Masters Degrees (Architecture)

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Traditional southern African dress and architecture : towards the design of the Durban Institute of Fashion.
(2008) Nxumalo, Kwenzekile.
Traditional African dress is a wide subject area. This study focuses on the influences of art forms such as fashion design on contemporary architectural design. There is past historic influence that can be identified in creating an identity for contemporary clothing and architectural design. Studying South African traditional clothing and architecture will inform the design for the Durban Institute of Fashion. The historic focus on dress has been limited to that of traditional South African origins and evolutions. This study will seek to identify the traditional aesthetics that were used in the history of dress and architecture whose details will be studied to explore the identity that the aesthetics present. The South African cultures studied include the Zulu, Tswana, Ndebele, Swazi, South Sotho, Xhosa and Cape Dutch. African traditional architecture is the main focus of this project. This study will seek to determine the relevance of African methods for a new architectural approach in South African architecture. The study of traditional building decorations will show how the aesthetics are transferred to architecture to express identity. To support this, a study of building technology and culture has been included. A review of contemporary architecture in South Africa studies and observes how the inclusion of tradition African architecture and decoration can address current issues. The link between studying clothing fashion and this architectural project will be achieved by addressing traditional dress, contemporary fashion designs and African identity. This will include an understanding of traditional African influences on dress from historic times to the present day. The cross-cultural influence focuses only on the western immigrants’ influence. The aim of this document is to obtain from the above an informed approach to the design expressing African identity for the Durban Institute of Fashion.
Design of a new Department of Television, Performance and Staging for Durban University of Technology.
(2008) Mwelase, Billy Sanele.; Githitu, Mahinda.
The power of education with its range of different fields has had a dramatic impact on our world, and more and younger students graduate every year. This growth and flooding have forced institutes to expand exponentially. And with the idea of internationally recognised degrees, many institutions have changed their curriculums, and some have even changed the institution titles e.g. Durban University of technology that was once called the Durban institute of technology and also the University of Natal that is now called University of KwaZulu Natal. This change has also forced these academic institutes to expand not only in terms of number of students, but also physically, with new buildings being built and also some even change the degree titles. The aim for the new Department of Television, Performance and Staging for Durban University of Technology is to attempt to facilitate this growth and change. To facilitate these changes, the scheme is to be divided into two main aspects – to reunify the existing growth and suggest new better ways of facilitating the growth. Secondly – the new Department of Television, Performance and Staging will not only set out the new dimension in future growth but will also architecturally facilitate the existing growth and change. This dissertation will then focus on a specific department within the Faculty, which is the Department of Television, Performance and Staging which will house the existing and to be upgraded Video Technology and Drama Studies departments. The focus on this department is to explore the relationship between the university and the public engagement, to enhance and upgrade the quality of the existing department. The Department of Television, Performance and Staging tries to explore concepts in architecture – utilising Video Technology and Drama Studies as a exploratory tool for students and professionals to promote architecture to a larger audience. The audience wants to be entertained and as well as informed through architecture that explores and expresses notions of space and structure through the use of shape, form, light, balance, colour, movement and expression.
AIDS and architecture : the study of an interaction : architectural responses to the development of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2008) Bingham, Kevin Gary.
