Circular structures and buildings associated with vernacular farm architecture and folk engineering

Abstract

The rondavel has become a typical feature on farmsteads but it is not the only building with a circular floor plan. Several other structures also have a circular floor plan. In Western architecture we have become accustomed to the domination of the square and rectangle as spatial form giving element in architecture in the West. Even though a circular building is not more complicated than the square or rectangular counterparts, the construction of a cylindrical structure needs some special design and construction precautions to prevent it from disintegrating and cracking in the long run. In some way we perhaps negated the fact that the occurrence and use of the circular shape as solution for space problems has been a strong element in South African folk architecture for centuries. The application and use of the circle in vernacular architecture is not a measure to determine how civilized a community is but rather an example of ‘contact architecture’ that was born from a need and combined with the local building traditions. Over decades this shape was adopted to serve the spatial and aesthetic needs of an individual or family. The construction of a circular building and structure relies on the construction skills of the responsible craftsperson and has played a significant role in defining the character of South African vernacular building typologies.

Sirkelvormige strukture en geboue wat geassosieer word met volks plaasargitektuur en volksingenieurswerk: Die rondawel het ‘n tipiese element van plaaswerwe geword, maar dit is nie die enigste gebou wat ‘n sirkelvormige grondplan het nie. Verskeie ander konstruksies se planvorm is aan die sirkel verwant. In Westerse argitektuur het ons gewoond geraak aan die gebruik van die vierkant en die reghoek as dominante planvorm om ruimtebenuttingsprobleme vir die ontwerp van geboue op te los. Alhoewel die sirkelvormige plan nie meer ingewikkeld as die vierkantige plan is nie, benodig sirkelvorminge konstruksies beide ontwerp- en konstruksievernuf om te verseker dat die struktuur nie oor die lang termyn verswak en kraak nie. Die rondawel en ander sirkelvormige geboue en strukture het mettertyd ‘n belangrike rol in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrikaanse volksargitektuur gespeel. Die gebruik van die sirkelvormige grondplan in plaasargitektuur is egter nie ‘n barometer om vlakke van ‘beskaafdheid’ te bepaal nie, maar eerder ‘n voorbeeld van ‘kontakboukuns’. In sommige gevalle kon dit selfs om estetiese redes verkies gewees het.