EXTRACTING NARRATIVES OF NABABEEP Merlin Fourie l 2017113784 A Jewellery Manufacturing & Design Centre in the Copper Fields of Namaqualand Narratives of Nababeep A Land Upended EXTRACTING NARRATIVES OF NABABEEP A Jewellery Manufacturing & Design Centre in the Copper Fields of Namaqualand By MERLIN FOURIE Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Architecture Professional (MArch Prof) in the DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE FACULTY OF NATURAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE BLOEMFONTEIN 2022 STUDY LEADER: Prof J.D. Smit l Mrs P. Jooste-Smit l Mr H. Raubenheimer SUPERVISOR: Mr J. Nel PROOFREADING & EDITING: Mrs Wanda Odendaal 11/10/2022 11/10/2022 11/10/2022 11/10/2022 DECLARATION I, Merlin Fourie, declare that the e.g. Master’s research dissertation that I herewith submit at the University of the Free State, is my independent work and that I have not previously submitted it for qualification at another institution of higher education. ____________________ ____________________ Merlin Fourie Date I, Merlin Fourie declare that I am aware that the copyright is vested in the University of the Free State. ____________________ ____________________ Merlin Fourie Date I, Merlin Fourie declare that all royalties as regards to intellectual property that was developed during the course of and/or in connection with the study at the University of the Free State, will accrue to the University. ____________________ ____________________ Merlin Fourie Date I, Merlin Fourie declare that I am aware that the research may only be published with the Dean’s approval. ____________________ ____________________ Merlin Fourie Date Figure 1: The scarred landscape and explorations of new architectural interventions as a poetic layer over the site (author, 2022) TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Site and Location 1.2 Theoretical Stance: Redeeming Leftover Space 1.3 Client & Brief 1.4 Finding an Appropriate Client 1.5 Aims & Structure 1.6 Conclusion Research Question 2. PALIMPSEST OF PLACE 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Understanding Place: The Copper Wonder of Namaqualand 2.3 Surrounding Towns 2.4 Documenting the Layers of Place 2.4.1 Vegetation 2.4.2 Vernacular of the Region 2.4.3 Story of Place 2.4.4 The People of Nababeep 2.4.5 The Indeterminate Landscape 2.4.6 Leftover Space 2.4.7 Wounds of the Landscape 2.4.8 Analysing the Site 2.5 Conclusion 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 12 15 15 18 19 23 24 25 26 27 43 3. BRIEF DEVELOPMENT & PROGRAM 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Program 3.2.1 Exposure to the mine 3.2.2 Jewellery Manufacturing & Design 3.2.3 Designing for the Community 3.3 Jewellery Manufacturing & Design Centre 3.4 The Namibian Jewellery Industry 3.5 Case Study - Ûiba-Ôas Crystal Market 3.6 Case Study- Valentino Jewellery Studio & Goldsmith Academy 3.6.1 Studio Requirements 3.7 Jewellery Explorations 3.8 Plan Development Inspired by Program 3.9 Conclusion 4. GROUNDING: SCARS AND ENGRAVING 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Story of Place 4.3 The Wounded Landscape 4.4 The Act of Engraving - Touchstone 4.5 Extracting Stories 4.6 The Hand of the Engraver 4.6.1 Responding to the rich strata of place- Concept 1 4.7 Healing 4.7.1 Lebbeus Woods and the ‘Scar’ Metaphor 4.7.2 Copper as a Living Material – Concept 1 4.8 Re-scripting a New Place-identity 4.8.1 Place and Placelessness 4.8.2 Traces of Past Occupancy 4.8.3 Excavating Remaining Witnesses – Concept 3 4.9 Conclusion 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 52 57 61 64 69 70 70 71 72 73 74 75 78 80 82 84 84 86 90 90 91 92 95 5. FINDING INSPIRATION: PRECEDENTS 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Castelvecchio Museum 5.3 Baragwanath Transport Interchange 5.4 House F 5.5 Horizon House 5.6 Conclusion 6. STRUCTURAL EXPLORATION 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Structural Touchstone 6.3 Case Study 6.3.1 Location & History 6.3.2 Climate & Landscape Typology 6.3.3 Program 6.3.4 Structure 6.3.5 Material Influence 6.3.6 Planning & User Requirements 6.3.7 Spatial Enhancement 6.3.8 Climatic Response 6.3.9 Shortcomings 6.3.10 Design Explorations 6.4 Conclusion 96 97 98 102 104 106 109 110 111 111 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 121 122 122 124 128 129 130 130 132 134 135 135 140 142 144 146 153 153 154 155 155 156 158 181 7. CRAFTING A DESIGN PROPOSAL 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Healing 7.2.1 Engravings 7.2.2 Lines in the Landscape 7.2.3 Patina 7.3 Redeeming Wastelands 7.3.1 Making Sense of the Landscape 7.3.2 Accommodation List 7.3.3 Users of the Building 7.3.4 Ordering the Landscape 7.3.5 Fragmentation Vs. Healing 7.4 Towards a Final Design 7.4.1 Typology 7.4.2 Structural System 7.4.3 Material Choice 7.4.4 Structural detailing 7.4.5 Spatial Planning 7.5 Final Design Proposal 7.6 Conclusion 8. TECHNICAL RESOLUTION 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Environment and Micro-Climate 8.2.1 Climate & Landscape Typology 8.2.2 Topography 8.2.3 Typology 8.2.4 Site Analysis 8.2.5 Soil conditions 182 183 183 183 184 184 185 186 9. REFLECTION 10. WORKS CITED 11. SIMILARITY REPORT 187 187 187 189 189 190 190 191 191 192 195 195 197 197 198 205 8.3 User Behaviour, Socio & Economic Profile 8.4. Spatial Planning and Enhancement 8.4.1 Spatial planning 8.4.2 Landscaping 8.4.3 Horizontal Circulation 8.4.4 Parking 8.4.5 Storm Water Control 8.5 Building Requirements 8.6 Structural System 8.6.1 Type of structure 8.6.2 Material choice 8.6.3 Detailing 8.6.4 Climatic response 8.6.5 Responsibility of design 8.7 Technical Drawings 8.8 Conclusion 206 207 210 1. ABSTRACT The story of Nababeep begins as a tale of dissolution. Over the years the landscape have been broken up into fragments by mining activity. Confronted by its wounds, the dissertation will investigate ways of extracting beauty from the scarred. By looking at the art of engraving for inspiration, the dissertation will further investigate how the scars of the site can be re-interpreted as possibilities of capturing stories. The site suffers from past trauma. In order to heal the landscape, it is believed that design can only emerge from the great depth of its painful, private and collective experiences. The disseration looks at ways how the ongoing traces and scars of the derelict site can contribute actively to the narrative of the site. In trying to understand the site, the three concepts explore ways of exposing the richness of the site, understanding its fragments and interrogating its remaining witnesses. Explorations are also done in finding ways of healing its wounds and stitching together a new identity from the scabs of the site. Taking a closer look at the site and its trauma, and uncovering all of its layers, new voices can start to emerge- a palimpsest of stories of place. It is ultimately the embedded layers of place that allows the story of place to reveal itself. The devastating imprints of mining will forever shape the town of Nababeep, it is important to form a new relationship between the mine, its scars and the people. 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Site and Location 1.2 Theoretical Stance: Redeeming Leftover Space 1.3 Client & Brief 1.4 Finding an Appropriate Client 1.5 Aims & Structure 1.6 Conclusion Research Question 2 3 Figure 2: The town sits between the giant granite outcrops (google.images, 2022: online) 1.1 Site and Location The dissertation investigates at the copper wonder of Namaqualand, specifically around the town of Nababeep, an old copper mining town. Due to the discovery of copper a mine germinated which led to the founding of this town and the influx of miners. However, when the mine closed in 2004, the people of Nababeep were left to fend for themselves and ventured to other parts of the area to find work. The town is now a sad, leftover space with an unemployment rate of 75%. The town of Nababeep is nestled between giant age-old granite outcrops. The mine is located on the slope of a mountain and overlooks the town. Located in the Kamiesberge, the area consists of arid landscapes with unique vegetation adjusted to the climatic constraints. Nababeep is located in a semi-desert area with big open skies and harsh light. There are however several granite outcrops surrounding the town and the landscape is therefore classified as complex - a mixture between cosmic and classical (Norberg-Schulz 1980). 4 Figure 3: The vulnerable landscape of Nababeep still reeling from the impacts of environmental devastation (google.images, 2022: online) 1.2 Theoretical Stance: Redeeming Leftover Space One of the main problems identified from the site was the environmental devastation caused by the mining industry. Over the years, industrial action carved away the landscape in an attempt to extract its treasures. After many years of lying dormant, the wounds of the landscape are now exposed, and the residents are confronted by them daily. Another problem encountered was that the identity of the town seems to be lost. For years the story of place was dominated by the mine and all of its glories. Since the mine closed, the story of Nababeep has become lost in between decades. The place- identity is defined by fragmentation, it is a tale of dissolution. The narrative of Nababeep is woven in conflict and is in desperate need of intervention. It has a story to tell, but until now it seems to be lost. The dissertation is ultimately about re-invigorating the town and healing its scars to tell the story of place. It also touches on the vulnerability of the landscape and its people and how both have been damaged by the mining activities but also again through the closure of the mine. An identity of place needs to be re-scripted. Looking at what it once was, the dissertation will explore what it now needs to become. By focusing on the reclamation of leftover space, and the redemption of wastelands, an attempt is made to heal them, and explore how to breathe new life into the town. 1.3 Client and Brief The ultimate users and beneficiaries of this project is the community of Nababeep to whom the copper fields of Namaqualand have belonged to for centuries. The people of this area are unique and have their own ways and rituals. In trying to re-script their stories, it is important to first understand their daily lives and their unique rituals. A sensitive and appropriate approach is needed when considering the needs of the town. The slow- living lifestyle of the people as well as the atmosphere of the place needs to be the key to the design approach. The idea is to reinvigorate the town and to uplift the community to break the cycle of poverty. This process of revitalisation will begin with stimulating different parts of the town. These nodes within the town act as catalysts and aim to inspire new approaches of reclaiming parts of the leftover space. The main focus of the project is a Jewellery Manufacturing and Design Centre where people of the community are given the 5 Figure 4: The intriguing landscape of Nababeep (author, 2022). opportunity to work along each other and make a living for themselves. Through utilizing copper from the mine and gemstones found in the area, the community can transform these treasures into jewellery with a story to tell. The opportunity exists to export these jewellery pieces to other parts of the country, spreading the story of this unique town in the Namaqua copper fields. The Jewellery Manufacturing and Design Centre will act as a catalyst on the periphery of the town- a point of urban acupuncture which will hopefully set in motion a series of new opportunities within the town. In search of an appropriate client for the design, Imfundiso Skills Development was identified. It is a project focused on the upliftment of impoverished youth. With many training projects around the country focusing on jewellery making, Imfundiso can provide funding and training programmes for the proposed design. 