Swimming with the fishes : a public aquaponics park in Pretoria

Abstract

The site for this dissertation is Pretoria Works, an industrial site in Pretoria West managed by Arcelor- Mittal. The competition amongst international steel manufacturers, as well as the move to end protectionist trade policies forced Pretoria Works to improve its efficiency. The efforts to improve efficiency were also necessitated because of the relatively high production cost to produce steel in South Africa in 1994, which led to thousands of people losing their jobs. This surplus treated industrial waste water, together with the availability of rain water falling on the terrain, a natural stream from the top of the ridge and water from the nine boreholes on-site present an opportunity to promote a more sustainable use of water. The industrial waste water at Pretoria Works has the latent potential to be treated through phytoremediation for a regenerative system. This system, together with the provision of leisure activities through a proposed natural public swimming pool, has the potential to be popular. This intervention could open up various opportunities for job creation, tourism and improving the natural conditions of the area and, therefore, positively impact the well-being of the community. In order to get a better understanding of the value of water as a resource, people need to become emotionally attached by experience water before they will care for it. To become emotionally attached, individuals need to have a phenomenological perspective of water. When the conceptual approach for the design was considered, the phenomenology of water as a resource was found to be a substantial influence. Water is spatially characterised as one of four aspects in architecture: a point, a line, a pool and an edge. The spatial experience that has been created through the integration of these grouped spaces was decided upon after observing and analysing natural water spaces and exploring aquatic cultures during snorkelling activities at two KwaZulu Natal beaches, namely Cape Vidal and Ballito.