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Contents
of August 1999
EDITORIAL
NEWS
TREE OF THE ISSUE
INSPIRATION
LETTERS
FEATURES
Townscape
Millennium open spaces competition winners
Trees and Communities
City Living - A Green Athens
A Simple, Modern Building
Sculpture Courtyard
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EDITORIAL
The winners
of our Townscape Millennium Public Open Spaces Competition were announced at a function
held at Gillooly's Farm in Johannesburg on Friday 23 July (see page ?). We would like to
extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsor, Dave McCall of Townscape/Enviro Elements, for
his support of our idea - as without him the competition would never have happened. The
competition, which is the journal's millennium project, has certainly been a success,
drawing entries of a high standard from around the country and, hopefully, making our
readers aware of the wonderful variety of urban open spaces, both old and new, that we
have in South Africa. We intend to follow the progress of all our very worthy finalists
over the years (in fact, all the projects that were entered into the competition) and
bring you news about new features and events at these parks, nature reserves and urban
squares that make our cities liveable.
At the
Awards function, the opinion seemed to be that we should continue to run this competition
on, possibly, a bi-annual basis as it emphasises the importance of open space in all kinds
of urban areas and gives acknowledgement to local authorities and other land owners for
the hard work that they put into maintaining and upgrading our valuable urban open spaces
for use by the public. It would be nice to have some comments from our readers on the
format that a future competition of this nature should take.
I am sure
that you will notice that we have not 'awarded an insult' in this issue. Our intention was
to slam the Eastern Metropolitan Local Council (EMLC) of Gauteng and Metro Sports for
continuing to pollute what should be 'areas of maximum control' with more giant,
stand-alone billboards, using the All Africa Games as an excuse. However, just as we were
about to do this, the 18 m high monstrosity on Hyde Park Corner came down! (See 'Insult'
pg 25, Mar/Apr issue.)
This we
learnt was thanks to negotiations between the Building Control Department of the EMLC and
the outdoor advertising company, Primedia Outdoor. According to the manager of Building
Control and Enforcement, Ian Dixon - who understands the meaning of visual pollution and
has always worked hard to keep the EMLC free of it, often against great odds - Primedia
Outdoor has been concerned about the public outcry, ever since the massive structure went
up last year, and they agreed to remove the structure from this important viewpoint and to
put up a more aesthetically pleasing, much lower, bricked structure surrounded by
landscaping which they will maintain, in its place. Dixon's department has approved the
plans, and there will be bollards which will, hopefully, stop advertising trailers from
parking next to the signage. The Urban Green File will report back when the structure is
up and we sincerely hope that other outdoor advertisers will follow Primedia's example.
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NEWS
1999 Design for Development Awards
The Awards
organised by the SABS Design Institute reflect the importance of good design in the
success of products manufactured to enhance the lives of people in urban and rural
communities and ultimately the industrial development and economic prosperity of a region.
This year, there were nine winners and the product range was wide including applications
in health care, safety, building and sanitation, as well as solar energy powered
electricity and water systems. Only products that are the result of an industrial design
process and are produced in numbers on a production line of some kind are eligible for
consideration.
Terracon's
Kwikbrik, a compressed soil building brick, designed by Stephen Labuschagne, was developed
as a cost effective, easy to use building block for affordable housing. It is dry stacked
and locks together for extra strength. Inert soil is mixed with a small amount (5-10%)of
cement and compressed using a simple, lever-action, brick mould box with a manufacturing
capacity of 2 000 to 4 000 bricks per day. The holes down the centre and sides of the
bricks make it possible to pour in concrete at regular intervals and to bolt the roof to
the foundation through the wall. Kwikbrik ensures a substantial reduction in building
costs for a low cost, starter home.
HSR
Investments' HS Mark 4 Sanitation System, designed by Richard Schroeder, requires only one
litre of water per flush. It features a seat pedestal which employs a unique,
self-activating tipping tray and flushing arrangement. A solids liquefier provides for
on-site disposal of human waste within a confined area. Instead of the conventional method
of converting solids into environment polluting sludge, the HS Mark 4 makes use of natural
biological phenomena and the waste is consumed by a host of living organisms that exist in
the faeces and in living soil.
The company
Conlog produces the Welanga Solar Energy Control System, designed by a large group of
designers. The Welanga system takes solar technology into the third world and improves the
lives of people living in remote communities where the supply of electricity through a
grid network is too costly. The Welanga is supplied on a 'fee for service' basis via a
pre-paid magnetic card. The Conlog SmartSwitch safeguards the system against theft by
rendering the major components, such as the battery and solar panel, useless when they are
disconnected from their associated control system.
Brian and
Oliver Harmer of Industrial Design Associates designed the Solo mobile solar water heater.
