Redemption : arresting the daily exodus from Mamelodi through place making and production

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the idea of creating an engaging public place by introducing productive activity in a dormant area of Mamelodi where the effects of Pendulum migration and waste accumulation have caused public spaces to become inaccessible and functional only as spaces of departure. The site selection will involve looking for a space with a highly layered construct that captures the essence of what Mamelodi has become overtime. This proposed programme will aid in the investigation of testing whether a dormant space has the potential to inspire transformation and change in the social and public realm of this informal settlement. Through the theoretical premise of Place Making, the investigation will focus on whether social spaces, activity generators, existing contexts and past events could be layered to create a functional public place. The hierarchy and transition of spaces from one to another could allow one to understand the process of change on site, as well as the process of change in terms of waste material that is reused and transformed into something useful. This thesis document explores the idea of a building as a threshold and solvent of different spaces that would normally be split from each other.