1.4 Finding an Appropriate Client The main goal of the proposed design is to serve the people of Nababeep and to take a step in the war against poverty. Imfundiso Skills Development (ISD) is a non-government organization that provides skills development programs, specifically in the field of jewellery design and manufacturing, to the historically disadvantaged and unemployed youth of South Africa. Imfundiso encourages and promotes the abundant creative potential of the youth by teaching jewellery design skills. This links with the country’s most important export goods of gold, platinum and diamonds. The word ‘Imfundiso’ means ‘to teach’. ISD considers the idea of teaching as a way of empowering someone to take their future into their own hands (O’Reilly, 2010: online). ISD first began as a small jewellery-making project on rented space at the De Beers Cullinan mines in Gauteng and has since grown into a jewellery school empire for Isaac Nkwe, founder of ISD (O’Reilly, 2010: online). In partnership with De Beers, the Department of Minerals and Energy and the Tshwane University of Technology, the Imfundiso project was founded, and continued to grow at the mine in Cullinan (O’Reilly, 2010: online). In his own words, Nkwe explains the vision of the project as follows: “There’s an influx of people from rural areas coming to the mines every year, so the initial idea was to train the children of the mineworkers so that they could have a future, Today we have expanded to schools in Gauteng and Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal teaching just about anyone who want to learn about jewellery making” (O’Reilly, 2010: online). ISD is in charge of four training projects at different areas in the country, namely at the Cullinan Diamond Mine in Gauteng, Sekhukhune Education Multi Purpose Centre in Limpopo, South West Gauteng College’s George tabor Campus in Soweto, and lastly at the Thabamoopo Education Multi Purpose Centre also in Soweto (O’Reilly, 2010: online). The curriculum that is taught consists of theoretical and practical skills, as well as marketing skills and entrepreneurship and the programme is taught over a period of two years (O’Reilly, 2010: online). Imfundiso’s training allows students to incorporate indigenous jewellery making techniques into more contemporary styles. Their goal, according to Nkwe, is to make South Africa a jewellery-making hub because South Africa is a country abundant in resources and there exists an opportunity to export jewllery. Nkwe further explains that “by encouraging young jewellers to take part in the economic mainstream of the country, they can also contribute to the local economic development through community tourism” (O’Reilly, 2010: online). 6 Figure 5: The Imfundiso Skills Develoment foundation (O’Reilly, 2010: online). 7 1.4 Aims & Structure Approaching the dissertation, an in-depth reading of the site is required, because the site essentially becomes the main focus of the project. The sub-themes of the research will therefore focus on exploring the richness of the site. (1) The art of engraving: The touchstone enables the idea of looking at the site as a deeply scratched copper plate with stories to tell. The touchstone is an allegorical model of the site where the damage at Nababeep has been caused by deep scratches made to the surface, scarring the site so severely that there is no going back. Parallels are drawn between the deeply scratched mining site and a scratched copper engraving plate. (2) Documenting the different layers of the site Nababeep, like many other mining towns, is filled with much richness and history. This sub-theme investigates the rich strata of place by delving into its historic ore, and documenting its different contexts, architectural narratives, past echoes and ghosts that have influenced the site and made it what it is today. (3) Interrogating the remaining witnesses on site When one approaches the town and all of its remnants, it seems overwhelming. In an attempt to make sense of the landscape, this sub-theme will first focus on understanding the characters on site and what each of them has to offer, before deciding on how to redeem and capture the story of the place. (4) Redeeming Wastelands By looking at the idea of leftover space or No-Man’s Land (Woods, 1996: online), this sub-theme will investigate ways of redeeming wastelands and rescripting the identity of the town. (5) Healing By further looking at the scarred and fragmented site, this sub- theme will investigate how parts of the site and community can be healed to form a new relationship between place and narratives, and place and architecture. By investigating the idea of the patina layer that forms over copper that becomes a protective layer, inspiration can be drawn with regards to healing the site. Limitations Because the site for the proposed design is filled with such richness, it may be impossible to document all of its layers and history. Through choosing a few layers to work with, the study became more focused. Another way will also be to focus on just a few characters of the site and exploring them as miners would focus on a specific seam or strata to excavate. Relevance & Benefits Upon arrival at the site, one cannot immediately find a solution for the apparent problems or immediately intervene. The story of the place first needs to be captured before trying to re-script a new place-identity. In trying to understand the site, all of its layers and influences must first be investigated and documented. The research will mainly be focused on making sense of the site, capturing its different narratives and its scars. Only then can a new story emerge, woven in conflict. 8Figure 6: Engravings on the derelict site (author, 2022) 1.5 Conclusion The dissertation will specifically attempt to stitch together a new place-identity in order to form new connections between the people of Nababeep and the past trauma. New design interventions will need to look at the past occupancies of the site, not removing the scars but extracting the beauty from it. To make sense of the damaged landscape, the different layers embedded within the site will need to be uncovered and revealed. The art of engraving forms the golden thread throughout the project, inspiring new responses of engagement with the derelict site. The theme of the project is captured in the research question: HOW CAN THE ART OF ENGRAVING INSPIRE NEW APPROACHES OF ENGAGING WITH A DERELICT SITE, TO ULTIMATELY STITCH TOGETHER A NEW PLACE-IDENTITY ANCHORED IN THE LESSONS OF THE PAST? CHAPTER 2 PALIMPSEST OF PLACE 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Understanding Place: The Copper Wonder of Namaqualand 2.3 Surrounding Towns 2.4 Documenting the Layers of Place 2.4.1 Vegetation 2.4.2 Vernacular of the Region 2.4.3 Story of Place 2.4.4 The People of Nababeep 2.4.5 The Indeterminate Landscape 2.4.6 Leftover Space 2.4.7 Wounds of the Landscape 2.4.8 Analysing the Site 2.5 Conclusion 9 2.1 Introduction The word ‘palimpsest’ is derived from the Greek word Epalimpsestos, meaning ‘scraped again’, In the book Landscape Archeology, written by M. Aston and T. Rowley, the ‘landscape’ is described as a palimpsest “on to which each generation inscribes its own impressions and removes some of the marks of earlier geneartions” (Aston & Rowley cited by Porter, 2004: 105). The landscape of Nababeep can be seen as a palimpsest, a layering of different contexts, architectural narratives, past echoes, glories, scandals and ghosts of the site. This chapter tries to make sense of the palimpsestuous nature of place, a term introduced by Jason Phillips in his article Palimpsestuous Behaviour: Democracy, Resistance, Downtowns, and Skateboards or, How to Read Culture (Phillips, 2022: online).The richness of the proposed design lies in the different embedded layers of the town of Nababeep. Through documenting the different influences of the site, the designer can formulate different responses to each layer. This chapter is a deep reading into the town of Nababeep, its history and all of the stories associated with it. 10 Figure 7: A collage of photos take at the Nababeep mine (O’Kiep Country Hotel archive, 2021). 2.2 Understanding Place: The Copper Wonder of Namaqualand While Namaqualand is mostly known for its flower season, there are many more hidden gems in the area. Namaqualand is a vast, barren area in the Northern Cape of not more than 120 000 souls, a place that gets a total of 50mm of rain per year. Although the area seems secluded and hidden away, copper was already discovered centuries ago. Upon a meeting between the local Nama people and Dutch explorers, the local Nama’s were seen with copper bands on their arms and ankles, and this prompted the first expeditions to the area in 1685 led by Simon van der Stel. When the first mine opened in 1852, life was breathed into the area and people from far and wide gathered with their wives and children to settle in the newly built mining towns such as Concordia and O’Kiep. Labourers included British workers, local Namaqua people, the KhoiKhoi, and people of Damara, Namibia. A contemporary traveller described the copper wonder as follows: “there is a perpetual clatter which, to a stranger, is very disturbing but which is not noticed by those resident, unless there is a stoppage, when everyone looks up to see what is the matter” (Fleminger, n.d.: online). 11 Figure 8: The history of the copper fields of Namaqualand (google.images adapted by author, 2022: online) During Simon van der Stel’s expedition to Namaqualand in 1685, he completed several illustrations documenting the Namaqua landscape. This illustration shows the various copper mountains in the area, with the Blue Mountain of Springbok on the right. Residues of copper were found in many of the granite outcrops in the area. Simon van der Stel receiving a party of Khoi San who is presenting him with copper ore samples from the “Copper Mountain”. The first copper mine in South Africa was opened in 1852 by Europeans. The O’Kiep mine in the Namaqualand was once ranked the richest copper mine in the world. 12 Figure 9: Surrounding towns in Namaqualand (google.images adapted by author, 2022: online) Namaqua Copper Fields The discovery of copper and other minerals in the Namaqua region lead to a copper boom between 1854 to 2004. With the arrival of many European labourers, towns such as Concordia, O’Kiep and Nababeep were formed. Although they were mining towns, it was glorious days. 2.3 Surrounding Towns The Diamond Coast Copper is not the only mining industry in Namaqualand. Along the remote and wild coastline that stretches to the border of Namibia, alluvial diamonds were discovered in 1925 (Marais, 2017: online). Alexander Bay, which sits at the mouth of the Orange River, has something of an illustrious history- it was in the thick of the ‘diamond rush’ that gripped this part of the country, The Namas, Khoi San and Strandlopers who walked its shores centuries ago used to pick up diamonds glinting in the sands and gave them to their children as presents to play with (Marais, 2017: online). Today, the people of Alexander Bay, Port Nolloth and Kleinzee still trawl the seas in search of diamonds. It is an unforgiving task in this barren landscape. There is an old Namaqualand philosophy that reads: ‘God didn’t give us rain- He gave us diamonds’. Hondeklip Bay is a town that time forgot. Once an important harbour from where copper ore was transported to Europe, old copper tracks are still visible at the jetty, now fallen into disrepair. ALEXANDER BAY 13 Figure 12: The church of O’Kiep, a surrounding town (author, 2022). In the neighbouring copper mining town, O’Kiep. many residues of an old mining era can be found scattered throughout. Figure 10: Mine relics (author, 2022).. Another relic from the bygone mining area stands abandoned at the O’Kiep mine. Mine dumps at O’Kiep. Dark green ore glistening in the sun- one of the few remainders of a once flourishing mine which is now closed down. The beautiful and well-kept church in the arid and harsh landscape of O’Kiep speaks of the type of lifestyle the people here