Within an hour of the versatile device being wheeled into a position facing the sun and
filled with water, 25L of hot water is available. The Solo's tank and inlet and outlet
spigots are included in a one-piece UV resistant plastic moulding to eliminate sealing
problems which could occur if holes were drilled into the tank. The one-piece blow moulded
collector panel simplifies the whole manufacturing process and the water channels are of a
uniform size to eliminate blockages.
Interdesign '99
Water
The first
Interdesign workshop to be held on the African continent extended over a two-week period
in April and provided intense interaction between designers from the three participating
countries, South Africa, Australia and Mexico, and from further afield, aimed at
developing solutions to the problem of water supply. The event was hosted by the SABS
Design Institute in association with the International Council of Societies of Industrial
Design.
Numerous
ideas came to the fore, including rainwater harvesting from the roof of a house using a
flexible gutter system and storing the water in a high volume sand dam, lined with
plastic, under the house: a bag water carrying system; a system of large moulded water
carriers, joined together and pulled along to sell water to households, creating
employment opportunities in both manufacture and distribution. The group that focussed on
conservation, concentrated on improving products and systems in peri-urban households -
collecting and storing water in a tank for reticulation through the home, with a grey
water collection system situated at a lower level for garden irrigation purposes.
The question
of how to explain the difference in cost between various water systems to unsophisticated
people in rural areas was overcome by the development of a communication kit with drawings
of different components within each system depicted on cards. By linking each piece
together, it is easy to see that one system has more components than another and,
consequently, more benefits but a higher cost. The basis of a profitable small business
could be the distribution and transportation of water in 25L dedicated containers filled
from the stand tap, loaded onto a donkey cart and delivered direct to households.
The
sanitation group focussed on the need for latrines to be upgraded and concepts included
mother and child units constructed on moulded platforms with seat designs that draw the
air down for better ventilation and an easy to manufacture water dispenser for washing
hands.
JD Roberts Award
1999
Andrew
Merrifield, senior project leader at CSIR Boutek, who has made significant contributions
to construction industry policy, is this years winner of the prestigious JD Roberts Award.
He has played a leading role in initiating and setting the direction for the Construction
Industry Performance Improvement Initiative which is concerned with benchmarking the use
of information technology in construction, process improvement, partnering and
public/private partnerships and has laid the foundation for on-going technology transfer
to the construction industry.
In 1997
prior to joining Boutek, Merrifield was a policy analyst for the Department of Public
Works and the primary author of the Department's Green and White Paper on 'Creating an
enabling environment for reconstruction, growth and development in the construction
industry'. He also wrote papers on job creation and training for the Department.
Murray &
Roberts instituted the JD Roberts Award in the late seventies to encourage scientific
research into technology. The Award promotes the seeking of environmentally sustainable
solutions.
BMW Seed Project
The BMW
Schools' Environmental Education Development (SEED) programme is running successfully and
now involves 55 schools. Initiated in 1996, the aim of the programme is to plant the seeds
of environmental awareness. It is a sustainable exercise in responsible corporate
citizenship, undertaken by BMW. Selected schools have been adopted into the SEED
partnership and an on-going developmental relationship is established between the schools
and BMW.
Each school
that forms part of the programme has to initiate and maintain an environmental project
which will be sustainable, while a new project or expansion of the existing project has to
be started in the following year. What is achieved in one year is evaluated the following
year. An annual award ceremony rewards the best projects with prizes. This year, Boikanyo
Primary School in Garankuwa and Banareng Primary School in Atteridgevilee were awarded
joint first place and a cheque of R10 000 each.
Projects
include food gardens, development of sportsfields, combating soil erosion and
beautification of school grounds. These projects are an integral part of the Outcomes
Based, Curriculum 2005. The school's projects often have a ripple effect on the broader
community and adults not only help with the work at the schools but improve their own
environments.
Cape
Peninsula National Park praised by World Bank
The Cape Peninsula National Park (CPNP), established in 1998 with a grant from
the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through the World Bank, could, in the opinion of
Francois Falloux of the World Bank, serve as an international model for other urban nature
areas. It is one of only a few in the world within a metropolis of some 4 million
inhabitants. He said that the CPNP's unique experience in finding solutions by means of
strategic partnerships would be published in a World Bank report in the near future.
Encouraged by the progress made by the CPNP, the GEF is expanding its support to a number
of projects in SA such as The Greater Addo Park, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and the
planned Namaqua National Park.
According to
CPNP manager David Daitz, the Park has the highest number of threatened species of any
equivalent sized area in the world and the challenge will be to manage a National Park
without visible boundaries in the midst of a growing metropolis - and to become
self-sufficient by the year 2010, mainly through tourist generated revenue. Falloux
praised the Park's alien vegetation clearing programme which has cleared almost 6000 ha of
invasive species and established 20 small contractors.
