A community link project for Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital

Abstract

This thesis deals with the architecture of the inclusive built environment. The hypothesis argues that social barriers can be challenged through the physical formation of the city, its buildings and spaces. The platform used to explore this premise is Weskoppies Hospital situated in Pretoria West. The stigmatization and institutionalisation of the mentally ill has been a hotly debated issue for a long time. Recently the topic has received a lot of attention in the media, parliament and medical circles. The issues underpinning the hypothesis deals with the “power of architecture to address social, economic, political and cultural forces by way of form- and place-making.” (Yudell 1997:134)