acts as a prototype for a pedestrianised city by puncturing current city blocks and redefining latent spaces through a network of systems centred around education, food, and green public spaces.
The architects Atelier : rethinking boukunde's interior spaces
(University of Pretoria, 2024-11-25) Barker, Janri; bothajessica99@gmail.com; Botha, Jessica
Architecture schools hold a pivotal role in shaping both the future of the profession and the identities of aspiring architects. However, schools often fall short in adapting to the ever-evolving demands of the field. While these schools should be spaces that inspire architectural thinking, many remain rooted in outdated spatial typologies. Historically, South African architecture schools have borrowed from international models like the Beaux-Arts and Bauhaus, which were designed for hand-drawing and traditional design practices. Yet, as the profession has shifted toward digital tools and collaborative workflows, where these spaces no longer accommodate the realities of modern architectural education. This disconnect between learning environments and contemporary architectural practice raises the question of whether these schools are equipped to inspire and educate future architects effectively—and if not, how they can be adapted to better suit the student needs. This project seeks to arrange the learning environment to better foster architectural thinking and knowledge exchange. To meet the needs of today’s architecture students, learning environments must be adaptable, technologically integrated and conducive to both individual and group work. With the rise of digital technologies and design software, traditional workspaces dominated by large-format desks are no longer sufficient. Architecture schools should reflect this shift by offering dynamic, power-accessible spaces that support the fluidity of modern workflows. Additionally, these environments must cater to diverse student preferences and ways of learning, embracing diverse sets of knowledge. Incorporating a connection to nature through views to the outside is crucial, as it enhances creativity, wellbeing and productivity. Furthermore, by applying sustainable strategies, such as optimising daylight and thermal comfort, schools can support a healthy learning environment. Through adaptive reuse and reprogramming, existing schools can evolve to inspire students, enabling them to engage with architectural principles while preparing them for practice. In this way, crafting learning architecturally ensures that schools not only meet educational demands but also empower students to think critically and creatively about their future roles as architects. Keywords: Adaptive reuse, transformative learning, architectural education, progressive learning environments, student-centered spaces
Interiors in flux : the coexistence of existing building stock and mass timber through adaptive reuse for environmental sustainability and user well-being
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06-28) Van der Hoven, Christo; cilliersmagdalena@gmail.com; Cilliers, Magdalena
People spend the majority of their time indoors. People, nature and buildings constantly change. People grow tired of their everyday routine and environment, resulting in periodical spatial changes within the spaces they occupy. Cyclical renovations of interiors occur frequently, responsible for the cumulation of extensive greenhouse gas emissions, a high carbon footprint and concerning amount of construction and demolition waste. This results in prematurely discarded structures, skins, services, space plans and stuffs, as per Stewart Brand’s six shearing layers of change and longevity. Sustainable alternative materials should be sought to replace carbon-intensive and extractive materials like concrete and steel, especially during deep renovations to decarbonise existing building stock. Mass engineered timber renders a viable sustainable alternative to not only reduce the anthropogenic impact on the environment by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon. Mass timber also presents the potential to improve indoor environmental quality, indoor air quality, human health and well-being. Adaptive reuse can function as implementation tool for mass timber integration in internal applications. The environmental impact of cyclical interiors was investigated through a case study conducted by industry professionals. Comparisons were made between the Global Warming Potential (kg-CO2e) of different materials to display the potential benefits of mass timber on indoor environmental quality and well-being.
