Peters, WalterVan der Westhuizen, DiaanStoffberg, Madelein2016-01-282016-01-282015http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2243English: Community centres are ideally at the heart of society as a platform for social interaction. Moreover, these centres often provide direly needed services such as basic health care and educational or family guidance that sustain and improve human life. Spatially, community centres form nodes from which other informal commercial or institutional facilities can branch providing a civic presence in a relative homogeneous residential area. These catalytic structures help create new networks bridging the barriers of spatial segregation that is still remnant of apartheids legacy. Consequently, the central research question investigates the spatial production of community centres built after 1994. This inquiry is further interrogated through three research questions. First, what is the relationship between lived reality of community members (Spatial Practice) and the two-dimensional representation thereof as designed by architects (Representations of Space)? Second, what is the relationship between user‟s perception (Representational Space) and architects intent (Representations of Space) of symbolism, images and signs? Third, how do community centres, in the macro-context, reconfigure boundaries, form and function (Spatial Practice), as well as areas of centralization, condensation and displacement (Representational Space)? Through Henri Lefebvre‟s‟ spatial triad, the lived reality, the representational and inherent embedded codes are inspected. The three spatial concepts of the two respective case studies, the Helenvale multi-purpose resources centre and the Ubuntu community centre in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal area are investigated through semi-structured interviews which are supported by a mapping and sort-chart process. A cross-case analysis interrogates the current public space as perceived by the users and designed by the architects. It is the thesis of a reciprocal relationship between lived reality, perception and architecture that investigates the impact of community centres on spatial transformation to inform future development.Afrikaans: Gemeenskapsentrums, in ideale omstandighede, is die hart van gemeenskappe vir sosiale interaksie. Hierdie sentrums bied ook noodsaaklike dienste soos basiese gesondheidsorg sowel as opvoedkundige en familie voorligting wat menslike lewe ondersteun en volhou. Ruimtelik vorm gemeenskapsentrums nodusse waarvolgens ander kommersiële of institusionele fasiliteite kan vertak om stedelike teenwoordigheid te skep in „n relatiewe homogene residensiële omgewing. Hierdie katalitiese strukture help om nuwe netwerke te vorm wat grense en ruimtelike segregasie kan oorbrug wat oorblywend is van apartheid se nalatenskap. Maar, wat is die werklike karakter van hierdie ruimtes? Hoe word dit deur gemeenskappe waargeneem? Gevolglik gaan die sentrale navorsingsvraag die ruimtelike produksie van gemeenskapsentrums gebou na 1994 nagaan. Hierdie ondersoek word gevolg deur drie navorsingsvrae. Eerstens, wat is die verhouding tussen geleefde realiteit van gemeenskaplede (ruimtelike praktyk) en die verteenwoordiging daarvan soos ontwerp deur argitekte (verteenwoordiging van ruimte). Tweedens, wat is die verhouding tussen die gebruiker se persepsie (verteenwoordigde ruimte) en die argitek se intensie (verteenwoordiging van ruimte) interme van simboliek, beelde en tekens. Derdens, hoe herkonfigureer gemeenskapsentrums, in hul makro-konteks, grense, vorm en funksie (ruimtelike praktyk), sowel as sentralisasie, kondensasie en verplasing (verteenwoordigde ruimte)? Deur Henri Lefebvre se ruimtelike triade word die geleefde realiteit, die verteenwoordiging en inherente kodes daarvan ondersoek. Die drie ruimtelike konsepte van die twee gevalle studies, die Helenvale meerdoelige hulpbronne sentrum en die Ubuntu gemeenskapsentrum in die Nelson Mandela Baai Munisipale area, word oondersoek deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude wat ondersteun word deer kartering en soort-grafieke. „n Kruis-geval analiese ontleed die huidige publieke ruimtes soos waargeneem deer gebruikers en ontwerp deer die argitekte daarvan. Dit is die tesis van „n wedersydse verhouding tussen geleefde ruimte, waarneming en argitektuur wat die impak van gemeenskapsentrums op ruimtelike transformasie toelig vir toekomstige ontwikkeling.enSpatial ProductionCommunity centresLived realityPerception and architectureArchitecture and societySpace (Architecture)Lefebvre, Henri, -- 1901-1991Thesis (Ph.D. (Architecture))--University of the Free State, 2015ThesisUniversity of the Free State