lead. Figure 13: Copper ore glistening in the sun (author, 2022).. Figure 11: Mine relics (author, 2022).. SURROUNDING TOWNS: THE SMALL MINING TOWN OF O’KIEP 14 Figure 17: The old Hondeklip Bay harbour (author, 2022). Figure 14: The monotonous arid landscape (author, 2022).. Port Nolloth, or Aukwatowa meaning ‘where the water took away the old man’, is a small coastal town where alluvial diamonds were found, Diamond divers still trawl the seas. A resident of Port Nolloth standing on his porch and looking out onto the various diamond boats floating at sea. Remnants of the old harbour at Hondeklip Bay from where the copper ore was transported to Europe. Figure 16: The houses of Port Nolloth (author, 2022).. Figure 15: Diamond boats at Port Nolloth (author, 2022).. Leaving the small copper mining towns and driving towards the coast, the landscape becomes more monotonous with less vegetation, the towering Kamiesberge still visible in the distant. SURROUNDING TOWNS: PORT NOLLOTH & HONDEKLIP BAY 2.4 Documenting the Layers of Place 2.4.1 Vegetation Namaqualand is home to many unique plant species. The area is most famous for its flower season where, after the winter’s rains, wildflowers bloom in a spectacular fashion over hundreds of square kilometres. About 4000 plant species grow in this area and there are more than 1000 types of flowers that do not grow anywhere else in the world (Rundel, 2013: 487). Taking a closer look at the giant granite outcrops, a unique diversity of plant life makes itself known. These bright coloured shrubs, adjusted to the dry climate, bring the mountains to life. Fifty seven endemic plant species are known to the Kamiesberg (Rundel, 2013: 490). The plant life can be categorised into three main vegetation types, namely a dry form of Mountain Fynbos on the upper slopes, Renosterveld found on the plateau, and Upland Succulent Karoo on the lower hills. What makes the plant life so unique is the way they are adjusted to retain moisture to withstand the dry seasons of the year (Rundel, 2013: 490). Conservation Effort: Namaqualand Restoration Initiative- Bringing Mining, Biodiversity, and Local Communities Together Mining is one of the biggest threats for the long term sustainability of the unique and sensitive ecosystem of Namaqualand. Namaqualand falls within the Succulent Karoo, which is part of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots, defined by Rundel (2013:490) as “areas highlighted because of the richness of their biodiversity, the uniqueness of the plant life and the threat it faces”. Between 2005 and 2008, the Namaqualand Restoration Initiative (NRI) has been actively involved in restoring areas damaged by mining (Rundel, 2013: 490). The NRI’s goal was to create a joint opportunity to promote employment and restore the environment at the same time. The problem with some basic rehabilitation efforts done by mines, was that it involved merely shoving back the earth that has been mined, “irrespective of the indigenous perennials crucial for ecological recovery which stand little chance of re-establishing themselves without assistance” (Rundel, 2013: 490). 15 Figure 18: The granite outcrops are brought to life by colourful shrubs (author, 2022). 16 Figure 6: The town sits between the giant granite outcrops (google.images, 2022: online) Figure 19: The different indigenous plant life found on the slopes of the granite hills(author, 2022). Shrubs Different shrubs, a dry form of Mountain Fynbos, are found on the slopes of the mountains and grows through the year. ‘Botterbome’ Also known as a Butter Tree, grows on rocky slopes in sheltered ravines or valleys but also in sandy loam wit quartz along the coast. Quiver Tree The Quiver Tree stores water in its trunk and only needs about a cup of water per month. Lithops Also called ‘living stones’ grow low to the ground and have a stone-like appearance.. Figure 20-23: The granite outcrops are brought to life by colourful shrubs (author, 2022). 17 Once a year the ruggedness of the age-old mountains are flooded with bright and colourful flowers. This fleeting colour explosion makes for quite a spectacle with thousands of tourists rushing to the area. Namaqualand is a unique place, its hard rock mountains seem to hide away secrets of the past. Every year the Namaqua Daisies amazes thousands of people, and never ceases to attract people from all over the country, 18 Figure 24: Nama huts in the area (author, 2022). Figure 26: Another example of Cornish architecture- Concordia church (author, 2022).Figure 25: Example of Cornish architecture in the area- the Cornish pumphouse is one of the few reminders of a bygone mining era(author, 2022). 2.4.2 Vernacular of the Region Namaqualand is home to the Nama people and the well-known Nama huts are scattered throughout the region. These huts have become tourist attractions. The influence of European labourers can also be seen in the area. As specialised Cornish miners and their families moved to the area, other mining apparatus was imported from Cornwall (Fleminger, n.d.: online). Some of these derelict and abandoned relics can be seen in the area. Cornish architecture can also be seen in many of the mining towns, like the church in Concordia. The blue-painted roof of the church reminds one of the patina-covered copper roofs of catholic churches in Europe. The typology of residential architecture in the area also consists of typical mine houses. As many of the mines have closed, some of these structures have been repurposed as shops or converted into guesthouses. 19 Figure 27: The stark contrasts between the different seasons (author, 2022). 2.4.3 Story of Place Nababeep is one of the towns previously under the administration of O’Kiep Copper Company. The last active mining stopped in 2004 and the mine shut down. Since then, many residents have lived their daily lives in search of small jobs and when they have enough money or the rains are good, locals return to their farms. There is a certain sense of vulnerability and fragility about the town and its surrounding slopes. Despite being scarred severely by years of mining activity, the dry and arid landscape manages to transform itself into an explosion of colour when the September rains come. When the flowers arrive, all guesthouses, farm cottages and hotels are occupied by people from all over the country, marvelling at the fleeting flower wonder of such a forgotten place. However, the beauty doesn’t last long and when the landscape returns to its old self, the tourists fade away and the struggle continues to find various ways of making a living. Figure 29-31: Photo series of the old Nababeep exhibited in the O’Kiep Country Hotel (author, 2022). 20 Figure 28: The blue copper mountains of Namaqualand (author, 2022). FROM ABOVE: - Mine shafts at Nababeep - A rock crushing plant - Women and children sorting copper rocks The town of Nababeep became an important centre point of the region and people from all races and origins lived together in the town. Known as the blue copper mountains of Namaqualand, the age- old mountains of Nababeep contains copper oxide which has been extracted since 1852. The O’Kiep Copper Company mine has flourished over the years, attracting many workers to the small copper mining town. Copper ore was also transported from Nababeep with a steam train to Hondeklip Bay, from where it was shipped to Europe. Nababeep also had its own smelter where copper ore was smelted to produce pure copper plates. Copper was extracted through deep shaft mining. While the men of the town worked in the mine or at the smelter, the women were employed to sort through copper ore rocks. Copper became a lifeline in the area. 21 Figure 32 (left): Nama Copper Resources are busy reworking old mine heaps. n the background visual reminders of the old mine still dominates over the town. Old reminders of the mine are still scattered throughout the town (author, 2022).. Since the closure of the mine, the previously mine-owned farms were divided into plots and sold to locals, where they could build houses. Some of the plots were recently sold to Orion Minerals and others to Nama Copper. In an interview with Francois Hopkins (June, 2022), an employee at the mine, he elaborated that Orion Minerals, an Australian company, bought the mine and mineral rights but haven’t started with active mining yet since they are still awaiting mining licenses. Hopkins further explained that Orion also doesn’t have sole ownership of the town, and that unlike in the past, anyone who has a mining license can now buy a piece of land in Nababeep and mine its deposits. This can also provide new possibilities for A second company, Nama Copper Resources, also bought plots of land and is busy reworking old mine heaps as part of the rehabilitation of the mine. According to Hopkins, the black heaps that are seen at the edges of town are the remains of a chemical bath in which copper is extracted from the rocks. The black dust is a non-toxic mixture of Silica and other minerals which are sold to sandblasting companies to be reworked into paint. There are several remnants of the old mine that can still be seen in the town, a reminder of the glory it once possessed. Nababeep is slowly becoming active again with groups of workers rehabilitating the mine and getting ready to start mining again once the mining licenses are obtained. The opportunity exists to employ previous employees of O’Kiep. The future of Nababeep once again shines bright as locals hope to find work at the mine. the town in the future. Figure 33: The old mine remnants towers above the town, a constant reminder of the past (author, 2022).. 22 The town of Nababeep is a small town with one school and three different churches. The mine sits at the edge of the mountain looking down onto the town. Apart from being the centre point of the town, the mine is locked away behind wire fences. The people of Namaqualand are generally known to be storytellers. Many myths and legends are told amongst each other and by the end of the day residents of Nababeep often come together to tell stories, worship and pray together. Nababeep is a close-knit community joined together through their circumstances. The lifestyle of the people is a humble one; the slow-living atmosphere of the town is evident from people walking through the streets, sitting at corners, and stopping along the sidewalks to talk. The people are as vulnerable as the landscape. Most of the people of Nababeep are employed in surrounding towns. After many people were interviewed, it became clear that a transportation company, Van Wyk Vervoer, provides daily buses to and from Nababeep which enables the residents to work in nearby towns such as Springbok and Concordia. Springbok is a small but lively town with many industrial companies, such as tyre manufacturers that export their products to the southern parts of Namibia. In an interview with one of the locals, Gerhard de Klerk (June, 2022), it was said that they are very excited for the mine to open again and that he has hope for the town’s future. When the mine was still operational, he and many of the other residents worked at the smelter where they had to remove and replace conveyor belts. He further elaborated on their daily lives and the struggles they face and said that it is very difficult to go to sleep hungry and that most of them sit at the corner of the shop daily waiting for someone who may need their help. 2.4.4 The People of Nababeep Figure 34: The town of Nababeep (author, 2022).. 23 He explained that everyone knows everyone in the town and when a job has to be done at the mine, the employers know whom to call to help as everyone in the town’s skills are also known. According to De Klerk the mine sometimes employs residents of the town to replace conveyer belts which is about a two-week job and they usually receive R60 per day. Figure 35: The stark contrasts between the different seasons (author, 2022). 