Provision of sustainable sanitation services in an informal settlement in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole
- Authors: Nyila, Zoliswa
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: informal settlement , Sanitation
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58429 , vital:59211
- Description: The aim of the study is to investigate the underlying issues informing the provision of sustainable sanitation within an informal settlement within the NMBM. The analysis in this research is based on the premise that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), alongside other municipalities, might face the challenge of having to ensure that sustainable sanitation is provided in its own informal settlements. The research followed the assumption that municipalities of this country could deliver proper sanitation to informal settlements without difficulty if most informal settlements were not built on undesirable and unsuitable land for housing development. The study also assumed that proper sanitation could be delivered by municipalities if the budget allocation to implement, operate and maintain basic sanitation facilities was sufficient, and there were effective public participation processes and socio-economic and environmental assessments in place. The research demanded a concise literature analysis of the sustainable sanitation service required for informal settlements under the current local authority growth mandate. The quantitative survey and analysis approach that was applied in the research process with an explanation of the distribution and administering of the research questionnaire and observations used to collect field information, are presented. The results of the evidential study are statistically analysed, assessed, and reported. Most of the results on the reasons for the lack of sanitation reflect, among other things, a lack of public participation and meaningful relations between the community and municipal officials, unfamiliarity with the required standard of services, not being educated about the services and how to use the rolled-out services, and not being able to afford basic services. Recommendations include strengthening public participation procedures, creating awareness and training initiatives for the residents on the proper utilisation of public services, being visible to the community, and implementing infrastructure projects that will create job opportunities. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Nyila, Zoliswa
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: informal settlement , Sanitation
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58429 , vital:59211
- Description: The aim of the study is to investigate the underlying issues informing the provision of sustainable sanitation within an informal settlement within the NMBM. The analysis in this research is based on the premise that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), alongside other municipalities, might face the challenge of having to ensure that sustainable sanitation is provided in its own informal settlements. The research followed the assumption that municipalities of this country could deliver proper sanitation to informal settlements without difficulty if most informal settlements were not built on undesirable and unsuitable land for housing development. The study also assumed that proper sanitation could be delivered by municipalities if the budget allocation to implement, operate and maintain basic sanitation facilities was sufficient, and there were effective public participation processes and socio-economic and environmental assessments in place. The research demanded a concise literature analysis of the sustainable sanitation service required for informal settlements under the current local authority growth mandate. The quantitative survey and analysis approach that was applied in the research process with an explanation of the distribution and administering of the research questionnaire and observations used to collect field information, are presented. The results of the evidential study are statistically analysed, assessed, and reported. Most of the results on the reasons for the lack of sanitation reflect, among other things, a lack of public participation and meaningful relations between the community and municipal officials, unfamiliarity with the required standard of services, not being educated about the services and how to use the rolled-out services, and not being able to afford basic services. Recommendations include strengthening public participation procedures, creating awareness and training initiatives for the residents on the proper utilisation of public services, being visible to the community, and implementing infrastructure projects that will create job opportunities. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Reconciling the “Natural” and the “Artificial” in the making of Regenerative Ecosystems: The Design of a Port Operations Facility for the Buffalo River Harbour, East London
- Authors: Nel, Joslin
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: built environment -- East London , Biotic communities -- Buffalo River Harbour -- East London
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59106 , vital:60264
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate a reconciliation between natural systems and the artificial construction of our built environment within the scope of regenerative ecosystems through architectural intervention. The monolithic harbour front, sited specifically within the Buffalo River Harbour of East London, is examined as the ultimate artificial and immovable landscape which sets the challenge of creating a more dynamic architecture. This is due to the fact that the banks of the Buffalo river harbour have long been transformed by marine industry and urban influence, having a retardation effect on its ecological functioning. Through the programmatic response of a Port Operations Facility, marine infrastructural institutions such as Transnet are given a new role in terms of environmental custodianship. The notion of a “self-regulating system” is therefore central to the design strategy. This occurs through a scale-linking approach, where the design plays a crucial role in urban runoff and stormwater management within the greater infrastructural context of the city, in an effort to rectify present ecological imbalances. Environmental receptivity is also explored through architectural devices that are sensitive to the cyclical fluctuations of intertidal landscapes, as well as advocating decentralised waste and energy management. Through the creation of a “novel ecosystem”, an ecological counterpoint to the monofunctional infrastructural domain of our cities is proposed. This challenges conventional engineering and design processes and ideologies in favour of a more complex relationship between landscape and architecture. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Nel, Joslin
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: built environment -- East London , Biotic communities -- Buffalo River Harbour -- East London
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59106 , vital:60264
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate a reconciliation between natural systems and the artificial construction of our built environment within the scope of regenerative ecosystems through architectural intervention. The monolithic harbour front, sited specifically within the Buffalo River Harbour of East London, is examined as the ultimate artificial and immovable landscape which sets the challenge of creating a more dynamic architecture. This is due to the fact that the banks of the Buffalo river harbour have long been transformed by marine industry and urban influence, having a retardation effect on its ecological functioning. Through the programmatic response of a Port Operations Facility, marine infrastructural institutions such as Transnet are given a new role in terms of environmental custodianship. The notion of a “self-regulating system” is therefore central to the design strategy. This occurs through a scale-linking approach, where the design plays a crucial role in urban runoff and stormwater management within the greater infrastructural context of the city, in an effort to rectify present ecological imbalances. Environmental receptivity is also explored through architectural devices that are sensitive to the cyclical fluctuations of intertidal landscapes, as well as advocating decentralised waste and energy management. Through the creation of a “novel ecosystem”, an ecological counterpoint to the monofunctional infrastructural domain of our cities is proposed. This challenges conventional engineering and design processes and ideologies in favour of a more complex relationship between landscape and architecture. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Rethinking the informal settlements upgrading programmes in the free state province, South Africa: a transformative and multi-faceted model
- Authors: Dintsi, Sive
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Human settlements -- Free State , Squatter settlements
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58352 , vital:59002
- Description: This thesis intended to reveal the factors that contributed to the formulation of the informal settlements upgrading programmes in the Free State, South Africa, from an institutional perspective; subsequently to conceptualise a transformative and multi-faceted model for the development and management of human settlements. The mixed methods exploratory research design has been applied in this study. This research design has allowed for the implementation of research methods including the qualitative inductive content analysis method, the case study method, and the semi-structured survey questionnaire method. The data collection methods used comprised both primary and secondary data. Primary data involved online surveys and field observations. Secondary data comprised of an inductive analysis of written sources. The main findings of the study were as follows. First, the policy design and implementation processes have been misaligned. Second, there has been inadequate stakeholder engagements. Third, the government has not prioritised the employment of specialists in the field of housing and human settlements. Fourth, corruption has caused the state to fail to provide adequate housing for all. Fifth, municipalities are unable to identify and define existing informal settlements. Lastly, illegal immigration is causing a rapid increase in the number of informal settlements. This thesis proffered key recommendations based on the conclusions drawn from these findings. First, there must be an implementation of an integrated model for the preparation of upgrading policy. Second, communication technology education for officials of the state must be enhanced. Third, the government must prioritise the employment of experts in upgrading work. Fourth, the upgrading policy must reflect the paradigm shift from housing to human settlements. Fifth, municipalities need to be systematically transformed and improved for their functions on upgrading. Finally, illegal immigration must be firmly monitored while legal immigration is discouraged. To this end, this thesis has presented a strong viewpoint that limits the influx of immigrants into unproclaimed urban land that leads to the growth of informal settlements. The study has also strongly advocated for the legal spatial placement of South African citizens and legal immigrants on strategically and socio-economically viable land, where it is suitably available and owned by the state. Housing in the thesis has been viewed as one of the essential instruments that must inevitably emerge as a prospect towards xiv effectively unlocking improved living conditions in informal settlements; rather than housing being perceived as human settlements. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Dintsi, Sive
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Human settlements -- Free State , Squatter settlements
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58352 , vital:59002