AIDS has established itself over more than three decades as a major international pandemic3. While initial cases of the disease were documented in 1981 in the USA and Europe, cases in Africa became known at around the same time. It is however probable that the disease existed in Africa long before this time (Pratt, 1986:17). Due to the prominence of the AIDS epidemic and its related opportunistic diseases in South Africa and most acutely in KwaZulu-Natal (Smith, 2002 and South African Department of Health Report 2006) , the associated impact of the need for care of those living with and those affected by the virus has been brought to the fore. The accommodation of these persons occurs in a variety of building forms and types, and may vary depending on the stage within the individual’s health cycle related to the impact of the virus. With the advent of medication, termed anti-retroviral therapy, designed to retard the development of the virus, life expectancy has been extended, but with no confirmed cure and viral resistances, death is inevitable. While those living with the virus may continue to live productive lives for some time, the infirm largely seek care within medical facilities. Should access to formal health services be difficult due to remoteness or a lack of transport, such people are often cared for within the homes of surviving family members – often by children - or by their community. With the largest impact on the population being found within the 20 – 29 age bracket in the late 1990's (Smith, 1999: HIV Positive Results, June 1998), shifting to the 25 – 34 age bracket from 2003 onwards (South African Department of Health Report 2006), tertiary education institutions, through their clinics, have increasingly dealt with the management of student and staff health. Other building types affected by the AIDS epidemic4 include prisons and mortuaries, while care for those remaining behind after the death of family members to AIDS is usually within children’s homes or street shelters. The impact of AIDS on the built environment professions will permeate its way to all involved. Through selected case studies one will observe the impact of the epidemic on existing facilities and examine current methods employed to accommodate the problem. Architects, through the modification of existing structures or through the design of new facilities, are assisting in the struggle. New methods of dealing with the care of patients are being considered as well as alternative and innovative design approaches. This includes the need for flexibility of building layouts and universal design. Most proposals in the researched context require cost effective and workable solutions. Hope for the future lies with the management of the virus through medication, enabling the extension of life expectancies. Architects need to adapt to the incumbent problem while medical researchers develop a workable vaccine to confine HIV/ AIDS to the history books with the likes of Bubonic Plague, Smallpox and Typhus. It is through good architectural design and detailing that Architects can assist in the AIDS fight. This can be achieved firstly through research – gaining an understanding of the AIDS Brief – then designing for the specific needs for the infected and affected. These needs will include comfort, accessibility, anthropometrics, ease of maintenance, affordability, ventilation and illumination conducive to good health, and sustainability. Architects therefore have a major role to play within this epidemic.
South African commemorative architecture : a critical assessment of selected contemporary struggle sites within a transforming post-apartheid socio-spatial landscape
(2009) Rambhoros, Mizan.
The founding statement of this dissertation is that appropriate architectural commemoration in South Africa is an engagement of living memory, which is an amalgamation of memorial and community initiatives that enhances the everyday life of South African society. Since democracy, South African communities have been in constant and simultaneous dialogue with the past and present. A new approach to commemorative architecture has emerged from this, in which the notions of memory and community are hybrid responses to socio-political spatial transformation, and where architects play a significant role in the vision of public spaces, memory-making, and the assertion of a new South African identity. Evident by the recent proliferation of contemporary memorial projects in post-apartheid South Africa, architectural commemoration interweaves residues of the past as well as the constructs of daily life in spaces. Although the projects may vary in scale; the events and people they commemorate; their siting and commission, successful projects stimulate catharsis and nation-building by acknowledging and utilising the past for positive change and growth in the present, whilst creating hope and promise for the future. In order to prove the hypothesis, this dissertation compares South African and international commemorative interventions; questions what the appropriate approach to post-apartheid architectural commemoration in South Africa is; what the role of architects in South African commemoration is; and what the appropriate model for public South African commemorative projects may be. Thus, the major areas of research include philosophical and psychological memory; theoretical and architectural memory; the South African socio-political spatial context; and the study of contemporary post-apartheid commemorative architectural projects in South Africa. The research findings result in the establishment of recommendations for successful South African commemorative representations that encompass practical and symbolic forms of memory.
Arts and architecture in the design of a graduate school of fine arts for UKZN, Durban an examination of the influence of the arts in architecural design.
(2008) Sabapathee, Ganesh Koomarsamy.
Abstract available in PDF.
A botanical biotechnology institute for Mauritius.
(2009) Soobrattee, Mohammad Afzal.
Abstract not available.
Service or domination : designing a police station for Albert Park.
(2007) Hoffmann, Sven.
The South African Police Service is struggling to redefine itself as a public protection service as opposed to the instrument of public-control that it was in the past when it was still the SAP (South African Police). I believe that there is an ever-growing need for public protection facilities and that the design of these facilities is still not being prioritised. This has been demonstrated by many reports in the media concerning the severe lack of resources available to the South African Police Services and the inadequacy of those they are given. This is true also of the buildings they operate from. The transition, if indeed it has happened, of the pre-1994 paramilitary styled SAP, to an all-encompassing community protection Service, is thus a crucial issue if architects hope to successfully respond to the need for facilities that enforce safety and security. In architectural terms, consequently, one should question whether a police station in South Africa is easily identified as such, and what in-fact constitutes a successful policing building. It is intended to address this issue through the main question: what is an appropriate architectural response for designing a police station in Albert Park, Durban? In the past, police stations have been designed as fortresses and are therefore easily identifiable. It should be questioned whether this is the case currently, whether the domineering, fortress, imagery of the past is suitable for such stations now. Indications are that many stations built recently are not 'typologically' identifiable and not really designed with a perceived new identity in mind. Many of the older stations are now functionally inadequate because they are not designed for an SAPS that is now still struggling to adopt a community-embracing appearance and strategy. It is thus fit to question what a police station is, and question its development and origins in the local and international context. Ultimately it is intended to discern what is appropriate to contemporary South Africa. Perhaps it is possible to smooth out the earlier processes of the criminal-justice system through architectural intervention. The effectiveness of the police force can be improved in letting it operate from better facilities, providing buildings that convey to the public that the police are there to enforce safety and, yet, operate with the interests of the general public at heart. It is also of primary importance that the building proves adequate for the police to operate in, and from, while simultaneously ensuring humane conditions for the detainees awaiting hearings. Architectural intervention into this field can thus also positively adjust society's perceptions of such facilities further assisting the Criminal-Justice System. The hypothesis is therefore that in order to design a successful Police Station, in South Africa, it must include public facilities that are easily accessible to the public, but it conversely still needs to have certain of its functions secure, expressing these as such. The building must therefore strike a balance between the overt and covert modes of operation.
Adaptable architecture for an evolving educational system : the design of a facility for adult basic education and vocational training in the Greater Warwick Junction Precinct.
(2008) Hartl, Leigh.; Duncan-Brown, Alethea.; Mthethwa, Majahamahle Nene.
Currently in South Africa there are over 8 million people who have had little or no formal schooling. This has resulted in a large portion of the population that is unable to read and write or participate fully in society. The Adult Basic Education and Training Act of 2000 declares that access to education for adults is a basic human right, and it should therefore be readily available to the population. However, in KwaZulu-Natal there are only a few centres which offer ABET courses, and those that do have mostly not been designed specifically for this function, but are schools and community centres. This has meant that facilities are often inappropriate and inefficient in addressing the needs of the adult learner. It is in response to the current educational shortage that a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Training for Durban has been proposed. Through this study, key aspects relating to the design of a centre for adult education were examined. These included the response to an urban context, movement in the city and buildings, the quality of the learning environment, and the needs of the adult learner. In order to develop the architecture for a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Vocational Training, these principles were analysed and understood in order to make a meaningful response. This research examines some of the complex factors which influence the design of a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Vocational Training in Durban in order to provide a centre that provides all the necessary services in one building. Primary and secondary data collection methods were used, in the form of interviews, case studies, a literature review and precedent studies. The research was then used in order to draw up a design brief, resulting in the design of a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Vocational Training.
An architectural strategy for the rehabilitation and integration of street children back into society : a Durban case study.
(2006) Kerr, Brendan.
In Durban as well as many other cities around the world one can find the phenomenon of street children. Studies have highlighted various factors such as historical, political, social and economic, which have contributed to the formation of this phenomenon. The aim of this project is to analyse these factors in an attempt to understand the underlying issues and circumstances that lead to the phenomenon of street children. In conjunction with this, one needs to study existing examples of architectural solutions both local and abroad in order to identify the fundamental requirements that a design of this nature would need to include. It is also important that one analyse the local context as it may hold region specific needs that may not be evident from studies of foreign examples. This project seeks to identify the specific methods of rehabilitation and development, in order to create a successful architectural solution. In order to achieve this, one needs to recognise the specific design needs of children in an attempt to create a more conducive environment for rehabilitation.
An architectural response to traditional and contemporary display of art : a case study for Durban.
