Thesis initial proposal: The journey begins.

Following our exhibition and final-mid year reviews from the first semesters work, we have officially begun on the major thesis project as Unit2's M.tech_1 class. 

This week we presented our initial ideas for a thesis proposal with considerations of a site. 

We also received feedback from a guest presenter, Emmanuel Nkambule...

Initial Feedback

A few points of feedback from our first presentation of the proposals...

- I may have to further define the problem identified as an architectural one. 

- Fietas is quite a difficult site, especially in terms of accessing and documenting the social realities, I'm to consider exactly how I can best extract key findings to inform design. 

- With the above, one may also consider a clear time-frame to research and extract the findings from the site, and how it is I am to immerse myself in its day-to-day realities. 

- Although I think I'll find this along the process, I'm still to clearly state what the "product" is to be and who my "client" is.

Reflections and summary from Semester 1 in UJ_Unit2

Mid-year exam review and exhibition at Bjala Sq, Jeppestown

July 2015 marked the beginning of semester 2 at UJ and we ended of the first semester with our mid-year exam review and an exhibition of all our Semester 1 work thus far at Bjala Square in Jeppestown. 
It has really been an interesting and pleasantly challenging 6 months being a part of UJ_Unit2

The process

We began with a neighborhood immersion project, which had us grappling with concepts around "community" (as well as other terms we use but take for granted). The second project then looked at infrastructure, and the relationship between people, social systems and built-form (at a neighborhood scale). We then moved to looking at explorations in urban design and architecture. The task involved proposing an architectural interventions, informed by the unique, urban characteristics of the multi-layered Newtown context. The last project had us study the Denver informal settlement (west of Johannesburg). This was followed by the task to design context-sensitive housing "supports", within an Urban Tissue Framework proposed by Unit2. 

The process involved presentations and workshops from various speakers and presenters, most notably, a 2 week intensive with US Professor Stephen Kendall 

Highlights 

There have been a number of highlights in the learning experience, below are just a few

Presenting project 1: Neighbourhood immersion. 

- Before this year, I had no knowledge of Open Building. The past 6 months have been an enjoyable experience of growth in understanding the various concepts of Open Building [Time-based design, architecture and transformation, agency in the built environment (B.E.), Levels of decision making, the close relationship between builtform and the various actors who interact with it, etc...]

- Although still enjoying it, the first part of the year was initially more abstract and conceptual. The exercise with Prof. Kendall was great in helping me grasp the technical aspects of Open Building, a major stepping stone. 

- Being granted the great opportunity to attend the Future of Open Building conference, in Zurich Switzerland. (See announcement)

- Growth and (still) developing my own architectural "voice". In looking at the BE as an ecosystemic whole, Unit2 has been a great help in articulating my own understanding of architecture and the B.E. 

- This year more, than ever, I've seen the greater potential of architecture as a tool for service. (That's the basic idea behind the title "Mission-arch" ("missionary architecture")). Open Building has strengthened the understanding of the close relationship between spatial design as having social impacts. 

- Have really enjoyed various presentations throughout the year, from Liz Ogbu, past Mtech students, other professionals and recently Emmanuel Nkambule.

What I take away 

Looking to explore some of the lessons learnt in semester 1, through a personal lens of how I see my role as an (aspiring) architect; together with testing and also questioning my own convictions as a "spatial practitioner" 

UJ_Unit2_P5_Part 2 // Design Resolution

Street View showing framework to enable "informal" trader stalls

Trade pavement edge: Relationship between urban principles and the architecture. 

The Base Building at first floor level, without any infill.
Includes shared vertical circulation,
Adaptable facade elements
Punch-through opportunities for internal vertical circulation.  

View from of support from park & children s play space

UJ_Unit2_P5_Part 2 // Design Development

Design approach

The question I asked myself for this project and which drove the design process was: "How can the design of the base building enable its occupants to design and define their own spaces...?"

- This was drawn from looking at how that is the current practice, with shack-dwellers making and defining their own personal residential spaces, within the restrictions and opportunities of the informal settlement. 

The base building/support as a mediator...

With the context being made up of the 2 extremes of the fixed/rigid hostel development, and temporary/flexible shacks, I also considered the base-building as a possible mediator between these 2 typologies. There are positive principles one draws from both. (listed above)

Design principles 

- Reinforcing positive social realities and the agency of occupants

- Occupants flexibly design individual spaces within the fixed framework of the base-building

- The urban environment to form a part of the overall "support"

- Base building as a mediator, between permanent and temporary physical elements, territorial boundaries, and residents. 

Site location 

Site situated immediately adjacent to Hostels

Tissue model principles for assigned walk up typology

Functions from urban framework

Possible scenarios of occupants within mixed use development

Flexibility within a fixed framework

The base building, as a system, is designed in such a way as to offer occupants with the ability to define their individual spaces in terms of layout, size and function. 

Base building | Infill

Questions of which pat of the building is fixed and which parts are flexible. 

Ownership | Control

Exploring who  (between the developer and the occupant) owns the various elements of the building, compared with who controls them. 

UJ_Unit2_P5_Part 2 // Denver: First Impressions

Collage of ones initial impressions on the first (and last) site visit to Denver

The major features being the informal settlement's condition, in terms of built form and spatial layout. The hostel and re-appropriated factory buildings also stood out...
Really appreciated the residents' industrious use of material and minimal space, even though the physical environment was in a less than ideal condition.