Masters Degrees (Architecture)
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Item Open Access 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.Item Open Access Aequoreal mediation(University of the Free State, 2022) Breytenbach, Mané; Smit, J.; Smit, P.; Noble, J.; Raubenheimer, H.; Mosidi, O.There is something beautiful about the ocean, the intense blueness of it... so tranquil, gliding, and calming. The serene brutality, the sense of awe at the sight of it, the feeling of unknownness. For some, the ocean sparks joy and excitement; for others, fear and unease. There is a certain beauty to the diverse experiences of the ocean. Considering that more than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with the ocean, one would believe that humans would have explored it thoroughly. However, under 20% is mapped and explored. There is also a multitude of life within the ocean that is not widely discussed. Thus, the essence of this project lies in educating people about the ocean and the marine life and how architecture can promote it. The title of the thesis – Aequoreal Mediation – can be broken into two core parts. Aequoreal is an archaic word that means marine or oceanic. In this thesis, mediation is architecture’s intervention to resolve the disconnection between land and sea. The title frames the thesis and alludes early on to the mediation between man and nature. This thesis aims to capture and frame the beauty of the ocean, allow people to experience it, and to bridge the gap between land and sea. Furthermore, it aims to educate people on what is happening within the ocean and the different marine life in the area. It also aims to encourage a positive experience of, and connotation to, the ocean. Therefore, through this research, this project hopes to uncover a better understanding of the ocean and marine life and explore ways architecture can promote education specifically about the ocean. This research also hopes to assist in diffusing the boundaries set between land and sea.Item Open Access Aquatic Science Park: an interactive architecture in marine environment(University of the Free State, 2020) Benzane, Karabo; Noble, J.; Raubenheimer, H.; Smit, J.; Smit, P.; Wagener, A.This dissertation is a design exploration for the development of an aquatic science park that is simultaneously functioning as a ferry terminal, at the water's edge of Maputo bay, in Mozambique. The project primarily seeks to redefine the edge as a space of interaction between humans and marine environments. The dissertation addresses the needs of researchers from different institutions around the country for a research facility catering for marine environment issues. The proposal also intends to re-establish a ferry that was discontinued due to construction of a suspension bridge across Maputo bay linking two districts namely Maputo and Katembe. The new bridge is not pedestrian friendly, therefore the need for an alternative link. The research facility will be a place where visitors can experience the marine world and learn about species from waters around the world. The dissertation presents the researcher’s attitude toward the creation of "in-between" place by blurring the lines between distinct realms, such as manmade and nature, public and private sectors, activities on land and in water, etc. The blurring process is the subject of this thesis; its development responds to the conditions and needs within the existing context and is stated in the programmed requirements. The dissertation will prove that the re-establishment of the ferry coupled with a new research facility could improve connectivity between the Katembe district and Maputo city and also transform the area into a more integrated ecological system to protect and conserve water.Item 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.Item Open Access Architecture and the people: a youth social centre for cultural exchange Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe(University of the Free State, 2022-01) Muchingami, Omar; Smit, Jan; Wagener, Annemarie; Smit, PetriaThe inaction of idleness is a terminal disease in the lives of young people all over Zimbabwe. This social crisis results mostly from the constantly and radically weakening economy, forcing a lot of people to barely survive on a hand-to-mouth basis. Young adults are mostly affected by this conundrum as the urban population keeps increasing, while job opportunities remain unchanged. The United Nations Youth Association of Zimbabwe (UNYAZ) is a youth-oriented organization that empowers young people to become agents of positive change in their local and global communities. Amongst the social tools that they need to solve the rising social dilemma, UNYAZ needs an innovative architectural space where young people can develop their existing skills and generate an income. The aim of this thesis proposal is to provide a place where this can happen in the form of a Youth Center on a vacant parcel of land on the outskirts of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. The design proposal is based on three theoretical concepts: biophilic design, terrain vague, and vernacular design. Biophilic design along with the use of vernacular construction methods and local materials results in a program that enables interaction opportunities that improve a sense of community and belongingness for its users. Terrain vague is used as a way both to identify the site typology and as a metaphor for the young adults it intends to serve. The environmentally sustainable design combined with vernacular architecture and biophilia/biomimicry is used to unpack the design intentions in terms of providing a place where the youth can develop an identity, purpose, and belongingness through interaction.Item Open Access Architecture of a spatial concord: exploring the relationship between spatial mediums and narrative for a place-specific architecture in the setting of Bohlokong [Bethlehem](University of the Free State, 2022) Lepesa, Nothembinkosi; Smit, Petria; Smit, Jan; Raubenheimer, HeinThis dissertation delves into the relationship between architecture and narrative meaning the way a medium tells a story. Architecture being both a physical and spatial medium it presents a unique opportunity for the embodiment of narrative. The narrative in question is about an environment in relation to people and the phenomenology of belonging. The challenge is finding the appropriate mediator that can concisely tell the narrative about the phenomenon for its meaning to be understood and addressed through architectural means. The discovery of a medium or a narrator bears importance in two-fold. Firstly, a narrator provides access to information, i.e., a story that is representative of a community of people that actively preserve traditions and the significance that it has on their existence, therefore a narrator acts as a retail [relate or repeat (a story) in detail] for the discourse. Secondly, there is an art to storytelling that may import services to the dissertation, unlike the practice of investigation, which is journalistic in nature, storytelling presents a nuanced quality that involves us in understanding the magnitude of matters.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.𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲Item Open Access Articulating the real and the numinous: a Flood Control and Research Centre at the historic St. Helens Pump Station on the banks of the uMzimkhulu river(University of the Free State, 2023) du Plessis, Cara; Olivier, J.; Smit, J.; Smit, P.There is potential magic within a hybrid “third space” of science and divination where the past omens and present practises can be tied together by string to aid the current flooding crisis. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 ree𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴? Past efforts to address the South African flooding crisis have led to many quantitative and scientific approaches that evaluate rainfall, water management and infrastructure but seldom approach the crisis by way of divination, through which a higher realm of information can be tapped into. This dissertation introduces a new way of approaching flooding by designing a Flood Control and Research Centre that highlights the potential within the intertwined relationship between science and divination in an attempt to respectfully articulate the two where the roles of divination and the roles of science meet and work together in a hermeneutic relationship. Further investigation included analyzing the existing context regarding the project theme, testing three different theoretical stances and studying appropriate precedents. This design approach is able to broaden and challenge the dweller’s perspective of seemingly opposite practices and provide a paradigm for future flood crisis approaches.Item 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.Item Open Access Between skin and vine: a viticulture college at the old tannery on the outskirts of Wellington(University of the Free State, 2022) du Toit, Francois Stefan; Smit, J.; Smit, P.; Auret, H. A.; Raubenheimer, H.The aesthetic of disorder and sensuality of the wilderness has been lost to society for a long time; just one of the underlying effects caused by urbanisation and suburbia. Contemporary dwellers often feel the need to escape their artificial environment to recharge through a direct connection with their inner self and the divine that is only perceivable in nature. The region of the Val du Charon is known not only for its rich viticulture heritage but also for its picturesque landscapes. Instead of continuing to practice viticulture as another way in which nature has been dominated, recent trends in winemaking aim to recast agricultural cultivation as a mediator between people and nature, thereby opening the way for new (and more nuanced) relationships between dwellers and nature. Traditionally, viticulture depends on the domestication of nature, but the move toward ‘ethical wine’ and ‘biodynamic viticulture’ envisions a more reciprocal future. The proposed viticulture