A corridor is a passage between two places, an empty space, that is neither here nor there. My exhibition, Corridor, is such a passage, a liminal space that plays with the boundaries of memory and perception. This immersive environment evolved through thinking about lightness; light as illumination and as the sensation of weightlessness.

A corridor is a passage between two places, an empty space, that is neither here nor there. My exhibition, Corridor, is such a passage, a liminal space that plays with the boundaries of memory and perception. This immersive environment evolved through thinking about lightness; light as illumination and as the sensation of weightlessness.

This dissertation explores the relationship between man, animal and architecture within the theoretical discourse of the liminal. This exploration comes to pass within the context of humanity’s on-going captivation with animals and the manifestation of this in typological architecture as Zoological Gardens. The National Zoological Gardens of Pretoria situated in within the Central Business District forms the proposed context of this dissertation. Potential manners in which the relationship between man and animal manifest as spatial construct or architecture are investigated, within the context of the Zoological Gardens. The strict boundary conditions that exist within this context are consequently criticised. The existing concrete palisade fence epitomises these strict boundaries; between man and animal, city and Zoological garden and observer and observed. The intervention considers the liminal space which is created due to these boundaries, and the possibilities of this liminal space, or third space, as a habitable threshold. The threshold is programmed as an urban intervention that addresses the boundary condition by facilitating public open space, public amenities, Zoo interface and a Gratis Observatory Route. The dissertation challenges conventional architectural typologies and proposes an intervention, a “third nature” that occupies this liminal space. The new condition attempts to blur the rigid boundaries between the existing conditions of ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ the Zoo. The intervention takes on the program of functioning as a public dwelling for man, in the form of public open space, while simultaneously offering an urban habitat for animals. The proposed intervention manifests as a typological architecture that creates thresholds over which to renegotiate the relation between man and his understanding of “Nature”. / Dissertation MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Architecture / MArch(Prof) / Unrestricted

abstract: The world of speculative fiction infuses the soul with the hope of the imaginary. My dissertation examines Afrofuturistic liminal imaginary space and the ways it is experienced as life-giving spaces. The imaginary and the aesthetics it births are formularies for art forms that speak to the hope of a transformed future. Speculative fiction, although in the realm of the imaginary, is an enlivened approach to express in the present collective possibilities and hopes of the people within those very imagined futures. During the past three decades, particularly, Black speculative fiction has been increasingly at the core of the new cultural productions of literature, film, horror, comics, fantasy, and music which tell the story of African descendant people. Afrofuturism is an analytic for exploration of the liberative revisioning of Black humanity in the face of persistent practices of structural injustice. My project presents the phenomenological exploration of Black Speculative Thought (ST) as it comes alive through artistic liminal spaces of Afrofuturist comic and science fiction conventions. I argue that Black imaginary liminal spaces such as Comicon Culture offer respite, renewal, and locales for creative resistance to thwart persistent alienation and nihilism of Black humanity. Furthermore, it is within these spaces where intersubjective agency can be taken up as a countermeasure to the existential realities and dominant hegemonic existences of everyday life. I examine the process, events, and experience of Black imaginary as it comes alive as potentiated hope for alternative futures. My intention is to marshal the theoretical specters of Critical Afrofuturism, Africana Philosophy, and Womanist Thought in this task. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Women and Gender Studies 2019

"Where the power of the wall is to deny, the power of the door is to permit, and allow entry. 1" Borders are represented on maps as thick, predetermined lines that delineate, separate, and segregate one area from another. A whole is divided into two or more parts. Borders become boundaries and, in reality, are abstract and intangible, often responsible for creating both geographic and political havoc. In between a border are thresholds that signal a transition between layers, spaces, times, and countries. This project engages within this Liminal space, an in-between of the threshold. Prompted by humanitarian and political crises, thousands of people are fleeing their homes in search of safety and protection from danger, including persecution for protected reasons such as race, religion, nationality, or political opinion. Many, like unaccompanied minors, travel dangerous paths to seek asylum at one of these borders, which promise safety and security from the violent conditions in their countries. In the USA and elsewhere, seeking asylum is a human right. Simultaneously, thousands of people whose claims for asylum are unsuccessful are detained, deported, or repatriated. In 1873, Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, the 27th President of Mexico (1872 to 1876) declared, "Let there be a desert between strength and weakness." The United States of America and the United Mexican States share a historically-contested 1,954-mile border. Any wall separating two countries belongs to both countries. This thesis considers borders as more than places that close or delimit one place from another, but also as opportunities to expand into living and organic spaces. Borders both delimit and negotiate between two sides of neither a single state nor a single place but as thresholds which hundreds of thousands of separate lives navigate every single day along the border regions. This thesis explores how architecture focused on empowering at-risk asylum seekers can shape the border space. In particular, the chosen design proposes a Halfway House on the threshold space between the twin-sister borderplex of Laredo, Texas, United States of America, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. / Master of Architecture / Borders are represented on maps as thick, predetermined lines that delineate, separate and segregate one area from another. A whole divided into two or more parts. Borders become boundaries and in reality, are abstract and intangible, often responsible for creating both geographic and political havoc. In between these borders, is where we find liminal space. Prompted by humanitarian and political crises, thousands of people are fleeing their homes in search of safety and protection from danger, including persecution of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion. Many people, including unaccompanied minors, travel dangerous paths to seek asylum at one of these borders, which promise safety and security from the violent conditions in their countries. In the USA and elsewhere, seeking asylum is a human right. Simultaneously, thousands of people whose claims for asylum are unsuccessful are detained, deported, or repatriated. This thesis considers borders as more than places that close or delimit one place from another, but also as opportunities to expand into living and organic spaces. Borders both delimit and negotiate between two sides of neither a single state, nor a single place but as thresholds which hundreds of thousands of separate lives navigate every single day along the border regions. This thesis explores how architecture focused on empowering at-risk asylum seekers can shape the border space. In particular, the chosen design proposes a halfway house between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

