A research report submitted to the School of the Arts, Faculty of the Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Arts August 2015 / South African heritage sites are places that have the potential to support curriculum learning outcomes, and visits to heritage sites are sometimes included in the school timetable. Learning in museums is difficult to quantify, but it has been suggested that “something generally [does] happen” during visits to cultural sites (Hooper-Greenhill 2007:47). The focus of this research report is Constitution Hill, which is a prominent feature in the heritage landscape of Johannesburg that focuses on the atrocities, and the injustices of the past, while strengthening understanding of democracy and human rights. This research report evaluates the experiences of learners from the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase visiting Constitution Hill and participating in the Saturday Workshops run by Constitution Hill Education Project and attempts to identify what is the ‘something’ that ‘generally happens’. The data was obtained through semi-structured, open-ended interviews with learners, educators and programme co-ordinators. The data was analysed using the Generic Learning Outcomes Model, an evaluation tool developed in the United Kingdom. The research report proposes, despite the best efforts of schools and educators, many learners, regardless of socio economic background, struggle with making connections between South African history and their own daily realities and that this may influence the value they place on their democratic rights. However, the dynamic interaction with Constitution Hill, provided by the Constitution Hill Education Project, resulted in shifts in attitudes and perspectives suggesting that the ‘something’ that happens is positive and potentially far reaching. This research report also reflects on the interpretive strategies that characterise the engagement at Constitution Hill.

North-east of Braamfontein in Johannesburg lies what used to be an oppressive prison precinct which experienced almost a century of South Africa’s political history. Recently after the introduction of democracy it became a ‘beacon of hope’ what is more commonly known today as Constitution Hill. It hosts the highest court of our democratic nation, the Constitutional Court. A stone’s throw away, Hillbrow. It is a stigmatized neighbourhood plagued by crime and urban squatting and urban decay. This dissertation addresses the ongoing disparities within a continuum to achieve justice. It is assumed that by restoring this unwanted neighbourhood of Hillbrow, the light of Constitution Hill may enlighten this dark part of the city to become a part and productive a contributor to a just city. The Dispute Resolutions Centre will act as a mediator in resolving some of the injustices that face South Africa today, through the procedures of restorative justice. The intention of the project is to fulfill the virtue of justice within the area of the home of the constitution of our democracy. / Mini Dissertation MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / WMS Architects / Architecture / MArch(Prof) / Unrestricted

Recent statistics have shown that Violence Against Women (VAW) affects one in three women worldwide. Not only is the issue prevalent at a global scale, it is embedded in the societal fabric of South Africa. Women and girls disproportionately experience public and private environments as unsafe due to the fear or threat of violence against them. Thus, limiting their movement, use and occupation of space. In essence, such instances of violence infringe upon a women’s human rights. In 1996, two years after South Africa became a democracy, it was necessary to manifest physically through architecture the symbolic significance of South Africa’s Constitution. An opportunity for architectural intervention is identified at the Constitution Hill Precinct. The aim is to make more visible and practical advocacy of women’s rights through establishing an association of the Precinct as a safe space for women. The study, through mixed qualitative methods, explores the feminist notion of safe space to understand safety, as both a practical and social construct, is integral to reflect the lived experiences of women. Design principles to guide the architectural intervention are subsequently synthetized from primarily theoretical informants, followed by conceptual, contextual and programmatic informants. The result is the translation of safe space into an architecture of lived experience; where the threat of fear or violence does not intimidate nor limit the occupation and use of space by women; but fosters spaces of empowerment, healing and upliftment. By programming underutilized in-between spaces along the East-West thoroughfare of the Precinct, through a transformative approach towards heritage, the advocacy for women’s rights is made visible and attains an association as a place where women are received and celebrated. Focus is placed on the Western edge of the Precinct to explore social and public programmes in support of women and the community at large. The existing parking lot structures, identified as lost space, are adapted to reflect an architectural intent of safe space and become spaces of meaning and contribution towards the Precinct. Finally, technical resolution of the project stems from the conceptual intentions of the design intervention; expressing a transformative approach between old and new. / Mini Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Architecture / MArch (Prof) / Unrestricted