Gifts raise money
for trees for Arbor Week
The 'role of
trees in our lives' is the theme for Arbor Week 1999 from 1 - 7 September. Trees improve
the thermal efficiency of buildings, improve air quality through carbon sequestration and
can counteract global warming. They provide shade, improve stormwater management, prevent
soil erosion and enrich soil through nutrient recycling. Trees provide habitats for bird
and insect life, they decrease noise and dust pollution, increase the value of properties
and create aesthetically pleasing habitats that instil civic pride.
Trees for
Africa offers gifts for those who are environmentally aware and these eco-gifts help to
buy trees for disadvantaged communities. Large natural cotton 'Tree-shirts' in cream and
forest green, natural cotton, forest green sweat shirts and colourful baseball caps;
personalised certificates at R35 - a tree is planted for every certificate sold; Trees for
Africa booklets and subscriptions to one of three newsletters, Newsleaf, Permaculture
Villager or Forestry for a Small Planet. (See article on Jeunesse Park of Trees for Africa
page ? in this issue.)
Survey of
Environmental Management Systems
KPMG
Environmental Services conducted the first survey into Environmental Management Systems
(EMS) in SA, earlier this year. A sample of companies with local and international
headquarters were asked how they were implementing EMS. The survey demonstrates
unequivocally that a significant number of large South African companies is relating
environmental issues to their core business by designing and implementing an EMS. A
diversity of approaches to environmental management is being adopted and the experiences
of EMS by individual organisations also shows great diversity. ISO 14001 has established
itself as the undisputed EMS benchmark and looks set to drive significant change in high
impact sectors such as metals, manufacturing, agriculture, food, forestry and mining.
Environmental
management remains poorly linked with financial management. This was reflected in the lack
of financially quantified benefits and costs, and the low incidence of environmental
accounting systems currently in operation. The motivation of SA organisations is more
driven by stakeholder pressure, public perceptions and regulatory compliance than by
internal factors such as the desire to increase the efficiency of resource use or achieve
cost savings. Nevertheless, despite serious concerns about increased administrative load,
numerous benefits of implementing EMS are widely recognised, not least of which is an
improvement in environmental performance.
Top rating for
Rand Water
Rand Water,
Gauteng's bulk water supplier, was recently rated the country's best water company in a
survey carried out by Professional Management Review (PMR) magazine and presented with the
Golden Arrow Award. The 56 largest, corporate, industrial and municipal users of water in
South Africa were polled for their opinions on water supply and water management. Rand
Water was rated as the best for its core work of consistently providing high quality water
to Gauteng and its efforts to go beyond its traditional boundaries to promote water
conservation and efficient water management.
It has also
become known for its regular communication with water users through various forums that it
has established which include the Water Services Forum for the water industry, River
Forums for communities and industries along the Vaal, a horticultural forum and a plumbing
forum.
Tribal leaders
endorse release of wild dogs into Pilanesberg
In June this
year, a pack of wild dogs, one of the most endangered predators, worldwide, was released
into Pilanesberg National Park. The 55 000 ha park surrounding the Sun City resort has
successfully implemented many wildlife introduction programmes and North West Parks
approached Sun International to sponsor the introduction of wild dogs. Field ecologist Gus
van Dyk was responsible for the delicate exercise of releasing the dogs into the park.
The
operation involved the assembling of a pack from two adult females and a litter bred in
the wild and three males bred in captivity at the Cango Wild Life Ranch in Oudtshoorn.
Once the animals had established their hierarchy, through a complicated series of social
interactions, they were released from the holding boma into the park proper, where the
adult males and pups now have to learn hunting and other skills of the wild. Post release
monitoring, over time, will tell whether they have bonded into a functional pack, able to
fend for themselves.
In April,
eight of the tribal chiefs from the territories surrounding Pilanesberg met at Sun City
for a briefing on the release of the wild dog pack, where they gave their agreement in
principle to the project. The gathering of the chiefs is not new at Sun City as their
co-operation was previously obtained when lions were introduced to the park. Dan Ntsala,
the resort's Corporate Social Investment manager, said that Sun City had a strong
relationship with the surrounding communities and there were 30 social investment projects
underway in the Pilanesberg.
"The
introduction of the wild dog pack could have implications for the people in the region and
we need their co-operation. While it is intended that the dogs will remain confined to the
borders of the park, there is always a possibility that they may escape and, if they do,
we need to rely on people to keep us informed," said Ntsala.
The tribal
leaders who gathered at Sun City are all members of the Mankwe Regional Authority, which
is chaired by Chief Nyalala Pilane of the Bakgatla tribe, after whose great-grandfather
the Pilanesberg range was named. They were accompanied to the briefing by the Mayoress of
Mogwase, Mrs Kgwadi Kgwadi.