- Description: This thesis intended to reveal the factors that contributed to the formulation of the informal settlements upgrading programmes in the Free State, South Africa, from an institutional perspective; subsequently to conceptualise a transformative and multi-faceted model for the development and management of human settlements. The mixed methods exploratory research design has been applied in this study. This research design has allowed for the implementation of research methods including the qualitative inductive content analysis method, the case study method, and the semi-structured survey questionnaire method. The data collection methods used comprised both primary and secondary data. Primary data involved online surveys and field observations. Secondary data comprised of an inductive analysis of written sources. The main findings of the study were as follows. First, the policy design and implementation processes have been misaligned. Second, there has been inadequate stakeholder engagements. Third, the government has not prioritised the employment of specialists in the field of housing and human settlements. Fourth, corruption has caused the state to fail to provide adequate housing for all. Fifth, municipalities are unable to identify and define existing informal settlements. Lastly, illegal immigration is causing a rapid increase in the number of informal settlements. This thesis proffered key recommendations based on the conclusions drawn from these findings. First, there must be an implementation of an integrated model for the preparation of upgrading policy. Second, communication technology education for officials of the state must be enhanced. Third, the government must prioritise the employment of experts in upgrading work. Fourth, the upgrading policy must reflect the paradigm shift from housing to human settlements. Fifth, municipalities need to be systematically transformed and improved for their functions on upgrading. Finally, illegal immigration must be firmly monitored while legal immigration is discouraged. To this end, this thesis has presented a strong viewpoint that limits the influx of immigrants into unproclaimed urban land that leads to the growth of informal settlements. The study has also strongly advocated for the legal spatial placement of South African citizens and legal immigrants on strategically and socio-economically viable land, where it is suitably available and owned by the state. Housing in the thesis has been viewed as one of the essential instruments that must inevitably emerge as a prospect towards xiv effectively unlocking improved living conditions in informal settlements; rather than housing being perceived as human settlements. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
The effects of implementing organizational change management in Mega-Construction projects: a case study of Medupi Power Station
- Authors: Diko, Nombulelo
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Construction projects , Power station , Power-plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58340 , vital:58996
- Description: The construction industry is impacted by megatrends in four domains: markets and customers, sustainability and resilience, society and workforce, and politics and regulation. The industry needs to identify and implement optimal responses to these megatrends – concerning both the opportunities they offer and the challenges they pose. Due to today's ever-changing business environment, organizational change and changes in structure are becoming more prevalent. For Construction Organizations to remain competitive they need to conduct market research regularly to assess changes that need to be adopted, whether from internal or external forces. South Africa’s construction industry is currently experiencing many changes due to advancements in technology and improved means of project execution which improve organizations' productivity and profit margins. This research study analyzed the effects of change management on organizations in the construction industry. It identified and assessed factors influencing change management, challenges faced during the implementation of changes and solutions, and recommendations to overcome the challenges. A qualitative research methodology was adopted for this research study. The rationale for adopting this was that qualitative research provided the researcher with a deeper insight into the effects of change management in the construction industry. The main factors identified which affect change management are finance and the style of management. It was reported from the research findings that a lack of staff training on the change initiatives also negatively affected the implementation of change processes. Concerning the value of change implementation, most respondents confirmed that efficient and effective change would lead to growth and increased profit margins. This research also found that clear vision and effective engagement systems are vital in ensuring that effective change implementation is achieved. Also, the business change management plan must be communicated and shared with relevant stakeholders for them to align with the main objectives and deliverables. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Diko, Nombulelo
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Construction projects , Power station , Power-plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58340 , vital:58996
- Description: The construction industry is impacted by megatrends in four domains: markets and customers, sustainability and resilience, society and workforce, and politics and regulation. The industry needs to identify and implement optimal responses to these megatrends – concerning both the opportunities they offer and the challenges they pose. Due to today's ever-changing business environment, organizational change and changes in structure are becoming more prevalent. For Construction Organizations to remain competitive they need to conduct market research regularly to assess changes that need to be adopted, whether from internal or external forces. South Africa’s construction industry is currently experiencing many changes due to advancements in technology and improved means of project execution which improve organizations' productivity and profit margins. This research study analyzed the effects of change management on organizations in the construction industry. It identified and assessed factors influencing change management, challenges faced during the implementation of changes and solutions, and recommendations to overcome the challenges. A qualitative research methodology was adopted for this research study. The rationale for adopting this was that qualitative research provided the researcher with a deeper insight into the effects of change management in the construction industry. The main factors identified which affect change management are finance and the style of management. It was reported from the research findings that a lack of staff training on the change initiatives also negatively affected the implementation of change processes. Concerning the value of change implementation, most respondents confirmed that efficient and effective change would lead to growth and increased profit margins. This research also found that clear vision and effective engagement systems are vital in ensuring that effective change implementation is achieved. Also, the business change management plan must be communicated and shared with relevant stakeholders for them to align with the main objectives and deliverables. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
The non-completion of construction projects: a case study relative to the department of public works in the Eastern Cape province
- Authors: Cweya, Luvuyo Gladsone
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Construction projects -- Eastern Cape , Public Works -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58317 , vital:58975
- Description: The aim of this study was to investigate why construction projects during the delivery of infrastructure by DPW were not completed. The research 's goals were as follows: (i) to identify the major causes of the non-completion of infrastructure projects; (ii) to identify the reasons for the lack of the provision of adequate budgeting for proper project execution; (iii) to influence and inform the industry role players on the appointment of emerging contractors. The focus was only on public sector projects, and projects which undertake to use the JBCC 2000 Principal Building Agreement (various versions) in the Eastern Cape Province. For the study the research method adopted was a mixed methodological approach. The sample population is made up of DPW program managers, who are responsible for executing infrastructure programs and consultants such as architects, quantity surveyors and contractors. Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury, and the Department of Public Works (DPW) are required to carefully evaluate infrastructure projects for budget planning, and processes. The lack of formal preparation for emerging contractors in the form of seminars, presentations, and lectures was a significant weakness to improve new contractors' skill. DPW does not have a dedicated emerging contractors support programme. The main recommendation is that Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury, and the Department of Public Works should carefully evaluate infrastructure projects for budget planning and budget allocation. The aim is to address the problems leading to late payment of contractors. Moreover, DPW should have a dedicated emerging contractors support programme. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Cweya, Luvuyo Gladsone
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Construction projects -- Eastern Cape , Public Works -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58317 , vital:58975
- Description: The aim of this study was to investigate why construction projects during the delivery of infrastructure by DPW were not completed. The research 's goals were as follows: (i) to identify the major causes of the non-completion of infrastructure projects; (ii) to identify the reasons for the lack of the provision of adequate budgeting for proper project execution; (iii) to influence and inform the industry role players on the appointment of emerging contractors. The focus was only on public sector projects, and projects which undertake to use the JBCC 2000 Principal Building Agreement (various versions) in the Eastern Cape Province. For the study the research method adopted was a mixed methodological approach. The sample population is made up of DPW program managers, who are responsible for executing infrastructure programs and consultants such as architects, quantity surveyors and contractors. Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury, and the Department of Public Works (DPW) are required to carefully evaluate infrastructure projects for budget planning, and processes. The lack of formal preparation for emerging contractors in the form of seminars, presentations, and lectures was a significant weakness to improve new contractors' skill. DPW does not have a dedicated emerging contractors support programme. The main recommendation is that Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury, and the Department of Public Works should carefully evaluate infrastructure projects for budget planning and budget allocation. The aim is to address the problems leading to late payment of contractors. Moreover, DPW should have a dedicated emerging contractors support programme. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Towards a Risk Assessment Matrix for Information Security Workarounds Associated with Acceptable Use Policies
- Authors: Slabbert, Eugene
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Information technology -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58473 , vital:59519
- Description: Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) are used to influence employees’ information security behaviour. Some employees feel that the AUPs and related procedures interfere with their ability to work efficiently and may, therefore, choose not to comply by utilising information security workarounds associated with the AUP. An AUP workaround is a form of information security non-compliance that may result in unnecessary information security risk exposure for an organisation. Some AUP workarounds may be useful as they identify more efficient ways to complete tasks that may not impact the information security of an organisation. However, these efficiencies should only be considered for incorporation into standard procedures when the information security risk exposure of an AUP workaround is known. This leads to the problem statement. Many organisations do not have a formal way in which to assess the information security risks posed by workarounds associated with their Acceptable Use Policies, and related procedures. This study provides a solution to the identified problem through the primary objective, to develop a Risk Assessment Matrix for Information Security Workarounds associated with Acceptable Use Policies, and related procedures. Four secondary research objectives were proposed to achieve the primary research objective. The first secondary objective determines the role of information security risk management and how it relates to information security governance through the utilisation of a literature review. The second secondary objective firstly utilises a literature review to determine the role that the AUP and its related procedures play within an organisation, followed by a content analysis which identifies the key content that should be considered in a comprehensive AUP. The third secondary objective determines the factors that influence the use of AUP workarounds within an organisation through the utilisation of a literature review. Lastly, the fourth secondary objective utilises a literature review to determine the key components required for the development of the risk assessment matrix for information security workarounds. In addition, critical reasoning is used to create the risk assessment matrix for information security workarounds. The solution to this study contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a risk assessment matrix to assess the information security risk exposure of AUP workarounds and find possible efficiency gains while keeping information security risk exposure to a minimum. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Slabbert, Eugene
