Public architecture starting to make a difference

the positive public effect of design is being increasingly felt through ground-breaking, socially responsive architecture that puts humanity into the outcome, write laura robinson, lorelle bell and alex jongens

changes in informal settlements over 10 to 15 years underscore the significance of public architecture. dormitory townships have begun to be transformed into towns.


the n2 gateway is an example of where innovative design can be used to create a contemporary, more considered approach to housing.

this is not to suggest that some utopian solution to our urban challenges has been found. quite the contrary; cape town, like the rest of south africa, still has some way to go towards being a sustainable city in which all people's basic needs are met and in which they feel included and connected.

but the difference that public infrastructure investment has begun to make is palpable.

for instance, the hard landscape architecture of paved roads and sidewalks in communities like samora machel, that once perched precariously on a dumping ground, lends the area a sense of place, enhanced by the presence of vibrant roadside traders. in this community, the road to the station has pavements that are higher than the norm to ensure the safety of pedestrians from taxis: a sign of responsive design.

the influence of design is being increasingly felt with ground-breaking, socially-responsive contemporary architects contributing to developing a built environment that enhances people's experience of place, that positively affects the surrounding neighbourhoods and that is sensitive to issues of energy efficiency and sustainability.

mokena makeka's design of a police station in retreat, a relatively modest project, beautifully exemplifies this responsiveness.

moving from the belief that access to good design is a human right, this young architect - working on his first public project - defied the prescriptive government brief for projects of this nature.

the design brief - from a manual rooted in the apartheid administration - called for the inclusion of elements such as facebrick to avoid maintenance costs, small windows for security and a disregard for restrooms that featured any comfort or aesthetics in the expectation that they would be vandalised.
makeka's police station challenged these instructions at every turn. this white-brick building - beautiful in its presentation and human in scale, trimmed in wood, with windows that allow in plenty of natural light and softened by exterior landscaping - is not your average contemporary south african township cop shop.

it is, instead, a salute to the innate humanity of people.

the greatest challenge experienced during the design of the police station was the obstinacy of misconceptions about what a police station should look like and how it should function. the most important factor that makeka pulled through the entire design is that it is a space for people.

this is reflected in the absence of fencing, the fact that the building is slightly set back from the street and thus invites people towards it and that it is said to look more like an art gallery than a police station.

makeka wanted to design in response to basic needs, including, for instance, providing a space where policemen could smoke.

initially they were banished to the outdoors but makeka created an intimate courtyard space with a braai, which has become the most important area of the station. an important aspect of the building is that the spaces are designed to ensure the separation of victims and criminals within the police station. such sensitivity is often lacking in the design of public buildings.

the design of the police station has taken into account the needs of police officers and victims and this has had a direct positive effect on the surrounding community. it has also benefited the larger, city-wide community as it was the first of a series of stations to be renovated in the same way.

public buildings not only should become local landmarks but should encourage place-making, inclusivity and pride and instil a greater sense of permanency and ownership.

another example of socially responsible architectural design is the first qualifying solution for the design indaba 10 x 10 low-cost housing project by luyanda mphalwa of mma architects.

their solution won them the 2008 curry stone design prize, an international award that recognises creative solutions that have the power and potential to improve our lives and the world we live in.

the brief was to find alternative solutions to low-cost housing within a prescribed budget with the objective of finding innovative designs that are affordable and use sustainable principles in design, construction and operation.

the vision behind the mma design was to create dignified houses that would improve the quality of life for residents, which, in this case, are those residing in freedom park in mitchells plain.

the double-storey houses are located close to the road's edge to allow for private garden space at the back. the extra elevation encourages passive surveillance of the road since they look out onto the street. the houses are designed so that they can be extended as the family can afford it.

sustainable design has been achieved through the use of local materials and labour.

the design is adaptable as there is no brick or concrete foundation - allowing for change over time - and the houses can be mass produced.

the choice of materials also challenged the orthodoxy that brick and mortar are indispensable in creating homes.

the use of materials had to be cost-effective to meet budget constraints and reduce building time and they had to be appropriate to the secondary objective of community involvement in the construction.

sandbags act as the in-fill for the walls of the building that are filled with sand that is readily available on site. the sand bags not only provide excellent thermal insulation for passive thermal control - as it has the same temperature control qualities seen in traditional mud and wattle rondavels or stone houses - but they also act as an excellent means of dampening noise which is important in densely inhabited areas.

this award-winning design took into account the surrounding community from the start and the benefits reflect this.

the mass production of design means that more families will benefit in a shorter space of time.
the simple design, use of materials and construction process encourages skills development within the community, including women, and results in a greater sense of pride and ownership. the private backyard spaces are safe and the active street edges ensure the integrity and notion of community living.

the importance of community involvement when designing is becoming more prevalent in architectural firms in and around cape town. noero wolff architects exemplifies this approach, believing that it is important for designs to reflect the culture of communities and in relating to the surrounding landscape.

examples that carry this design philosophy are the inkwenkwezi secondary school in du noon designed in partnership with sonja spamer architects.

the main building structures create protective outer walls that allow the inner-play courtyard spaces to be safe as there is heightened surveillance.

the school is laid out in a way that allows the teachers to look out over the whole school and monitor the children, saving teachers' time as they no longer have to patrol the school grounds.

there are no nooks and crannies for kids to get up to mischief or where intruders can lurk.

another fine example of socially responsible public design is the kalkfontein primary school, designed by michele sandilands architects, and which received an award from the cape institute for architecture in 2007.

the school gives presence to a large precinct of affordable houses and acts as a bulwark against the hostile space between this precinct and kuils river. care was taken with those mundane but important details that are the bane of many schools when they don't work.

the architecture is further elevated by its response to climate and its sensitive use of scale, relative to intensity of use, function, and accessibility by different age groups. the school is sustainable in terms of its response to the physical, social, and economic environment.

the design of the school is architecturally exciting and benefits the local community - the community itself has embraced and protected the school as a vital cultural component of the neighbourhood.

landscaping and tree planting will complete the attempt at humanising the space and creating a sense of place, providing much-needed shade during the hot, windy summer months.

the tsoga environmental centre in the samora machel informal settlement, designed by arg design, anna cowen architects and vernon collis and associates, is an outstanding example of sustainable architecture in an area facing enormous challenges.

the centre was a recipient of a cape institute for architecture award in 2007, and has successfully realised a remarkable vision despite many bureaucratic obstacles.

it is surrounded by informal housing and extreme poverty and promotes much more than environmental education.

through projects such as community food gardens, nurseries, recycling programmes and compost production, it will address local poverty, unemployment and environmental betterment.

the design employs a wide range of sustainable and green strategies; almost all materials, from recycled bricks to gum-pole trusses and locally produced scrap-metal balustrades, are carefully considered. the building is sited on the edge of a public square and comprises three simple halls grouped around a peaceful richly planted green cloister.

the difference in scale between tsoga and the surrounding built fabric is just enough to create a strong presence and act as a magnet, but not so large as to be alienating.

the same can be said about the carefully crafted interiors. it is not difficult to imagine how this building and its urban square will become the hub of activity and hope in samora machel.

laura robinson is the director of the cape town heritage trust and past president of the cape institute for architecture. lorelle bell is the world design capital co-ordinator at cape town partnership, that has been delegated to drive the city of cape town's bid application. alex jongens is an intern at the cape town partnership working on the world design capital bid.