Contemporary life and its fast-paced nature have created a shift in how we behave. Moments of calm are often disturbed by the human temptation to distract the mind. We try to push away the ambiguous moments of silence. However, these moments have proven to have significant mental benefits. They allow people to reflect and come down to their senses.Liminal spaces are spaces that can be described both as inside as well as outside. They are so powerful in their presence and aesthetic that they lead the occupant to question their surroundings and ultimately allow them to transition their mind. Mostly used in architecture and psychology, I wanted to explore what the limen could do in the transportation design field. During this project, I asked the question: How can Liminal spaces in the mobility sector develop a deeper connection with our environment and ourselves?The Peugeot Liminal Space is a service designed to provide a convenient getaway from society, in order to connect with nature and oneself. With the mindset that there is no destination needed, the mental journey is the end product.The design is a personal air balloon that serves as a transformative space for users to find solace, a quiet place that interacts with the user in a calm and non-intrusive manner.Throughout the journey, the user will pass several thresholds as they move further away/ get closer to society. By changing the vehicle’s attributes the user is stimulated to respond to the changes in their environment, requiring them to focus on the here and now. The balloon can be described as a mindfulness practice that adapts to the user’s needs while emphasizing movements from fauna and flora. Passing wind gusts, animals or moving trees can initiate a playful motion inside the vehicle.

Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

This study investigates the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story. The aim of this study is to form an overall understanding of the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story, and also to promp further investigations into this branch of Afrikaans literature. The study is mainly text-analytical, and is therefore practical rather than theoretical. Aspects of space in the texts are discussed with reference to several different theoretical frameworks, such as: genre-definition; space in prose; realism and reality; reader-oriented approaches; frame stories; Freud's concept of the unheimlich; rhethorical and heterotopical spaces; and different aspects of liminality. The spaces that are specifically discussed include the prototypical haunted house, the farm setting, the road or tunnel setting, die cemetery setting and the city setting. The conclusion reached in this study is that space performs four important functions in the Afrikaans ghost story. These functions are: space is a defining characteristic of the genre; space functions as a link between reality and the supernatural; space forms part of the cast of the genre; space is pre-eminently liminal. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

This study investigates the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story. The aim of this study is to form an overall understanding of the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story, and also to promp further investigations into this branch of Afrikaans literature. The study is mainly text-analytical, and is therefore practical rather than theoretical. Aspects of space in the texts are discussed with reference to several different theoretical frameworks, such as: genre-definition; space in prose; realism and reality; reader-oriented approaches; frame stories; Freud's concept of the unheimlich; rhethorical and heterotopical spaces; and different aspects of liminality. The spaces that are specifically discussed include the prototypical haunted house, the farm setting, the road or tunnel setting, die cemetery setting and the city setting. The conclusion reached in this study is that space performs four important functions in the Afrikaans ghost story. These functions are: space is a defining characteristic of the genre; space functions as a link between reality and the supernatural; space forms part of the cast of the genre; space is pre-eminently liminal. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

It is widely accepted that Higher Education should provide students with a challenging experience. Research on threshold concepts provides a framework for exploring challenging content within a discipline and has contributed to understanding how to support students with conceptual difficulties. However, less is known about how individual students experience challenge and difficulty in their academic studies, in particular how they respond and feel when they become stuck. This study explores students’ experience of challenge, difficulty and stuckness, how they responded and managed challenges and any associated feelings. The study, carried out in a university in the Southwest of England, used a Qualitative Longitudinal Research design to follow 16 students through the second year of a degree for Allied Health Professionals. Data were collected using the semi-structured and email interview methods. Data were analysed longitudinally and cross-sectionally using a constant comparison process. The findings and discussion are presented using a ‘natural’ style which aims to capture the student journey over the academic year. The study found that some form of challenge, difficulty or stuckness was commonplace in the students’ educational experience. The value of challenges which create uncertainty in education is recognised, particularly where students are grappling with boundaries around knowledge. Variation in students’ experiences was partly explained by their ‘spiky profiles’ (influencing factors such as prior education and work experience) and partly by differences in factors relating to strategy use. The students were creative and resourceful in developing a range of specific and generic strategies in several areas: the use of time and space; the management of expectations and acceptance of feelings; and monitoring and reflection. The study adds to current understanding of stuckness through an examination of the liminal spaces students encountered. The discussion argues for a more nuanced and holistic approach to understanding students’ engagement with a complex cycle of challenges and strategy use, which creates a range of expectations, tensions, feelings and opportunities. It identifies implications for Higher Education practice and calls for an understanding of the impact and interconnectedness of factors influencing students. It stresses the importance of providing structures for students to explore how they learn and develop their academic practice, in addition to discipline specific knowledge and skills.