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Information technology -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58473 , vital:59519
- Description: Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) are used to influence employees’ information security behaviour. Some employees feel that the AUPs and related procedures interfere with their ability to work efficiently and may, therefore, choose not to comply by utilising information security workarounds associated with the AUP. An AUP workaround is a form of information security non-compliance that may result in unnecessary information security risk exposure for an organisation. Some AUP workarounds may be useful as they identify more efficient ways to complete tasks that may not impact the information security of an organisation. However, these efficiencies should only be considered for incorporation into standard procedures when the information security risk exposure of an AUP workaround is known. This leads to the problem statement. Many organisations do not have a formal way in which to assess the information security risks posed by workarounds associated with their Acceptable Use Policies, and related procedures. This study provides a solution to the identified problem through the primary objective, to develop a Risk Assessment Matrix for Information Security Workarounds associated with Acceptable Use Policies, and related procedures. Four secondary research objectives were proposed to achieve the primary research objective. The first secondary objective determines the role of information security risk management and how it relates to information security governance through the utilisation of a literature review. The second secondary objective firstly utilises a literature review to determine the role that the AUP and its related procedures play within an organisation, followed by a content analysis which identifies the key content that should be considered in a comprehensive AUP. The third secondary objective determines the factors that influence the use of AUP workarounds within an organisation through the utilisation of a literature review. Lastly, the fourth secondary objective utilises a literature review to determine the key components required for the development of the risk assessment matrix for information security workarounds. In addition, critical reasoning is used to create the risk assessment matrix for information security workarounds. The solution to this study contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a risk assessment matrix to assess the information security risk exposure of AUP workarounds and find possible efficiency gains while keeping information security risk exposure to a minimum. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Usable Security Heuristics for Instant Messaging Application Development
- Authors: Van Niekerk, Craig Michael
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Application software -- Development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58506 , vital:59655
- Description: As instant messaging (IM) applications have become more popular, the privacy and security concerns associated with their usage has become ever more relevant. As with many software programs, IM applications have a history of security vulnerabilities. Although IM application usage is globally increasing, it has been found that currently no generally recognised standards exist to aid IM application developers when developing the usability of the security features they implement. The problem is further exacerbated as research suggests that typical users have neither the requisite understanding of the available IM security features, nor the capacity to make full use of those protection features. The primary objective of this study is to create a set of usable security heuristics to assist developers of instant messaging applications to consider the usability of the security features implemented in these applications. This primary objective is further divided into several secondary objectives, which collectively aim to address the proposed problem. Therefore, the secondary objectives are to determine IM security risks and their related implications on users; to identify and investigate existing security and usability heuristics, guidelines, standards and best practices for mobile application development; to map the identified security and usability heuristics, guidelines, standards and best practices to IM applications; and to develop a prototype to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed usable security heuristics to a typical IM application. First, a comprehensive literature study is used to determine and understand the information security threats relevant to IM applications, how IM applications operate, the security features implemented by IM applications and the potential impact the relevant information security threats could have on IM application users. Thereafter, a further literature review and content analysis are used to identify and investigate existing heuristics, guidelines, standards, and best practices for mobile application development. The findings from the content analysis, in combination with the previously identified threats to IM applications, are then mapped to IM applications, and a preliminary set of usable security heuristics for IM application development is established. This preliminary set of usable security heuristics undergoes multiple iterations of refinement to establish the proposed set of usable security heuristics for IM application development. Furthermore, an expert review is conducted to validate the proposed set of usable security heuristics from the perspectives of security, usability, and mobile application development. In addition, the expert review was also used to determine the efficacy, utility, and quality of the proposed usable security heuristics. To further validate the proposed heuristics, a proof-of-concept prototype is used, in addition to the expert review, to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed set of usable security heuristics to a typical IM application. Such a set of usable security heuristics would be useful for IM application developers and would result in the vi improved implementation of usable security, leading to an improvement in the security of IM applications. The proposed set of usable security heuristics therefore adds a further contribution to this research area, providing a solid foundation for future research. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Van Niekerk, Craig Michael
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Application software -- Development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58506 , vital:59655
- Description: As instant messaging (IM) applications have become more popular, the privacy and security concerns associated with their usage has become ever more relevant. As with many software programs, IM applications have a history of security vulnerabilities. Although IM application usage is globally increasing, it has been found that currently no generally recognised standards exist to aid IM application developers when developing the usability of the security features they implement. The problem is further exacerbated as research suggests that typical users have neither the requisite understanding of the available IM security features, nor the capacity to make full use of those protection features. The primary objective of this study is to create a set of usable security heuristics to assist developers of instant messaging applications to consider the usability of the security features implemented in these applications. This primary objective is further divided into several secondary objectives, which collectively aim to address the proposed problem. Therefore, the secondary objectives are to determine IM security risks and their related implications on users; to identify and investigate existing security and usability heuristics, guidelines, standards and best practices for mobile application development; to map the identified security and usability heuristics, guidelines, standards and best practices to IM applications; and to develop a prototype to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed usable security heuristics to a typical IM application. First, a comprehensive literature study is used to determine and understand the information security threats relevant to IM applications, how IM applications operate, the security features implemented by IM applications and the potential impact the relevant information security threats could have on IM application users. Thereafter, a further literature review and content analysis are used to identify and investigate existing heuristics, guidelines, standards, and best practices for mobile application development. The findings from the content analysis, in combination with the previously identified threats to IM applications, are then mapped to IM applications, and a preliminary set of usable security heuristics for IM application development is established. This preliminary set of usable security heuristics undergoes multiple iterations of refinement to establish the proposed set of usable security heuristics for IM application development. Furthermore, an expert review is conducted to validate the proposed set of usable security heuristics from the perspectives of security, usability, and mobile application development. In addition, the expert review was also used to determine the efficacy, utility, and quality of the proposed usable security heuristics. To further validate the proposed heuristics, a proof-of-concept prototype is used, in addition to the expert review, to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed set of usable security heuristics to a typical IM application. Such a set of usable security heuristics would be useful for IM application developers and would result in the vi improved implementation of usable security, leading to an improvement in the security of IM applications. The proposed set of usable security heuristics therefore adds a further contribution to this research area, providing a solid foundation for future research. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Applying insights from machine learning towards guidelines for the detection of text-based fake news
- Authors: Ngada, Okuhle
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Machine learning , Fake News
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60243 , vital:64141
- Description: Web-based technologies have fostered an online environment where information can be disseminated in a fast and cost-effective manner whilst targeting large and diverse audiences. Unfortunately, the rise and evolution of web-based technologies have also created an environment where false information, commonly referred to as “fake news”, spreads rapidly. The effects of this spread can be catastrophic. Finding solutions to the problem of fake news is complicated for a myriad of reasons, such as: what is defined as fake news, the lack of quality datasets available to researchers, the topics covered in such data, and the fact that datasets exist in a variety of languages. The effects of false information dissemination can result in reputational damage, financial damage to affected brands, and ultimately, misinformed online news readers who can make misinformed decisions. The objective of the study is to propose a set of guidelines that can be used by other system developers to implement misinformation detection tools and systems. The guidelines are constructed using findings from the experimentation phase of the project and information uncovered in the literature review conducted as part of the study. A selection of machine and deep learning approaches are examined to test the applicability of cues that could separate fake online articles from real online news articles. Key performance metrics such as precision, recall, accuracy, F1-score, and ROC are used to measure the performance of the selected machine learning and deep learning models. To demonstrate the practicality of the guidelines and allow for reproducibility of the research, each guideline provides background information relating to the identified problem, a solution to the problem through pseudocode, code excerpts using the Python programming language, and points of consideration that may assist with the implementation. , Thesis (MA) --Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
