Abstract not available. / Thesis(M. Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban,2009.

This dissertation assesses the impact of modem art on the so-called heroic period of modem architecture, dated for the purposes ofthis thesis from 1917 to 1933. The study is premised on two principal arguments: firstly, modem art - Cubism, in particular - was the seminal influence on the codification of a modem architectural vocabulary. Secondly, the increasing preoccupation with utilitarian tenets obscured and ultimately undermined the semantic significance ofmodem architecture that was derived from the visual arts. A general introduction to the tumultuous history of 20th century architecture substantiates these presuppositions and contextualizes the current interest in the aesthetic intent of the pioneering Modernists. For the sake of reviewing the genesis of the modem aesthetic, the classical ideal of beauty is briefly reflected upon. This is followed by a review of the alternating depiction of pictorial depth and its extraordinary symbiotic relationship with the expression ofplastic space. The cubist-induced perception and experience of space is preceded by the catalytic role of the mechanization ofvision on the rejection ofthe classical canons of beauty. An in-depth analysis of Cubism, coupled with its derivatives that spawned architectural equivalents, reinforces the volumetric incarnation of modem art, exemplified by Purism, Constructivism and Neo-Plasticism. This study is concluded with an assessment of the adopted prerruses and a reflection on the longer-term objectives of this study. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1999.

See abstract in full text document. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

The purpose of this research document was to determine a relevant, responsible and appropriate architecture for the design of an Environmental Research Facility for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site in Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The nature of this architecture was generated through the investigation of current literature, case and precedent studies and personally conducted interviews with a number of informed professionals. The reason for these recommendations was ultimately the design of the facility for research and education, the goal was always the eventual application of the findings into a design. Ultimately, an appropriate architecture for an Environmental Research Facility for iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one which is accountable and responsible regarding the social, economic and environmental aspects of its design. These three rubrics of sustainability were then unpacked and investigated in order to clarify how this would be most effectively be achieved in the eventual design. / Thesis (M.Arch)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

Throughout the African continent several significant historical events occurred that partly influenced current problems in African societies. The Problems are economic underdevelopment, social crises, racism and internal conflicts. It explains the great need for an institution like the African Union (AU), which is working towards a common goal including all African peoples of selfempowerment in social economic, cultural and political terms. The selected history of the African continent is mainly concerned with Colonial Africa leading to contemporary period. The colonial part has left a mark on Africa that several movements such as the Pan-African movement, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and today's African union attempted to create a union of Africa as a greater gain of emancipation on the comments of nations. Architecture is the main focus in this study, which through several precedents of traditional African settlements key principles are studied and highlighted. The colonial era in Africa has left a great mark in African societies in adapting their planning principles and architectural structures which are still visible today. During this time architecture identifying Africa has been neglected and in current year it has been reintegrated. Examples of current trends of architecture in Africa are examined, which are a fusion of traditional elements and ideologies and current technologies. The aim is to find an architectural approach which synthesizes African elements and creates a new African identity in the common goal of the African Union. The intention of the study is to understand the principles of African elements and to give a holistic understanding of African architecture. The case study area is Durban, a place of multiplicity in cultures and architectural styles which can become the host for the AU center and its expression of unity and diversity. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

Sustainable development has been variously defined as: "the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social equity" (Gissen 2002:185), and as society's ability to meet its current needs and fulfil its greatest potential without compromising its ability to address its needs and potentials in the future (WCED 1987). It is a far reaching concept which calls for action by the entire spectrum of society. It implies a focus on more than just financial profits, and is more holistic and systemic than simple environmentalism. Approaches to the subject differ depending on the global context, that is, the North sees the issue as leaning more toward conscientious environmental resource use and rehabilitation, whereas the South sees sustainable development more in terms of providing for the basic needs of the poor, which often takes priority over doing so in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner. Implementation of sustainable development tends to be implemented by governments in a number of ways, firstly by moving the indicators of development away from Gross Domestic Product and toward more holistic indicators such as Quality of Life indicators, in order to internalise factors that are typically considered external to normal economic pricing factors. The implementation of sustainable development into the architecture and construction industry requires architects to be aware of the issues involved and the solutions available. Then clients need to be educated in their role in the process, with particular emphasis on the advantages available to them. These advantages include lower running costs, improved corporate image, and improved worker contentment and productivity. Practical measures for sustainable architectural design are primarily environmental in nature, and include water, energy, and material resource efficiency, as well as indoor environmental quality. These can however, largely be validated in economic terms. Existing literature that are intended as 'design guides', are however, lacking in practical measures in which to implement the more social and economic sides of sustainable development, and for that, the designer needs to look toward various architectural assessment tools, of which South Africa's Sustainable Building Assessment Tool is useful because of the broad scope of its approach. Built examples have demonstrated greatly improved environmental performance in buildings, as well as improved worker and client satisfaction. In terms of architectural quality, they range from offices which look very similar to other 'non-sustainable' offices built in the North, to a more experimental and low-tech approach practiced by a number of architects from the South, which see this approach as an opportunity for a new architectural expression. Sustainable architecture requires acknowledging sustainable development goals from the very start of the project. Following this, the interrelationship between different components of a design is examined, particularly with respect to allowing advantages attained from one component or system to benefit other systems. A holistic approach of concurrently focusing on environmental, social and economic factors will be shown to benefit all of these factors rather than just the one being designed for - for example, environmental interventions can have economic benefits. Because of the wide scope of factors that need to be considered, it will be found that often there are conflicting issues. This can be resolved through analyses such as life-cycle-analysis and value judgments can be made by comparing different solutions. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Studies on a variety of facets of the subject of indigenous African architecture have increasingly received the interest of many post-colonial researchers, in search for indigenous African identity in the international world of architecture. One of the challenges that provoked this project is that not many, if any, of those studies in this subject have attempted to find out where the indigenous traditional architecture of the African people can place itself in modern architecture today and what role it could play in the development of our contemporary modern built environment. This study seeks to identify the primary problem and attempt to find answers to certain key questions. One of the problem areas identified in general observations and literature review is the perception that the architecture of the indigenous people of KwaZulu-Natal belongs to itself only, and is not fit to participate in the development of the contemporary urban physical environment other than as a facility for tourism. What makes up the traditional architecture of amaZulu has been understood to be underdeveloped primitive construction materials only. For this reason, studies on the indigenous architecture of KwaZulu-Natal have been done primarily for historical records. A generally acknowledged factor in the development of some prevailing unfortunate perceptions in this subject is the ideology of European supremacy over every sector of life of the indigenes of the African continent. It is such ideological perception that questioned international wisdom in African indigenous architecture and suppressed it from global participation so far. This study investigates the rich cultural forces that directed the history of the indigenous architecture of this region. It also investigates historical socioeconomic factors that have influenced the direction of evolution of the traditional architecture of the indigenes of KwaZulu-Natal. From the latter, one would question the gap between the sophisticated indigenous artwork found in the informal trade of the province and the struggling state of architecture found in the rural built environments of the same people. ii Given that the indigenous people of KwaZulu-Natal today include several groups of abeNguni that merged into a nation over the history of the province, this study acknowledges the diversity of those various groups, and further searches for its global worth. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Abstract available in PDF. / Thesis (M. Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The South African Police Service is struggling to redefine itself as a public protection service as opposed to the instrument of public-control that it was in the past when it was still the SAP (South African Police). I believe that there is an ever-growing need for public protection facilities and that the design of these facilities is still not being prioritised. This has been demonstrated by many reports in the media concerning the severe lack of resources available to the South African Police Services and the inadequacy of those they are given. This is true also of the buildings they operate from. The transition, if indeed it has happened, of the pre-1994 paramilitary styled SAP, to an all-encompassing community protection Service, is thus a crucial issue if architects hope to successfully respond to the need for facilities that enforce safety and security. In architectural terms, consequently, one should question whether a police station in South Africa is easily identified as such, and what in-fact constitutes a successful policing building. It is intended to address this issue through the main question: what is an appropriate architectural response for designing a police station in Albert Park, Durban? In the past, police stations have been designed as fortresses and are therefore easily identifiable. It should be questioned whether this is the case currently, whether the domineering, fortress, imagery of the past is suitable for such stations now. Indications are that many stations built recently are not 'typologically' identifiable and not really designed with a perceived new identity in mind. Many of the older stations are now functionally inadequate because they are not designed for an SAPS that is now still struggling to adopt a community-embracing appearance and strategy. It is thus fit to question what a police station is, and question its development and origins in the local and international context. Ultimately it is intended to discern what is appropriate to contemporary South Africa. Perhaps it is possible to smooth out the earlier processes of the criminal-justice system through architectural intervention. The effectiveness of the police force can be improved in letting it operate from better facilities, providing buildings that convey to the public that the police are there to enforce safety and, yet, operate with the interests of the general public at heart. It is also of primary importance that the building proves adequate for the police to operate in, and from, while simultaneously ensuring humane conditions for the detainees awaiting hearings. Architectural intervention into this field can thus also positively adjust society's perceptions of such facilities further assisting the Criminal-Justice System. The hypothesis is therefore that in order to design a successful Police Station, in South Africa, it must include public facilities that are easily accessible to the public, but it conversely still needs to have certain of its functions secure, expressing these as such. The building must therefore strike a balance between the overt and covert modes of operation. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

Currently in South Africa there are over 8 million people who have had little or no formal schooling. This has resulted in a large portion of the population that is unable to read and write or participate fully in society. The Adult Basic Education and Training Act of 2000 declares that access to education for adults is a basic human right, and it should therefore be readily available to the population. However, in KwaZulu-Natal there are only a few centres which offer ABET courses, and those that do have mostly not been designed specifically for this function, but are schools and community centres. This has meant that facilities are often inappropriate and inefficient in addressing the needs of the adult learner. It is in response to the current educational shortage that a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Training for Durban has been proposed. Through this study, key aspects relating to the design of a centre for adult education were examined. These included the response to an urban context, movement in the city and buildings, the quality of the learning environment, and the needs of the adult learner. In order to develop the architecture for a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Vocational Training, these principles were analysed and understood in order to make a meaningful response. This research examines some of the complex factors which influence the design of a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Vocational Training in Durban in order to provide a centre that provides all the necessary services in one building. Primary and secondary data collection methods were used, in the form of interviews, case studies, a literature review and precedent studies. The research was then used in order to draw up a design brief, resulting in the design of a Centre for Adult Basic Education and Vocational Training. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.