Masters Degrees (Architecture)

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Acoustic sanctuary: the South African Ayres sensory facility located on the foot of Naval Hill
(University of the Free State, 2022) Coertz, Henry Reginald; Smit, J. D.; Jooste-Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.; Raubenheimer, H.; Auret, H. A.
This project centres around repurposing a historical water reservoir and pumpstation located on the foot of Naval Hill, Bloemfontein into an alternative speech therapy centre, where architecture plays a critical role in speech therapy arguably equal to that of any professional pathologist. Apart from a reimagined speech pathologist office, the South African – Ares Sensory facility (SA-AS Facility) also incorporates a sensory park. The impetus of this project is the sensory park and the freedom of therapy that it represents. Freedom to mend a speech disorder at the tempo of the patient, though neurologically stimulating garden structures. Similar to gymnasium equipment, these follies allow patients to exercise their neurological network of senses that all contribute to address speech disorder, hence the phonic gymnasium description of this SA-AS facility. This dissertation covers complex therapeutic and theoretical topics, and the information from each chapter contains the chronologically necessary information to understand the chapters that follow. Chapter one directly starts with what is known about speech sound disorders. Chapter two contains the reinterpretation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s concepts of organic architecture in order to establish a physical form of the essence of this dissertation. From here, the discourse starts to question the communication process at an anatomical level and therefore translates the auditory defect of speech impairments to that of musical melodies and architectural rhythm. These phonic applications are then explored within architectural precedents while being related back into sound correction (Speech therapy) and mobility (occupational therapy). Chapter 3 clarifies and analysis the project goals and location within these mentioned ideals. While chapter 4 refines all the information provided into three conceptual models. These physical manifestations investigate the architectural application of scientific research and therapeutic discourse. The final chapters explain the design development and folly rationale before leading to the final design.
Open Access
Archi Mation: an animation production centre in Bloemfontein as appoint of convergence between architecture and animation
(University of the Free State, 2022) Eke, Clarise; Smit, J.; Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.; Raubenheimer, H.
Despite their differences, animation and architecture have similar conceptual and practical approaches to the design and construction of framed areas and spatial organization. The common ground between theoretical and practical methods in both domains with regard to frames and space is the subject of the thesis. A problem arises when a closed off urban scape which allows no easy access becomes a no man’s land, and the thesis project sets itself to resolve the problem through research, design and critical solutions. The following research question guides the study and design process: Which architectural mechanisms can serve as tools to address the inaccessibility of the urban scape, allowing urban dwellers more ease of access? This focus aims to lead towards an architectural and critical response and hopes to unearth the necessary steps to unveil the above mechanisms. The study analyses not only theoretical and practicalities of both the architectural and the animation domains but exhibits and magnifies the spaces which is created when they meet and evidently create hybridity between the two. The merging of spaces creates architectural opportunities through the translation of animation and architecture while conceptual approaches and site analysis aids in forming spatial qualities. These spatial qualities are products of hybrid elements, linking to the research question and answering it with specific and substantiated relevant elements.
Open Access
Before the dust settles: a Nama Arts and Culture exhibition complex Springbok, Northern Cape
(University of the Free State, 2021) Olivier, Bianca; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Raubenheimer, H.; Bitzer, M.
The acts of preserving and exhibiting ephemeral African arts are important, as it safeguards cultural identities for generations. In order for museums and galleries to preserve art, the idea of the white cube was developed. The white cube, however, faces issues when attempting to capture and display ephemeral arts that are dependent on factors which include time, context, artist and the chosen creative material or medium, to exist. These art forms are usually independent on what galleries and museums offer, including the presence of an audience or viewers. Land art, however, introduces key ideas on exhibiting ephemeral art that mark a permanent cultural presence in the world. The Nama-Khoi ethnic group of Namaqualand are well-known for their artistic capabilities and hand-down rituals, especially the “Rieldans”. These art forms embody an impermanence to its aesthetic, where it’s manifested to the world only for a brief moment at no particular time, and in the natural landscape at no particular place. Due to this, these artistic practices are starting to gather dust as it seldom experience an audience. This research document sets out to investigate architecture as land art form to provide a cultural setting as platform for the recognition and celebration of Nama-Khoi artistic practices. The Nama-Khoi “Rieldans” is investigated as concept generator to facilitate in choreographing the design and experience of a Nama Arts and Culture exhibition complex located in the tourist hub and heart of Namaqualand, Springbok, Northern Cape. The aim of the proposal is to embody the essence of the “Rieldans” in an architectural intervention that is both a destination and interactive building.