Applying insights from machine learning towards guidelines for the detection of text-based fake news
- Authors: Ngada, Okuhle
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Machine learning , Fake News
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60243 , vital:64141
- Description: Web-based technologies have fostered an online environment where information can be disseminated in a fast and cost-effective manner whilst targeting large and diverse audiences. Unfortunately, the rise and evolution of web-based technologies have also created an environment where false information, commonly referred to as “fake news”, spreads rapidly. The effects of this spread can be catastrophic. Finding solutions to the problem of fake news is complicated for a myriad of reasons, such as: what is defined as fake news, the lack of quality datasets available to researchers, the topics covered in such data, and the fact that datasets exist in a variety of languages. The effects of false information dissemination can result in reputational damage, financial damage to affected brands, and ultimately, misinformed online news readers who can make misinformed decisions. The objective of the study is to propose a set of guidelines that can be used by other system developers to implement misinformation detection tools and systems. The guidelines are constructed using findings from the experimentation phase of the project and information uncovered in the literature review conducted as part of the study. A selection of machine and deep learning approaches are examined to test the applicability of cues that could separate fake online articles from real online news articles. Key performance metrics such as precision, recall, accuracy, F1-score, and ROC are used to measure the performance of the selected machine learning and deep learning models. To demonstrate the practicality of the guidelines and allow for reproducibility of the research, each guideline provides background information relating to the identified problem, a solution to the problem through pseudocode, code excerpts using the Python programming language, and points of consideration that may assist with the implementation. , Thesis (MA) --Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
Enhancement of domestic solar photovoltaic unit productivity through the use of a cost effective tracking system
- Authors: Cawood, John Henry
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Photovoltaic power systems , Tracking (Engineering)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59215 , vital:60313
- Description: The majority of new and existing small photovoltaic (PV) installations in South Africa are fixed-panel systems, largely due to the cost of photovoltaic panel components having reduced steadily in recent years where an increased requirement is met with a larger number of panels, whilst tracking system costs remain prohibitively expensive. Fixed installations realise only a part of their energy potential as they are truly effective for only short periods of the day. The aim of this study is to investigate and build on the current technology of PV tracking systems with the aim of specifying a simple control and actuation system which performs the tracking function. The eventual purpose of this thesis is to reliably produce more energy from solar photovoltaic installations than similar installations using fixed panels. This would be achieved by the use of an effective and affordable tracking system which yields acceptable accuracy and reliability and opens the potential for the system to be further developed for other purposes. These alternative uses could be the control of sunlight into green buildings, control of dampers for building ventilation and cooling and Trombe wall air control. This study has investigated the potential of several passive and active methods to actuate a sun tracking system. A useful closed loop system, which uses low pressure hydraulics, was developed and tested. The prototype is detailed in the drawings, Appendix D. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Cawood, John Henry
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Photovoltaic power systems , Tracking (Engineering)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59215 , vital:60313
- Description: The majority of new and existing small photovoltaic (PV) installations in South Africa are fixed-panel systems, largely due to the cost of photovoltaic panel components having reduced steadily in recent years where an increased requirement is met with a larger number of panels, whilst tracking system costs remain prohibitively expensive. Fixed installations realise only a part of their energy potential as they are truly effective for only short periods of the day. The aim of this study is to investigate and build on the current technology of PV tracking systems with the aim of specifying a simple control and actuation system which performs the tracking function. The eventual purpose of this thesis is to reliably produce more energy from solar photovoltaic installations than similar installations using fixed panels. This would be achieved by the use of an effective and affordable tracking system which yields acceptable accuracy and reliability and opens the potential for the system to be further developed for other purposes. These alternative uses could be the control of sunlight into green buildings, control of dampers for building ventilation and cooling and Trombe wall air control. This study has investigated the potential of several passive and active methods to actuate a sun tracking system. A useful closed loop system, which uses low pressure hydraulics, was developed and tested. The prototype is detailed in the drawings, Appendix D. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
Influence of a saline test environment on the Fatigue properties of laser metal deposition Ti-6al-4v specimens
- Authors: Botha, Sheldyn Jaye
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Metal organic chemical vapor deposition , Salines
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59203 , vital:60304
- Description: This study investigated the effects of the position of extraction and a corrosive environment on the fatigue properties of Ti-6Al-4V Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) specimens. Additive manufacturing (AM) processes allow for a reduction in manufacturing time, whilst constructing complex geometries. AM induces a complex thermal history which influences the microstructure in the material (1). The microstructure affects the fatigue properties where a finer microstructure is more favourable for increasing the fatigue life (2). Fatigue failure is one of the main modes of failure during a material’s service life (3). Thus, it is imperative to investigate the material’s fatigue behaviour. Major parameters of the LMD process were investigated, allowing bulk LMD coupons to be manufactured, from which fatigue specimens were extracted at three different heights. Static properties were attained through tensile testing and a Vickers Micro-Hardness evaluation. These properties allowed for calculating benchmark stresses that were utilised for fatigue testing. The biocompatibility of Ti-6Al-4V makes it desirable for medical implants – the core influence of this study. An implant is constantly subjected to a corrosive saline environment, introducing a corrosive mechanism of failure, known to decrease the life of a material. A rotary bending fatigue platform was utilised as it allowed for modifications to introduce a corrosive saline environment through means of a saline dosing system. Literature reports a higher possibility of corrosion fatigue occurring under rotary bending fatigue conditions for Ti alloy specimens (4,5). The fatigue data indicated no significant effect on the fatigue properties was evident when comparing the position of extraction, attributed to the interrupted build strategy utilised for manufacturing the bulk coupons. The specimens displayed a shift in fatigue life when subjected to a corrosive saline environment. Upon analysis, there was little variation in the microstructures at each position of extraction, attributed to the interrupted build strategy. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Botha, Sheldyn Jaye
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Metal organic chemical vapor deposition , Salines
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59203 , vital:60304
- Description: This study investigated the effects of the position of extraction and a corrosive environment on the fatigue properties of Ti-6Al-4V Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) specimens. Additive manufacturing (AM) processes allow for a reduction in manufacturing time, whilst constructing complex geometries. AM induces a complex thermal history which influences the microstructure in the material (1). The microstructure affects the fatigue properties where a finer microstructure is more favourable for increasing the fatigue life (2). Fatigue failure is one of the main modes of failure during a material’s service life (3). Thus, it is imperative to investigate the material’s fatigue behaviour. Major parameters of the LMD process were investigated, allowing bulk LMD coupons to be manufactured, from which fatigue specimens were extracted at three different heights. Static properties were attained through tensile testing and a Vickers Micro-Hardness evaluation. These properties allowed for calculating benchmark stresses that were utilised for fatigue testing. The biocompatibility of Ti-6Al-4V makes it desirable for medical implants – the core influence of this study. An implant is constantly subjected to a corrosive saline environment, introducing a corrosive mechanism of failure, known to decrease the life of a material. A rotary bending fatigue platform was utilised as it allowed for modifications to introduce a corrosive saline environment through means of a saline dosing system. Literature reports a higher possibility of corrosion fatigue occurring under rotary bending fatigue conditions for Ti alloy specimens (4,5). The fatigue data indicated no significant effect on the fatigue properties was evident when comparing the position of extraction, attributed to the interrupted build strategy utilised for manufacturing the bulk coupons. The specimens displayed a shift in fatigue life when subjected to a corrosive saline environment. Upon analysis, there was little variation in the microstructures at each position of extraction, attributed to the interrupted build strategy. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
Factors contributing to unsafe practices in Eskom power division projects
- Authors: Dingilizwe, Nondumiso
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Power-plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59226 , vital:60314