UK Engineering
Council's Environment Award for Engineers
The winners
of the UK Engineering Council's annual Environment Award are using large-scale
biotechnology to clean up the air. The 1998 award went to plastic material manufacturer
BIP Ltd. The gases given off from the company's manufacturing processes contain traces of
methyl alcohol, formaldehyde and tiny solid particles and increasingly tough legislation
has made it necessary to reduce the amount of these air pollutants to virtually zero. The
BIP team has opted for a new biotechnology solution.
All the
emissions from the plant go into a bioreactor in which there are a series of
micro-organisms which eat the emissions. The large bioreactor is working incredibly well.
It was designed to bring the concentrations of formaldehyde in the emissions down by 95%,
but is actually running at 99,9% removal. The process is relatively cheap and bacteria can
be chosen and grown to feed on almost any air pollutant.
The
runner-up to the Environment Award winner was a small company, Gardner Energy Management,
which has found a way to stop pipes carrying super-heated steam from leaking or exploding.
Third place went to Rolls-Royce Aero Engines for the latest version of the company's Trent
engine which produces 40% fewer nitrogen oxides, a major air pollutant.
The Built
Environment Award went to the UK water company Northumbrian Water and its consulting
engineering company Entech for an exciting solution to the growing problem of how to
dispose of sewage sludge. Entec dries the sludge in a gigantic tumble dryer, a process
which also kills any germs and makes the dry, odourless product completely safe to use in
a variety of ways: as a soil conditioner, a fertiliser or in land reclamation schemes. It
can also substitute for coal in a power station or in a very novel process developed by
Entec it can be used as a fuel by gasifying the dried sludge. The fuel made in this way is
used to dry more sludge.
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TREE OF THE ISSUE
Kiggelaria Africana
Commonly
called the Wild Peach
Landscape
architect Stuart Glen of Green Inc Landscape Architects chose Kiggelaria africana as the
Tree of the Issue. Its natural habitat is quite varied and it is found in evergreen
forest, on rocky outcrops, in wooded grassland and along drainage lines. The colour, size,
shape and texture of the leaves varies considerably according to habitat. It is an
evergreen tree and the sexes are separate on different plants.
Stuart has
used the tree in two parking areas on the campus of Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) in
Johannesburg because the tree is evergreen and has a spreading crown and therefore
provides good shade for the cars. He says that the tree has a nice shape, and that it
shapes easily when the lower branches are pruned away to give a clear, single trunk.
"We planted the trees about a year ago and they have grown phenomenally, at least 1 m
during that time. The tree is also hardy, tolerating frost, which makes it ideal for
highveld conditions," says Stuart.
"Although
the flowers are inconspicuous, the fruit is interesting - a capsule which splits open
neatly, revealing seeds covered in orangy-red arils. A great many birds are attracted by
the sticky seeds. Because the tree is dioecious, it is a good idea to plant a number of
individuals together in a grove, to ensure that there are both male and female plants
present.
"It is
well-known that the larvae of the Common Garden Acraea butterfly (Acraea horta) eat the
leaves of the Wild Peach, but I have not had the problem of the leaves literally being
stripped from the tree in the parking lots at RAU, although there has been some damage to
the foliage - and have, therefore, not needed to spray. I can only assume that it is
because there are numbers of these trees together on one site that the birds that eat the
caterpillars find them more easily, en masse, than they would on a single specimen. There
is a single tree in another area of the campus and this does get stripped bare. There is
also a wasp that parasitises the larvae of the Garden Acraea but this wasp does not occur
in polluted air - in fact, it is an indicator species - so in urban or industrial areas,
the caterpillars, freed of this natural enemy, are inclined to run rampant. The trees may
be defoliated by these larvae but they usually recover quickly and produce a new crop of
leaves."
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INSPIRATION
Wandel Street Studios, Cape Town
Examples of
restored buildings abound in Cape Town - but what makes this photographic studio on
Dunkley Square special is the owner's passion for his building and the architect's
attention to the original detail. Dunkley Square has a rich colonial history - built
originally as a parade ground during the British occupation, Circa 1860. The parade ground
was surrounded by officer's quarters, the officer's mess and this particular building -
the barn and horse stables.
As with many
areas on the fringes of city centres, this neighbourhood was allowed to deteriorate into a
slum before the City Council started to promote its general upliftment by planting trees
and paving the square. Over the past 15 years, the buildings have followed suit. The
Wandel Street Studios were first renovated in the '60s by the then Prof of Architecture at
UCT - the 'before' photograph attests to the fact that this was a typical '60s conversion
- pretty cheap and pretty nasty. The present restoration undertaken by architect Hein
Wolfaardt is based on the original drawings prepared for the building, over 130 years ago.
