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It is stated that Sweden is the leading country for the European Union when it comes to recycling and sorting. However, tonnes of waste are still being deposited to be incinerated instead of being reused or recycled. There are two reasons that are mentioned in this thesis. The first one is because of the large percentage of the municipal waste is sorted as non-recyclable thus, the solution to get rid of the waste existence is through incineration. Secondly, demolition of buildings is a large source to the amount of waste that is incinerated. Architects have even criticised the act of demolishing buildings when they have a huge potential to be used and solve increasing demands of residential buildings in Sweden. Even construction companies have tried to focus on solutions in which they recycle remains from demolished constructions into new materials for future projects. Still, there are still a demand of mining resources instead of using resources that are already used, which on its own has an impact on our already fragile environment. If we observe how architects, designers, construction engineers outside of Sweden tackles these problems. The conclusion is that they use more out of the box solutions by using waste that is not only caused by the construction industry alone, but also caused by the individuals who live in the country. While Sweden mainly focuses on preventing mining of resources used for construction work by recycled remains from other constructions. The rest of the world does not only implement this type of waste, but also all sorts of waste. Still, at the end, Sweden is stated to be one of the greatest countries when it comes to sorting waste. The law of banning non-certified disposable products made of plastic was finalised in the beginning of this year. It was recommended to not purchase or use products of this type if they were manufactured before the law came into action. Though what will happen with these products if they cannot be used, and people want to get rid of them? This thesis will answer these questions by combining the world of recycling with the world of architecture. This thesis is an experimental research based on the three methods of recycling waste into building material. The experimental research will visualise how disposable waste made of plastics can be implemented by using these methods, while also following the requirements of a sustainable construction material and product made in Sweden.

Today there are more cities localized on our coastlines than ever before. Unfortunately, this fact poses an immediate danger due to the rising tides of our oceans. Together with the increase in global population and coastal erosion, the world will increasingly become a more difficult place to live. With our overcrowding cities, mercurial changes in weather and over three quarters of the earth's surface being uninhabited oceans; we need cities that are mobile, seaworthy and capable of avoiding natural disasters. Thus, by creating these types of cities, architects will lead the way to ensure the safety of the public and ultimately civilization itself. I believe the most feasible solution to these problems is for us to advance our civilizations onto the oceans. Moreover, the concept of designing static cities and buildings must evolve with the changing world or we as architects will be at fault for failing to design a survivable future. Within the last decade we have seen cities become the tombs of the innocent. From September 11th, New Orleans, tsunami's and earthquakes, we have witnessed destruction on a scale never before seen in modern history. Therefore, the aim of this research is the creation of a self contained, independent and divergent architectural system capable of being entirely self-sustained within a mobile seafaring environment. Moreover, through the creation of a closed-loop mobile civilization, both our dependence on land and the impending crisis awaiting static structures will be significantly diminished. Ultimately, the aim of Divergence is fourfold: 1. Development of a mobile civilization. 2. Development of Closed-Loop technologies. 3. Enable long term survivability and independence. 4. Bring architectural sensibilities to the creation of an ocean city.

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No description available.

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As the world reckons with an uncertain future at the hands of global climate change and biodiversity loss, the question of how to proceed seems ever more urgent. Approaches to sustainability in design tend to focus on technological solutions to what is often presented as a technical problem. This approach overlooks the ways in which the forces that have led us to this point are born out of our cultural story of what it means to be human, what the natural world is, and what our relationship is to it. This is the story that has permitted if not encouraged the kind of development that has led to global warming and extensive loss of biodiversity. If we are going to reverse these trends we must tell a new story – one that, among other things, removes humans from the center of the conversation, acknowledges the interconnectedness of things, and values multi- and extra-sensory ways of knowing. This thesis asks the question, “What might architecture look like if we held these beliefs and if we told ourselves a new story?” The thesis explores ways in which architecture can continue to advance the practice of sustainable design by embodying, encouraging, and reflecting this New Story. The theory is put to the test via a curated experiential journey, culminating at a tower in the middle of a forest. The design at once exemplifies New Story ideals and offers a place to dream about new ways of being and building.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many rural areas in Africa still lack adequate electricity supply. This has been identified as a major obstacle to development in many African nations. The high costs associated with providing electricity through national grid systems prevent many governments from delivering electricity to remote rural areas. The purpose of this study is to define a strategic architecture and business model that can be used to provide solar energy to Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in Africa. The desired outcome is a sustainable business model for solar energy provision that can be implemented in the African context. This study uses the strategic architecture framework developed by Ungerer, Pretorius and Herholdt (2011) to achieve this. Primary data was collected through interviews with industry experts and this was supplemented with a comprehensive review of current literature. An analysis of the PV market shows that solar PV has grown significantly over the past decade and the industry is already extremely competitive. The highest competitive pressures include substitute products, high buyer bargaining because of low product differentiation, and the threat of new entrants. The industry has a clearly defined value chain starting with the manufacturing of PV panels and other systems components, but goes as far as providing financing to customers. The profit potential in the industrial and commercial segments is highest and key competitors in this segment offer similar products and services. The customer analysis showed that small businesses vary considerably in the products and services they offer and that their energy needs also differ. Services that can be offered to these customers include energy efficiency assessments, system design, pre-project services, financing, system installation and system monitoring, operation and maintenance. The organisation that will implement the strategy is a company called Solshare. The organisation identified its vision and mission, and core values and defined the domain it will participate in. The commercial and industrial segments are regarded as the most appealing segments and the core product offering is energy efficiency assessments and solar installations. This will be offered through an innovative shared-solar model that also includes system financing, system monitoring and system optimisation, and will be implemented by carefully selected partners to minimise cost. Solshare’s objective is to develop a distinctive competence in financing and implementing shared-solar projects through strategic partnerships, while providing excellent customer service. It will employ is a focused low-cost strategy by providing solar energy to small businesses at the lowest cost possible, through a shared resource approach. Costs will be managed by focusing on a core set of activities and outsourcing non-core activities. The key value proposition is the development, installation and servicing of quality shared-solar solutions at the lowest cost. The cost drivers include the costs of solar system components procured from suppliers, the installation costs, salaries, marketing costs, system maintenance, and legal fees to draw up contracts and lease agreements. Income streams include energy assessments, fees charged for site selection and procurement, the installation of systems, and the monitoring and maintenance of installed systems. The capital mix consists of 30% equity and 70% debt and organisation aims to optimise resource velocity through completing new installations within a four month period and by employing a core team of professional sales and technical staff, while outsourcing non-core processes.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy