Vesselling the ‘Pneuma-Qua: a water appreciation centre near the Baakens River mouth, Gqeberha
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Date
2023
Authors
Palmer, John-Gordon
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Water scarcity and pollution is one of the largest looming environmental disasters on earth. However, the nature of this crisis is often misunderstood. Instead of trying to create more efficient reticulation systems or build more dams, the challenge lies in the way people think about water. Somehow, we find ourselves in a time in which water has been demystified to the realm of resource. We take water for granted. In turn, people are stripped of their dwelling nature — those who have evolved and are at home in a world dominated by water — to become mere users of water. In order to combat this forgetting of water — the unthinking way in which we use water — it is essential to recast the way we think about water. This study proposes a community water appreciation centre as a first step in helping us cultivate 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲. It will be argued that a key aspect of this re-enchantment of water lies dormant in the indigenous knowledge systems that used to regulate the relationship between mankind and water. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿? Water is growing increasingly scarce in Gqeberha. Usually this scarcity is attributed to a lack of infrastructure, maintenance, and planning. Yet, if the argument above is to be believed, it might be that the route to a more robust water system can be found in re-animating ingenuous conservation knowledge and drawing on more inceptual forms of care for this vital substance. Through studying ancient rituals and narratives, and by drawing on the insights of experiential learning, a water appreciation centre is envisioned to aid the community to find their way back to noticing the importance and beauty of water. The goal of this study is to create effective, contextually sensitive, water appreciation and ritual spaces. These spaces can act as drivers for social change, by cultivating respect and appreciation for water within the community, allowing for water to be conserved, nature to
flourish, and people to once more have a sustainable dwelling relationship with the 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.
Description
Dissertation (M.Arch. (Architecture))--University of the Free State, 2023