(2007) Van Soelen, Kyria.; Wilson, Anthony.; Van Heerden, Derek.
See abstract in full text document.
Investigating the performance of non-traditional lenders in the provision of end-user finance : a case study of the National Housing Finance Corporation and the National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency.
(2000) Salane, Rirhandzu Russel.; Adebayo, Pauline Wambui.
"A significant number of households in need of housing in South Africa can afford to access housing credit, provided that this is available. Such credit is currently not readily accessible by most of such home seekers. Unlocking housing credit is therefore seen as a fundamental requirement in order to facilitate the ongoing improvement of the housing circumstances of such households" (Housing White Paper, 1994). Restricted access and unavailability of housing end-user finance is one of the critical challenges which faces the government in general, and the Department of Housing in particular. Access to end-user finance is limited due to many reasons which the study will identify. This study primarily looks at the access and availability of housing end-user finance to the low income earners. Basically it attempts to explore the impact of Non-Traditional Lenders in the provision of end-user finance to the poor. Non-traditional lenders refer to any lender who is not a traditional retail finance lender/company. The study looks at the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) and the National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency's (NURCHA) attempts to mobilise housing credit. It closely pays special attention to the strategies used to mobilise the much-needed credit, their impact and the problems they encounter. This is done with the sole purpose of establishing whether or not it is possible to extend their scope to cater for the low income housing market. To realise this purpose, the study follows the path undertaken by these two institutions in terms of impacting to the poor. Agishana Credit Company's activities were investigated in order to determine Nurcha's impact, and Ithala Development Finance Corporation for the NHFC. Further, a path will be established to determine the impact of these retail lenders on the poor. Thus, Pioneer Park housing project is surveyed to determine Ithala's lending activities as well as Thembalihle (Glenwood 2) housing project for Agishana. It is paramount to indicate that both the NHFC and Nurcha do not lend to a man on the street, but deal with retail lenders. In essence, the NHFC attempts to open the floodgates of housing credit by funding intermediary lenders that on-lend to individual beneficiaries, while on the other hand, Nurcha guarantees activities by these intermediary lenders. This study is divided into five chapters. Chapter one broadly gives an overview of problems regarding access and availability of housing end-user finance and also outlines the research methodology employed. Chapter two identifies and discusses the different housing delivery systems, as well as gives a vivid picture on the functioning of non-traditional lenders. It provides both international and national experiences that proves that it is feasible to provide housing loans to the poor. Chapter three aims at offering historical background of the four institutions. It identifies their missions, sources of funds, nature of clientele, key activities and the strategies they employ with regards to defaults. Chapter four provides the finding and analysis of the surveys conducted. Firstly, a brief background of the case study areas is outlined. Then findings of the study reveal that it is safe to lend to low income households. This proves that there is a potential to successfully lend to this market without running at a loss. Chapter five is a summary of the research findings, conclusions and recommendations. The findings of the study point out that there is a place for provision of housing credit to the poor. To that end, the study recommends that, what is needed to significantly provide housing loans to this market is the amalgamation of the NHFC and Nurcha's activities; establishment of more lending institutions; encouragement of savings for housing purposes; as well as commitment to innovatively devise and introduce new lending products to cater for this market, which is equally met with strategies to level the play field in terms of legislation so that lending institutions can participate in this housing market at scale.
Music and architecture : the integration of music and architecture as a strategy towards the revitalization of public urban space within the city of Durban.
(2007) Coleman, Shaun.
As it stands, the city of Durban appears to contain many public urban spaces that are currently underutilized, and as a result have become dead or lost to the city. The aim of this project is to investigate the likely factors behind this problem, and then subsequently to explore the realm of music as a potentially new dimension towards facilitating revitalization within such spaces. The argument unfolds such that as music possesses the capacity to influence human emotion, and emotion impacts on one's feeling, and in turn perception of the experience, they incur within a space, theoretically therefore, at a certain level, human perception of a space can be manipulated by music. As architecture is the key to shaping the physical environment and the experiences within it, incorporating the influencing factors of music within architectural design, could assist in redefining the perceived properties of a correspondingly designed space. Thus an integration of music and architecture can serve as a combined medium through which dead urban space within the city may be revitalized.
