Thesis (D. Min.)--Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1998. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-184).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1995. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 267-268).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Biblical Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-148).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-42).

Thesis (PhD(Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 458-483).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-42).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 227-231).

Most city dwellers simply endure the fast paced lifestyle and the stresses of the urban environment, forging coping strategies daily. The effects of stress and related health conditions are evident throughout the global population and South Africa is no exception. South Africans are not immune to the mental and physical effects of a stressful lifestyle. The modern day life is full of various stresses, including inter alia environmental factors, family pressures, social relations and career and they can all contribute to an increasing set of life demands. Trying to cope with the effects of daily stress is a common situation for most. It may be argued that these challenges in one's life encourage motivation and innovation. However living under constant pressure increases stress and negative emotions which results in the body being in a state of constant ‘emergency mode’ (www.helpguide.org). As an individual takes on more negative stress, the need to seek relief from the effects thereof increases. Although one may think that one is coping with the ever increasing levels of stress and negative energy within one's life, one often does not realise that there is a progressive deterioration in ones mental and physical vitality (www.helpguide.org). This dissertation is aimed at developing an understanding of how architectural environments (from a broad macro-perspective to a micro-specific context) can influence an individual’s stress levels, and can play a positive role in supporting human wellbeing or can have a negative impact and work against the wellbeing of city dwellers. In theory by transforming the range of potentially negative impacts (generated by many urban environments and by the buildings that constitute such environments) architects can assist urban residents to better cope with life’s challenges. In this way other social ills such as domestic violence, suicide, depression and mental illnesses may be reduced (Ozalp et al: 2003; 26-29). This dissertation explores issues from the broad macro-perspectives, the meso context, the microspecific aspect and the interior environment. The macro-perspective component explores genius loci from both negative and positive architectural environments within cities. Some of the negative aspects of cities such as urban sprawl, here reference is made to the Gestalt and Lynchian theories. The meso context addresses the social components and identities of the urban environments, dealing with the issues such as the lack of public space, parks, green spaces and areas for social interaction, and how the Gestalt theory relates to this. The micro-specific context explores the concept of genius loci and the healing properties of water and of landscapes and the increase of sick building syndrome within cities. Lastly an analysis of the interior environment is provided through an exploration of the components of light, colour, texture and materials and their relationship to the Gestalt Theory. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The following dissertation deals with the qualities of sacred space that influence the architecture for religious building and how these qualities can be used in the creation of an inter-religious facility. The background idea for such a facility is that it will promote dialogue and understanding between religious groups that could lead to greater tolerance, respect and in the end peace between people of different faiths. The project deals specifically with four main stream religions, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam. It will look briefly at the ideas and concepts of other religions but as there are thousands of religions and denominations within each, these will not be dealt with in any depth, and more careful attention will be given to the limited four. In order to discover the essence which makes up sacred architecture, secondary literature will be looked at based on key questions and assumptions. From there, various primary sources are looked at. A questionnaire is conducted to determine how the general public and faithful feel towards sacred space. A case study based on specific criteria is conducted of four religious buildings in and around Durban. At each building, the religious leader is interviewed to gain a better understanding of the details of each faith. The results from the case studies and interviews are tabled in order to make a comparative analysis. The data collected shows some interesting trends in the design of sacred space as well as the opinions of the people who use the religious buildings. An interesting feature of the results is that there are more similarities in terms of the architectural treatment of each religion than there are differences. In terms of the relevancy of an inter-religious facility, the findings show that in general people are interested in such an idea. It was also found that an existing interfaith organization exists in KwaZulu-Natal. The idea of using an inter-faith setup to promote dialogue and understanding is not new the idea. The concept that such a facility could facilitate development of tolerance through understanding is supported by the views of the people who did the questionnaire. In conclusion, it was found that the qualities of sacred space are two-tiered and that to combine them it will be necessary to separate those qualities that are distinct to a particular religion from those that are not. In this way a workable model for an inter-religious or multi-faith facility can be achieved. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 227-231).