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Browsing Architecture by Author "Bitzer, Martie"
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Item Open Access Architecture on paper: a study on the significance of imaginary architectural space(University of the Free State, 1998) Bitzer, Martie; Smit, Jan D.๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒItem Open Access Bohemia Africanus: materialising a fictive allegorical site between uncanny places(University of the Free State, 2023) Duvenhage, G. P. J.; Smit, Jan; Smit, Petria; Olivier, Jaco; Bitzer, Martie; Andrews, JohnThis dissertation explores the transformation of literary allegories into architecture, challenging the commonplace safety we find in the notions of truth, home, and the familiar. The design programme centres on a travelling theatre which explores the way the audience allegorically conceives and experience truth in the production of the uncanny and macabre play, African Gothic, by Reza de Wet. By architecturally emplacing this fictional theatre production in three real murder scenes, the dissertation attempts to not only produce a contextual milieu for the play but also to address the way we engage with the 'truth' and memories of places where dark crimes have been committed. In the context of a nation grappling with high crime rates like South Africa, the pertinent issue of addressing the aftermath of genuine criminal issues emerges as a significant concern. How we engage with the truth and memories associated with crime scenes necessitates not only relevant but also innovative approaches, which have yet to be adequately addressed. Due to the scarcity of architectural research and subsequent guidance on the matter of architectural interventions within crime sites, these scenes often turn into forbidden territories, both in discussion and physical presence. Drawing inspiration from the content of the play "African Gothic," three recent instances of crime scenes in South Africa were symbolically pinpointed as the backdrop for a mobile theatre and the reenactment of the play. These locations include a farm in the Griekwastad district, a school residence in Stella, and a housing estate known as De Zalze. This dissertation proposes that allegory be used to question truth, home, and safety, furthermore the dissertation considers the exploration of allegory to approach real sites of uncanny and macabre crimes. Enter the allegory. Derived from the Greek "Allos", allegory roughly translates to "speak openly" and to "another," these definitions combine to an approach which is to openly say one thing and to mean another. By embracing and interpreting the allegorical elements woven into the theatrical work "African Gothic," these delicate locations are approached, comprehended, and dissected in novel manners, potentially paving the way for transformative shifts and embracing change within these crime-ridden areas. Exploring and challenging the concepts of truth could play a pivotal role in the process of comprehending and reconciling with these sites marked by tragedy. Even when a page is mainly a constellation of words connected with lines, it is a 'written drawing' rather than just text, and the configuration refers to the structure of the research, the design of both written and drawn parts. (Haralambidou, 2007). Just as we seek comfort and certainty in the notion of truth, we also find solace and certainty in our "architectural" vision of constructing secure and familiar dwellings. In a nation confronted with escalating inequality and crime rates, it becomes imperative to explore alternative approaches to handling unique and harrowing architectural scenarios and sites.Item Open Access Into the Blue: a hand-painting ceramics studio for re-interpreted blue china in the V&A Waterfront, CPT.(University of the Free State, 2023) van der Rijst, Michelle; Smit, Jan; Smit, Petria; Bitzer, Martie; Raubenheimer, HeinThe Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (V&A Waterfront) Development in Cape Town is transforming the port into a playground. With the notion of globalisation and replicating international waterfront-scapes, the V&AW is at risk of becoming a creative destruction. ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ป? The project proposes a hand-painting, blue china studio as an adaptive reuse of the ensemble of heritage and existing synchrolift buildings within the Marina District of the V&AW. Viewing craft as a method of purposeful play, the project will aim to condense the artistic potential within the ceramics-making process while preserving elements of its local habitual and material engagement. These phenomenological theories will be used to support the design decisions and contextual orientation to arrive at an appropriate architectural response to the historically rich environment of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Consequently, the theoretical lens will add layers of complexity to the heritage site and the proposed design becomes inseparably moulded into the cultural fabric, regenerating the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town. The document explores contextual analysis, precedent analysis, and theoretical framework to inform the design development and technical resolution. Ultimately, the thesis dissertation will present a contemporary interpretation of craft in urban manufacturing and adaptive reuse projects.Item Open Access