The project proposes the investigation into the adaptive
re-use of abandoned and unused buildings in the Pretoria
CBD to develop social housing that makes use of existing
infrastructure, structures, economic activity and transport
networks. This is done as a response to the need for social
housing in the medium income market. Most developments
for this market are built outside city limits and use precious
resources and unnecessary new materials. This project
focuses on what is currently known as Huis Potgieter, on the
UNISA Sunnyside Campus, as a testing ground to develop
theories and approaches that can be used in the development
of future developments.
Throughout the research conducted into the project,
the residents have been emphasised as the main design
informant, specifically by the regulations set out by the national
government. Considering the highly user-centred approach as
identified by the regulations, it is appropriate to approach it
from an interior design knowledgebase.
Looking firstly at the resident’s needs, those in similar housing
developments and income markets have identified and
emphasised the need and importance of shared public spaces. Other research has confirmed that public spaces are a large
contributor to both the social and psychological well-being of
the residents.
This project focuses on providing public spaces as integrated
areas within the building, interspersed between living units,
in an effort to provide comfortable, inclusive, and enjoyable
public spaces that encourage a sense of place among the
residents.
A design proposal to integrate interior public spaces into the
daily lives of the residents was developed. Various public
space theories were collated and synthesised to develop a
set of theory-based guidelines for use in this and future social
housing projects. The project aims to develop a proposal that
considers all users in the development, both in their physical
needs (in the form of an inclusive design approach), as well as
their social and community needs, by providing public spaces
that accommodate a wide range of users and activities. To
benefit future studies and to contribute to the field of interior
design, a new term, interior public spaces, was developed in
order to describe the type of public spaces created.
In order to create a strong identity for the building, which the users can relate and respond to in their own attachment
and appropriation, the legibility of the intervention is large
focus of the project. To increase the legibility of the building,
the building identity – KwilaliCity - was developed to reflect
strongly in the public areas of the building to create a common
ground for all residents. The intervention ensures accessibility
to its wide range of residents by introducing a strong inclusive
design component, with a focus on wayfinding. Applying the
wayfinding and inclusive approach early in the project allows
for an integrated resolution that serves to strengthen the
design approach.
The intention that residents are encouraged to develop an
attachment to KwilaliCity and their fellow residents is evident
in the encouragement to appropriate specific elements in and
around their homes, in order to reflect their identities and give
them some control over their housing environment.
Hierdie projek neem voor om die her-gebruik van verlate
en ongebruikte geboue in die Pretoria besigheidsdistrik te
ondersoek, met die doel om sosiale behuising wat gebruik
maak van bestaande infrastruktuur, strukture, ekonomise
aktiwiteit en vervoernetwerke. Die projek het vorendag
gekom as ‘n reaksie op die nood vir sosiale behuising in die
medium-inkomstemark. Ontwikkelings vir hierdie mark word
dikwels geplaas buite die stadperke, en gebruik waardevolle
hulpbronne en onnodige nuwe material. Die projek fokus
op wat tans bekend staan as Huis Potgieter, te vinde op die
UNISA Sunnyside-kampus, as ‘n toetsarea waar teorieë en
benaderings te ondersoek en wat in toekomstige uitbreidings
gebruik kan word.
Tydens die navorsing wat afgelê is vir die projek, is die inwoners
beklemtoon as die hoof ontwerpinformant, hoofsaaklik deur
die regulasies uiteengesit deur die nasionale regering. Met
hierdie hoogs gebruiker-geörienteerde benadering, soos
geïdentifiseer deur die regulasies, is dit toepaslik om gebruik
te maak van die interieurontwerp kennisbasis.
Eerstens word daar gekyk na die inwoners se behoeftes.
Inwoners in soortgelyke behuising en inkomstemark het die behoefte en belangrikheid van gedeelde openbare ruimtes
uitgelig en beklemtoon. Verdere navorsing het bevestig dat
openbare ruimtes ‘n groot bydraende faktor is in die sosiale
en sielkundige welstand van die inwoners.
Die projek fokus op die voorsiening van openbare ruimtes
as integreerde areas binne die gebou, verweef tussendeur
die leefeenhede, in ‘n poging om gemaklike, toeganklike, en
aangename openbare ruimtes te skep wat ‘n gevoel van plek
by die inwoners aanwakker.
‘n Ontwerpvoorstel om die interieur openbare ruimtes
te integreer met die daaglikse lewens van die inwoners is
ontwikkel. Verskeie teorieë wat handel oor openbare ruimtes
is versamel en saamgevat om ‘n stel teorie-gebasseerde riglyne
te ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word in hierdie en toekomstige
sosiale behuisingskemas. Die projek poog om ‘n voorstel te
ontwikkel wat alle inwoners in ag neem, beide in hul fisiese
behoeftes (in terme van ‘n inklusiewe ontwerpbenadering),
sowel as hul sosiale en gemeenskapsbehoeftes deur inwoners
van openbare ruimtes te voorsien wat ‘n wye spectrum van
gebruikers en aktiwiteite kan akkommodeer Om toekomende
interieurontwerpstudies te baat, is ‘n nuwe term, interieuropenbare ruimtes, ontwikkel om die soort openbare ruimtes,
soos geskep in hierdie projek, te beskryf.
Ten einde ‘n sterk identiteit te ontwikkel vir die gebou, wat
die inwoners in staat sal stel om verband te hou en te reageer
daarop deur hul aanhegtig en bewilliging, is die leesbaarheid
van die ingryping ‘n groot fokus van die projek. Om die
leesbaarheid van die gebour te verbeter, is ‘n gebou-identiteit
– KwilaliCity – ontwikkel. Dit kom sterk voor in die openbare
areas van die gebou om ‘n gelyke grondslag vir alle inwoners
te skep. Die ingryping verseker die inklusiwiteit vir die wye
reeks inwoners deur ‘n sterk inklusiewe ontwerpkomponent
in te bring, wat fokus op die navigasie en leesbaarheid van die
ruimtes. Deur hierdie benadering toe te pas vanaf die begin,
maak voorsiening vir ‘n geïntegreerde oplossing wat help om
die ontwerbenadering te versterk.
Die bedoeling is dat inwoners aangemoedig word om
aanhegting met KwilaliCity en hul mede-inwoners, en is
aangebring in die aanmoediging om spesifieke elemente
om hul eenhede te bewillig, in ‘n poging om hul identiteit te
weerspieël en bietjie beheer te gee oor hul huislike omgewing.
