Please read the abstract in the section, 00front, of this document / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Architecture / unrestricted

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Today there are more cities localized on our coastlines than ever before. Unfortunately, this fact poses an immediate danger due to the rising tides of our oceans. Together with the increase in global population and coastal erosion, the world will increasingly become a more difficult place to live. With our overcrowding cities, mercurial changes in weather and over three quarters of the earth's surface being uninhabited oceans; we need cities that are mobile, seaworthy and capable of avoiding natural disasters. Thus, by creating these types of cities, architects will lead the way to ensure the safety of the public and ultimately civilization itself. I believe the most feasible solution to these problems is for us to advance our civilizations onto the oceans. Moreover, the concept of designing static cities and buildings must evolve with the changing world or we as architects will be at fault for failing to design a survivable future. Within the last decade we have seen cities become the tombs of the innocent. From September 11th, New Orleans, tsunami's and earthquakes, we have witnessed destruction on a scale never before seen in modern history. Therefore, the aim of this research is the creation of a self contained, independent and divergent architectural system capable of being entirely self-sustained within a mobile seafaring environment. Moreover, through the creation of a closed-loop mobile civilization, both our dependence on land and the impending crisis awaiting static structures will be significantly diminished. Ultimately, the aim of Divergence is fourfold: 1. Development of a mobile civilization. 2. Development of Closed-Loop technologies. 3. Enable long term survivability and independence. 4. Bring architectural sensibilities to the creation of an ocean city.

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Through the re-programming of an old parking garage and disused central water heating facility in Kärrtorp, a southern suburb in Stockholm, Sweden. Långe Jan is a spatial design concept for a new type of indoor allotment garden, a space to socialize, eat, learn, experiment and develop conventional and hopefully unconventional types of indoor gardening. A place to connect people and spread wider knowledge about gardening and food production.  The concept is rooted in the historical context of allotment gardens, which have transformed from their 19th-century origins to meet modern needs for local food production and social interaction. Långe Jan transforms the building’s existing structure into a contemporary community hub, promoting social gatherings, sustainability and self-sufficiency.   The design process includes background research, a search for the hearth, investigations to understand the building and the area around it, the reprogramming of the house, a design proposal, documentation of the final exhibition and conclusions of the project.  The reprogrammed building features different floors dedicated to semi-public conservatories, professional farming areas, a restaurant and social spaces. Each floor combines conservation, demolition, and new additions according to its function.  I have produced this architectural proposal with a social and ecological foundation that hopefully can be used to develop the site, the city, and in the best of worlds somebody's life for the better in the future.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Com a virada do século XX para o século XXI, a devastação ambiental se tornou a principal ameaça a sobrevivência da humanidade no planeta. Descobrimentos alarmantes sobre o aumento do aquecimento global e a finitude dos recursos naturais trouxeram um novo desafio para o desenvolvimento mundial, crescer economicamente e ao mesmo tempo preservar o meio ambiente. A atividade de construção, como parte das atividades que colaboram para o agravamento do problema ambiental, começa a ser repensada como forma de produção e esforços têm sido feitos para torná-la menos impactante ao meio ambiente e ao espaço urbano. Nesse contexto de incertezas que envolve o desenvolvimento sustentável, um conceito ainda recente para a maioria da população, diversas empresas procuram adaptar-se para produzir produtos ecologicamente corretos e ter atitudes ambientalmente responsáveis, porém, sem ter ainda conhecimento suficiente para propor soluções eficazes. No mercado imobiliário brasileiro, tem crescido o volume de empreendimentos que são lançados como empreendimentos sustentáveis, considerados mais eficientes no consumo de recursos naturais e menos agressivos para o meio ambiente, ao passo que cresce, também, o interesse da população pelo consumo desse tipo de produto. Mostra-se, portanto, necessário fazer uma avaliação da real eficiência desses edifícios, pois, a observação da maneira impactante como esses empreendimentos se inserem no espaço urbano e sua baixa qualidade arquitetônica, indicam que há uma distorção do conceito de sustentabilidade no mercado. Este estudo pretende contribuir para o melhor entendimento do termo sustentabilidade e alertar para a maneira incorreta como ele tem sido, atualmente, inserido na produção do mercado imobiliário de edifícios residenciais, no Brasil. / With the turn of the century XX to the XXI, environmental devastation became the main threat to survival of humanity on the planet. Discoveries about the alarming increase in global warming and finite natural resources have brought anew challenge to world development: to promote economic growth while preserving the environment. Construction activity, as part of activities that contribute to the worsening environmental problem begins to be reconsidered as a means of production and efforts have been made to make it less harmful to the environment and urban space. In this context of uncertainty surrounding the sustainable development, a relatively new concept to most people, several companies trying to adapt to produce environmentally friendly products and be environmentally responsible, but without yet having enough knowledge to propose effective solutions. The brazilian real estate market has grown the volume of projects that are launched as sustainable business as more efficient consumption of natural resources and less harmful to the environment, while growing, too, public interest in the consumption these products. It is apparent, therefore, necessary to evaluate the real efficacy of these buildings, therefore, the observation of the way significant as these developments fall within the urban space and its low architectural quality, indicate that there is a distortion of the concept of sustainability in the market. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the term sustainability and alert to incorrectly as it has been currently inserted in the production of the property market of residential buildings in Brazil.