This dissertation explores the fusion of the built and biophysical environments within the context of the city. In doing so the biophysical environment contributes to the operation of the architecture in terms of microclimate control, containment, form and aesthetic. The building houses the programme of an Ethnobotanic Research Centre [EBRC], which serves as a place of research into the medicinal properties of indigenous plants and propagation thereof. The building also becomes a point of intervention to prevent the encroachment of the city on the greenbelts of Pretoria. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Architecture / unrestricted