2.4.5 The Indeterminate Landscape 24 Namaqualand and the town of Nababeep possess many jewels that still need to be discovered. Apart from copper, many other minerals, crystals and semi-precious stones are also found at Nababeep. According to Francois Hopkins (June, 2022), semi- precious stones were however never mined at Nababeep. The stones can be found on the surrounding slopes, lying above ground, waiting for someone lucky enough to find these treasures. Hopkins further explains that some of the residents of the town have their own holes in the fields surrounding the town where they mine for these gemstones and then sell it to passing tourists. In contrast to the scars and deep wounds of the landscape, these gems are a welcome beauty. The sketch shows the beauty as opposed to the evident scars in the town as the land has been turned upside down, exposing its treasures to the world. The town is in a state of conflict, lying dormant, and almost awaiting intervention. Its fate needs to be decided - beautiful or scarred? Figure 36: The town is a wasteland, the mine is left in ruins while the scars still lies exposed and residents confronted with it on a daily basis (author, 2022). 2.4.6 Leftover Space The town becomes a leftover piece of land- a wasteland, neglected and abandoned. Although the Nama people of the area have worked hard in the mines for centuries, they haven’t gained any profit from it and were left unemployed. A possibility exists to involve the residents in small-scale mining for their own profit and to show off the hidden gems to the rest of the world. 25 Figure 37: The town is a wasteland, the mine is left in ruins while the scars still lies exposed and residents confronted with it on a daily basis (author, 2022). 2.4.7 Wounds of the Landscape Many wounds are left on the landscape of Nababeep, a reminder of the destructive nature of mining. The dissertation will investigate ways of responding to these scars and extracting beauty from it. The scars essentially tell the story of the place and is a reminder of the events that shaped the town of Nababeep; to take away the scars would mean to take away a piece of history of the site. The wounds of the landscape are embedded as a layer of the site, forming identity of place along with other layers. One of the places where the giant granite outcrops are being mined- a land upended. A big hole in the side of the mountain provides a backdrop to the town. Dark grey processed heaps lay at the side of the mountain, its valuables extracted thoroughly. The mountain’s slopes are crumbled down, leaving big scars on its sides- not letting any of its treasures go to waste. 26 Figure 38: The location of the site (author, 2022). 2.4.8 Analysing the Site 27 On the opposite side of the road is a series of small rocky hills that serves as a gathering space for the people of Nababeep. After a day’s work, residents often come together at this spot and socialise until late at night. The site that is chosen for the project is a site previously owned by the mine, located next to the road leading into the town. With different mining remnants and mine dumps as the backdrop, The site has exposure to both the mine as well as the town of Nababeep. WESTERN CAPE FREE STATE NAMIBIA EASTERN CAPE KZN NORTH WEST LIMPOPO MPUMALANGA GAUTENG NORTHERN CAPE TOWN OF NABABEEP NABABEEP PROPOSED SITE LOCATION OF SITE Figure 39: The location of the site (author, 2022). 28 [MACRO SITE ANALYSIS] THE TOWN OF NABABEEP 29 The Northern Cape is a vast expanse of land that stretches to the borders of Namibia. Scattered across the large semi-dessert landscape are hundreds of small characterful towns separated by kilometres of road. Nababeep is one such town characterised by its complex landscape. The mine is the centre point of the town and influenced its layout. The spatial organisation of the town consists of a rigid, modernist planned layout of mining houses, as well as informal settlements scattered around the slopes of the mountains as the town expanded. Many of the old mining houses have been transformed into retail spaces or guesthouses. The following pages will investigate the layout of the town as well as its most important landmarks. Figure 40: The location of the site (author, 2022). 30 An example of one of the old mine houses transformed into a retail shop. This building is a gathering space of many. The beautiful and well-kept church in the town of Nababeep speaks of the type of lifestyle the people here lead. One of the various places around the area where granite outcrops are being mined on the outskirts of town- the landscape turned upside down. A line of broken wooden posts marks the entrance into the copper mining town, speaking of its once glorious and proud days. Small colourful houses sit on top of the slopes, each with their own yard and bit of privacy, yet still exposed to each other- a symbol of the humble living of the people of Nababeep. The houses in the town are neatly painted in various different colours, each with their own garden. This pink house’s porch serves as a place of informal worship when the day has gone. Figure 41-46: Photo series of the town (author, 2022). 31 Figure 47: Analysis of the town and important nodes (author, 2022). 32 PROPOSED SITE MINE CRYSTAL SHOP NAMA COPPER Figure 48: Analysis of mining related sites (author, 2022). 33 The town of Nababeep has continuously changed over the years, its land turned upside down. Gouged from the hills, the ore was processed through a process of sorting and smelting. What is left, is the discarded rocks, creating barren mounds that still mar the landscape to this day. 34 Figure 49: Discarded tailings at the entrance of the mine (author, 2022). Figure 50: Discarded tailings at the entrance of the mine (author, 2022). 35 The town plays second fiddle to the landscape which is something of a wilderness presided over by a merciless sun. The hard dry mountains that surround the town are starkly beautiful. There is a certain sense of layering visible when looking at the mountains- the landscape also becomes a palimpsest, its hills documenting years of transformation. Different residues are layered over one another- a damaged flesh. The following sketches are artistic interpretations of the palimpsestuous landscape. [MICRO SITE ANALYSIS] PROPOSED SITE 36 LOCATION OF SITE The chosen site is located along the road that leads to town and therefore allows for easy access to and from the site. Entering the town, one is immediately confronted by the big hole in the mountain and mining remnants scattered on its slopes. The chosen site possesses many traces of past occupancy. The ruins on the site dates back to the 1800’s and provides insight into the mining processes used back then, which is now outdated. The damaged landscape consists of several heaps of discarded ore, big rocks and concrete remnants. Bright coloured vegetation covers the bare landscape at some places. Figure 51: The location of the site (author, 2022). 37 On the opposite side of the road is a series of small rock hills that serves as a gathering space for the people of Nababeep. After a day’s work, residents often come together at this spot and socialise until late at night. The semi-desert terrain are further covered with indigenous shrubs and occasional quiver trees on the rocky slopes. . Figure 52: The location of the site (author, 2022). 38 Figure 16: The location of the site (author, 2022). Figure 53 (above): Site located next to the road with exposure to mining remnants (author, 2022). Figure 54 (below): Site located across the road where residents gather (author, 2022). SITE SITE 39 Figure 55: The town is a wasteland, the mine is left in ruins while the scars still lies exposed and residents confronted with it on a daily basis (author, 2022). 40 Mining Remnants The site can be described as a piece of no-man’s land within the town which has long been abandoned. There are certain remnants of old mining infrastructure on the site. These concrete remnants serve as past echoes and make for an intriguing sight. With the big hole and mine heaps in the background of the site, the rugged and damaged landscape is experienced in full. There is much to be uncovered and many untold secrets. Figure 56: A collage of different moments of the site (author, 2022). Mining Remnants By taking a closer look at the different remnants on site, there are several fragmented pieces left in ruins that are visible. These fragments become important characters of the site. When each of these characters are interrogated on its own, they can become important contextual drivers for the ongoing story of the site. 41 Figure 57: A closer look at Nababeep’s big hole (author, 2022). Figure 58-59: Remnants of Nababeep’s landscaping (author, 2022). 42 The big hole of Nababeep provides a scenic backdrop to the town. What was once a tourist attraction called ‘Nababeep’s Glory Hole’ has now been closed off to the public, and tourists are not allowed to tour the site anymore. After years of mining activity deep underground, one of the mining shafts collapsed forming a big hole on the side of the mountain. Seen only from afar, the hole in the mountain is a painful reminder of the past. As already mentioned, the site was previously owned by O’Kiep Copper Company and served as an introduction into the town. As a reminder of the town’s once glamorous existence, concrete canals run along the site and finally lead to a water fountain, a remnant of the once neatly designed landscaping. Figures 60-61: Rocks found on the site (author, 2022). Landscape Between the ruggedness of the age old mountains and the remnants of an old copper mine, the landscape of Nababeep is a complex and intriguing one. Scattered throughout the site are various different rocks, some being quartz and others, copper ore. 2.5 Conclusion 43 The palimpsestuous nature of the landscape is uncovered through investigating and excavating each of the layers that make up the place. The dissertation is an investigation of how each of the embedded layers provide meaning to the place-identity and will experiment with different architectural responses to each of the layers. CHAPTER 3 BRIEF DEVELOPMENT & PROGRAM 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Program 3.2.1 Exposure to the mine 2.4.3 Jewellery Manufacturing & Design 2.4.4 Designing for the Community 3.3 Jewellery Manufacturing & Design Centre 3.4 The Namibian Jewellery Industry 3.5 Case Study- Valentino Jewellery Studio & Goldsmith Academy 3.5.1 Studio Requirements 3.6 Jewellery Explorations 3.7 Plan Development Inspired by Program 3.8 Conclusion 44 Figure 62: The rocky hills of Nababeep (author, 2022). 45 3.1 Introduction After exploring and documenting the different layers of the site, it has become clear that it is not only the landscape of Nababeep that is vulnerable, but the people have also been deeply scarred and is in a fragile state. This chapter will focus on ways of reinvigorating the leftover space of Nababeep and formulating a program that fits the needs of the people. The story of the people needs to be told. In trying to re-script their tales, it is important to first understand the residents’ daily lives and rituals. The chapter will take a closer look at their way of life. 3.2 Program The idea to reinvigorate the town and lifting the community out of a cycle of poverty begins with stimulating different parts of the town. These nodes will act as catalysts. Designing for the people of Nababeep, the program will look at three ways of breathing life into the area. 3.2.1 Exposure to the mine As a tourist attraction, the history of the area can be exhibited through developing specific areas in the town to portray the different layers of history embedded here. Relating to the jewellery manufacturing & design centre, visitors would likely want to know the origins of these beautiful stones and gems. Tours through the mine and viewing walkways over the Figure 64: Explorations of viewing walkways over the scarred landscape(author, 2022). Figure 63: Different nodes act as catalysts to stimulate the town and to ultimately redeem the wasteland (author, 2022). 