Open Access
Between Ville and Cité: a layered mixed-use creative commons in Woodstock, Cape Town
(University of the Free State, 2023) Maree, Bernard; Bitzer, M.; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Bosman, G.
Urban users can be disconnected from space if place is disconnected from the urban landscape. The main research question considered is how can an investigation of the layers that constitute the urban palimpsest, through adaptive reuse inform a neo-industrial sensory and spatial experience between the ’Ville’ and the ‘Cité’, to preserve history and enhance identity in lower Woodstock, Cape Town? Other designers have attempted to address the problem of reusing previous industrial areas and buildings yet struggle with accommodating current users of the site and context. The proposed design focuses on finding the place between the larger urban landscape, ’Ville’, and a specific place in the urban landscape, ‘Cité’, through the means of investigating the urban palimpsest. Investigating precedent buildings with a focus on creative community engagement informs the composition of newly proposed structures between existing buildings. The proposal’s aim is to merge commercial economic success with aspects of community engagement to mitigate negative effects that urban renewal may bring, such as gentrification. The proposal aids designers to approach projects of an urban nature to create space of community and commerce as the between of ’Ville’ and ‘Cité’.
Open Access
Beyond borders: meeting 𝗶𝗻-𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 - a one stop border post celebrating the journey beyond the abyss
(University of the Free State, 2024) Horn, Alicia; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.; Bosman, G.
A border post sets the stage for a fleeting experience, designed purely for processing, a non-transactional event. It is common to perceive border posts as transitory spaces, primarily designed to facilitate efficient processing, and devoid of any transactional value. It exists as a non-place by ignoring the connections between the two nations it separates. The Lebombo Border, situated between South Africa and Mozambique in the Lebombo Mountains, serves as the case study for investigating the complexities and consequences of border dynamics. The main question is how an appreciation of the journey narrative could transform a non-place as a temporary abode to a place concerned with identity and history, and how to infuse a border post with a sense of purpose beyond its conventional duties. Most studies fail to pinpoint the deficiencies in conventional border post designs. This architectural study explores the transformative potential of border posts as meaningful, culturally sensitive spaces that foster spatial justice by going beyond conventional borders to find an alternative reaction. The reaction is rooted in the integration of narrative, events, and ritual elements composed as a one-stop border post. Integrating these elements enables the creation of spaces that honour history, context, and cultural identity. The main objective is to reveal the hidden poetic sensibility and challenge the normative and liminal design of a border. The proposal celebrates the meeting place between South Africa and Mozambique laden within the non-place of architectural transition spaces.
Open Access
The ephemeral aroma of the mysterious beauty plant: a hyacinth aroma and incense market at Rooidam, Lourier Park, Bloemfontein
(University of the Free State, 2023) Sander, Carien; Smit, J.; Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.; Mabe, P.
Rooidam is located on the outskirts of Bloemfontein and is a forgotten terrain indicative of what Edward Relph, a Canadian geographer, would state as a non-place. The inexplicable landscape consists of a floral wonder [hyacinth] which has the potential to be transformed into an ephemeral yet tangible body of experiential aroma. The main research question is: How can we reactivate the Rooidam through an aroma and incense market conceptualised through an interpretation of metamorphosis of the hyacinth plant? Past efforts to reactivate the area have not succeeded, due to the lack of care; it was simply left to become a dystopian landscape. By introducing a project that will propel commercial viability, create haptic experiences, enhance communal enclaves and attract people to interact with the neglected landscape, past failures can be rectified. The proposed design intervention will be guided by haptic senses, how experiences are created in spaces together with the production of space as memories. The intervention proposed argues that a hyacinth aroma and incense market has the power to reactivate and reinvigorate the landscape, unify the community while changing the perceptions of Rooidam.
Open Access
Indigenous biomedicine research centre: adaptable Architecture design for a traditional healing research centre in Emshinini township Mpumalanga
(University of the Free State, 2023) Maimela, Shaun Khutso; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.; Wagener, A.
Traditional medicine is a holistic type of healing, loosely called folk medicine; ethno-medicine or native healing is the oldest form. This dissertation proposes an Indigenous Biomedicine Research Centre that will break the current negative perceptions of traditional medicine. I will address the following Research question: How can a contemporary architectural approach be used to improve heterotopic spaces that currently facilitate the practice of traditional medicine rituals intending to work with the conventions of Western healthcare systems? The current spaces used for healing rituals need to be more dignified and promote indigenous healthcare systems. I aim to propose an indigenous healthcare facility that follows cultural rules, uses symbolic rituals, and offers opportunities for innovation and integration with biomedicine. I will use local precedents and conduct interviews with traditional healers about their vision of a contemporary “indumba” (rondavel)or traditional healthcare facility. This dissertation aims to create dignity and social recognition for traditional medicine in South Africa and Africa at large.
Open Access
Mohale oa Masite: A 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 music school for the youth at the St. Barnabas Anglican mission, Lesotho
(University of the Free State, 2023) Khobotlo, Setenane. M.; Auret, H. A.; Smit, J.; Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.
𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘰 music is an important and popular music genre in Lesotho. Despite its traditional roots, contemporary 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 music has become mired in gang violence and organized crime. Masite Village, 20 Kilometers south of Maseru (Lesotho) is one amongst many villages in the country that have been terrorized by the escalating violence and killings amongst 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 music factions. How may the insights latent in 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 music inspire a critical regionalist architectural approach able to translate the creative cooperation between Basotho indigenous knowledge systems and Christian narratives into a 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 music school at the St. Barnabas Anglican mission (Masite)? The goal of this school is to attract local youth to the traditional richness of 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 music, without exposing them to the violence and social ills currently associated with this kind of music; a building able to act as a hero to the youth. The intention is to safeguard the liberating significance of 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 and free it from what it has become in the hands of criminals through the richness of an architectural approach that draws inspiration from tradition, without romanticizing indigenous architecture to such an extent that it ends up saddled with perceptions of primitivism. Simultaneously, this architectural approach needs to recognize the influences of the place and socio-economic status structure of the community. This will contribute to the long-term relevance of such buildings. Besides a stance shaped by critical regionalism, this study will focus on place, a venturesome unpacking of gifts from 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰 music, and a detailed study of various architectural precedents. The proposed school will be embedded in place, time, and socio-economic reality while facilitating the respectful, yet visionary, cross-fertilization between two significant cultural forces in Lesotho.
Open Access
A place of prostration: a Masjid complex in Bloemfontein
(University of the Free State, 2021-10) Patel, Amirah; Bitzer, M.; Smit, P.; Smit, J. D.; Raubenheimer, H.; Noble, J. A.
Salah is one of the most important duties in the life of a Muslim which is centred around the Masjid. Bloemfontein has a growing Muslim community consisting of a diverse demographic of people however, there is a lack of formal religious spaces. Salah is performed five times a day and so the Masjid is a significant space for praying, community engagement and learning. Aside from the diversity, the community is well dispersed across the city with many residents away from their extended family which means that the Masjid is an important gathering space and place of identity. This thesis aims to identify the dynamics of the current population and praying spaces to design a Masjid and community centre. Due to the diverse nature of Muslims, a more universal approach will be explored in terms of ritual and traditional aesthetics to create a Masjid that is free from stereotypical forms. As a result, the history and functions of the Masjid will be explored to create a space that orientates the congregant within the context while remaining alien. Ultimately the new design is inspired by abstract and contemporary interpretations of traditional elements to create a place of prostration.
