Abstract
M.Tech. (Architectural Technology)
This dissertation is rooted within the process of analysing and understanding
the dynamics of the context, from which principles can be drawn. The
project is founded with the aim to address the harsh edges between Kliptown
informal settlement and Kliptown CBD, which are physically separated by
railway tracks. This dissertation identifies the context as the ‘bank’ of design informants.
Thus it forces the author to undergo a critical analysis of the context. The
proposed site (Kliptown) forms a comprehensive layer of history, which has
over time influenced both physical development and movement of the site.
The project propose a physical intervention in a form of a bridge over the
railway tracks in attempt to connect the two areas. The author engaged
with the context to establish program for the architectural intervention. The
education gap was established within the informal settlement, which was
then used to establish the program for the intervention. The average shack
size of 15 square meters is never enough for learners to do they school work
after schooling hours, thus the proposed programme of the physical bridge
forms part of the bridging concept. The program is more about bridging the
educational gap within the context.