46 damaged and scarred landscape can provide an insight into the different mining sites as well as the glory and the destruction of mining. The landscape of the town and surrounding area can be described as a land upended. During the flower season the town becomes a tourist attraction which creates the opportunity for development. Figure 65: Explorations of how the building can tell the story of the place and act as an introduction into the town and its history (author, 2022). Figure 66: Explorations of how the building can incorporate a destabilizing narrative to tell the story of the site and have sculptural connections inspired by jewellery (author, 2022). 47 3.2.2 Jewellery Manufacturing & Design Centre The second part of the program is a proposed Jewellery Manufacturing and Design Centre with the purpose of providing employment, By making use of pure copper plates from the mine, as well as gemstones from the area, the idea is for the residents to make a living for themselves by creating beautiful jewellery pieces. In this way, giving back to the people what is theirs and extracting beauty from the scars. The centre not only focuses on bringing together the community, but also offers skills development courses for citizens of the area and surrounding towns and schools. The centre is an alternative response to jewellery design and is different from other jewellery stores in the world that speak of glamour and grandeur. In contrast to this, it rather promotes a small-scale, low-key, yet sophisticated jewellery design centre. The building becomes a representative of the local as well as the damaged landscape and the treasures it hides away. The site chosen, is an erf currently owned by the municipality along the main road that enters the town. Previously owned by the mine, the chosen site provides a connection with the mine and can serve as an introduction into the town. There is also a lack of visitors’ centres in the area that can communicate the history. The centre can serve a double purpose of also exhibiting the history of the area. Along with a jewellery manufacturing & design centre, the following functions are also accommodated: - Skills development centre - Information centre - Informal trader’s market Figure 67: Explorations of an informal market adjacent to the road leading into town (author, 2022). Figure 68: Explorations of informal seating areas where the people of Nababeep can gather after a day of work (author, 2022). 48 3.2.3 Designing for the community The community of Nababeep is a closely integrated one. This part of the program involves catering for the needs of the community. - Social aspect As already mentioned, the residents often come together at various specific places. Making space for the existing rituals, the program can provide spaces scattered throughout the town for socialization. - Informal Market The creation of an informal market space where residents can sell their crafts, and gemstones found around the area, to visitors adds an additional economic boost. The informal market will be located along the road into town so that easy access is available to tourists. 3.3 Jewellery Manufacturing & Design Centre The centre for jewellery manufacturing & design requires a special and unique approach that accommodates the people of Nababeep and all of their rituals. The small-scale, yet sophisticated design works with the community and their way of living to create jewellery with a unique narrative. Inspiration was found from several practises in Namibia where the local people are involved in the finding and making of materials. The problem that emerged in this project, was: (1) firstly, how to obtain the stones, gem stones and copper, and (2) how to make the jewellery, and lastly, (3) how to sell these products. The accommodation list and program is an attempt to find alternative ways to address these issues, while looking at inspiration of practises in Namibia. (1) Receiving of Materials The program involves receiving the copper plates directly from the copper smelter that is already in place, and receiving stones and crystals from the locals. They are known to venture out into the fields surrounding Nababeep to look for gemstones and beautiful stones and then selling them to tourists. The program therefore accommodates these rituals by buying these semi-precious stones and other stones and gems from the people, and ultimately using them to create jewellery pieces. Figure 69 : Explorations of jewellery design and intricate connections (author, 2022). 49 (2) Making the Jewellery The program further accommodates the rituals of the people by accepting and buying handmade jewellery pieces and other crafts from the residents. The handmade jewellery is ultimately exhibited in the centre or exported to different retail shops around the country. There are also facilities available where tools and machines are provided for jewellery-making. Locals are welcomed into the facility and can make use of the machinery and leftover materials at the outdoor workspace to make and sell their own jewellery. (3) Selling the Jewellery The locals can either sell their handmade crafts, and other semi- precious stones themselves at the informal market space or it can be bought from them and exported to other parts of the countries. Export facilities as well as packaging and branding facilities are part of the program, allowing the centre to market and export the products. Looking at jewellery design as inspiration, the different techniques of jewellery manufacturing are used to organise the facilities of the building. The following are techniques: 1. Design 2. Cutting/forming metal 3. Soldering 4. Casting 5. Stone-setting 6. Enamelling 7. Polishing 8. Digital technologies Public - Informal market - Courtyard (insight into process of making jewellery) - Receiving of handmade jewellery - Exhibition of history / Information centre - Public workshops for skills development - Exposure to mine and its remnants Private/ Semi-private (1) Sorting of stones - receiving stones from mine and copper from smeltery -receiving and storage of materials (2) Designing - studios - library - computer room (4) Refinement - enamelling - polishing - engraving - cleaning (3) Manufacturing - smeltery - cutting/ forming - casting - stone-setting - soldering (5) Exhibit/ Export - packaging & branding - offices - marketing offices - transport facilities Figure 70-73 : The intimate character of a jewellery workshop (The Early Hour, 2015: online). 50 Figure 74: The intimate character of a jewellery workshop (The Early Hour, 2015: online). 51 The building tries to accommodate a variety of functions, focusing on the local people, as well as catering for people from other towns in the skill development program. The building is therefore organised in such a way to accommodate this variety of people by separating different parts of the building from each other. Tourists are enticed towards the building through a traders market along the road where jewellery from the centre, as well as other crafts and products by local vendors, is sold. The building is situated near the centre of town near the shops, and also provides facilities for locals to make their own jewellery and sell it on their own terms to passing tourists at the informal traders market, in this way the proposed project is embedded in the fabric of the context. Visitors to the skills development program are accommodated by being offered insight into the process of jewellery design through a sequence of different spaces and a walkway that leads through a series of remnants of the mine. 4 Figure 75: An unpolished and polished gemstone (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). 52 There are three different actors in the value chain, namely: “•Informal, unregistered entrepreneurs •Formally registered small-scale enterprises •Formally registered mechanised operations” (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online) 3.4 The Namibian Jewellery Industry Namibia as a country is known for its coloured gemstones, the most famous being tourmaline, with the beryl varieties and topaz (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). With its unconventional approach to the jewellery industry, much can be learned from their value-chain and its participants. With an Industry Growth Programme in place , the aim is to become a highly competitive, industrialised nation. The programme is also an important step in the war against poverty. To understand the interactive process of the Namibian Jewellery Industry, the value-chain should be analysed. The gemstone industry started as a by-product of other mining operations and is therefore not thoroughly documented. The value-chain of gemstone mining also differs significantly from other operations such as diamond mining. The gemstone industry remains highly fragmented at all levels, from exploration and mining to prospecting, mining, manufacturing and ultimately trade (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). 453 Figure 76: Mining for gemstones (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). Primary Production (Prospecting and Mining of Rough Gems) The gemstone mining industry is mainly worked by independent, small-scale miners, There are however also a small group of larger mechanised mining operations in the primary production segment (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). The following are examples of the types of mining licenses that are available in Namibia: • Non-exclusive prospecting license (NEPL) This type of license is suitable for small-scale miners • Mining claim license (MCL) This is for Namibian small-scale operators. The license includes “pegging”, which can be defined as registering an area containing deposit and the operator can sell and dispose minerals within the boundary. • Exclusive prospecting license (EPL) This type of license is generally for commercial entities and not suitable for small-scale operators. • Mining license (ML) A Mining Licence can be a consequence of an existing deposit as a business asset and is not suitable for small-scale miners. 4 Figure 77-78: Traders with their gemstone exhibitions alongside the road (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). 54 Based on the type of license, scale of prosepecting and the kind of equipment available, the following three types of value-chain actors can be identified: • Informal, Unregistered Entrepreneurs This group is made up of artisanal small-scale miners and prospectors which according to Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) estimates from 2012, is calculated to be around 5000 informal miners in Namibia. Mining provides a livelihood to these people and is an important economic element in alleviating poverty (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). • Formally Registered Small-Scale Enterprises This group of miners generally operates with non-exclusive prospecting licences (NEPL) and mining claim licences. In 2015, the MME documented 744 semi-precious stone-mining claims across Namibia (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). 