The communal commute

Abstract

Since the establishment of Pretoria in the 1840s, the city has expanded significantly. Businesses started to sprout which created a number of job opportunities within the city CBD. Mamelodi was established to the east of Pretoria CBD in 1860 as a settlement for black people flocking to the city for job opportunities (Nico & Walker, 1991). Since its initial establishment, it has grown as a community and is now considered as one of the denser communities in Pretoria. Because of the distance to the city center or any other place of work, a series of public transport networks developed to deal with the daily commute to and from work. These networks put tremendous strain on the public infrastructure, and has resulted in a congested community where there exists little co-existence and co-ordination between isolated public transport types. In an attempt to address this issue of Access to the City, this dissertation focuses on creating a communal Architecture where the existing programs of public transport root themselves, and where passengers and pedestrians can communally start their daily commute by safely engaging with the various transport systems. It further exploits the idea of Community and Access by being true to its architectural context. Therefore, this project and its construction is focused on being a product of the community. With contextual materials and community-engaged construction, it aims to be a true manifestation of the event that is The Communal Commute.