Rescripting the permanence of Ramkraal: a skills development centre within the historic ruins of the Ramkraal prison for the community of Batho(University of the Free State, 2023) Coetzer, Leon; Smit, Jan; Smit, Petria; Bitzer, Martie; Auret, HendrikConservation and adaptive reuse projects help to reactivate long-forgotten places and offer a revived space for the growth of the next generation of South Africans. The question is: How can a community-catalysed skills development centre in-between Batho and the Bloemfontein CBD be sensitively integrated and rescripted within a ruin โ the Historic Ramkraal Prison in Bloemfontein โ thereby inverting the established power structure by activating learning settings aimed at self-liberation? When confronted with culturally significant and heritage-protected architecture, the usual response is to encompass it in time and turn it into a museum rather than analysing the immediate context and creating a place for growth for communities and people who need it. The proposed design offers a place of self-liberation while both retaining the existing structural fabric and sensitively adjoining new structures to these, in order to rescript established orders and architectural character. The study focuses on adaptive reuse of culturally significant heritage buildings and how the new can creatively respond to the old. After several failed attempts to preserve the Prison complex โ all focusing on preserving the historic physical remains of the ensemble โ the proposed design offers a community-centred solution where the preservation of heritage resources as historical beacons ultimately depends on the vitality of surrounding communities.Item Open Access Spectral flesh remembrance: an inverted monument and foundry embedded in the decommissioned Pelindaba nuclear weapons site(University of the Free State, 2023) Wood, Arran; Smit, Jan.; Smit, Petria; Bitzer, Martie; Auret, HendrikThe Angola-South African War left extensive scars and remains a raw place in the lives of many South Africans. Yet it has become a kind of suppressed memory that is hard to grapple with in the post-democratic reality, and the majority of South Africans choose to conveniently overlook the consequences of this conflict. The memory and memorialisation of the war has become a shrouded spectre. One of the most obscured facets of the war was the fact that South Africa managed to construct nuclear weapons, and (even more astoundingly) became the first nation to voluntarily decommission their nuclear arsenal. In the wake of ghost-like memories of the past, the question arises: ๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ด๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ด๐ต ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด๐ฆ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฃ๐ช๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ต ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ข๐ณ? Those in power, too, choose to forget the haunting effects in the hearts of those conscripted into the war and the suffering enforced by it. The manifestation of this amnesia-like state comes in the form of the nuclear weapons site, rusting and forgotten. Through a symbolic repurposing of decommissioned firearms in a foundry and the remembrance of spectres from the site in an inverted monument, a design is proposed as a means to reveal the forgotten and censored. The exposure of restricted historical documentation is part of the outcome of this research; to find what is still prevailing of something that no longer officially exists and document the remaining structures. Regarding placing architecture and conflict in context, special care is taken in analysing precedent studies of the built form as well as structural theory of โthe form in conflictโ with a morphology responding to place as much as process. The proposed architecture of structure, relating to spectral remembrances of the flesh, attempts to explore the role architecture can play as a mediator and reminder of forgotten conflicts.Item Open Access Water memory & control: Vaalharts Canal Museum and Education Centre(University of the Free State, 2023) de Bruyn, Denรฉ; Smit, Jan; Smit, Petria; Bitzer, Martie; Bosman, GerhardIn the following dissertation, the education, influence, and importance of water a on the existing waterway systems and area will be discussed. The main research question was: How can an educational waterway exhibition centre of an integrated canal waterway hold the memory and phenomenology of a place in order for growth in Hartswater in the Northern Cape (Fig. 4)? Previous attempts to keep the history and educational moments separate in the form of a museum in close proximity, did not successfully maintain the space and create multiple opportunities. That is why this dissertation will focus on the history and impact of the canal, but creating an educational opportunity and space to learn and develop the current systems and knowledge. Analysing different case studies and precedents led me to research the influence of water and the canal waterway on the cultural significance of the design of a museum and education centre. The proposed design creates a collective space for teaching about water conservation and different learning opportunities about agriculture and water, through the unique use of a Water Memory & Control Museum that is supported by the community and supports the community, in return.