- Title
- The Implementation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Contemporary Healthcare Facilities: The Design of a Research Hospital for Mbombela Systems
- Creator
- Marule, Neo Allan
- Subject
- Ethnoscience -- Mbombela
- Subject
- Traditional ecological knowledge --- Mbombela
- Date Issued
- 2020-09
- Date
- 2020-09
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59062
- Identifier
- vital:60260
- Description
- The following treatise emerged from the issue of a lack of research hospitals that deal with Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies as a more holistic approach to health and healing. Indigenous knowledge systems from South Africa emphasize the patients’ psychological, biological, spiritual, and sociological well-being as directly impacting the patient’s healing process. Over the years, there has been a lack of research and the promotion of the use of Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies in South Africa’s existing “western” healthcare system. Existing “western” healthcare facilities (hospital) infrastructure in South Africa places minimal emphasis on spiritual, psychological, biological, and sociological well-being, which is observed in South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, that has existed before the establishment of “western” healthcare system in South Africa. Architecturally, this treatise aims to generate a research hospital design that has an understanding of South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, which directly impact the architecture and which is unique (critical regionalism) to the region of Mbombela city. Furthermore, it uses health and wellness principles as the drivers, along with biophilic design principles, to achieve a more holistic and integrated environment for patients and working staff. These architectural theories use a holistic approach to healthcare that has been in practice for several years in the indigenous knowledge healthcare system within South Africa. Critical regionalism is investigated as a theoretical model that will be used to generate a unique architecture for Mbombela city. The concept of the Indigenous knowledge healthcare system and the physical and spatial implications are examined on how they affect architecture. Furthermore, health and wellness theories and principles, along with biophilic design principles, are investigated as the theoretical and conceptual framework that will inform the design of innovative research-based hospitals for Mbombela city. Investigations on hospitals, (plant) research facilities and conservatory are examined via architectural precedents studies that will inform the understanding of the nature of the new building type and its various spatial and physical issues. An appropriate precinct and site within Mbombela city have been identified based on a list of site selection criteria and contextual analysis of the precinct. Furthermore, analysis of the contexts at various scale and understanding the climatic conditions of Mbombela city will facilitate the generation of contextual constraints and informants that will inform the building's design. This treatise will conclude with a design proposal for a new innovative research hospital for the city of Mbombela that is established from understanding the city’s unique architectural character, understanding the concept of traditional Indigenous healing knowledge system, and health and wellness, biophilic principles that support the holistic approach to healing which is found in Indigenous healing knowledge system.
- Description
- Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (167 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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Collections
NMU School of Architecture
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Marule_Neo_Allan_215072391_Treatise_Document 2021.pdf | 23 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |