M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / Contested territories have strongly contributed to the displacement of people worldwide, resulting in the loss of the right to belong. Considering the boundaries of belonging in Mayfair, a marginalised social landscape in Johannesburg, this architectural response to a social and urban investigation will ascertain whether and how architecture can respond to the global issue of xenophobia. Johannesburg as uitvalgrond has, since its founding, offered migrants opportunities for meaningful participation and self-actualisation. This reiterates the idea that the city’s in-between spaces often allow for a new realisation or actualisation of identity. The author argues that space-and-place-making and identity are intrinsically linked - the one enforcing, defining or denying the Other. The dissertation conceptualizes how architecture can acknowledge Mayfair residents’ unique and evolving post-national identity as a marginalised community in an young democracy. The study suggests how architecture can give form to contemporary African public space that contributes to a sense of belonging for both the Self and the Other in Mayfair. The methods used in this study are: observation through site visits, drawing, on-site interviews and film; mapping boundaries and edges defining various ethnic territories, open space network (utilised and unutilised), mobility, nodes and landmarks, actual land use as opposed to zoned land use and experiential observations; correspondence and discussions, making use of official databases to research historic maps and photographs; examining precedents, and applying all of the above into an appropriate architectural model. Each chapter concludes with a reflection extracting the most important notions from that chapter to be taken into the next section. This dissertation interrogates the importance and the role of architecture and public open space in Johannesburg by exploring new ways of thinking, doing and making in Johannesburg’s present, changing urban condition.

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / Alexandra's Far East Bank, formerly an apartheid buffer zone, is caught up in a reactive process by government to provide both housing and public transport. This process has resulted in a segregated relationship between the Marlboro Gautrain Station and the adjacent Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing scheme. The station is completely cut off from the immediate community by a perimeter fence with 24-hour security. This further entrenches the division between the Gautrain commuters and surrounding community. This forced physical relationship sets up an opportunity to design and create a space that aims to straddle the current socioeconomic gap. After on-site investigation and research, a This project would be the first catalytic response to the City of Johannesburg’s Regional Spatial Development Framework (RSDF) for Region E (CoJ 2009/10: 149). The

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / Johannesburg has a spacial condition of an infill city which has created a condition of ‘non place’, allowing for forgotten beauties within this disjunct urban fabric. In the author’s opinion, this condition of ‘non place’ allows for new exciting opportunities to connect this isolated landscape with its urban surrounds, manifesting a new urban layer. It is within this urban archipelago that an architectural intervention will be realised. Commenting on the hypotheses, the architecture should become a space within which nature can grow and become part of systemic exchange, creating a new urban ecology. When architecture and nature are fused, a new hybrid emerges, re-scripting the site of terrain vague into catalyst for socio ecological remediation. The architecture will not only attempt to rescript the third landscape, but also become a platform for exchange where knowledge can be obtained and shared through the tracing and recording of the landscape and climate influence. This dissertation explores architecture in a manner which will incorporate nature and remediation as a generator of the architecture of the terrain vague. By introducing biometics and technology, the architecture becomes an instrument of the site, in this way the architecture will respond to site and climate conditions, resulting in a systemic symbioses with nature. The architecture will respond to environmental conditions; expanding, contracting, moving and adapting, creating a different experience for the user on a daily basis.

Various potential modes of interpreting the urban space in the inner city of Pretoria is evaluated in this study with the purpose of expanding discourse around spatial production in the city. Production of meaning through formal and structural means produced a city that served as administrative capital and ideological base for Afrikaners until the arrival of a democracy in 1994. The contemporary urban space is produced by people through everyday life, as theorised by Henry Lefebvre, rather than through formal means such as name changes. This study evaluates the way that identity and belonging is created by referring to everyday life practices, rhythmanalysis and daily activities as performances. Urban space is evaluated from a phenomenological perspective through the eyes of an artist and resident and expressed in an art exhibition. The way artists Julie Mehretu and Franz Ackermann dealt with urban space in their art is also referenced. / Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology / Master of Visual Arts

Bibliography: leaves 97-104 / In this dissertation I examine the public's use of two community libraries in the Moretele local municipality. My research focused on who uses the libraries, for what purpose the libraries are being used, and patrons’ perceptions of the libraries. Data was collected using three methods namely interviews, observations in the form of seating sweeps and written patron surveys. The data collected show that the libraries play an important role in the information and social needs of the communities. They are highly valued for the resources they provide such as study space, books and photocopiers. The libraries are also greatly utilised by local communities, especially UNISA students, and function as public and third places. As public spaces they offer the community a space to meet, work together and discuss issues that are of importance to the community. As third places, the libraries offer ideal places for people, especially the youth, to play and socialise. I conclude that the libraries are irreplaceable spaces for the community and, therefore, not easily replicated elsewhere. / Kule-dissertation, ngihlola ukusetshenziswa ngumphakathi kwamalayibrari amabili omphakathi kuMasipala wendawo yaseMoretele. Ucwaningo lwami lugxila ekuthengi ngobani abasebenzisa amalayibrari, nokuthi bawasebenzisela ziphi izinhloso lamalayibrari, kanye nemibono yabantu abasebenzisa lamalayibrari. Ulwazi luqokelelwe ngezindlela ezintathu, okuyilezi, ama-interview, ukuqapha okwenzekayo ngendlela yokubheka ukuthi abantu bayisebenzisa kanjani indawo kanye nokwenza ama-survey abhaliwe kubasebenzisi belayibrari. Ulwazi oluqokelelwe lukhombise ukuthi amalayibrari adlala indima ebalulekile ngolwazi, kanye nezidingo zabantu emphakathini. Athathwa njengomthombo obaluleke kakhulu ngoba asiza ngendawo yokutadisha, izincwadi kanye nokwenza ama-photocopy. Amalayibrari abuye asetshenziswe yimiphakathi yendawo, ikakhulukazi izitshudeni zase-Unisa, kanti futhi abuye abe yindawo lapho lapho umphakathi ohlangana khona kanye nokuba yindawo yesithathu kwabanye abantu. Njengendawo yokuhlangana kwabantu, ahlinzeka ngendawo yemihlangano yomphakathi, ukusebenzisana kanye nokuxoxa ngezinto ezibalulekile emphakathini. Indawo yesithathu, amalayibrari asiza ngendawo enhle kubantu, ikakhulukazi intsha, ukudlala kanye nokuzihlanganyela nje khona ukubonana nokuxoxa. Ngiphetha ngokuthi amalayibrari yindawo isikhundla sawo engeke yathathwa ngokunye emphakathini, ngakho-ke, akuwona izinto indawo yawo engathathwa ngokunye noma ukwenziwa kwenye indawo. / Mo thutopatlisisong eno, ke sekaseka tiriso ya dilaeborari tse pedi tsa baagi ba setšhaba mo Lekgotlatoropong la Selegae la Moretele. Patlisiso ya me e ne e totile gore ke bomang ba ba dirisang dilaeborari, gore dilaeborari di dirisediwa mabaka afe, le megopolo ya badirisi malebana le dilaeborari. Go kokoantswe data go dirisiwa mekgwa e le meraro, e leng dipotsolotso, kelotlhoko ka go ela tlhoko go nna ga badirisi le ditshekatsheko tse di kwadilweng tsa badirisi. Data e e kokoantsweng e bontshitse gore dilaeborari di na le seabe sa botlhokwa malebana le ditlhokwa tsa tshedimosetso le loago tsa baagi. Di tsewa di le mosola tota ka ntlha ya ditlamelo tse di di tlamelang ka tsona di tshwana le sebaka sa go ithuta, dibuka le metšhini e e dirang dikhopi. Dilaeborari di dirisiwa thata ke baagi ba selegae, bogolo segolo baithuti ba Unisa, mme di dira jaaka mafelo a botlhe le a boraro. Jaaka mafelo a botlhe, di tlamela baagi ka sebaka sa go kopana, go dira mmogo le go buisana ka dintlha tse di botlhokwa mo baaging. Jaaka mafelo a boraro, dilaeborari di tlamela ka mafelo a a maleba gore batho, bogolo segolo bašwa, ba tshameke le go golagana. Ke konosetsa ka gore dilaeborari ke mafelo a a ka se emelweng ke sepe a baagi mme, ka jalo, ga go kgonege go dira ape a a tshwanang nao gope gape. / Anthropology and Archaeology / M.A. (Anthropology)

Various potential modes of interpreting the urban space in the inner city of Pretoria is evaluated in this study with the purpose of expanding discourse around spatial production in the city. Production of meaning through formal and structural means produced a city that served as administrative capital and ideological base for Afrikaners until the arrival of a democracy in 1994. The contemporary urban space is produced by people through everyday life, as theorised by Henry Lefebvre, rather than through formal means such as name changes. This study evaluates the way that identity and belonging is created by referring to everyday life practices, rhythmanalysis and daily activities as performances. Urban space is evaluated from a phenomenological perspective through the eyes of an artist and resident and expressed in an art exhibition. The way artists Julie Mehretu and Franz Ackermann dealt with urban space in their art is also referenced. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Visual Arts)