A Trade and Transport Junction for Louis Trichardt

Abstract

The following is a recording of an inquisition into site and necessity – serving as design problem, catalysed by a thorough investigation of place. The town of Makhado in the Limpopo Province, serves as the subject of this proposition. The design problem is comprised of two proponents: Site and building, with the substance of the fore mentioned clarifying the intervention type of built form. The objective of locale extends to include not only a localised site and attributed programme, but more importantly the understanding of the macro - contextual landscape, of which the town is only a part. The design narrative begins with identifying those site-specific proponents of context, which comprised of culture and form; help interpret the resulting relationship as that places’ “vernacular” (Rapport, 1989). The study of “man-environments” throughout a spectrum of time and cultural character is initiated, identifying form making, with specific importance placed on the town itself. This study will however not remain exclusive to Makhado and its residents, but include it’s regional users - Emphasising the large demand by the latter placed on the town. The investigation thus asks to extend its search of context to these regional users, as the envisaged programme of the Trade and Transport Terminus seeks to include this partisan as permanent and temporal inhabitant. These users are comprised of long distance commuters, permanent residents and trades-people, currently residing elsewhere. There will exist then an amalgamation of partisans, whose reference of time and space occupation varies considerably. These references are dictated by their acute visual make-up, founded on identity of home, social and working space, and the conduct of ritual activity within these respective realms. It is thus by the understanding of these users’ contextual composition, ranging from signs and meanings to form making, that underpins the design investigation of this paper. The aim is to successfully collect and arrange the respective schemata of these users accordingly, making a legible environment within one that is already strictly defined.