- Description: Health and safety is accepted as an integral element of the built environment. As construction within the electricity and power supply industry is inevitable, alongside other regulatory systems aimed at ensuring sustainable power supply, health and safety measures, policies, training, management, and incidences become important indicators for the delivery of power supply. This research study explores the health and safety management challenges that are experienced by the construction division of Eskom, South Africa’s national power utility with its head offices in Johannesburg, South Africa. The research explores and identifies factors that affect workers’ on-site behaviour regarding the compliance and adherence to health and safety statutory practices. Using a qualitative research method, and thematic data analysis, the research findings draw on salient emerging themes that allude to the inadequate and insufficient documentation of Eskom procedures, and the failure to make use of recorded past incidents in establishing improved pro-active health and safety management practice and management thereof, are but some of the illuminated factors that emerge from the study findings. For a power utility of its scale and the volume of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, the compliance to internationally recognised health and safety standards within an appropriate legal framework, are factors that may hinder the successful implementation of its core function. Notwithstanding the fact that the electricity sector of industry, in terms of overall current health, safety and performance, is generally considered to be a lower risk than other industries within the South African economy. Yet this study, in taking cognisance of all four sectors of the energy and power value chain (generation, transmission, distribution and retail), attempts to address the unanswered questions if why and how Eskom, despite its health and safety policies and general compliance to statutory workplace health and safety framework, continues to experience a high level of workplace fatalities in the delivery of its projects. Against a backdrop of reported and documented incidences of time, this research found that the usage of reports to benchmark and re-calibrate policy and preventative procedure is carried out periodically, but in an unstructured manner. The risk this presents is evident in the potential failure to identify proper risk analysis, appropriate health and safety vi performance indicators, and a slow migration to the new ISO 45001 quality standard. Study findings also suggest a lack of training programmes for contractors and employees within Eskom construction projects, as a primary contributing hindrance factor to attaining an improved health and safety management system. Finally, the study also considered new hazards and risks that have, and may still, arise from the uptake and expansion of new technologies, cleaner energy, as well as future trends that would collectively influence health and safety standards along the electricity value chain. The research findings suggest for a more focused goal-setting and the building of competencies to recognise and mitigate risks, especially new risks, and to engage more participatory approaches to setting standards that can be effectively managed and which can contribute to injury reduction through behavioural change. What remains to be explored, will be the changing nature of doing business as the year 2020 witnesses a new confounding pandemic, the Coronavirus (covid-19). Its impact on health and safety in the workplace, and on the entire construction value chain, cost of construction, project management and timeframes, is yet to be determined and factored into the business processes of a large scale public entity such as Eskom. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-03
- Authors: Dingilizwe, Nondumiso
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Power-plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59226 , vital:60314
- Description: Health and safety is accepted as an integral element of the built environment. As construction within the electricity and power supply industry is inevitable, alongside other regulatory systems aimed at ensuring sustainable power supply, health and safety measures, policies, training, management, and incidences become important indicators for the delivery of power supply. This research study explores the health and safety management challenges that are experienced by the construction division of Eskom, South Africa’s national power utility with its head offices in Johannesburg, South Africa. The research explores and identifies factors that affect workers’ on-site behaviour regarding the compliance and adherence to health and safety statutory practices. Using a qualitative research method, and thematic data analysis, the research findings draw on salient emerging themes that allude to the inadequate and insufficient documentation of Eskom procedures, and the failure to make use of recorded past incidents in establishing improved pro-active health and safety management practice and management thereof, are but some of the illuminated factors that emerge from the study findings. For a power utility of its scale and the volume of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, the compliance to internationally recognised health and safety standards within an appropriate legal framework, are factors that may hinder the successful implementation of its core function. Notwithstanding the fact that the electricity sector of industry, in terms of overall current health, safety and performance, is generally considered to be a lower risk than other industries within the South African economy. Yet this study, in taking cognisance of all four sectors of the energy and power value chain (generation, transmission, distribution and retail), attempts to address the unanswered questions if why and how Eskom, despite its health and safety policies and general compliance to statutory workplace health and safety framework, continues to experience a high level of workplace fatalities in the delivery of its projects. Against a backdrop of reported and documented incidences of time, this research found that the usage of reports to benchmark and re-calibrate policy and preventative procedure is carried out periodically, but in an unstructured manner. The risk this presents is evident in the potential failure to identify proper risk analysis, appropriate health and safety vi performance indicators, and a slow migration to the new ISO 45001 quality standard. Study findings also suggest a lack of training programmes for contractors and employees within Eskom construction projects, as a primary contributing hindrance factor to attaining an improved health and safety management system. Finally, the study also considered new hazards and risks that have, and may still, arise from the uptake and expansion of new technologies, cleaner energy, as well as future trends that would collectively influence health and safety standards along the electricity value chain. The research findings suggest for a more focused goal-setting and the building of competencies to recognise and mitigate risks, especially new risks, and to engage more participatory approaches to setting standards that can be effectively managed and which can contribute to injury reduction through behavioural change. What remains to be explored, will be the changing nature of doing business as the year 2020 witnesses a new confounding pandemic, the Coronavirus (covid-19). Its impact on health and safety in the workplace, and on the entire construction value chain, cost of construction, project management and timeframes, is yet to be determined and factored into the business processes of a large scale public entity such as Eskom. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-03
Strategies for the Adaptive Re-use of Degraded Urban Heritage Fabric: The Design of an Artist Colony in Central, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Weiss, Sarah
- Date: 2021-01
- Subjects: Artist colonies -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59172 , vital:60270
- Description: The old city centre of Port Elizabeth, South Africa has undergone numerous changes throughout its lifespan and the recent changes have sought to reinvigorate and reinvent this old suburb to the bustling urban environment of yesteryear but unfortunately the state of central has continued to decline with the city continuing to expand towards the western periphery. Central has thus becomes a harbour for forgotten artefacts settled amongst what few activities remain as it sits as the foundation of the city. This document sees the exploration of a personal intrigue with what is considered forgotten and to this end the treatise is an investigation into heritage, and more specifically, the main writings and thoughts on memory and the physical environment and the core notions that contribute to its character. This treatise looks at identifying a set of lost and forgotten artefacts in the old city centre and a pragmatic response to solve the issue of single use buildings is put forward to develop strategies for the adaptive re-use within degraded urban heritage fabric to allow for the production of a catalytic precinct. The aim of this treatise is therefore to propose a building that is suitable for and responsive to its historical context, that meets the required developmental needs of the present but is ensured to meet the possible needs of future generations. This treatise aims to propose a relevant and appropriate artist colony in Central, Port Elizabeth. These aims are achieved through literature reviews, heritage practitioner comparative analyses, contextual analyses, and precedent studies in order to find an appropriate strategy for the design proposal. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-01
- Authors: Weiss, Sarah
- Date: 2021-01
- Subjects: Artist colonies -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59172 , vital:60270
- Description: The old city centre of Port Elizabeth, South Africa has undergone numerous changes throughout its lifespan and the recent changes have sought to reinvigorate and reinvent this old suburb to the bustling urban environment of yesteryear but unfortunately the state of central has continued to decline with the city continuing to expand towards the western periphery. Central has thus becomes a harbour for forgotten artefacts settled amongst what few activities remain as it sits as the foundation of the city. This document sees the exploration of a personal intrigue with what is considered forgotten and to this end the treatise is an investigation into heritage, and more specifically, the main writings and thoughts on memory and the physical environment and the core notions that contribute to its character. This treatise looks at identifying a set of lost and forgotten artefacts in the old city centre and a pragmatic response to solve the issue of single use buildings is put forward to develop strategies for the adaptive re-use within degraded urban heritage fabric to allow for the production of a catalytic precinct. The aim of this treatise is therefore to propose a building that is suitable for and responsive to its historical context, that meets the required developmental needs of the present but is ensured to meet the possible needs of future generations. This treatise aims to propose a relevant and appropriate artist colony in Central, Port Elizabeth. These aims are achieved through literature reviews, heritage practitioner comparative analyses, contextual analyses, and precedent studies in order to find an appropriate strategy for the design proposal. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-01
Beneath the shadow of a fig tree: Exploring the Intersections of Memory, Architecture and Narrative through the Design of a Memoryscape for South End, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Patsalos, Daniella
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Architecture, Domestic -- Designs and plans , Architecture -- South End, Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59116 , vital:60265
- Description: Operating within the fluctuating boundaries shared between memory, architecture and narrative, the following treatise explores the possibilities of magical realism as an architectural mode for the expression of hybrid realities, hidden narratives and imaginative worlds. Magical realism, in its essence, creates space for the interactions of diversity and the disruption or transgression of accepted categorical boundaries. As such, it facilitates the fusion or familial co-existence of possible worlds, spaces, systems or ideas that would be, in some contexts, incongruous, making it a useful medium for the voice of postcolonial cultures. Magical realism is subversive in nature, adopting an in-betweenness and all-at-onceness that resists, or rather inverts, conventional perceptions of what is ‘magic’ and what is ‘real’. In testing the potentialities of an architectural interpretation of magical realism, the project assumes a collective form as a magical realist memoryscape, representative of the tangible and intangible narratives that constitute the selected site of South End, Port Elizabeth. More than just the merging of the ideas of memory and landscape, a memoryscape is expressive of the interdependent, entangling manifestations of place and remembrance while also portraying an unravelling of the stories, mythic narratives, materialities and metaphysical phenomena of space. A memoryscape is therefore the point of homogenisation at which the concepts of memory, culture, emotion, narrative and landscape converge. South End was once a spirited and multicultural community faced with the involuntary trauma of displacement and loss as a result of the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the destructive ideologies of the Apartheid regime. Thus, drawing upon the themes of dreams, nightmares, memories and consciousness, the memoryscape is composed of a series of four metaphorical ‘cities’ that translate the chronologies, traces, ruins, embodied experiences and subjective iconographies into architectural realities that reflect a true cartography of the South End narrative. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Patsalos, Daniella
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Architecture, Domestic -- Designs and plans , Architecture -- South End, Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59116 , vital:60265
- Description: Operating within the fluctuating boundaries shared between memory, architecture and narrative, the following treatise explores the possibilities of magical realism as an architectural mode for the expression of hybrid realities, hidden narratives and imaginative worlds. Magical realism, in its essence, creates space for the interactions of diversity and the disruption or transgression of accepted categorical boundaries. As such, it facilitates the fusion or familial co-existence of possible worlds, spaces, systems or ideas that would be, in some contexts, incongruous, making it a useful medium for the voice of postcolonial cultures. Magical realism is subversive in nature, adopting an in-betweenness and all-at-onceness that resists, or rather inverts, conventional perceptions of what is ‘magic’ and what is ‘real’. In testing the potentialities of an architectural interpretation of magical realism, the project assumes a collective form as a magical realist memoryscape, representative of the tangible and intangible narratives that constitute the selected site of South End, Port Elizabeth. More than just the merging of the ideas of memory and landscape, a memoryscape is expressive of the interdependent, entangling manifestations of place and remembrance while also portraying an unravelling of the stories, mythic narratives, materialities and metaphysical phenomena of space. A memoryscape is therefore the point of homogenisation at which the concepts of memory, culture, emotion, narrative and landscape converge. South End was once a spirited and multicultural community faced with the involuntary trauma of displacement and loss as a result of the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the destructive ideologies of the Apartheid regime. Thus, drawing upon the themes of dreams, nightmares, memories and consciousness, the memoryscape is composed of a series of four metaphorical ‘cities’ that translate the chronologies, traces, ruins, embodied experiences and subjective iconographies into architectural realities that reflect a true cartography of the South End narrative. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Exploring "DIGITAL ECOLOGY" as a tool for environmental conservation through : The design of a virtual eco-pack for Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Edmayr, Alexandra Charlotte
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Conservation of natural resources -- Port Elizabeth , Human ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59018 , vital:60256
- Description: This treatise deals with the design of a new Virtual Eco-Park and humankind's relationship to the natural world. The cultural institution of captivity has been positive and negative for the study and conservative approaches of fauna and flora. While this has had benefits, it has resulted in a dominated mindset over the 'other'. This treatise looks at the zoo and aquarium as an outdated educational platform and proposes a new perspective. This treatise explores 'digital ecology' as a tool of theoretical application. The intention is to provide environmental conservation. The design will use the virtual medium for a new immersive experience instead of the 'live exhibit'. The 'digital ecology' is also seen as spatial stacking of layers. Using Timothy Lukes theories on the three natures, this thesis applies this theory in a post-anthropocentric way by its role in generating the Virtual Eco-Park. The layers are terrestrial as an ecosystem, the territorial as the built environment and the digital as the immersive experience. These components form the skeleton of the application to the site. The Port Elizabeth manganese ore and tank farm and the surrounding area has been a dump and polluted landscape for forty years. This treatise, in its entirety, has set up an urban framework that promotes a reconnection to the ecological systems in Port Elizabeth. The 'digital ecology' and the Virtual Eco Park as a 'building' intends to regenerate/ reestablish an old industrial landscape into a new park. The building is designed to become a component of the landscape and not an object on the landscape. The result of this research will result in a final design that hosts immersive experience—bringing the 'true wild' into the urban landscape by replacing the 'tamed natural'—thereby solving the Anthropocene of the Zoo building type by reframing it as the virtual eco-park of nature. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Edmayr, Alexandra Charlotte
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Conservation of natural resources -- Port Elizabeth , Human ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59018 , vital:60256
- Description: This treatise deals with the design of a new Virtual Eco-Park and humankind's relationship to the natural world. The cultural institution of captivity has been positive and negative for the study and conservative approaches of fauna and flora. While this has had benefits, it has resulted in a dominated mindset over the 'other'. This treatise looks at the zoo and aquarium as an outdated educational platform and proposes a new perspective. This treatise explores 'digital ecology' as a tool of theoretical application. The intention is to provide environmental conservation. The design will use the virtual medium for a new immersive experience instead of the 'live exhibit'. The 'digital ecology' is also seen as spatial stacking of layers. Using Timothy Lukes theories on the three natures, this thesis applies this theory in a post-anthropocentric way by its role in generating the Virtual Eco-Park. The layers are terrestrial as an ecosystem, the territorial as the built environment and the digital as the immersive experience. These components form the skeleton of the application to the site. The Port Elizabeth manganese ore and tank farm and the surrounding area has been a dump and polluted landscape for forty years. This treatise, in its entirety, has set up an urban framework that promotes a reconnection to the ecological systems in Port Elizabeth. The 'digital ecology' and the Virtual Eco Park as a 'building' intends to regenerate/ reestablish an old industrial landscape into a new park. The building is designed to become a component of the landscape and not an object on the landscape. The result of this research will result in a final design that hosts immersive experience—bringing the 'true wild' into the urban landscape by replacing the 'tamed natural'—thereby solving the Anthropocene of the Zoo building type by reframing it as the virtual eco-park of nature. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Expressions of “Local” and “Global” Identity: The Design of an International Convention Centre for Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Pretorius, Hanri
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Convention facilities -- Port Elizabeth , Architecture -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59128 , vital:60266
- Description: Convention centres are highly flexible business and leisure gathering spaces where memorable experiences happen indoors. These centres are usually surrounded by perfectly manicured landscaping, strategically placed hotels in the immediate area, and an abundance of fashionable restaurants aimed at creating a lifestyle experience that will ensure that clients return. This convention centre experience can be found in almost every city that has a convention centre. These centres’ designs have become universal and their focus is aimed at outdoing one another to create a more iconic building to attract more people and host more events. This design treatise will focus on how to localise convention centre design to create a place for not only indoor experiences but outdoor experiences as well, to create a multifaceted design that will cater for convention centre activities as well as for its surrounding community, thus ensuring the creation of an urban catalyst that promotes the creation of a vibrant public gathering space. The research and process to achieve this is thus documented. The document consists of two distinct parts. The first part provides insight into the theoretical position taken which provides a lens through which all other research is viewed. The second comprises the design process rooted within the theoretical position that was established in Part 1. Together, the research as well as the design process will lead to a refined design outcome presented as a set of architectural drawings and a computerised model. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Pretorius, Hanri
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Convention facilities -- Port Elizabeth , Architecture -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59128 , vital:60266
- Description: Convention centres are highly flexible business and leisure gathering spaces where memorable experiences happen indoors. These centres are usually surrounded by perfectly manicured landscaping, strategically placed hotels in the immediate area, and an abundance of fashionable restaurants aimed at creating a lifestyle experience that will ensure that clients return. This convention centre experience can be found in almost every city that has a convention centre. These centres’ designs have become universal and their focus is aimed at outdoing one another to create a more iconic building to attract more people and host more events. This design treatise will focus on how to localise convention centre design to create a place for not only indoor experiences but outdoor experiences as well, to create a multifaceted design that will cater for convention centre activities as well as for its surrounding community, thus ensuring the creation of an urban catalyst that promotes the creation of a vibrant public gathering space. The research and process to achieve this is thus documented. The document consists of two distinct parts. The first part provides insight into the theoretical position taken which provides a lens through which all other research is viewed. The second comprises the design process rooted within the theoretical position that was established in Part 1. Together, the research as well as the design process will lead to a refined design outcome presented as a set of architectural drawings and a computerised model. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating Architecture Related to Animals in Captivity Through the Design of a Rhino Sanctuary in the Kruger National Park
- Authors: Kaene, Hansen Mark
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Kruger National Park (South Africa) , Rhinoceroses
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59040 , vital:60258
