Frontier02_One Step Beyond - Thoughts...

As an intuitive start to this Frontier, the "other" that I explore is the phenomenon of Foreign owned spaza shops (Informal Micro Convenience stores) found in South-African townships and Residential neighborhoods...

"White House Spaza" shop, up the road from home. 

 What is a "Spaza"?

A Spaza shop is an informal micro-retail store, usually found in South African townships (1). This informal economy arose in townships during the apartheid era with small entrepreneurs selling every day groceries form their homes. The spatial layout of townships did not include immediate retail facilities, and the Spaza became a valuable economic solution to most township 

An interest of mine in exploring Migrant Owned spaza's in particular is due to the fact that though the spaza is historically a South African occurrence (2), the prevalence of foreign owned spaza's in some neighborhoods seems to advance that of locally owned spaza's. I am curious as to why. 

Comparing the ratio of Migrant to Locally owned Spaza shops. (Dawn Park, Boksburg)

The following statemt from the suggested readings was an interesting provocation in terms of one's "everyday" and aparently normal interactions with this "other."

“There are a you and an I, and there is no mine and yours! For without a you and an I, there is no love, and with mine and yours there is no love but "mine" and "yours" are, of course, formed from a "you" and an "I", and, as a consequence, seem obliged to be present wherever there are a you and an I. This is, indeed, the case everywhere, but not in love, which is a revolution from the ground up. The more profound the revolution, the more completely the distinction mine and yours disappears, and the more perfect is the love.” - Kierkegaard, S.!Works of Love (1847)[36].

Different Spaza in same suburb (Dawn Park, Boksburg)

I'd hope to uncover why it is that the network of foreign owned spaza's seems to me more predominant to the locally owned counterparts. What lessons can be learnt from migrant owned spaza shops around entering into "an other" (different from your own) economy (or system), and thriving in that foreign economy/system..

1. R7bn worth of untapped township potential Lessons from Spaza shop owners.

2. Migrant spaza shops: business lessons from Soweto

Focused Design intention

After the spatial exploration exercises, I decided to take a bit of a step back to focus my overall design intention more. While I found myself responding on a number of various things things, I had not yet fixed on one overall design intent, which was making it slightly difficult to progress. 

From the exercises, I considered what was driving the various decisions being made. 

Substance abuse and it's impacts in Fietas.  

From the number of site visits and interaction with residents at the Jan Hofmeyer community center, as well as through an unscripted documentary on the neighborhood, I found that substance abuse has been a contributing factor to the various difficulties in Fietas. 

Responding to this condition has been a major driver in the intent to explore how architecture can respond to the social opportunities. 

I consider what are some of the major causes behind some issue of substance abuse in Fietas. Understanding that architecture may not necessarily be the solution to all the problems of the neighbourhood, 

I considered which of the contributing factors have spatial implications (Orange dots). This is where I see opportunity for intervention. 

One of the major cause of the substance abuse, both in Johannesburg and in Fietas in particular is largely due to what is termed "Post-apartheid Woundedness." This was supported by an article I read on the subject of Youth “Woundedness” and the substance abuse crises in South Africa. Below are a few quotes from it:

"While there are many factors contributing to this state of affairs (generally), we must apportion some of this to the “woundedness” of our nation, post – apartheid...

Substance abuse is a national crisis threatening the very fabric of our society. In responding to this crisis, we need to address our “woundedness”."

Youth “Woundedness” and the substance abuse crises in South Africa – A contribution towards understanding this “Wicked” Problem! - Jerome September, Youth Connector at the Citizens Movement

What became particularly interesting with Fietas is that the "woundedness" (caused by the demolitions under the apartheid group areas act) caused not only the social woundedness, but it is also very evident spatially.

Socio-spatial woundedness in Fietas, the scars of the apartheid demolitions of the 1970's

The "social woundedness" that exists in Fietas (substance abuse, crime etc) is very related to the what caused the "spatial woundedness" (decay, void spaces) also. The scars that remain are not only emotional scars, but also spacial.

The demolitions which took place drastically altered the condition of the previously thriving, multiracial neighborhood.

A bit of Fietas, before the demolitions of the 1970's

These considerations, in getting a better understanding of the real nature and cause of the substance abuse ni Fietas, as well as its related conditions, helped focus the design question in arriving at a relevant architectural intervention:

In considering this question, I look to address the spatial woundedness found in Fietas, in view of the fact that it is also associated with some of the social conditions found in the neighborhood.

I consider the intervention metaphorically as being a catalyst: In the same way a bandage doesn't necessarily heal a wound, but is necessary to facilitate the body's natural process of healing,

This idea is to be explored further.