Whether the original barn and stables was built according to these drawings is not known
as the conversion obliterated all detail in typical '60s/'70s fashion - that great era of
modernisation and renovation. Luckily it survived demolition or the 'Luxaflex' treatment!
Strictly
speaking, however, the building is not a restoration in its present form. The first floor
balcony and plate glass window are new additions - the doors to the former being the
access to the original hay loft, while the window is an entirely contemporary inclusion in
striking juxtaposition with the restored architraves, gable and other facade details.
A welcome
recent trend has been the recognition of precincts in terms of their historical value, as
opposed to individual buildings. The Cape Town planning authority certainly encourages
this, as demonstrated by developments such as Heritage Square (See The Urban Green File
Jan/Feb 1998, pg 21.) The Wandel Street Studios restoration is a valuable addition to the
Dunkley Square precinct.
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LETTERS
Thesen Island
Development
Allow me the
opportunity to comment on the article on page 5 of your May/June issue, since the facts
are not entirely correct. May I, first of all, react to both the allegations and the trend
of your report, and then provide more detail concerning the background.
I think that
objective reflection will show that the Thesen Island planning process that has been
followed throughout the past nine years serves as a model of how projects such as this
should be dealt with. During the process, the required approvals were obtained while, at
the same time, provision was made for measures to protect the sensitive environment.
In 1990, we
launched a planning and design initiative directed at deciding what the conceptual future
land use of Thesen Island should be. This was years before the law required it. As you
probably remember, our firm CMAI was one of the pioneers in formulating and applying
procedures that resulted in the later formalised EIA regulations. At that time, we
already, and voluntarily, involved interested and affected parties, extensively, and
conducted a full EIA using the same procedures that were only required by legislation four
years later. From a Briefing Document prepared for legal purposes and distributed to all
registered I&APs on 11 June 1999, it appears that from 1990 to 1998 stakeholders were
involved in the planning process on more than 80 occasions.
During the
planning and formal EIA process (1994 - 1996), alternative land use options were
considered.
All
stakeholders were in agreement that Thesen Island should be developed for residential
purposes with a marina/canal estate, on condition that the existing factory was removed.
Formal legal authority and rights for this purpose were granted in December 1998. Not a
single State Department, that was required by law to comment on the advertised planning
concept, objected to it.
After
obtaining the rights for the redevelopment of Thesen Island, the next step was to obtain
permission for the process of the implementation of the approved concept. It was at all
stages clear to us and to the authorities that this further step would again require the
involvement of the I&APs, in order to ensure that the implementation process would be
carefully and sensitively planned and executed. It is simply part of an on-going process
established by law. It is typical of all planning processes and will result in the
creation of an Environmental Management Programme that will guide all future environmental
management, under the auspices of a legally appointed Environmental Management Committee
for the project.
The letter
to Minister Pallo Jordan referred to in your article added nothing further to the process.
Following the granting of the land use rights in December 1998, an assessment of the
environmental issues, related to the implementation of the approved concept, is a legal
requirement in any case. This is because it is required in Sections 21 and 22 of the
Environment Conservation Act, and not because the lagoon is sensitive. In the assessment
process, the sensitivity of the lagoon will obviously be a very important issue - as it
has been for us since 1990, otherwise we would not have taken so many voluntary
precautions - making sure that we did it right, from the beginning.
The process
that will be used is the standard process required in Regulation 1183. This regulation
requires that adequate research is done and constructive public involvement solicited to
identify and define possible negative impacts during the implementation phase. This
ensures the introduction of appropriate environmental management mechanisms.
It is
expected that we will finalise this part of the process fairly soon, as much information
has already been collected through the extensive research done over the years and the
exhaustive involvement of the public to decide on land use rights. When this has been
done, the detailed Environmental Management Plan for the Island will be finalised. This
Plan will be used to guide implementation (construction) and ensure the protection of the
environment.
All the
consultants involved in the development, the applicant and the new Development Company
have been following a policy of total transparency. This policy will be continued through
the implementation phase to the operational phase. I trust this explanation will put all
the issues in their right perspective.
Dr Chris Mulder - Chris Mulder Associates Inc
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FEATURES
Townscape Millennium open
spaces competition winners
Site visits
were made to each of the finalists in the six categories of our Townscape Millennium
Competition and the judges final decisions were made in conjunction with the votes
received from subscribers to the journal. The adjudication panel comprised Dave McCall of
Townscape/Enviro Elements who has been in the street furniture industry for twenty years;
Gerald Garner, landscape architect and publishing editor of our journal; Carol Knoll,
environmental journalist and editor of the journal; Karien Hanekom, member of our
editorial advisory committee and practising landscape architect; and Sonette Smit, a
practising landscape architect in Cape Town (who excused herself from comment on the
entries of both her past and present employers).