Reducing heat stress exposure : retrofit shading strategies for informal dwellings in Tshwane, South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06) Hugo, Jan; locatingemile@gmail.com; Roux, Emile
The average temperature in South Africa is increasing at nearly twice the global rate. South Africa also has a large population living in informal settlements characterised by inadequate housing with poor thermal regulation. This population is consequently particularly vulnerable to the risks of increased heat stress exposure, underscoring the need to develop well informed, contextually appropriate heat stress adaptation strategies. One of such is the use of solar shading devices that block solar radiation, which after a literature review prove to have an increased potential in reducing indoor dwelling temperatures. The study therefore investigated the performance effectiveness of static and adaptive shading strategies. This was achieved by digitally simulating fourteen static shading strategies applied to a prototypical informal dwelling in Tshwane. An adaptive shading strategy with rotatable louvres was developed based on the synthesised results and was further tested in both virtual and in situ environments. The results of each were comparatively discussed using a control dwelling, and the accuracy of the digitally simulated data was compared to in situ measured data. The findings indicate that the performance of solar shading strategies is not directly proportional to the material surface area, suggesting that the availability of resources should be the first informant when developing shading strategies in informal contexts. The findings also present built environment professionals and informal settlement inhabitants with a practical guide to optimise shading performance. The roof is the most important building envelope surface to shade on an annual time scale, yet seasonal adaptive shading proves to reduce heat stress exposure significantly. This is accomplished by prioritising shading devices based on available resources and applying them to the surface with the highest thermal gain, while using optimal fin orientation. The results finally indicate that despite observed differences in absolute values, digital simulation is an effective method to verify design choices and optimise solar shading strategies. This study provides data and evidence to support a limited field encompassing locally appropriate heat stress adaptation strategies within informal contexts.
A critical analysis of the value of prototyping as part of a circular design process in the South African built environment
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06-28) Bothma, Cobus; celine34776@gmail.com; Nel, Celine
It is clear that within the architectural profession, a linear design process is generally employed, resulting in a lack of adoption of innovative technologies and design processes. However, some architectural firms and research and design initiatives are challenging this notion as well as the architect’s role through more circular design processes. By incorporating digital fabrication and manufacturing, alongside a reintegration of indigenous knowledge systems in architecture, innovation is able to be re-introduced into architectural practice. The integration of these newer technological approaches and design methodologies, as well as alternative building technologies, despite their potential value, are not widely accepted due to the uncertainty regarding their appropriateness. It is proposed in this paper that prototyping is a step in the design and fabrication process that may be a tool for creating more circular design processes that, in turn, generate appropriate innovation. Prototyping may aid in risk mitigation as it is involved in and based on experience and observation of technology, which ultimately assists in the acceptance of innovation on a variety of scales. A mixed-method approach will be employed, incorporating data from literature reviews, interviews, and an existing case study catalogue. Practitioners who actively adopt prototyping in their design process will be interviewed, alongside in-depth case studies of their respective projects, to critically analyse their use and value of prototyping within their specific circular design process and how it is able to extend the role of the architect, in order to aid in appropriate innovation that is valuable for the growth of the construction industry. The expected contribution of the study is to provide a comprehensive framework that highlights the importance of prototyping in circular design processes, demonstrating its potential to foster appropriate innovation and risk mitigation. By offering practical insights and detailed case studies, this research aims to influence current architectural practices and encourage the broader adoption of prototyping as a standard approach within the industry, particularly in the South African context.
Sustainable futures through the use of climate adaptive building technologies
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06-28) Vermeulen, Abrie; stormtylersibisi@gmail.com; Sibisi, Storm
There is a serious environmental catastrophe occurring right now that needs to be addressed. It is quite concerning how quickly the climate is changing across the globe. While global leadership on climate change will require an amalgamation of policy solutions, there are concerns that extreme weather shifts will disproportionately affect the developing world. Urban areas in South Africa must adjust to a changing climate and the resulting heat stresses that come with it. It is necessary to modify existing structures to meet these new needs and lessen their negative environmental impacts, highlighting the importance of adaptation rather than mitigation. Architecture plays a pivotal role in addressing environmental concerns. This study will investigate how we can enhance our existing building technology to achieve optimal building thermal efficiency while infusing innovation into our architectural thinking. This research paper forms part of a larger study that explores architectural building technologies that can be implemented as climate change adaptive strategies in multi-storey residential buildings in the city of Tshwane. The study follows a pragmatic approach and uses a desktop research method. The study aims to assess and comprehend the potential for thermal amelioration in both the current and projected climate conditions in Tshwane through the comparison of case studies and will draw conclusions on formulating a sustainable response to future climate changes.