school aims to teach this new sensibility to the South African winemakers of the future; an ‘academic reconnection’ between cultivators and nature, serving as a catalyst for new kinds of caring relationships between the wine-drinking public, vineyards, and the natural landscape. The Old Tannery, abandoned since November 1999 has started to show the potential to illustrate architecturally these new kinds of relationships. Firstly, the decaying structure has created opportunities for nature to regain its foothold in unexpected ways, consequently contributing to a new type of beauty. Through adaptive reuse and by focusing on scripting the relationships between the different buildings in the ensemble the goal is to, sustainably and appropriately, find new relational assemblages. This thesis proposed the adaptive reuse of the existing framework of the Old Tannery as a viticulture college. The architectural approach will be influenced by three main considerations: first, the spatial organisation of the ensemble through the use of a promenade; second, the adaptation of the existing built ‘skin’ in line with the heritage prescriptions of the Burra Charter; third, the ‘rewilding’ of the site and the wine-making process. Ultimately, the goal is to architecturally interpret the principles ensconced in ‘ethical wine’ and ‘biodynamic viticulture’ in order to recast the old industrial complex, to question the way human cultivation used to imply the domestication of nature and to open the way for establishing new existential thresholds between dwellers and the vine.Item 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.Item Open Access Biophilic placemaking: rooting aquaponics in the landscape of the Eastern Free State(University of the Free State, 2021) Viljoen, Carissa; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Ras, Jan; Raubenheimer, H.How can we as architects build a new world of sustainable beauty? This thesis posits that it is possible by learning from nature. Biomimicry and permaculture look at nature as a catalogue of products that have undergone a 3.8 billion year period of research and development. Given this level of sophistication, biophilic and permaculture theory argues that it makes sense to break down the patterns and principles of the natural environment into building blocks that can be applied to the built environment. This thesis explores the notion of how these sustainable design strategies, can be applied to the design of a site (an aquaponic Lifestyle Farm) to create a sense of place, or genius loci, that can connect us with the wider natural world in order to break down the human-nature dichotomy. By creating an evocative, emotional connection and interaction with the natural environment, the aim of this project is to bring humans into alignment with the natural world and the sustainable practices that we need to adopt in order to ensure our survival within it.Item Open Access Bird preservation, research & visitors centre(University of the Free State, 2016) Moffat, S. L.; Smit, Jan; Pretorius, Henri; Raubenheimer, Hein; Olivier, JakoThis design dissertation investigates the proposal of a Bird Preservation, Research and Visitors’ Centre on Malgas Island in Saldanha Bay. The aim of the project is to assist the South African National Parks Board within the West Coast National Park with the observation, research and preservation of the planet’s largest colony of Cape Gannets, whose habitat is the volatile surface of Malgas Island, and whose numbers are decreasing with each passing year. In doing so, the project also aims to draw attention to and memorialise these intriguing creatures that, for most, remain nameless and undiscovered. My interest in the topic of this dissertation stems from a personal fascination with the natural environment, more specifically, with the ocean. I am greatly interested in the fact that oceans are the direct providers and lifeblood to more than two thirds of our planet’s inhabitants, both human and otherwise. One species that is particularly dependent on the sea, and which is currently on the verge of extinction, is the Morus Capensis, the Cape Gannet. This study has been organised into four main parts. The first part explores the project’s challenges and aims. Here, various challenges were identified by means of an investigation into the typology, topology, morphology and tectonic potential of the design which, in turn, generated problem statements and aims. The second part provides a detailed discussion on the research design and methodology in terms of the various research methods that were used, indepth investigation, the grounding of various arguments in personal explorations, as well as numerous literature reviews and precedent studies that inform this project. The third part explores the design and tectonic synthesis. The design and construction processes were thoroughly explained and followed, resulting in a final design solution and product. The last part of the dissertation reflects on and evaluates the entire design process and its success or