Overall best public
open space
Tswaing Crater Museum
Entered by: Tswaing Crater Museum Forum/National Cultural History Museum
Judges' appraisal: The Tswaing crater has more than two million people as its
immediate neighbours - living in Soshanguve, Nuwe Eersterus, Kromkuil and Winterveld. The
focus of the project is community involvement. The involvement of the disparate
surrounding communities prior to concept stage, often under trying circumstances, and
their on-going participation in the project deserves the highest commendation - Tswaing's
slogan is truly 'For the People by the People'. There are 17 local communities involved in
the Tswaing Crater Museum Forum, at present, and the Forum also includes members of the
scientific community, environmental educators and other interested parties. A regular
newsletter keeps them all informed of developments at the crater.
Tswaing,
Place of Salt, is a truly conservation-worthy site, as the crater, one of the best
preserved, bowl-shaped, meteorite impact craters in the world, has great geological value,
while the site also has ornithological and botanical value. Important recreational aspects
include its bird watching potential and the carefully designed and easy to walk 7,2 km
trail which may be done in the company of a trained guide from the local community. The
dramatic quality of the site will add to its tourism potential. The educational value of
the crater has been fully recognised and along the trail a series of simple, attractive,
open-air classrooms under spreading shade trees, with lock-up concrete storage facilities
containing educational material, provide children, from the 700 schools within easy
travelling distance, with a basis for a hands-on educational experience through programmes
designed to enhance literacy, numeracy and life skills. The signage along the trail is
well-balanced with both sketches and text that it is not too lengthy to read yet detailed
enough to satisfy curiosity. The environmental education centre with interesting building
designs incorporating ethnic architectural features is nearing completion.
The existing
temporary exhibition hall contains a highly informative pictorial display explaining the
crater's history and its natural and cultural value. The staff, all from the local
community, are extremely friendly and helpful - and the ablution facilities and outdoor
restaurant/picnicking area are spotlessly clean. The fact that braai wood sold at the
community facility is obtained from the community bush clearing project, where Sickle Bush
encroachment into certain areas of the site is being dealt with, deserves special mention,
as does the alternative entrance fee which is 20 empty cans for scholars.
The Tswaing
Crater Museum is an exceptional project and a worthy winner to take us into the new
millennium where the value of well-planned urban open space will, hopefully, be given
credence.
Winner: Larger Parks
Burgers Park
Entered by: Pretoria City Council - Department
of Culture and Recreation
Judges' appraisal: The historically significant Burgers Park, established as a
botanical garden by President Burgers in 1874 and transformed into a Victorian park in the
1890s, is in the very heart of Pretoria and is exceptionally well utilised by inner city
dwellers of all races, creeds and colours. On a week day or weekend, adult visitors make
use of the well positioned benches under shady trees and the lawned areas, while the
children's playpark is a riot of activity. The Tea Parlour is popular with both locals and
tourist groups and wedding parties make use of the well maintained, neat and colourful
gardens for photographing sessions. The plant material, furniture and other hard
structures, including those that have been there since the turn of the century, are
maintained with care and the knowledgeable, helpful staff clearly take pride in their
work.
Winner: Pocket Parks
Mai Mai Play Space
Entered by: Mai Mai Community, Gauteng
Department of Transport and Public Works, Southern Metropolitan Local Council
Judges' appraisal: Situated on a piece of left-over land, previously a dumping
ground invaded by squatters, between the arms of the on and off ramps to the motorway in
downtown Johannesburg, this clean, safe, well-maintained and well-utilised, community
driven, pocket park serves as an example of urban open space of the highest quality. The
parks' designers, SAMM Associates Design Consultants, deserve to be highly commended for
their excellent use of this small space to provide as many interesting elements as
possible for the young children that utilise the park. The shining faces, happy demeanour
and playfulness of the children are testament to the success of this tiny, urban play
space. Strong community involvement in management and maintenance means that the Mai Mai
community has adopted the space as its own and cherishes it as such. The involvement of
the women of the community is manifest in the delightful mural which covers the previously
bare concrete wall of the off-ramp and tells stories of the people's cultural history. A
comment made in the competition entry deserves to be reiterated: "The green space,
the trees and the dappled light provide soft textures which contrast with the harshness of
the concrete highway and bleak cityscape."
Winner: Squares and
Streets
St George's Mall
Entered by: City of Cape Town Design Services
Branch
Judges' appraisal: A pedestrian mall which is very well utilised not simply as
a lengthy public thoroughfare but as an appropriate space for informal trading, outdoor
restaurants, buskers and other street activities. It is a comfortable, yet vibrant because
it is multi-functional, urban space with summer shade provided by deciduous trees that
allow winter sunlight to penetrate, and seating at key points that gives the promenading
tourist an opportunity to relax and watch the passing parade. The Mall fits into the
existing urban context and special protection is given to buildings of value along its
length. It is accessible, well-maintained and legible. The Mall has brought vitality back
into the city of Cape Town.