Open Access
Prosthetic re[member]ing: a museum and memorial park honoring the lived-experiences of the internees and guards held in the internment camps at Andalusia farm (Jan Kempdorp) during WWII
(University of the Free State, 2022) Coetzer, Waldo; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Raubenheimer, H.; Bitzer, M.
Facing the inevitable waning of memory, the internment camp of WWII near Jan Kempdorp falls victim to its own temporality. The forgetting of these atrocities against humanity during war times facilitate the ruination of the sites that currently lay bare as the act of forgetting leads to the degradation that memory is inevitably subjected to. This dissertation aims to investigate how the lived experience of the prisoners held in these camps can be reconciled through a palimpsest of trace-d etchings augmented into a monumental present-scape honoring the fallen prisoners of war, irrespective of their allegiances but rather for their fragmented lived experience. It hopes to simultaneously re-dress the thresholds occupying the site and the neighboring communities, in the form of an internment-museum and public park space. Through the utilization of prosthetic memory instruments, the act of recollection and re-figuration of memories gathered in the captive’s experiences, as well as the engagement generated from the introduction of an introspective play-act, the dweller lends themselves to a form of devotion towards the memory, and the realm of architectural essence. The essence dwells within the realm of the corporeal, rarely visibly observed but constantly contained within a shell, ensnared and forced to the internment of the being it occupies. However, within the being lies a thought, a dedication to the imagination and the residual body that once was. The thought relies on the trace, and the acknowledgment to the existence of a previous architectural presence ensnared within the current. The intervention further seeks to create moments of interaction with the memories and the senses through interactive games played by children in modern society that found their origin in everyday life and war times, much like the games the soldiers would play as a past time to keep them occupied as the games allow for the essence and the presence of the imagined body to dwell in a synchronized realm . The thought is concretized as an interposed image of the presence, allowing for a brief moment of passage between the boundaries that separates fact and memory.
Open Access
[Re]Discovering the Grasslands: a visitor and community centre for Rhodes and the new Grasslands National Park in the highlands of the Eastern Cape
(University of the Free State, 2023) Schoeman, J. C.; Smit, J.; Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.; du Preez, K.
Visitor centres within a specific landscape are conceived as powerful communicative tools, facilitating users' immersive experience in a distinct contextual setting. In the context of the village of Rhodes, which foresees a forthcoming increase in tourism, the village currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to accommodate and educate visitors about its unique environment. Regrettably, many local visitor centres often fall short of authentically capturing the essence of the landscape and its surrounding context through their architectural design, resulting in inauthentic reproductions of assumed vernacular architecture. This study explores multifaceted themes, including temporality, permanence, ecotourism, and critical regionalism, with its primary objective being the identification and subsequent integration of site-specific nuances into the architectural framework. This integration aims to effectively harmonise the design within the encompassing landscape while recognising and embracing the local inhabitants of the valley. The inception of the visitor centre's design can be traced back to an analysis of the natural environment, serving as the foundation for a range of conceptual explorations. These explorations were further enriched by precedent studies and firmly rooted within theoretical investigations. This design endeavour challenges conventional perceptions of an appropriate visitor centre. Instead of resisting its historical presence within the Victorian village, it aspires to deeply assimilate itself into the natural surroundings, ultimately aligning and coexisting with the landscape and the local population rather than opposing it.
Open Access
Ritual threads: between land and lake: a cultural and nature edge place articulating, facilitating, and preserving the traditional and natural ecotones in the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve
(University of the Free State, 2023) Swarts, Karmen; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.; Olivier, J.
The Kosi Bay Thonga fish traps are a culturally significant landmark in South Africa. The traps can be described as finely woven “fences” or “kraals” spread around the lake system. These spectacular structures are what enable Kosi Bay’s sustainable fishery. And with these activities, a temporary link between land and lake is formed within the wetland ecotone, interweaving specific ways of human movement, living, and working. The thesis outlines the design of a cultural and nature edge place articulating, facilitating, and preserving the traditional and natural ecotones in the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve. The research focuses on the preservation of the natural and human ecologies situated within the wetland ecotone, guided by the emplaced site phenomena and the community’s particular needs and activities. The focus of the dissertation stems from redefining the edge place has the potential to integrate social and cultural factors by way of an architectural approach. Architecture has the potential to sensitively affect how people use their surroundings, leading to the extension of existing rituals and everyday living that eventually become part of the interweaved phenomena of the park. This idea is implemented into the edge place to connect these concepts with Kosi Bay’s culture. Thus, the dissertation questions if an architectural response to vernacular routines, rituals, and orders, will articulate and preserve the existing cultural and natural ecotones within the coastal community of Kosi Bay. In order to create an interweaved relationship between culture and nature, the proposal grows on the existing chain of memories and ecological grid of the water edge. The theoretical methodologies of a shifting ecological grid and a chain of memories are a representation of a transparent axis that creates a roadmap for the design. The investigation gave form to a variety of methods of making which preserve indigenous knowledge and make use of environmentally friendly materials, assuring a generous and sustainable integration that lightly touches the earth and reduces the built impact on the natural environment.
Open Access
Tactile memory: a haptic architectural approach is explored as a way of revitalizing the historic lime works in Olifantsfontein through the process of making ceramic works as an exhibitionist element
(University of the Free State, 2019-10) Le Roux, Monique; Bitzer, M.; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Wagener, A.
This dissertation explores the reactions that architectural experience can elicit, specifically by means of sensory stimulation. William J Mitchell associates sensory stimulation with the recollection of memories (2005:8), which causes an enhanced experience through a layering of different times/moments (the current moment and the remembered time). Time is an important factor in the exploration, and as such the research is focused on sites with layered historical narratives within the South African context. The art history and development of Olifantsfontein in Gauteng recently came to light with the publication of Olifantsfontein Potteries 1907-1962. The potteries were originally started by Cullinan as part of the Consolidated Rand Brick, Pottery and Lime Company (Conrand). Between 1895 and the late 1950’s Conrand was the driving force behind the development of Olifantsfontein. The original site of Conrand has since been subdivided and developed, but the portion that housed the lime works remains undeveloped. Some reminders of the lime works remain on the site, albeit in a state of ruination. These include a lime quarry, a historic lime kiln and a cemetery. The proposed intervention aims to celebrate the history of Olifantsfontein through the development of ceramics studios and galleries on the aforementioned site. The proposed program alludes to the concept of haptic architecture as a stimulus for recollection. The enhancement of architectural experience is further explored by developing the process of ceramic making as an exhibitionist element to showcase the tactile quality of the program. For this purpose the aspects of ceramic making is examined and discussed.
Open Access
Weaving temporal threads: a wool processing at Houtkraal Railway Station in the Karoo, South Africa
(University of the Free State, 2023) Adendorff, Maliza; Smit, J.; Noble, J. A.; Jooste-Smit, P.; Bitzer, M.
Many unused and abandoned railway stations are scattered throughout the Karoo, the site of Houtkraal Railway Station being one of them. The remaining buildings verge on ruin, and slow and deliberate decay has set in, mediating between present, future and past. The main question is: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮? Though the wool industry in South Africa is largely unstable due to outbreaks of cattle diseases, which limits the export of wool to other countries, the local processing of wool has yet to be established. Much research has been done on wool processing and its social, economic and environmental impact, though past research and precedent studies fail to address the possible architecture that may accommodate and balance both the hand-driven processes of wool processing and the industrial nature of a railway line in South Africa. Furthermore, the interpretation of patinas in architecture relies heavily on time, temporality and ruin theories. Along with the theory, investigations are done regarding materiality and promenades, which will attempt to make sense of the experience of passing time. The successful and realistic design and development of a wool-processing facility in the Karoo, next to a railway, may revitalise the railway and the local economy and may change onlookers’ perspectives on buildings laid waste over time.

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