lack thereof.Item Open Access Blooming the obstinate: the remediation of an abandoned quarry in Garies through the establishment of a saffron farmstead and visitor attraction as a means of fostering a sense of harmony between people and the natural world(University of the Free State, 2023) Francis, Adelin; Van Der Merve, DavidHuman activities have a negative impact on our natural environment, especially in the case of post-industrial waste and destruction, such as global quarries, as well as the consequences encountered by a small community in Namaqualand. Can the blooming flowers in the old quarry at Stoffelsfontein farm be recovered by developing a saffron farmstead and visitors’ attraction, thereby remediating a wasteful and destroyed site in Garies, Namaqualand, and globally, investigating the potential for remediation and revitalisation and rehabilitation as a way of ecological empathy? Initiatives to address this problem have been made. Still, they have mainly concentrated on large-scale quarries or abandoned industrial sites, ignoring the effects on our smaller rural towns and farms harmed by trash dumping and quarry activities. To tackle this problem, I aim to remediate, revitalise, and rehabilitate a quarry that was once adorned, with an array of flowers by encouraging ecological awareness and empathy. By considering both human and natural influences, I propose the establishment of a saffron farm and visitors’ attraction that actively involves the local community and attracts the rest of South Africa and tourists, offering new work and leisureexperiences. This research draws upon a comparative analysis between man-made destruction and natural forces, incorporating relevant precedent studies. Remediating a destroyed site and its waste not only presents an opportunity for environmental rehabilitation but also offers a chance to reconcile human influences. It can stimulate the local economy by creating job opportunities and skills development.Item Open Access Blue Rock Extreme Sport Eco Institute for the Western Cape, Sir Lowry's pass(University of the Free State, 2022) Giliomee, Philip; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Du Preez, J. L.; Raubenheimer, H.This dissertation was born through my fascination with the industrial archetype and the growing popularity thereof all over the world. The proposed project handles the growing popularity of extreme sport in South Africa and how a space can be created for those seeking a rush of adrenalin. By addressing the need for a natural environment where individual is allowed to break away from their daily routine, the Blue Rock Extreme Sports Institute assists in providing relief from the growing mental and physical health issues we are faced with. The dissertation handles the opportunities for ecological and architectural development within a quarry, allowing the user to witness the beauty of the historical mining industry and not only see it as wasted space. Through the novel use of the scarred environment and manmade contours, the memory of industrial history will come back to life within the quarry. The levels and slopes left behind within the quarry walls will be used as a way of passage to the waters below through promenades, allowing all users to interact with one another. Researching the different tensile forces used in the mining industry and observing the materials used I was able to develop a conceptual image of what could be possible within the given environment. The impact of the research done could hopefully open people's eyes to the endless architectural opportunities we are faced with, especially in the scars left behind from the distant and recent past.Item Open Access Coastal Blur: a fish market and community forum conceptualised on the netting of liminal negotiation in Kalk Bay Harbour(University of the Free State, 2022) Steenberg, Elandré; Smit, J. D.; Smit, P.; Raubenheimer,H.; Mabe, P. M. E.The following research investigates how the liminal negotiation of space can spatially net the phenomenon of thresholds, time and transition space between land and sea at the coast of Kalk Bay. Coastal communities such as Kalk Bay have much more to offer than quaint shops and pretty boats. These communities subconsciously act as nets that negotiate the liminal conversations between land and sea. Over the years, small-scale fisheries have suffered a great deal with the modernisation of fishing technology which inevitably caused the deterioration and fragmentation of small-scale fishing community culture. In order to preserve this coastal culture, an architectural intervention can be conceptualised on the premise of encouraging economic, social, and ecological development and activity. The thesis presents research on how to adopt critical regionalism in architecture in a way that celebrates and sensitively 'nets' a place for gathering for Kalk Bay's fishing community and visitors. The research question for the study is as follows: How can the act of liminal negotiation conceptualize a fish market and community forum which mitigates