Winner: Nature
Conservation Areas
Hornlee Community Park and Nature Reserve
Entered by: Green Machine Nature Conservation
Club of Sunridge Primary School
Judges' appraisal: This exceptional project was initiated by a group of young,
motivated pupils and their dedicated teacher, Michael Spies, from Sunridge Primary School
in Knysna, who attracted community involvement with their enthusiasm and canvassed for
funds to clear the site and build their own community park. A site used for the dumping of
domestic waste and building rubble has been turned into an extremely well-utilised,
attractive parkland - while the worst of the alien invasive species have been removed from
an area of coastal fynbos adjoining the maintained parkland, where a number of different
eco-systems, including a stream, and a high diversity of species provide the ideal
situation for environmental education. The park is the pride of the community with its
well-maintained, litter-free, indigenous plantings, lawns and pathways. A safe
recreational area for the children of Hornlee, created by the children of Hornlee.
Winner: Campuses
Peninsula Technikon
Entered by: Peninsula Technikon
Judges' appraisal: Peninsula Technikon in Bellville has a praiseworthy 'open
campus' policy and serves the local community by sharing its facilities. The community
makes excellent use of the facilities for wedding ceremonies, open air concerts and other
community functions, despite the Technikon's proximity to a waste dump and an industrial
area. In the context of this friendly campus, the rather barren and unattractive area of
the Cape Flats is completely forgotten. The buildings on campus, none of which are higher
than three storeys, give a human scale to the open spaces and create a comfortable
ambience and credit is here due to the architects, Revel Fox & Partners and landscape
architects, OvP Associates for their practical and legible design. The well-positioned
entrance water feature makes a strong statement and the water feature in the student
square serves to temper the harshness of the paved environment. Deciduous trees provide
good shade in summer and allow sunlight into the spaces in winter. Planting lay-out and
paving details deserve commendation and the buildings and spaces are very well maintained.
-----
Trees and communities
Carol Knoll interviewed
Jeunesse Park of Trees for Africa who was the Overall (Established) Winner of the Green
Trust/Mail & Guardian Awards, this year.
Judges' appraisal: Jeunesse Park has dedicated almost a decade to tackling one
of the most difficult aspects of environmental conservation. To most conservationists,
bringing conservation into the hearts and minds of millions of South Africans living in
sprawling urban townships, often under appalling conditions, is an almost impossible task.
Yet Park, through Trees for Africa, has made enormous strides in this respect, forging
alliances with an astonishing range of individuals and organisations and achieving
impressive results. There is no doubt that she stands out amongst conservationists in
South Africa as a worthy recipient of the Overall Winner(Established) Award.
South
African born Jeunesse had spent some years abroad when she heard, in 1989, that Nelson
Mandela was going to be released from prison and decided to come back and work in South
Africa. Realising that there was a gap in the market and having seen, in Australia, the
power of the media to stimulate environmental awareness and action, she established the
environmental communications company called Progreen, with a focus on areas other than
animal conservation. She set about meeting people who were involved in environmental
projects - and tree planting was high on her list.
In her own
words: "I went to see the managers of the Jewish National Fund (JNF). They were
looking for social responsibility programmes to get involved with and I suggested that
since they were known for their tree planting programmes in Israel, they should look for
the same involvement here. We had discussions with people involved in greening such as the
National Botanical Institute (NBI), The South African Nurserymens Association (SANA), the
Institute of Parks and Recreation, DWAF and the National Association for Clean Air and
came up with the idea of Trees for Africa (TFA) - which was launched on Arbor Day, 1
August, 1990. Thanks to the excellent media coverage we were given, we had an immediate
response and numbers of communities wrote in with requests for trees.
"We
wanted to get away from the idea of arbitrary plantings on Arbor Day which did not involve
the community and were, consequently, frequently vandalised. We held a workshop at the NBI
called 'Greening Urban Township Areas' which included community leaders, horticulturists,
landscape architects and town planners. We decided to work only on direct requests from
communities. Our board comprised members of the associations and institutes we had
involved and Brian Huntley of the NBI was our first chairman. We started with no money and
I had to go out and fund raise. Knowing nothing about fund raising, I simply saw every
business I could. It was thanks to the commitment of people like Clive Weil of the JNF
that things happened as quickly as they did.
"We had
requests from civic associations, residents organisations, women's groups, church groups
and schools. We had a very simple standardised form which they filled in and we made an
arrangement with a nursery to deliver the trees, which were funded by a business, and I
went along, often with only my children in those early days, to do the talking about the
value of the trees and help the community to plant the trees. I remember being on my own
in Vosloorus - there was not another white face in sight - but I was always welcomed. All
our work has always been focussed on townships and our initial goal was to plant five
million trees in five years. This turned out to be wishful thinking as we have only now,
after ten years, distributed 1,2 million to disadvantaged communities.
