This dissertation investigates the significant problem of abandoned buildings in the Pretoria Central Business District and, to a lesser extent, the lack of public exposure to art, architecture and design. For the purpose of this study, empty spaces in the City Centre and Die Meent buildings are examined. A new system for their reuse is developed and a gallery for the exhibition of multiple art forms is incorporated therein, as an example of how the aforementioned system can be appropriated. These problems, especially the first, is not restricted to the local urban context. The investigation is thus divided into two phases: the first provides a solution to the challenge of reusing abandoned spaces in buildings; the second phase, as a proposed future exploration of this system, provides a solution to the need for a multi-purpose exhibition area. City Property is the proposed client for the first phase, while MINI Space is the proposed client for the second phase. Empty buildings are a growing concern worldwide, due to concerns for sustainable development and decreasing greenfield sites. This dissertation proposes that the term ‘site’ should be redefined, using the x-y-z axes as a base. By applying the theory of Deconstruction, it is argued that ‘ground zero’ be shifted to a higher level, to include not only the x- and y-axis, but also the z-axis, leading to the creation of truly three-dimensional cities. This project aims to advance a new way of looking at the city and promoting different forms of art. Culturally rich spaces within vibrant cities with multiple levels of living, working and playing, aid the creation of new communities and unique spaces for each individual. Copyright / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted

"Pre-loved: vintage shops as an alternative to fast fashion" Mgr. Varvara Borisova Supervisor: Mgr. Yasar Abu Ghosh, Ph.D. Abstract Thrifting has long been perceived as a matter of nonconformists, eccentric artists, and people with limited budgets. However, the consumerist philosophy of so-called fast fashion which is driven by the ever-changing trends and the impact of the fashion industry on environment and global labor market has become a reason for many customers to find a greener and more ethical way to supply their wardrobes. While some of us gave up shopping at all, fashion gurus turned their attention to secondhand clothes: thrift shops changed to vintage boutiques and used garments became known as "pre-loved". This thesis aims to analyze practices which owners of Czech secondhand and vintage shops use to create value, understand the obsession by things from the 20th century and focus on the role of such stores in the development of sustainable fashion in the Czech Republic. Key words: vintage, thrift, theory of value, fast fashion, nostalgia, sustainability, material culture

Societies have an ethical responsibility to provide the dying with the highest possible quality of care. Yet, terminal patients are sometimes lost in a healthcare system that emphasizes procedure over the individual. This project envisions a new approach - a restructuring of the current system. A shared facility that combines rehabilitation and home care with end of life care, promoting flexible treatment to be tailored to each patient according to their individual needs. / Vårt samhälle har ett etiskt ansvar att tillhandahålla döende med högsta möjliga vårdkvalitet. Trots det åsidosätts ibland döende patienter i ett sjukvårdssystem som betonar metod över individen. Detta projekt föreslår en ny strategi - en omstrukturering av det nuvarande systemet. Istället för uppdelade vårdstrukturer föreslås en sammansatt vårdanläggning som kombinerar rehabilitering och avancerad hemsjukvård med sluten palliativ vård, som främjar flexibel behandling och som skräddarsys för varje patient utifrån dess individuella behov.

The intelligent handling of waste is a pressing issue today. Up until the 19th century it had been however an integral part of societies especially when it comes to the waste generated by construction and demolition (Bahamon and Sanjines, 2010). After industrial revolution (1750-1850) which opened the gates of mass production and mass consumption followed and supported by two major forces of capitalism and the dramatic increase in world population, the generation of waste accelerated correspondingly and in a global scale. The mass extraction of natural resources on one hand (limited amount of natural resources), and the problems caused by waste landfilling and incineration such as pollution and diseases on the other hand, made us stop this linear extraction-to-waste trend and recognize recycling as a solution. Recycling chiefly addresses a sustainable approach to reduce the negative effects of waste and at the same time involves processing used materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials (Eco Cloud), however through recycling not only some energy has to be consumed to make this process run but also some portion of pollution would be generated as a side effect. What is more is that up until today recycling has been neither in many cases economically profitable nor has it been possible to recycle all the amount of waste. For instance In US- as the most consuming society on the planet Earth- only 34% of the municipal solid waste can be recycled and the rest ends up in either landfills or incinerators (EPA,2010). This project is to mainly focus on the definition of a rather comprehensive network (Network of Reuse) which sits right before recycling through which as much as possible of the total amount of waste could be directly absorbed back into the society (with minor changes in some cases) in different scales, the resultants of which would be claimed not to be only less energy consumption and less pollution caused through processing waste (as in recycling) but also avoiding a considerable amount of unrecycled materials from ending up in landfills and incineration. In fact the assumed network-which is simulated by the smart grid model- could be said to be a complementary section added to the existing trend today and is on no account against recycling. Like any other network, the network of reuse is based upon strategies, tools, and policies. The rhizomic growing structure of this network-that is in contrast to the tree structure of recycling- suggests a bottom up movement in handling waste and empowering people while the proposed time-line strategy is assumed to be moving from entertainment towards a coherent business network. In fact the project itself suggests the necessity of more bottom up structures to happen in our future planning. The entire project is highly founded upon research and could be applied in a variety of actual designs and concrete cases. Therefore, in this project no specific site is being addressed directly but the actual need for adding the supposed network is explored.

How can flooding and circular principles in architecture become catalysts for rural revitalisation and resilience? A project that engages with the interaction between humans, nature and non-human actors. Exploring how landscape, architecture and ecology can become providers of catalytic strategies that can embrace uncertainty, multifunctionality and change over time. "Sense The Marsh" focuses on creating an engaging learning landscape that builds on the local unique site conditions and deals with flooding as an instrument to create experiences and raise awareness.

This thesis seeks to explore the potential of existing built fabric to change in order to meet the needs of its users. Central to this is the realisation that cities are highly dynamic environments. Momentarily appropriate, static solutions are not acceptable.This means not only adapting an existing building to fit a particular need at a particular time, but to ensure that it lends itself to future change. The building chosen for this study is the NZASM building, currently owned by Transnet, on the corner of Paul Kruger and Minnaar Streets. It was completed in 1963 on the property of the old NZASM headquarters and now serves mainly to house offices for Transnet. The building was between sixty and seventy percent occupied at the time of writing this thesis. The client is a fictional coalition of NGOs. The desired program is what will be referred to as an NGO Hub. The NGO Hub is a shared office and public interface facility. The intent is that these NGOs share resources and act within their specialties to support one another on collaborative projects. They must also be free to pursue their own projects and retain individual identity. At the same time, members of the public have a central location to visit where they can find information and the NGO best capable of serving their needs. This will lead to a far more efficient operational model for these organisations. The thesis also assumes that a scheme by Mary-Anne Da Costa, Surfaces and Services - A Public Space for Communication, Information + Discussion (2007), for Pretorius Square is feasible and that the two projects will occur simultaneously. The programmatic aim is to create a true civic square in Pretoria that will also serve as an example to other cities. This thesis will also work towards generating and reinforcing identity within the city. The reason for doing so is that we orientate ourselves by our environment. The clearer our idea of what a building/district/city is, the clearer our perception of what our relationship to it is and the better oriented we feel. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted

This dissertation deals with the regeneration of Pretoria West as a sub-support district that will act as catalyst for the regeneration of Pretoria CBD. The project focuses specifically on the adaptive re-use of an unused existing building at the Pretoria West Power Station and acts as a possible solution for re-using an old building. The theoretical discourse of this dissertation explored the reasons why new areas in the city develops and other areas fall in a state of disuse. It looks specifically at unused industrial areas and what they can be used for after they have outlived their purpose. The picturesque quality of vacant industrial buildings has recently attracted many fashion photographers and has informed the programme for the project by providing a facility for the fashion industry, together with other proposed functions within the unused buildings at the Pretoria West Power Station in order to add new public functions into the existing urban fabric of Pretoria West. The dissertation investigates the similarities between the fashion industry and architecture, how they influence each other and ultimately how fashion can inspire the design of a new building within the envelope of an existing industrial building. AFRIKAANS : Die verhandeling ondersoek die herlewing van Pretoria Wes as 'n sub-ondersteunings distrik wat as katalisator sal dien vir die herlewing van Pretoria se middestad. Die projek fokus spesifiek op die hergebruik en aanpassing van 'n bestaande gebou by die Pretoria Wes Krag Stasie wat nie tans gebruik word nie. Die projek dien as moontlike oplossing vir die hergebruik van 'n bestaande gebou. Die teoretiese bespreking van die verhandeling ondersoek die redes waarom nuwe areas in die stad ontwikkel en ander areas in onbruik verval. Dit ondersoek spesifiek ongebruikte industriële areas en waarvoor dit gebruik kan word wanneer hul oorspronklike funksie vervul is. Die skilderagtige kwaliteit van ongebruikte en vervalle industriële geboue het onlangs menige mode-fotograwe gelok as kontrasterende agtergrond om hulle onderwerp af te neem. Dit het aanleiding gegee tot die nuwe program, 'n fasiliteit vir die mode-bedryf, tesame met ander publieke funksies, binne-in die ongebruikte geboue by die Pretoria Wes Krag Stasie. Die verhandeling bestudeer die ooreenkomste tussen die mode-ontwerp industrie en argitektuur, hoe hulle mekaar beïnvloed en gevolglik hoe die ontwerp van 'n nuwe gebou binne-in 'n bestaande gebou ingelig kan word deur mode-ontwerp. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted

The aim of the design is to adapt a historic industrial structure and create a building that houses a production process, that is socially and historically responsive. A new structure will subtly connect with the old and accentuate the architectural heritage. By converting an old Boiler House into a furniture factory, the architecture strives to enable a physical and visual link between production and daily life. The urban fabric and showroom visually connects with the furniture makers, in order to inform the public on the production process. This will create a integrated socially responsive environment, where people can live, work and play. AFRIKAANS : Die doel van die ontwerp, is om 'n industriële erfenis gebou te hergebruik en aan te pas om so doende 'n nuwe gebou te skep wat 'n produksie proses huisves. 'n Nuwe struktuur sal sosiaal en histories reageer en subtiel met die ou struktuur gebind word. Die nuwe verbinding sal so geskiet dat die klem ter alle tye gelê word op die historiese kwaliteit van die omgewing. Die argitektuur strewe om 'n fisiese konneksie tussen produksie en allerdaagse lewe te vorm, gevolglik sal die argitektuur 'n omgewing skep waar mense kan woon, werk en ontspan. Die studie poog om 'n argitektuur te skep wat sosiaal reageer tot die omgewing. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted

Hoy en día, la contaminación es una de las problemáticas que más afecta a la sociedad, generalmente es causada como consecuencia de la actividad humana y puede perjudicar a diversos recursos tales como el agua, el aire y los suelos. Existen diversos tipos de contaminación, los cuales pueden ser atmosférica, química, del agua, térmica, entre otros. A continuación, nos enfocaremos en la contaminación atmosférica causada por la quema de neumáticos. Se sabe que este tipo de contaminación emite gases que poseen altos grados de acero y plomo, los cuales dañan la salud humana y comúnmente son causantes de diversas enfermedades que pueden dañar nuestros pulmones. Debido a esta situación nace “Entullanta” una opción eco amigable que busca desarrollar muebles hechos a base de neumáticos como una nueva tendencia en la decoración de hogares y como una alternativa para contribuir en la reducción de la contaminación. Para este fin, se reutilizarán llantas y se hará uso de otros materiales tales como telas y sogas para poder convertirlos en un mueble con un estilo atractivo y minimalista. En el presente trabajo de investigación se presentará información cualitativa como la explicación detallada de nuestro modelo de negocio, objetivos y estrategias, plan de RRHH, plan de Marketing, plan de Responsabilidad Social, entre otros. Asimismo, se presentará información cuantitativa relacionada con nuestro plan Financiero, el cual es esencial para nuestro proyecto, ya que nos ayuda a conocer qué tan rentable será la introducción de este nuevo producto. De este modo, podemos concluir que “Entullanta” es un negocio rentable que empezará a generar utilidades a partir del segundo año y se logrará recuperar la inversión en el tercer año. / Nowadays, pollution is one of the problems that most affects society, it is usually caused as a consequence of human activity and can damage various environments such as water, air and soil. There are various types of pollution, which can be atmospheric, chemical, water, thermal, among others. Next, we will focus on air pollution caused by burning tyres. It is known that this type of pollution emits gases that have high degrees of steel and lead, which damage human health and are commonly responsible for various diseases that can damage our lungs. Due to this situation "Entullanta" is born an eco friendly option that seeks to develop furniture made from tyres as a new trend in home decoration and as an alternative to contribute in the reduction of pollution. For this purpose, tires will be reused and other materials such as fabrics and ropes will be used to convert them into a furniture with an attractive and minimalist style. This research will present qualitative information such as the detailed explanation of our business model, objectives and strategies, HR plan, Marketing plan, Social Responsibility plan, among others. It will also present quantitative information related to our Financial Plan, which is essential for our project since we know how profitable will be the introduction of this new product. In this way we can conclude that "Entullanta" is a profitable business that will start generating income in the second year and will recover the investment in the third year. / Trabajo de investigación

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The majority of rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa are predominantly poor and depend largely on small-scale subsistence farming. To date, various farming mechanisms (e.g. organic farming, crop rotation, agroforestry and inter-cropping) have been introduced to improve food security and to avert hunger; however, water scarcity remains a challenge. The sub-Saharan African region is currently regarded as water stressed and this has had a significant impact on rural livelihoods. Despite being considered as a water-scarce region, the demand for water for agricultural purposes continues to increase exponentially, while, on the other hand, its supply keeps on diminishing, particularly for agricultural production.