the transitional space between land and sea in order to reconcile the social fabric of Kalk Bay with the commercial edges of the harbour? The theoretical premise of place and time assists in revealing how Kalk Bay finds itself embodying what Edward Relph coins as 'placelessness' in its fragmented state (Najafi & Shariff, 2011: online). The loss of identity could be counteracted by spatially acknowledging the palimpsest of thresholds that resembled the deterioration and fragmentation the site had endured This helped defamiliarise local culture and environmental aspects to reveal new understandings of old ways of life. These approaches of spatial netting are implemented to achieve a contextual, cultural, and regional-specific design that aims to blur the liminal between land and sea.Item Open Access Cosmic perspectives: an astronomical narratoscope at boyden observatory used to interpret borrowed moments from indigenous cosmology(University of the Free State, 2021) Bester, LeonAbstract not availableItem Open Access A cosmopolitan dialect(University of the Free State, 2014-09) Magqashela, Avela; Smit, J. D.; Ras, W. J.; Pretorius, H. B.; Olivier, J. I.It is estimated that, if nothing is done, half of 6000 plus languages spoken today will disappear by the end of this century (Unesco, 2009:online). With the disappearance of unwritten and undocumented languages, humanity would lose not only a cultural wealth but also important ancestral knowledge embedded, in particular, in indigenous languages. English has become the dominant language in the social and economic sectors of our society due to factors of globalization. Language carries an individual’s story and miscommunication of that story may result in a segregated community. This thesis is rooted in the idea of exploring the relationship between architecture and language. The project will focus on architecture’s ability to accommodate the transition of a sign to its representation and link with what is desired to be communicated. The proposed site (University of Free State campus) lies on the periphery of the campus, which has an accessible link to the public realm of the university. The proposed programme forms part of the universities’ agenda which focuses on the integration of the city into university life and the wider South African context. This project aims to act as a public interface of exhibitions for dialogue, lectures, and interpretation of languages.Item Open Access Craft metamorphosis: a vocational craft college at the Old Tannery in Wellington Western Cape(University of the Free State, 2021) Venter, Annerica; Smit, J. D.; Smit, Petria; Auret, H.; Raubenheimer, H.This dissertation seeks to introduce digital fabricated crafts in South-Africa through the development of a craft college at The Old Tannery in Wellington Western Cape. With the investigation of a post-phenomenological approach to this historical site. The Old Tannery provides the perfect opportunity for a new vocational craft college to become a synergy proposed as a way to render an ensemble. A lively educational-commercial space that will attract and serve both locals and tourists. As such, the semi-industrial nature of the site will not interfere with the commercial interests on the rest of the site. Ultimately, the craft college will contribute to the new ensemble by providing many students who could use the other facilities if they wish to do so to start their own businesses. The project aims to have a positive impact within a neglected context by promoting new ways of crafting. This ultimately aims to uplift the local community and allow people from the community to become involved and perhaps start their own trade businesses.Item Open Access Deceased Sentient: an Eternal Reefs Memorial Centre at the Cape Recife Lighthouse and nature reserve, Port Elizabeth(University of the Free State, 2020-10) Hoft, Dennis; Smit, Jan; Smit, Petria; Nel, Jan; Raubenheimer, HeinLife and Death. An endless cycle we see devoured, held, controlled by time. Always similar but never the same, yet the means in which we memorialise never changed. Traditional burial has always held the most dignity in civilisation, although Greek and Buddhist cultures has always upheld cremation. The evolution of burial has but remained variables of a gist in all beliefs and cultures where the origins and legitimacy are subject for a different debate. But is there a thread, or substance of the same origin, something that we as modern man can reconnect to in order to have a neutral goal for this life and the next one. Is mother earth our only salvation for this life and the afterlife? Do we only have these lands and waters for all eternity? We can predict very little, but learn a lot from the past. For destruction and discovery has led to this world, so what to do but reconstruct this haven as a heaven for all living beings. For our planet to be the sole haven, for what seems eternity, in order to preserve all life for only this life we have, evidently, must become human nature. Preserving nature has to be in our nature.