Social housing with interior public spaces : a new typology for the urban context of Pretoria

Abstract

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.