455 Figure 79: An unpolished and polished gemstone (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). -Local formal traders and retailers There are about 20 local gemstone retailers in Namibia, and the majority are collectors. An example is Windhoek-based House of Gems which combines in-store sales with online services to also accommodate the international economy. These retailers sell rough and polished gemstones, crafted jewellery, adornments and home decorations. • Formally Registered Small-Scale Enterprises This category includes companies with modern mining technology and a larger capacity. For instance, they make use of excavators and blasting methods. These companies operate under exclusive prospecting licences and mining licences. They are also required by law to submit production reports to the MME with details of their production volumes and values (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). It is also important to understand the other part of the value chain, namely trade. The following actors were identified (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online): -Direct sales by miners Informal small-scale miners generally sell a portion of their raw stones directly to local customers or passing tourists. Only to a very limited extent do miners sell their stones to local gemstone processors and jewellery manufacturers. Another form of trade also includes paying equipment suppliers a substantial portion of the mined output for the renting of their equipment (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). -Unregistered informal traders and retailers Small-scale miners are also generally known to sell their rough stones informally to international buyers. These buyers are normally from India, Thailand, or China, and the miners often have well-established business linkages with these foreign gemstone traders. Once a sufficient amount of stones have been mined, the miners contact these traders that offer cash on the spot. 456 Figure 80 (top): The White House Guest Farm rose quartz mine (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). Figure 81 (bottom): Layers of copper oxidation at the Omaue Mine (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). Examples of Namibian Gemstone Mining Operations Namibia’s unconventional approach to the gemstone industry can offer much insight into the proposed design program. Although formally registered, the gemstone mines in Namibia are small- scale and make use of a very limited range of equipment. A few noteworthy examples are mentioned below. - The White House Guest Farm This well-known guesthouse manages a rose quartz quarry and along with it, a small jewellery retail shop which produces various items made from imported stone products (including rose quartz) from South Africa. - The Green Dragon Mine This mine located in the Erongo region of Namibia is currently the world’s biggest and only commercial mine for demantoid garnets. Extending over more than 100,000 hectares, the Green Dragon Mine is an open pit mine where, accoding to the MME, “one of the most precious and valuable coloured stones are mined using earthmoving equipment in combination with conveyer belts, crushing plants and sorting facilities” (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). - Ysterputz Farm Light blue, greyish-blue and white agate has been mined since 1964 at the Ysterputz mine. The method used is open pit mining. The equipment consists of a front-end loader and only three bakkies. The output is marketed as blue lace agate through Cape Town and transported there. - The Omaue Mine The Omaue Mine is known for its copper sulphide mineralisation in quartz veins within limestones. Secondary copper minerals are also mined at the open-pit mine, including world-famous dioptase specimens. Although dioptase is too soft to be facetted, single crystals and clusters are also mined which is known to be used in jewellery manufacturing (Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, 2016: online). 457 Miners in the Erongo Region have previously settled along the main tourist roads, selling their goods at makeshift stalls. Although there is a big local and international demand for gemstones, the ack of formalize market place and marketing of product has affected the livelihood of these miners negatively (SAFARI2GO, 2019: online). There exists an opportunity for small-scale miners to actively contribute to the economic growth of the country if the market conditions could be improved (Maritz, 2019: online). The aim of the Ûiba-Ôas Crystal Market project was to provide a more functional and organized market place for these miners (Maritz, 2019: online). Designed by Nina Maritz Architects, the name of the market ‘Ûiba-Ôas’ means ‘Searching for Life’ in Damara Nama. 3.5 Precedent Study - Ûiba-Ôas Crystal Market As already mentioned, Namibia is a geological haven rich in minerals and various semi-precious stones. The lives of many small-scale miners is a tough existence as they try to make a living from the earth. In the Erongo Region especially, are various mining communities that earn their livelihood from the sale of their stones. Most of them live in poverty despite their highly valued finds. Having a very limited knowledge of the value of their stones, they sell them to any passing tourist who makes an offer. Many wealthy tourists and gemstone experts have unfortunately taken advantage of the ignorance of the small miners and have capitalised on their sales (SAFARI2GO, 2019: online). Architects- Nina Maritz Architects Location- Usakos, Erongo Region in Namibia Year- 2009 Figure 82: Traders with their gemstone exhibitions alongside the road (Maritz, 2019: online). 458 The market consists of a small office for the founder, 3 separated sales areas with covered areas, male and female ablutions, a store room and a kiosk for selling cool drinks to the tourists. (Maritz, 2019: online). The market space provides a space where the tourist can explore the different types of stones and possibly contribute to the economical growth of Namibia by buying some of the precious gemstones. According to the architect, Nina Maritz, there exists a possibility to expand the facilities in the future by including an area where the touist is introduced into the process of polishing these gemstones (Maritz, 2019: online). The lives of the people of Erongo have been influenced by the gemstones for decades. One of the long-time gemstone traders, Susana Skoppelitus, said in an interview (SAFARI2GO, 2019: online) that she has been selling stones for thirty years at the Spitzkoppe junction and has supported herself ever since her husband died. Another miner described his livelihood in the words, “I was born in stones, I grew up in stones and will die in stones.” (SAFARI2GO, 2019: online). To many, the Ûiba-Ôas Crystal Market have provided a space where they can sell their stones in a safe and controlled environment. Figure 83-84: Examples of the gemstones and jewellery exhibited at the market (Maritz, 2019: online). 459 The market was designed to fit seamlessly into the landscape. The materials were carefully chosen to ensure as less as possible maintenance in the future. Gabion walls were constructed with rocks salvaged from the nearby Spitskoppe area (Maritz, 2019: online). Salvaged material was also used to minimise the environmental impact of the building. The entrance gates were constructed with a steel frame with infill panels made of reused oil drum sheeting. Figure 85-86 (right): The robust materials blending into the landscape (Maritz, 2019: online). Figure 87 (bottom): The sales market with exhibition spaces (Maritz, 2019: online). 460 The sales tables are organised along the edges of the stone walls creating a centralised space in the middle. The traders are arranged informally and each has their own table to exhibit their finds. The organic gabion walls also shelters the interior market from the harsh Namibian sun. The market spaces are organised along these walls with seating opportunities along the edge., The interior market space is sheltered by canopies of IBR sheets. Figure 88 (bottom): The floor plan of the crystal market (Maritz, 2019: online). 461 Figure 89: Student desks organised in a row, each with their own toolbox, pin and torch (author, 2022). 3.6 Case Study - Valentino Jewellery Studio & Goldsmith Academy In trying to understand the process of jewellery manufacturing, I visited a local jewellery academy in Gauteng to get an insight into the space required for a jeweller. Valentino Jewellery Studio & Goldsmith Academy provides part-time and full-time courses, the latter of which consists of a series of modules over a period of three years that provide mainly hands-on practical training on all the skills that are needed in the manufacturing of fine jewellery (Vjewellerystudio.com, 2022: online). The modules of the syllabus range from beginners to advanced and the following processes are taught at the school: - Basic manufacturing - Advanced manufacturing - Basic wax carving and casting - Setting An interview was conducted with one of the studio instructors, Retha Minnie (August, 2022), who provided insight into the jewellery manufacturing process and the space requirements for a jewellery school. She pointed out that the layout of their workshop is not ideal, but a lot can still be learned from the process they follow. 462Figure 91: The interior layout of the studio (author, 2022).Figure 90: The Jewellers'’ Bench (author, 2022). Accommodating about 18 students in a communal workspace, the workshop is equipped with one furnace, and 18 jewellers’ benches each equipped with its own pin, the centre point of creation in a jeweller’s studio, as well as its own hand tools and blow torches. Larger equipment is arranged along the edges of the space which is shared by everyone in the studio. The studio instructors work in the same space as the students in order to observe them and to follow safety protocols. Organised along a long window, the workshop gets enough natural light and sufficient ventilation. The workshop also has its own safe with compartments for each student where they must store their materials and unfinished pieces at the end of the day. No student is allowed to take any materials home. Careful attention must also be paid to fire protection. According to the studio instructor, in a class of 26 students, 6 fire extinguishers are needed along with fire blankets and emergency kits at specified points. 463 Figure 92: The jewellers’ bench in detail (author, 2022). SUFFIECIENT LIGHTING ABOVE DESK BENCH PIN AS THE CENTRE POINT OF CREATION STORAGE WOODEN STUMP FOR HAMMERING The jeweller’s bench and its bench pin are the two most important things needed in a jeweller’s studio. Without these two objects, it is nearly impossible to create jewellery. It is therefore the centre point of creation in a jewellery studio. It is important for the jeweller’s bench to be sturdy and to have enough space for a variety of hand tools. The jewellers’ pin is attached to the bench and can be moved or replaced if it becomes too damaged. Lighting also plays an important role in the creation of Jewellery. Lighting must either be a direct source from above, or can be specific task lighting attached to the bench which can be controlled and moved accordingly. According to Retha Minnie (August, 2022), the studio instructor, movements within a jewellery studio consist of constant to-and-fro between the jeweller’s bench and all other equipment in the studio, such as the furnace and form-giving tools. It is therefore important that the studio is organised in a way that allows jewellers to effortlessly move around in the studio without colliding. 3.6.1 Studio Requirements (A) Jewellers’ Bench 464Figure 93: The jeweller is meant to sit in the jewellers’ bench (author, 2022). The jewellers’ bench is made to be sat in with all tools needed within an arm’s reach of the artist. The jewellers’ pin is meant to be at the artist’s eye level to make intricate work easier. Each desk should also have a fire-retardant skin that catches all debris from the bench while the jeweller is working. This is to ensure that precious materials do not get wasted. Sufficient storage is also needed and enough space for hand tools is required. The desk of a jeweller is an intimate space where the jeweller works on their own to create intricate joints and connections. (B) Furnace 465Figure 94: The smelting station (author, 2022). Figure 95: Melting crucibles and moulds needed (author, 2022). The furnace is where the casting process takes place. The hard material is thrown into round melting crucibles (figure 88) and is then melted with a gas torch. After it is fully melted, the liquid is thrown into moulds, and it hardens almost immediately. There are many essential safety precautions during the smelting process. Personal protective gear is needed as well as a fire extinguisher nearby. Extractor fans are also needed at this point as well as a wash basin within reach. The smelting station also needs to have sufficient storage for tongs and crucibles. Oxygen tanks must be placed outside the building in metal cages for safety reasons. It is important to have the furnace near the jewellers’ benches as well as form-giving machinery because metals harden quickly and needs to be shaped before it solidifies. (D) Sufficient Storage(C) Wash basin 466Figure 96: The wash basin (author, 2022). Figure 97: The studio struggles with insufficient storage (author, 2022). The jewellery studio currently struggles with storage as it is a re- purposed building. Storage is an important requirement for a jewellery studio. Preferably, each student should have their own storage built-in at their workstation. The washbasin needs to have a recycle bin built in underneath to catch all debris to avoid wasting valuable materials. Once a year the jewellery studio empties the bin and takes the debris to a refinery to have it smelted. Figure 98: The wash basin (author, 2022). (E) Required Hand Tools 467 Figure 99: Collage of hand held tools needed (author, 2022). Pliers Melting Crucibles Stamping Machine Centre Punch Planishing Hammer, Buff RakeSmall Bench Vice Butane Torch Tongs Grinding Bowl (F) Required Larger Tools 468 Figure 100 (above): A metal working station (author, 2022). Figure 101 (right): Collage of various bigger equipment required (author, 2022). Drill Press Rolling MillsBench Grinder Polishers Vacuum Cast Band Saw Machine Stamping Machine The following machinery is needed in a jewellery studio. According to the studio instructor, in a class of 26 students, approximately 4 rollers are needed as well as 6 bench presses. It is important that all machinery is easily accessible and not far away from the jewellers’ bench, making to-and-fro movements easier. A metal working bench provides an area with form giving equipment, for instance a bench press and a hammering stump with various hand tools. 469Figure 102: Collage of different jewellery explorations (author, 2022). 3.7 Jewellery Explorations Jewellery design is an intimate craft that requires intricate details. Copper is a timeless material that can change over time. The proposed design, too, will have to change to suit the needs of the community. With limited resources, the town won’t be able to revamp the building every few years. For this reason, the building will have to be designed in such a way that it can change with the people. Inspiration is drawn from copper as a material to create timeless connections that will be able to change with the building. Well crafted with good materials, these connections will have to be intricately designed. As an exploration of these types of connections, several jewellery connections were crafted to explore the different techniques of fastening and connecting jewellery. The exploration hopes to inspire intricate structural connections in the building, well crafted and able to transform itself over time. Inspiration was taken from the complex and detailed joints and connections of Carlo Scarpa at the Castelvecchio Museum. 470 Figure 103: Plan development (author, 2022). 3.8 Plan Development Inspired by Program The program involves placing the building along the side of the road that leads into town to make use of the passing traffic. An informal market along the road can be used by the centre as well as informal traders. The project will also have to have a certain sense of exposure towards the mine, where the raw materials are sourced. The following sketch acts as an exploration of the spatial organisation of the building, with one side opening up towards the road, and the other towards the mine. 3.9 Conclusion The program focuses on redeeming the town as a discarded space, as well as creating a building that fits the needs of the community and its established rituals. The following chapter will take a closer look at the scars of the damaged landscape and investigate ways to respond to it. CHAPTER 4 GROUNDING: SCARS AND ENGRAVING 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Story of Place 4.3 The Wounded Landscape 4.4 The Act of Engraving - Touchstone 4.5 Extracting Stories 4.6 The Hand of the Engraver 4.6.1 Responding to the rich strata of place- Concept 1 4.7 Healing 4.7.1 Lebbeus Woods and the ‘Scar’ Metaphor 4.7.2 Copper as a Living Material – Concept 2 4.8 Re-scripting a New Place-identity 4.8.1 Place and Placelessness 4.8.2 Traces of Past Occupancy 4.8.3 Excavating Remaining Witnesses – Concept 3 4.9 Conclusion 71 472 Figure 104: The landscape portrayed as a wasteland with scarring (author, 2022). 4.1 Introduction The manner in which we dwell, leaves scars upon the landscape. Looking at the old copper mining town of Nababeep, the landscape is scattered with scars and remnants of the previous mining era, evidence of many stories that need to be told. The town’s identity seems to be lost. Taking inspiration from the act of engraving, the dissertation experiments with the intertwining elements of engraving, architectural narrative and place-making, to tell the story of the place. To redeem the wasteland of a town, the act of engraving may be seen as a way to re-interpret and find beauty in, the scarring and vulnerability of the landscape and its people. Wastelands can be described as bleak, unused or neglected urban or industrial areas. A piece of land that is forgotten, or damaged beyond repair. Nababeep has suffered tremendously through the rise and fall of the mining era. Once a town of grandeur and celebration, it now lies forgotten and hidden between the granite outcrops of Namaqualand. Years of mining activity have slowly carved away the landscape, extracting its treasures. After many years of lying dormant, the many different narratives of Nababeep are still locked away for the world to hear. 473 Figure 105: A collage of photos taken at the Nababeep mine (O’Kiep Country Hotel archive, 2021). 4.2 Story of Place The story of Nababeep begins as a tale of grandeur. When the mine opened in 1852, many people from all over the world flocked to the town in search of work. Almost every nation found its representatives here - English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, the Colonial Dutch, and Afrikaners, and as for the numerous native races, men from far interior, West and East Coast of Africa, KhoiKhoi and Nama people (Fleminger, n.d.: online). The O’Kiep mine was once ranked the richest copper mine in the world. As the mine continued to grow, and the laborers received payment for their hard work, the local Nama people, who is known as a thriftless, happy-go-lucky nation, would often leave the mine to return to their farms if the rains were good (Fleminger, n.d.: online). To many, the mine was the lifeblood of the area. Since the mine closed, the town slowly began to deteriorate and became a tale of dissolution. Once defined by the mine, the town’s identity was suddenly lost with its closure. The story of Nababeep is one of fragmentation. Along with the damaged landscape and its fragmented pieces left in ruins, the people of Nababeep were also left in a state of vulnerability. The town can be described as an indeterminate landscape- in a state of placelessness. Scarred by years of mining activity, the town and its surrounding granite hills still hold many wounds that have not yet healed. The different scars in the landscape are evidence of a land that has been turned upside down. 4.3 The Wounded Landscape 474 Figure 106: The wounds of the landscape are caused by deep scratches made to the surface (author, 2022). These treasures are evidence of the beauty that lies within the granite outcrops. The landscape of Nababeep is a fragmented one. Its identity seems to be broken up along with its landscape. Despite the severe scarring, there is much beauty that can still be extracted to tell the story of place. The touchstone explores ways of making sense of the damaged landscape and finding ways of revealing beauty by looking at the act of engraving. The mining era, although grand and victorious, has left deep marks in the landscape. The vulnerable landscape has stark contrasts between the broken, scarred earth and the beauty it hides away. Once a year, the dry and arid landscape manages to transform itself into an explosion of beauty and colour when a rush of flowers covers the age old mountains. The flower explosion is not the only treasure the town of Nababeep hides away. Apart from copper, many other minerals, crystals and semi- precious stones are also extracted from its ground. 475 Figure 107 (left): The act of engraving on a copper etching plate (MHS Library, n.d.: online). Figure 108 (middle): David Derksen’s copper engraving of a mining landscape (Derksen, 2017: online). Figure 109 (right): A Theodor Galle intaglio print showing the process of copper engraving print making (Wallach, n.d.). 4.4 The Act of Engraving- Touchstone The art of engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin (MHS Library, n.d.: online). The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustrations; these images are also called "engravings". Engraving is one of the oldest and most important techniques in printmaking. To reveal the inherent beauty of the landscape and its many scars, inspiration was found in the art of engraving and the way the engraver produces something beautiful from a scratched copper plate. In his architectural thesis The Hand of the Engraver, Ryan Western (2020: online), draws comparisons between the physical act of scratching the surface of a copper etching plate and the scratched surface of a New Zealand mining landscape (Western, 2020: online). Inspiration was also found in a series of artworks by David Derksen (2017) where he engraved scenes of a copper mine on a copper etching plate, depicting the intriguing and intimidating world of copper mining. The artworks depict the scars in the landscape, made by immense machines and the brute force of explosives. The indeterminate landscape of Nababeep has been scratched and wounded severely. Its complex landscape hides away beautiful treasures as well as many sorrows as a result of the tragic environmental devastation. The damage at Nababeep was caused by deep scratches made to the surface, scarring the site so severely that there is no going back. Similarly, as pointed out in the architectural thesis The Hand of the Engraver (Western, 2020: online), in the art of engraving, the engraver also makes deep scratches to the surface of a copper plate, and the resulting ‘scarring’ of the plate allows a story to unfold. By looking at the art of engraving as inspiration, the touchstone explores ways of applying engraving to the architectural design process in a way to help reveal the narrative of the place. It further explores surface conditions and possible site interaction. 476 Figure 110: The touchstone is an allegorical model of the site and its scars. The engraving device that hangs over the plate symbolises the mine who holds the power over the landscape (author, 2022). 477 Figure 111: Deep scratches are made to the surface of the copper plate (author, 2022). The touchstone is an allegorical model of the site, depicting its deep wounds and scars, intriguing patterns and reliefs in the earth. Experimenting with the art of engraving, deep scratches are made to the surface of the copper plate, symbolising the scars made to the surface of Nababeep’s landscape. Inspired by the printing process of copper etching, ink is painted onto the surface of the plate and prints are made on paper. . The act of engraving further provides insight into seeing the scars as possibilities of capturing stories. Taking a closer look at the site and its trauma, and uncovering all of its layers, new voices can start to emerge. It is ultimately the embedded layers of place that allows the story to be revealed. Engraving allows us to think about how the sense of place can come forth once the scars are accepted as part of the place, and embraced to provide unexpected new approaches. In extracting these stories or echoes of the past, a story of place, woven in conflict start to emerge on paper. 4.5 Extracting Stories In his book The Hand of the Engraver: Albert Flocon Meets Gaston Bachelard, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, a historian of science, touches on the idea of the image of place: “The poetic image (…) is not an echo of the past. On the contrary: through the brilliance of any image, the distant past resounds with echoes” (Rheinberger, 2018). Marks of past trauma leave scars upon the landscape, visible long after occupancy ceases. When dealing with a site that has a history of past echoes, Jennifer Hill, an architectural theorist, offers insight into how the ongoing traces and scars of a derelict site can contribute actively to the narrative of a site (Hill, 2004: 64). In her article Six Degrees of Intervention, she argues that designers must not feel the need to return a derelict site to its original state, but rather look at the cataclysmic events that shaped it as important chapters in the ongoing story of the site (Hill, 2004: 64). 478 Figure 112: Lines are etched onto the landscape. The scars of the site have the possibility of capturing stories (author, 2022). Figure 113: A series of prints are made from the allegorical model, telling the story of place (author, 2022). 479 The art of engraving provides insight into how one can engage with the scars of the site in a narrative way. In a similar manner the paper extracts the story from the scratches in the copper plate, beauty can be extracted from the broken and damaged landscape. The act of engraving, in this way, becomes a poetic interpretation of the site, extracting different narratives from the site and thus allowing the story of place to unfold. The new engraving over the site becomes an interpretation of the many embedded layers of place - a poetic layer over the site. The architect becomes the engraver, extracting and telling stories. Through transforming what was once unsightly, the scars and the broken landscape, into something beautiful, a poetic interpretation is exposed. Rather than removing the scars, and returning the site to its original state, the scars reinterpreted as engravings allow future generations to witness these scarred landscapes so that their intrinsic stories can provide lessons for the future. In this way, engraving communicates contextual narratives in a way that not only revitalises place identity, but also enables us to fully engage a site’s heritage and learn from past mistakes. 4.6 The Hand of the Engraver In the book The Hand of the Engraver, the writer brings together the architectural engraver, Albert Flocon, and the architectural philosopher, Gaston Bachelard in dialogue. In a conversation about place-making, Rheinberger links engraving, philosophy and architecture. It is ultimately two different universes brought together - one made of words and the other of incised lines. The two exchanged ideas and theories. Bachelard was fascinated with the way the copper engraver meets the challenge of resistant and resilient matter in a captivating way while Flocon was fascinated with Bachelard’s unconventional approach to the sciences and poetics. Together, their dialogue examined and celebrated the interplay of hand and matter as it occurs in poetic writing as well as in the art of engraving (Western, 2020: online), Engraving is an art form that requires precision with every line. Similarities can be drawn between the engraver and the miner who once depleted the site of its alluvial soil. The mine can be considered once being the engraver and is the party responsible for the deep scratches made into the landscape. The hand of the engraver (Rheinberger, 2018) also poses the question of who holds the responsibility. In this case, the engravers, or the miners, hold the responsibility of the landscape in their hands. In the book, Rheinberger makes furtur mining connotations: “The gesture of the engraver simultaneously incises and excavates. It proceeds down into the bedrock and up into the daylight at one and the same time” (Rheinberger, 2018: 18-20). The words “excavating”, and “bedrock” draws ccomparisons between the mining landscape of Nababeep and a copper plate. The words describe the transformations of the mining site. 480 Figure 114: The hand that sees (Rheinberger, 2018: 9). The hand of the engraver (Rheinberger: 2018) further describes engraving as “an open hand pointing in one direction, in the palm of which an eye opens; in other words, a hand that sees, the hand of the engraver” (Rheinberger, 2018:9). The hand is therefore in control, and with every line that is drawn, precision and responsibility is needed. Flocon describes the hand of the engraver as being “the material and knowing agent of a becoming, of an emergence” (Rheinberger cited by Western, 2020: online). 481 Figure 115: Explorations of how the designer can interact or respond to the damaged landscape. The sketch shows viewing walkways over a scarred landscape (author, 2022). The mine is not the hand that holds the power anymore; rather it is in the hands of the designer, or the architect to attempt to rejuvenate the town and to make sense of its scars and wounds. When confronted with the damaged landscape, the designer must choose how to interact with it. The hand of the designer becomes the knowing agent and the building, or design, is an emergence, an act of his hand. When approaching the damaged site, there will be forms of resistance in the confrontation with matter. As an engraver, the designer must choose which lines to draw with caution and responsibility. The hand of the designer must however be led by the community and their needs. Taking into account the previous damage, the designer must find ways of engaging with the site in a sensitive way, establishing a new relationship between the scars and the new architectural intervention. There is freedom and responsibility that the designer must balance, and decide which line to draw. Another correlation can be drawn between the damaged site, the designer’s role to rejuvenate it, and the engraver; in the book Flocon explains that “one must see with one’s hands. To be able to do something with the materials, one must touch them, feel them, test them” (Rheinberger, 2018: 13). By gaining inspiration from the art of engraving, new ideas and unexpected approaches emerge to the revitalisation of the derelict site. Before the design can intervene on the site, an in-depth analysis must be done, uncovering all of its layers. The first conceptual approach investigates the palimpsestuous strata of place. The concept is a deep reading into the site and documents the different influences on place. The site becomes a palimpsest - an ensemble of different influences. The concept model (on the right) shows some of the layers of the site, allowing one to peel away the different layers one by one and so uncovering its secrets. As in terms of mining, before the miner can engage with the site, the first step begins with prospecting for minerals and seeing what the site has to offer. Similarly, the first conceptual approach is a deep reading into the rich strata of place in order to uncover its treasures. There is much richness to be found in the site. By delving into its historic ore, the aim of the conceptual approach is to recover the story of place, and all narratives that seem to be lost. The concept takes a closer look at the different narratives of the site which have transformed it over the years. The town and surrounding landscape are filled with stories waiting to be uncovered. The first conceptual approach tries to expose the richness found within the site and focuses on the layering of different contexts, architectural narratives, history, scandals, past echoes and ghosts of the site. 482 Figure 116: Concept 1 is an ensemble of different influences on the site (author, 2022). 4.6.1 Responding to the rich strata of place- Concept 1 Uncovering Lost Narratives Resituating residual fragments as lures to expose the palimpsestuous underbelly of place Key Words uncovering l past echoes l assemblage palimpsest l architectural narratives l layering 483 Figure 118 & (right) : A layering of different stories of the site- each layer suggesting a certain chapter in its history (author, 2022). Figure 117 (above) : The site as a palimpsest of different narratives- scaring, copper and mining residues (author, 2022). The architectural relevance of the concept draws on the idea that each layer is suggestive of something new to be created - a different response to the old. Similar to the site, the architectural intervention aims to become an ensemble of different influences and layers, each responding to a part of the site. The residues of the site are overlayed. Each layer reveals a unique story: (1) The first wooden layer from the back shows the scarred landscape and the damage caused by the mine; (2) The second layer represents the mining infrastructure, or the residues thereof, and how it pierces into the landscape; (3) The third layer represents the copper that is extracted from the mine, which has over the years became an important lifeline in the area; (4) The perspex layer is the new poetic interpretation of the site which draws on the old but forms a new story on its own. The new engravings become a poetic layer over the site. 484 4.7 Healing The first response towards the damaged site would be to heal its wounds. Mining environments, active or abandoned, are evidence of humanity’s unsustainable damage to environmental systems. The project requires new ways of looking at the scars of a site and finding ways of weaving together fragmented pieces of the site to form a new relationship. 4.7.1 Lebbeus Woods and the ‘Scar’ Metaphor Lebbeus Woods, an American architect known for his unconventional and experimental designs, was the first to introduce the idea of wounds of places (1996: online). His work focused on revitalising pieces of no-man’s land, or non-place. He argued that cataclysmic events often create physical, social and psychological voids in society which are called No man’s land. His work specifically focused on places destroyed by war. An example of a disruption was the Siege of Sarajevo between 1992-1996, which tore apart the very fabric of the Yugoslav society (Woods, 1996: online). In the aftermath of the siege, Woods tried to grapple with ways of recolonising these spaces which had been abandoned or laid to waste. He embraced the wounds of places destroyed by war and believed that they could only emerge from the great depth of their painful, private and collective experiences. By introducing the ‘scar’ metaphor, he designed projects that build not against the ruin, but with it (Woods, 1996: online). Figure 119: Woods experimented with scabs over wounds of places (Woods, 1996: online). 485 Figure 120: The scar is a visual reminder of what has been overcome. The scar can set in motion and actively contribute to the narrative of the site (author, 2022). The ‘scar’ can be seen as a manifestation of the wound’s healing that at the same time incorporates what the flesh has learned, a sign of transformation and hope that the difficulties of the past have been overcome and a new future lies ahead. In rebuilding Sarajevo, he used radical forms of salvaged material that acts as "scabs," over the "wounds" of a building which was damaged by war (Woods, 1996: online). The scar is a visual reminder of what has been overcome. The scars of the landscape cannot merely be removed or restored. The scars are part of the history of Nababeep and is evidence of what has been overcome. The community and its surrounding slopes are still reeling from the aftermath of the mining era, as well as its closure. The landscape and the people of Nababeep are in a vulnerable state and must be approached with empathy. Healing from past trauma would be beneficial, and the scars left in the landscape are evidence of the wounds’ healing process. To take away these scars would mean to take away a piece of the history and story of the place. The dissertation explores how the ongoing traces and scars of the derelict site can contribute activel