Building resilience in urban areas : exploring climate change adaptation strategies for buildings in urban areas of Tshwane, South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2024) Vermeulen, Abrie; Breed, Ida; mcclaymt@gmail.com; Thikusho, McClay
The issues pertaining to the changing climatic conditions on the landscape demand urgent measures to enhance resilience of new building infrastructure and already existing buildings, particularly in Tshwane, South Africa, which are vulnerable to extreme weather events. This research focuses on investigating building technologies as climate adaptation strategies for multi-story apartment buildings in Tshwane, South Africa, where regular and severe heat surges create substantial challenges. By addressing the research problem of enhancing thermal adaptive capacity, the study intends to recognize technologies and strategies that can serve as interventions towards adapting to the changes in climatic conditions. Through a thorough analysis of selected case studies, the research examines how these building technologies aid in local climate adaptation strategies, specifically targeting their potential for improving thermal amelioration. The study examines the methods used to evaluate the thermal adaptive capacity of these technologies, analyses their reported outcomes, efficiencies, benefits, and shortcomings, and examines material and technical considerations associated with their implementation. The findings from this investigation aim to provide valuable guidance for enhancing the resilience of multi-story residential buildings in South African urban areas, particularly within the context of Tshwane's climate conditions.
Unlocking urban potential : an assessment of the limitations found within external urban connectivity networks and amenity accessibility opportunities within Tshwane’s mixed-use precincts, to determine resident suitability
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06-28) Devenish, Paul; Toffah, Tariq; aphelelezndlovu@gmail.com; Ndlovu, Aphelele Z.
In light of South Africa's history of segregation, patterns of exclusion still exist in the urban context. Mixed-use developments have been one of the interventions in a post-apartheid context used to address these persistent historical socio-spatial barriers, by integrating a range of close residential and non-residential compatible socio-economic opportunities within the same area or parcel of land, in the hopes of fostering connected and inclusive urban environments. Though this was the intention, currently these environments still exhibit infrastructural, social, economic, and mobility challenges that hinder inclusivity. Through a quantitative comparative case study analysis conducted on mixed-use high streets within Sunnyside and Hatfield respectively, that investigates the existing external connectivity and accessibility networks. The study aims to uncover existing limitations within these networks that prevent social cohesion and impact their suitability for holistic residency. The desktop study included a macro and meso scale analysis of the precincts to situate the precincts amongst existing potential natural and infrastructural barriers, and amenity opportunities as prescribed by the CSIR sustainable settlements frameworks. In addition, observational analysis documented micro scale human engagements with soft and hard infrastructures. 20 Interviews were conducted with current residents of the respective precincts,which focused on their lived experiences of the amenity opportunities within the precinct. The study found that Hatfield’s high street and its surrounding programmes are better externally connected to the broader context of Pretoria compared to Sunnyside, due to the larger transport offerings. In terms of the amenity offerings, there is satisfaction with the offerings, as the various opportunities support the main reason for habitation, being close proximity to work,education, and affordable housing options. In addition, both precinct amenities options adhere to the CSIR prescribed requirements. Though this is the case, there are expressed desires for more health care and educational facilities in Sunnyside, and entertainment opportunities in Hatfield. Additionally, observations and interviews revealed that both precincts show a lack of hard infrastructure offerings that support informal activities like informal trade particularly in Sunnyside. However the street edges and thresholds in Hatfield facilitated more interaction and inclusion opportunities between the street, the pedestrian and the building programme than in Sunnyside. Amongst both precincts, a common concern was regarding lack of safety within the neighbourhood and the high street. Therefore, the results show a combination of negative and positive remarks. Above all else, the findings shows that the adherence to framework requirements does not promise satisfactory results, but there needs to be closer attention paid to the site and its intangible demographic specific needs to foster more inclusive multifunctional environments.
Retrofit adaptive envelopes : a systematic series of strategies in informal settlements in Tshwane, South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06-28) Hugo, Jan; cannongrant4@gmail.com; Cannon, Grant Daniel
Climate change risks have resulted in ambient temperatures in South Africa rising at close to double the global rate. South Africa has a significant proportion of its population residing in informal settlements with high vulnerability to heat stress conditions. The study assesses and addresses the effectiveness of retrofitted bioclimatic façade adaptation strategies to mitigate heat stress in informal dwellings in Tshwane, South Africa. The primary objective is to examine the synergy of these strategies in reducing indoor heat stress exposure. Climate-responsive buildings that adapt to changing conditions can significantly improve user comfort during extreme weather events. Adaptive façades, which reduce energy consumption and heat stress, are particularly relevant in urban informal settings where access to electricity and conventional methods is limited. An observational analysis of 23 informal dwellings identified and evaluated common heat amelioration strategies along with insights from existing literature, including cross-ventilation, overhangs, vegetative solar shading and cool coatings. Strategies are synergised and assessed based on their performance, considering the annual percentage of hours experiencing heat stress. Combining strategies of cool coating, cross-ventilation, and vegetative solar shading significantly lowers heat stress exposure under current climatic conditions by 82% as well as predicted 2100 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climatic conditions by 51%. The study contributes to the discourse by highlighting the need for synergised adaptive strategies for informal settlements to improve thermal performance and climate resilience. As well as offering insight to future governmental policymakers.