- Description: Throughout history, animals have been domesticated and held captive in the interests of man. Animal captivity dates back to Ancient Egypt, however, as humanity has developed and further understood animals, their nature, importance and habitational needs, we have been able to appreciate and respect the value of each living thing that shares our planet alongside us. Humanity has progressed in its realisation that, our own species, is not so much superior to all living things, as it is one small, but very dominant part, of a larger system. This furthered understanding has altered the nature of animal captivity, no longer serving only the purposes of entertainment and observation, but also the interests of safeguarding and protecting our natural environment and all those that reside within it. The emergence of new technologies has advanced man’s ability to study and observe animals within their natural habitat, allowing study of the animals free of the limitations and impact of captivity on their psychological state. Harmful cultural beliefs and black market trade, have depleted the planet’s animal populations at an alarming rate, to the point that we can no longer sit idle while our rich natural resources and ecosystems are being devastated solely for economic gain. The efforts, interventions and support offered by African governments have fallen short in terms of the protection and rehabilitation of one of our continent’s most iconic large fauna, the rhinoceros. The war against illegal poaching has been taken up by private individuals. The cost of such efforts, however, weighs heavily on those who attempt to tackle the situation. To address these challenges, wildlife sanctuaries have developed safe havens for animals that have fallen victim to the illegal black-market trade. The design, construction and establishment of rhino sanctuaries is subject to specific legislation and prescribed regulations and standards for meeting the habitational requirements of the various sub-species of rhino. From an architectural standpoint, the narrative of an archi-type for ‘sanctuary’ has not yet been fully developed, as the high costs to private owners of game farms keeping rhinos - for those who have taken it upon themselves to provide for their shelter and enclosure - necessitate that such be undertaken using the most cost-effective means and approach through which to attain regulatory compliance. This treatise explores the narratives of the idealistic architectural approach to designing enclosures for the safeguard of wildlife species. Sanctuaries are designed to accommodate species-specific needs. The species of focus is the African black rhinoceros, the numbers of which, alongside its family of other sub-species, have been devastated by poachers and the black market trade to point of near extinction. The treatise explores the narratives of the ‘restrictive’ and ‘non-restrictive’ senses of animals in captivity through the programme of a sanctuary for black rhino. The aim of the treatise is to understand the specific requirements relating to a species’ natural habitat, and to adopt these principles in the design of an enclosure type that provides security and rehabilitation facilities within a non-stressful and safe environment through architectural intervention. The approach finds anchor in the narrative concerned with those conditions idealistic for a ‘cultural environment’ in which man and animal may dwell together in mutual harmony. This narrative focuses on the phenomenon of the natural versus the man-made, in order to understand meaning, identity and place within the programme of architectural design for wildlife. The Kruger National park exists as the largest natural reserve on the African continent and is situated at the frontlines of the illegal black market trade of rhino horn. This provides an ideal context within which the treatise explores the animal enclosure conceptually and towards serving the needs and requirements for the re-release of a rhino back into its natural habitat post-injury. The architectural intervention is to understand place, meaning and identity through the spatial implications of indigenous Sotho patterns and principles – those of a people whose understanding of context and culture have shaped the orientation of traditional settlements within a natural landscape. The physical form of the architectural intervention is derived from the existing natural materials found within the context of the treatise study, and from making use of affordable, eco-friendly methods and modes of construction. The treatise aspires to identify a new strategy and architectural type for the design of a wildlife sanctuary for poached and orphaned black rhino within an African context. II. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Kaene, Hansen Mark
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Kruger National Park (South Africa) , Rhinoceroses
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59040 , vital:60258
- Description: Throughout history, animals have been domesticated and held captive in the interests of man. Animal captivity dates back to Ancient Egypt, however, as humanity has developed and further understood animals, their nature, importance and habitational needs, we have been able to appreciate and respect the value of each living thing that shares our planet alongside us. Humanity has progressed in its realisation that, our own species, is not so much superior to all living things, as it is one small, but very dominant part, of a larger system. This furthered understanding has altered the nature of animal captivity, no longer serving only the purposes of entertainment and observation, but also the interests of safeguarding and protecting our natural environment and all those that reside within it. The emergence of new technologies has advanced man’s ability to study and observe animals within their natural habitat, allowing study of the animals free of the limitations and impact of captivity on their psychological state. Harmful cultural beliefs and black market trade, have depleted the planet’s animal populations at an alarming rate, to the point that we can no longer sit idle while our rich natural resources and ecosystems are being devastated solely for economic gain. The efforts, interventions and support offered by African governments have fallen short in terms of the protection and rehabilitation of one of our continent’s most iconic large fauna, the rhinoceros. The war against illegal poaching has been taken up by private individuals. The cost of such efforts, however, weighs heavily on those who attempt to tackle the situation. To address these challenges, wildlife sanctuaries have developed safe havens for animals that have fallen victim to the illegal black-market trade. The design, construction and establishment of rhino sanctuaries is subject to specific legislation and prescribed regulations and standards for meeting the habitational requirements of the various sub-species of rhino. From an architectural standpoint, the narrative of an archi-type for ‘sanctuary’ has not yet been fully developed, as the high costs to private owners of game farms keeping rhinos - for those who have taken it upon themselves to provide for their shelter and enclosure - necessitate that such be undertaken using the most cost-effective means and approach through which to attain regulatory compliance. This treatise explores the narratives of the idealistic architectural approach to designing enclosures for the safeguard of wildlife species. Sanctuaries are designed to accommodate species-specific needs. The species of focus is the African black rhinoceros, the numbers of which, alongside its family of other sub-species, have been devastated by poachers and the black market trade to point of near extinction. The treatise explores the narratives of the ‘restrictive’ and ‘non-restrictive’ senses of animals in captivity through the programme of a sanctuary for black rhino. The aim of the treatise is to understand the specific requirements relating to a species’ natural habitat, and to adopt these principles in the design of an enclosure type that provides security and rehabilitation facilities within a non-stressful and safe environment through architectural intervention. The approach finds anchor in the narrative concerned with those conditions idealistic for a ‘cultural environment’ in which man and animal may dwell together in mutual harmony. This narrative focuses on the phenomenon of the natural versus the man-made, in order to understand meaning, identity and place within the programme of architectural design for wildlife. The Kruger National park exists as the largest natural reserve on the African continent and is situated at the frontlines of the illegal black market trade of rhino horn. This provides an ideal context within which the treatise explores the animal enclosure conceptually and towards serving the needs and requirements for the re-release of a rhino back into its natural habitat post-injury. The architectural intervention is to understand place, meaning and identity through the spatial implications of indigenous Sotho patterns and principles – those of a people whose understanding of context and culture have shaped the orientation of traditional settlements within a natural landscape. The physical form of the architectural intervention is derived from the existing natural materials found within the context of the treatise study, and from making use of affordable, eco-friendly methods and modes of construction. The treatise aspires to identify a new strategy and architectural type for the design of a wildlife sanctuary for poached and orphaned black rhino within an African context. II. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the Buddhist Monastery as Type through The Design of a Vihara in Pinelands, Cape Town
- Authors: Van Zyl, Adam
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Buddhist monasteries -- Pinelands -- Cape Town , Buddhist architecture -- Pinelands -- Cape Town
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59160 , vital:60269
- Description: This treatise begins with an interest in the architectural typology of the Vihara - the Buddhist monastery. Through an investigation of the monastery type, an appropriate theoretical lens is identified. The core architectural function of the monastery is the creation of sacred space. Four constituent elements of sacred space are identified and are taken throughout the treatise as a set of values through which investigation is directed and design decisions are made. Through investigation of the typical monastery context, it becomes possible to identify an appropriate site. An urban farmland in Cape Town, in the heart of the South African Buddhist community is identified. Design drivers emerge through researching mapping and visiting the site. It is through a synthesis of all the information learned, that a single, core gesture is developed. The aim is to design a building to serve the local monastic Buddhist community. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Van Zyl, Adam
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Buddhist monasteries -- Pinelands -- Cape Town , Buddhist architecture -- Pinelands -- Cape Town
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59160 , vital:60269
- Description: This treatise begins with an interest in the architectural typology of the Vihara - the Buddhist monastery. Through an investigation of the monastery type, an appropriate theoretical lens is identified. The core architectural function of the monastery is the creation of sacred space. Four constituent elements of sacred space are identified and are taken throughout the treatise as a set of values through which investigation is directed and design decisions are made. Through investigation of the typical monastery context, it becomes possible to identify an appropriate site. An urban farmland in Cape Town, in the heart of the South African Buddhist community is identified. Design drivers emerge through researching mapping and visiting the site. It is through a synthesis of all the information learned, that a single, core gesture is developed. The aim is to design a building to serve the local monastic Buddhist community. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the Contemporary Role of Traditional Civic Building Types through The Design of a Public Library in Hlotse Town,Leribe,Lesotho
- Authors: Falatsi, Sera E.
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Sustainable architecture -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho , Industrialized building -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58983 , vital:60253
- Description: This treatise aims to design a public library in a small town of Hlotse, Leribe, Lesotho and to investigate the role of a public contemporary building in a city. This came after realising that there are no public facilities that act as places of civic entertainment or formal community encores but, rather they perform specific functions while public interactions take place in informal courtyards in town and in open spaces. This treatise explores the issues involved in the desighn of a public library, first by investigating on the transition of public libraries, moving from transitional to relational libraries then exploration of criteria to be a civic icon. The research conducted further touches on how technology impacted the architectural design as well as public libraries’ role. This together with the site context and Hlotse culture ( of sense of collection) has provided a unique response in developing an architectural design. Precedent studies are selected based on the nature of this treatise’s aim and the contexts which they are situated in, relevent to Hlotse. Architectural intervention will focus on creating a public positive urban space connecting the site, informal market and the taxi rank as well as responding to the lack of greenspaces. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Falatsi, Sera E.
