Shaping the future : the potential for resilience through the adaptive reuse of House Boeschoten

Abstract

The dissertation investigates the production of resilient buildings as a strategy to future proof the relevance of NZASM heritage in Sunnyside. The study specifically focuses on a NZASM single-family residence located in Sunnyside, known as House Boeschoten, as a test subject to prove the necessity for heritage buildings to generate a high level of resilience in order to survive imminent change. Since the rule of the NZASM (Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij) over the Transvaal ended in 1902 as a result of the Anglo-Boer War, Pretoria has evolved and experienced a number of changes (De Jong 1990:223). These changes-characterized as political instabilities-have had a detrimental effect on the historical urban fabric of Pretoria. Many of the original NZASM builds that occurred during the regime are currently either derelict sites or severely underutilized. An attempt to regenerate the city by the City of Tshwane municipality through densification and compaction has further compromised the NZASM rich heritage in Pretoria, specifically in Sunnyside (Tshwane 2005:5). Single-family residences such as House Boeschoten are unable to meet the demands of high density housing, further divorcing them from their context. If House Boeschoten is unable to adapt to the changing context, and restore its relevance within Sunnyside, the building will be demolished along with the tangible and intangible memory it holds. A strategy of combining theory with the indepth understanding of context is accepted as a strategy to reverse the inevitable demolition of House Boeschoten. Resilience is unpacked as a primary theory in order to understand the adaptive cycle and how change is experienced in waves. Adaptive-reuse is unpacked as a strategy but also a theory that correlates heritage alteration and adaptive architecture. Lastly the two theories result in the theoretical outcome of contingency, meaning designing buildings that are subject to change, and encompass change that is yet to come (Till 2009:46). Context is investigated in terms of the tangible and intangible, physically and historical, as to better the understanding of place. Cross programs are introduced to test and align with the vision of creating contingent spaces. House boeschoten is then reduced to its essence and reinterpreted through a new addition. The intention is to move the building from a static building towards fluidity. The technification of the new addition produces a design intended for disassembly, accommodating future change without compromising the heritage fabric.