Assessing the performance of segmented timber shell structures within the South African built environment based on the holistic interplay between regional material, manufacturing and assembly conditions
(University of Pretoria, 2024-06-28) Van der Hoven, Christo; u17010111@tuks.co.za; Smuts, Nicola
The construction industry faces multifaceted challenges of environmental degradation and declining productivity amidst the continual need to build. Biomimetics has emerged as a field of research that addresses these challenges by emulating the performative capabilities of natural systems, which has been made possible with the advent of integrative computational design (ICD) tools. Despite its potential, the application of these tools remains largely under-investigated in developing economies such as South Africa, where the need for expressive and regenerative architecture is becoming increasingly important amidst rapid urbanisation and burgeoning infrastructure demands. Segmented timber shell structures represent a convergence of innovations within this field. Thus, the study aims to create a framework that assesses the performance of this building system across material, manufacturing and assembly processes within the South African built environment. A scoping literature review distils the characteristics of the nation’s construction industry. These findings are then investigated as qualitative themes through quantitative parameters in a simulation case study of a segmented timber shell. Leveraging the simulation and analytical capabilities of ICD tools, the system’s structural and fabrication requirements are considered in conjunction with the nation’s contextual conditions. The findings indicate that there are opposing requirements in terms of material resourcefulness, structural integrity, fabrication management capabilities and skills availability. A balanced consideration leads to distilling hexagons as the regionally optimal geometric segmentation method, with an edge length approximation within a flexible range of 800mm to 1000mm. Moreover, the choice of local mass timber manufacturers does not play a significant role in the overall performance of segmented shells. The value of this research lies in its mixed-method approach, which defines the boundary of what is practically producible, both structurally and, more importantly, contextually.
City-making Architecture : the processes and practices contributing to the detachment between architecture and cities in South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2024) Schoulund, Darío; sam_moola@icloud.com; Moola, Sameeya
In the South African context, architecture exhibits two contrasting paradigms: one characterised by an emphasis on aesthetics, signature style and commercial-driven design, and the other marked by a commitment to meaningful city-making strategies. While architecture plays a pivotal role in shaping the identity of post-apartheid cities – providing safety, security, and the opportunities for civic engagement – concerns arise regarding whether the current architectural discourse effectively supports and promotes committed city-making architecture. This study investigates the processes, practices and education contributing to the detachment between architecture and the city in South African, where historical legacies of division continue to influence the urban environment. The study is carried out through a content analysis of awarded architectural projects, interviews with key role players and surveys. Findings suggest that prevailing architectural practices and values emphasize individualistic, aesthetic, and privatised expressions that often detach from the urban fabric, contributing minimally to addressing urban deficiencies. Consequently, the study concludes that for South African cities to evolve into livable and functional spaces that reconcile historical divisions, a fundamental shift is necessary in architectural education, promotion, and recognition, towards a value-driven architectural urbanism.
Exploring the transition from conventional to progressive learning environments in tertiary architectural education : a spatial strategies approach in South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2024-07-03) Van Aswegen, Anika; bothajessica99@gmail.com; Botha, Jessica
This mini-dissertation, titled Exploring the Transition from Conventional to Progressive Learning Environments in Tertiary Architectural Education, investigates the shift from conventional educational environments to innovative, progressive learning environments in the context of higher education for architecture. The study focuses on the human-environmental interface, examining how physical spaces impact and enhance transformative and adult learning processes. By analysing the shortcomings and opportunities of conventional learning environments, the research aims to understand the role of spatial design in fostering creativity, collaboration and critical thinking among architecture students. Key findings highlight the necessity of adaptable, student-centred spaces that align with contemporary pedagogical approaches, advocating for more dynamic and inclusive educational spaces. This research contributes to the discourse on architectural education by providing insights into how reimagined learning environments can better support the educational needs and aspirations of future architects.

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