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Sustainable architecture -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho , Industrialized building -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58983 , vital:60253
- Description: This treatise aims to design a public library in a small town of Hlotse, Leribe, Lesotho and to investigate the role of a public contemporary building in a city. This came after realising that there are no public facilities that act as places of civic entertainment or formal community encores but, rather they perform specific functions while public interactions take place in informal courtyards in town and in open spaces. This treatise explores the issues involved in the desighn of a public library, first by investigating on the transition of public libraries, moving from transitional to relational libraries then exploration of criteria to be a civic icon. The research conducted further touches on how technology impacted the architectural design as well as public libraries’ role. This together with the site context and Hlotse culture ( of sense of collection) has provided a unique response in developing an architectural design. Precedent studies are selected based on the nature of this treatise’s aim and the contexts which they are situated in, relevent to Hlotse. Architectural intervention will focus on creating a public positive urban space connecting the site, informal market and the taxi rank as well as responding to the lack of greenspaces. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the Regeneration of Post-industrial landscapes: The Design of a Brick Manufacturing Facility at Dimbaza, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Williams-Jones, Zeni
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Regeneration -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape , Post-industrial landscape -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59183 , vital:60271
- Description: This treatise was born out of a response to ecological concerns surrounding the abandoned post-industrial sites in Dimbaza, Eastern Cape. These sites are not only derelict and abandoned, but also highly contaminated, negatively impacting both natural and urban environments. In light of this, the treatise deals with the issue of regenerating one specific such site: the site of the former Dimbaza foundry (formerly the working foundry of Dimbaza Foundries (Pty) Ltd). This is undertaken with an emphasis on creating an ecologically sound and sustainable future and providing guidance on equitable systems that incorporate societal needs with the integrity of nature. The current derelict state of the industrial sector of Dimbaza provides the foundations for an investigation into an architectural intervention that is regenerative in nature. The Dimbaza foundry site, which is contaminated by large amounts of waste products from previous industrial activities, was chosen to exemplify this regenerative ethos. The proposed regenerative plan is twofold, whereby the buried industrial waste product is mined and subsequently used as an additive in the production of clay bricks. This brick manufacturing facility is seen as a temporary intervention, designed to remediate the contaminated land and restore the site to a productive landscape. Furthermore, by promoting value creation in each and every part of the system, one is able to minimise waste and the continual usage of raw materials. Research into the particulars of the mining and manufacturing processes facilitates an informed architectural intervention that contributes to the spatial economy and lends itself to permanence and ephemerality. Furthermore, through an understanding of the physical, spatial, and historic qualities, insights were drawn into the remediation of brownfields and future possibilities for the site. In other words, remembrance of what had come before, inspires the after. The reprogramming or redevelopment of the architectural intervention plays an integral part in preventing a repeat of the repetitive industrial cycle of construction and destruction which adversely affects both the human and natural environment. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Williams-Jones, Zeni
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Regeneration -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape , Post-industrial landscape -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59183 , vital:60271
- Description: This treatise was born out of a response to ecological concerns surrounding the abandoned post-industrial sites in Dimbaza, Eastern Cape. These sites are not only derelict and abandoned, but also highly contaminated, negatively impacting both natural and urban environments. In light of this, the treatise deals with the issue of regenerating one specific such site: the site of the former Dimbaza foundry (formerly the working foundry of Dimbaza Foundries (Pty) Ltd). This is undertaken with an emphasis on creating an ecologically sound and sustainable future and providing guidance on equitable systems that incorporate societal needs with the integrity of nature. The current derelict state of the industrial sector of Dimbaza provides the foundations for an investigation into an architectural intervention that is regenerative in nature. The Dimbaza foundry site, which is contaminated by large amounts of waste products from previous industrial activities, was chosen to exemplify this regenerative ethos. The proposed regenerative plan is twofold, whereby the buried industrial waste product is mined and subsequently used as an additive in the production of clay bricks. This brick manufacturing facility is seen as a temporary intervention, designed to remediate the contaminated land and restore the site to a productive landscape. Furthermore, by promoting value creation in each and every part of the system, one is able to minimise waste and the continual usage of raw materials. Research into the particulars of the mining and manufacturing processes facilitates an informed architectural intervention that contributes to the spatial economy and lends itself to permanence and ephemerality. Furthermore, through an understanding of the physical, spatial, and historic qualities, insights were drawn into the remediation of brownfields and future possibilities for the site. In other words, remembrance of what had come before, inspires the after. The reprogramming or redevelopment of the architectural intervention plays an integral part in preventing a repeat of the repetitive industrial cycle of construction and destruction which adversely affects both the human and natural environment. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the use of Biophilic Principles in Rehabilitative Environments: The Design of a New Correctional Facility for Nelson Mandela Bay
- Authors: De villiers, Jaun
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Correctional institution -- Nelson Mandela Bay , Rehabilitation technology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59005 , vital:60255
- Description: South African correctional facilities are riddled with issues such as overcrowding and high recidivism rates. Recidivism refers to the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend once released. This is mainly due to the lack of rehabilitative programmes and infrastructure to aid in rehabilitating a convict to not reoffend and to earn an honest living. With unemployment being a significant factor in South Africa, society intentionally makes it more difficult to find employment if one has a criminal record. We should consider the fact that today’s prisoners are tomorrow’s neighbours. Therefore rehabilitation in correctional facilities should be the most important part of the incarceration programme (Cox, 2013). Many South African prisoners experience conditions such as being locked up for 23 hours a day in a cell crammed with two to three times more the number of inmates the facility is capacitated for with little to no access to the natural environment. Thomas Ouard, architect and PhD at the Nantes School of Architecture in France, indicated that there is a direct relationship between a prisoner’s psychological health and the surroundings perceived by the prisoner on a daily basis and that the opportunity to experience landscapes and vegetation, even though large windows, can significantly aid the mental health of inmates (Ouard, 2015). Additionally, Dr Söderlund, the current chairperson of Biophilic Cities Australia, proved through her research that physiological evidence indicates that biophilic principles applied in prisons, through patterns of vegetative areas and organic architectural patterns, can greatly aid in rehabilitating prisoners and can contribute to relaxation, stress relief, and feelings of refuge and peace (Söderlund & Newman, 2017). There are four levels of security in South African prisons: supermaximum, maximum, medium, and minimum-security. Generally, medium- and minimum-security prisons attempt to explore rehabilitative programmes the most. South African prison facilities are often located on the outskirts of a town, which causes difficulties for family and friends to visit inmates. The facilities also struggle with expenses regarding access to essential services, lack of operational medical staff, costly transfers of prisoners, and procurement of supplies and food stock (United Nations Office for Project Services [UNOPS], 2016). However, 21st-century prisons contain modern technologies and advanced security systems that allow modern correctional facilities to be incorporated into an urban environment (Ricci, 2006). This treatise therefore aimed to establish a 21st-century mediumsecurity prison in an urban environment that incorporates principles of biophilia as constituent to rehabilitation. The facility will be focused on rehabilitation in order to reduce recidivism, and, ultimately, in the long run, will lead to a facility that is populated within its capacity. To meet the aim of this study, the following objectives were set: to establish a set of architectural principles and theories that will act as design drivers focused on the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals, and to reduce the operational costs of the design of a new correctional facility. This can be achieved by amending the facility with an urban agricultural component through biophilic principles to explore horticultural therapeutic activities that will aid in rehabilitating convicts and aid as an additional food supply, which can also be a form of income for the facility. The project includes sustainable and regenerative approaches that respond to the environment and provide additional infrastructure to the facility in terms of water, gas, and electricity. It is important to note that it will be nearly impossible for one new correctional facility to address all the difficulties that South African facilities face. However, the facility intends to act as a new paradigm of knowledge that can be applied to future facilities in South Africa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: De villiers, Jaun
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Correctional institution -- Nelson Mandela Bay , Rehabilitation technology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59005 , vital:60255
- Description: South African correctional facilities are riddled with issues such as overcrowding and high recidivism rates. Recidivism refers to the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend once released. This is mainly due to the lack of rehabilitative programmes and infrastructure to aid in rehabilitating a convict to not reoffend and to earn an honest living. With unemployment being a significant factor in South Africa, society intentionally makes it more difficult to find employment if one has a criminal record. We should consider the fact that today’s prisoners are tomorrow’s neighbours. Therefore rehabilitation in correctional facilities should be the most important part of the incarceration programme (Cox, 2013). Many South African prisoners experience conditions such as being locked up for 23 hours a day in a cell crammed with two to three times more the number of inmates the facility is capacitated for with little to no access to the natural environment. Thomas Ouard, architect and PhD at the Nantes School of Architecture in France, indicated that there is a direct relationship between a prisoner’s psychological health and the surroundings perceived by the prisoner on a daily basis and that the opportunity to experience landscapes and vegetation, even though large windows, can significantly aid the mental health of inmates (Ouard, 2015). Additionally, Dr Söderlund, the current chairperson of Biophilic Cities Australia, proved through her research that physiological evidence indicates that biophilic principles applied in prisons, through patterns of vegetative areas and organic architectural patterns, can greatly aid in rehabilitating prisoners and can contribute to relaxation, stress relief, and feelings of refuge and peace (Söderlund & Newman, 2017). There are four levels of security in South African prisons: supermaximum, maximum, medium, and minimum-security. Generally, medium- and minimum-security prisons attempt to explore rehabilitative programmes the most. South African prison facilities are often located on the outskirts of a town, which causes difficulties for family and friends to visit inmates. The facilities also struggle with expenses regarding access to essential services, lack of operational medical staff, costly transfers of prisoners, and procurement of supplies and food stock (United Nations Office for Project Services [UNOPS], 2016). However, 21st-century prisons contain modern technologies and advanced security systems that allow modern correctional facilities to be incorporated into an urban environment (Ricci, 2006). This treatise therefore aimed to establish a 21st-century mediumsecurity prison in an urban environment that incorporates principles of biophilia as constituent to rehabilitation. The facility will be focused on rehabilitation in order to reduce recidivism, and, ultimately, in the long run, will lead to a facility that is populated within its capacity. To meet the aim of this study, the following objectives were set: to establish a set of architectural principles and theories that will act as design drivers focused on the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals, and to reduce the operational costs of the design of a new correctional facility. This can be achieved by amending the facility with an urban agricultural component through biophilic principles to explore horticultural therapeutic activities that will aid in rehabilitating convicts and aid as an additional food supply, which can also be a form of income for the facility. The project includes sustainable and regenerative approaches that respond to the environment and provide additional infrastructure to the facility in terms of water, gas, and electricity. It is important to note that it will be nearly impossible for one new correctional facility to address all the difficulties that South African facilities face. However, the facility intends to act as a new paradigm of knowledge that can be applied to future facilities in South Africa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09