The introduction of local content clauses in building tender documentation : an investigation into the benefits achieved versus those intended.
(1998) Ntsekhe, Thato.; Norval, George.
Towards an architecture that facilitates research and education in a World Heritage Site : an environmental research facility for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
(2008) Bellingan, Mark Lloyd.; Brewis, Deon.
The purpose of this research document was to determine a relevant, responsible and appropriate architecture for the design of an Environmental Research Facility for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site in Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The nature of this architecture was generated through the investigation of current literature, case and precedent studies and personally conducted interviews with a number of informed professionals. The reason for these recommendations was ultimately the design of the facility for research and education, the goal was always the eventual application of the findings into a design. Ultimately, an appropriate architecture for an Environmental Research Facility for iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one which is accountable and responsible regarding the social, economic and environmental aspects of its design. These three rubrics of sustainability were then unpacked and investigated in order to clarify how this would be most effectively be achieved in the eventual design.
Freedom and unity in diversity : the role of architecture in the creation of an African Union centre.
(2006) Adebayo, Miriam Oluwatoyin.; Frescura, Franco.
Throughout the African continent several significant historical events occurred that partly influenced current problems in African societies. The Problems are economic underdevelopment, social crises, racism and internal conflicts. It explains the great need for an institution like the African Union (AU), which is working towards a common goal including all African peoples of selfempowerment in social economic, cultural and political terms. The selected history of the African continent is mainly concerned with Colonial Africa leading to contemporary period. The colonial part has left a mark on Africa that several movements such as the Pan-African movement, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and today's African union attempted to create a union of Africa as a greater gain of emancipation on the comments of nations. Architecture is the main focus in this study, which through several precedents of traditional African settlements key principles are studied and highlighted. The colonial era in Africa has left a great mark in African societies in adapting their planning principles and architectural structures which are still visible today. During this time architecture identifying Africa has been neglected and in current year it has been reintegrated. Examples of current trends of architecture in Africa are examined, which are a fusion of traditional elements and ideologies and current technologies. The aim is to find an architectural approach which synthesizes African elements and creates a new African identity in the common goal of the African Union. The intention of the study is to understand the principles of African elements and to give a holistic understanding of African architecture. The case study area is Durban, a place of multiplicity in cultures and architectural styles which can become the host for the AU center and its expression of unity and diversity.
Architecture and identity : the perception and reflection of identity through architectural expression : a case study of Wentworth.
(2007) Davids, Jodi.; Frescura, Franco.
South Africa like many countries in the non-Western world has a long history of conflict stemming back to the spread of Colonialism. Various events through the years have contributed to the solidification of European and Western dominance over all that is "African". However the move to the new South Africa has facilitated renewed interaction and understanding through the celebration of peoples' differences. Differences which although unique have also contributed to the confused state of identity that exists. Current debate in South Africa centers greatly on the issue of "South African Identity", its existence, how it is created, and what constitutes it. South Africa's transition to the new democratic order has brought with it major shifts in the order and nature of peoples' identities as well as a "new" language that represents the collective identity of the society. This study focuses on the role of identity in architecture and examines the transformation and development of South African architectural expression and reflection as seen through the window of identity. r The study seeks to question how the built environment can begin to resp---o--nd to and reflect the concerns and aspirations of its inhabitants and also highlights the existence of the mutually constitutive link between identity, space and the built form. Key principles are set out in the study and are further examined through the critical analysis of both local and international precedents that serve to highlight the expressive nature of architecture, as well as the reflection of the multitude of influences on built form. The aim of the study is to identity existing perceptions within the built environment and in so doing begin to r analyse how these become manifest in the built form. he case study looks in particular at the area of Wentworth, situated south of Durban, and how architecture can be used to create public space which contributes to the formation of a collective and heterogeneous community identity. An identity which celebrates the diversity of its inhabitants while giving dignity and a sense of place to the environment.
The design of a new Cancer Research Institute and Laboratories for Durban.
(2008) Du Plessis, Louis Stephen.; Peters, Walter Hermann.
Medical research is not only a necessary part in the quest to improve the quality of life for people by finding new diagnostic procedures and treatment; it is also a multi billion rand endeavour. Africa itself poses a huge challenge in providing facilities to respond to the global network engaged in medical research. South Africa has responded in part to this need, and is a pioneer in medical research for the continent. In essence, the continent not only provides great challenges, but also great opportunities for research. Many of its facilities engage in collaborative research with global institutions, but these established ties do not adequately fulfil the capacity required. In addition to this, the research environment is constantly evolving. Not only is the process constantly changing, but also the environments in which the research is conducted and the attitude as to how research should be conducted. To stay as current in the field of medical research, new institutions need to respond to the technical, practical and philosophical changes in the field. The National Health Laboratory Services, a South African chapter 21 institution involved in research and diagnosis, is the proposed client for the cancer research institute to be designed. It has established research credentials in cancer; pioneering the national cancer register; and has established links to other national organisations, such as the Medical Research Council of South Africa.
Reconciliation and reconstruction of post-genocide Rwanda : a search for an appropriate architectural expression.
(2006) Mudenge, Josephine Kairaba.; Adebayo, Ambrose Adeyemi.; Frescura, Franco.
African countries have for a long time undergone a series of problems that include; genocide, racism, economic depression, colonisation, civil wars, and so on. These have left many African societies in hopeless situations that entail considerable intervention. This study will explore the possible causes of conflicts mainly genocide and collective violence, in which the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda will be the main focus. This genocide which led to the massacres of one million Tutsi and moderate Hutus in approximately one hundred days left the entire Rwandan society fragile and divided. It is perhaps the worst of its kind in recent history. After the 1994 genocide, Rwanda was characterised with a tattered social fabric, dilapidated infrastructure, economic repression, and as a consequence massive refugees displacement into neighbour countries. Despite the tragic consequences of this genocide, the government of Rwanda has been working tirelessly to find lasting peace arid reconciliation for its broken and divided society. In order to understand the possible causes of this tragic event in Rwanda, this study will explore' the situation in Rwanda in pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods, and in this case, the 1994 genocide. This analysis will then become a basis on which tools that can foster peace and reconciliation will be sought. Architectural expression among others will be explored as a tool that can promote reconciliation and unity among people. As a tool that shapes peoples way of living, architecture will be the emphasis of this study in order to achieve the above these goals. An appropriate architectural expression will thus sought, that which not only acts as medium for the memory of genocide, but also as a tool to achieve reconciliation and reconstruction of Rwanda's broken society.
South Africa's spatial development initiatives : the case of the Lubombo SDI and the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park.
(2005) Zaloumis, Andrew Phillip.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
A varied literature has emerged assessing the history and principles of the SDI programme and its individual initiatives. Within the literature, a widespread critique has developed that views the SDIs as falling short in two crucial areas. First, the SDIs have, in general, had limited developmental impacts . Second, many of the initiatives failed to develop adequate institutional responses to the specific conditions they faced in their various localities. The study describes the Lubombo SDI and its anchor project, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. It argues that the Lubombo SDI, from the outset, took institutions seriously with a long view of development. It did not seek to deliver large-scale investment in a short period. Rather, it focused on shifting the development fundamentals - including key aspects of the Lubombo region's institutional arrangements - and concentrating its resources on facilitating a major project capable of pulling the various agencies with a stake in the region's development onto a common platform. This concentration of effort, and the creation of a dedicated authority with a clear statutory mandate to promote development and conservation, has brought advances to an area where development was effectively blocked for many years. But the dynamic nature of the institutional environment remains a key challenge affecting the GSLWP and the execution of the Authority's mandate. The ability of the Authority to continue mediating the multiple tensions and complexities affecting the GSLWP will be crucial if the agenda first set by the Lubombo is to be carried forward in the coming years.
Planning the port of Durban : a case study of potential integrated management.
(1997) Mitchell, Laurie-Anne.; Kahn, Michael.
No abstract available.

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