"It is,
however, not the number of trees that are planted but the environmental education that
goes with the tree planting that matters. Along with the improved quality of life that
trees bring, we see trees as a vehicle - an introduction to broader environmental issues
such as clean air, guarding against soil erosion, the return of birds, clean ups,
recycling, etc. Largely because our tree planting supports environmental awareness, we
have continued to get good media coverage and TFA has gained credibility, resulting in
excellent investment by companies. Progreen, our communications company, runs TFA public
relations. 'Newsleaf' is TFA's quarterly newsletter and 'Forestry for a Small Planet' is
our newsletter that deals with small farm forestry matters.
"The
commitment we expect from the communities who apply for trees has always been 'sweat
equity' - we raise funds and purchase the trees and the nursery delivers to the community,
but community members must dig the holes, plant the trees and look after them. Each of our
trees comes with a 'How to Plant' ticket attached to it and recently we've printed a
little pamphlet of graphics on how to plant a tree for illiterate people. Through
experience, we've found that the labour alone does not give the tree enough value and
about two years ago, for the sake of sustainable development, we started asking the
numerous community organisations we work with to contribute financially towards their
trees. We get trees at a very good price and it is feasible for communities to pay up to
20% of the cost. They have responded well, raising money for their own trees, and
maintenance has improved. Most communities are able to pay and those that do, get their
trees first. In the end those that can't afford to pay will be given theirs - but usually
a reduced number. Often communities don't realise what it takes to dig a thousand holes. I
went to DWAF and asked them to stop giving away trees because people don't appreciate
hand-outs, and because it would ruin our efforts at setting up community nurseries."
Recently,
TFA has become involved with another NGO, the National Urban Reconstruction and Housing
Agency (NURCHA) which plans to put a garden tree within the reach of every family on every
project backed by NURCHA guarantees. TFA provides indigenous shade trees at low prices and
NURCHA and TFA each contribute R 10 per household, leaving the householder to find the
third R10. Some developers have decided to pay the householder's share as a contribution
towards greening. TFA continues to liaise with communities about the value of greening and
the increased value that a tree will give to their properties and Total is helping this
effort. Jeunesse has approached the Forum for Environmentally Sound Housing of the
Department of Housing and they have written a joint proposal with TFA for the funding of a
tree with every government subsidised house. "If this comes about, the existing
nurseries won't have enough trees to deliver to the developers and the project could,
therefore, work hand in hand with the setting up of community nurseries in the areas where
development is taking place. This will be instant business for the new nurseries,"
commented Jeunesse. "We started by only responding to direct requests from
communities for trees but now we accept approaches by aide agencies, local government,
developers or businesses on behalf of communities."
Asked what
kinds of trees TFA distributes to communities, Jeunesse responded that communities
invariably wanted something fast-growing, hardy, evergreen and ornamental. She said that
in rural and peri-urban areas, there were sometimes requests for fruit trees. "We
focus on indigenous trees such as Rhus, Olea, Combretum and Celtis because we have found
that they survive, but it depends on what is available from the nearest nursery,"
said Jeunesse. "Fruit trees are difficult to access in most areas and they require a
lot more maintenance. Correct pesticide use means a bigger learning curve and our policy,
generally, discourages the use of pesticides. We did, however, supply orange, lemon and
olive trees to the old age homes and creches as part of our urban greening programme in
Kimberley - the Bontle Tree Project. I do feel that dates and olives have enormous
commercial potential for communities and we are looking for seed capital and communities
who are interested in such ventures."
Talking
about capacity building, Jeunesse mentioned that both the Bontle Tree Project and Trees
for PE, facilitated by TFA, run by the municipalities of the two towns and funded by the
Swedish International Co-operation Agency, involved councillors and community members in
the planning and employed local labour in the implementation. Thirty three community
members were trained as liaison officers to promote environmental awareness. Meetings and
slide shows were held to stimulate interest in greening and tree planting applications
came in, followed by the implementation and a street launch party where bumper stickers,
maintenance information sheets and T-shirts promoted the respective greening programmes.
One of these liaison officers, Helen Pos, was sent on a two week permaculture course and
she now has a contract with the municipality to start food gardening projects in the
townships of Kimberley.
Several
years back, TFA started getting requests from teachers for environmental resource
material. Workshops were organised with the teachers, and the 'Greening Booklet - All
About Trees', which was developed with funds from the Canadian Embassy, resulted from
ideas that came up in these workshops. This booklet provided teachers with practical
activities for the classroom and due to its popularity with schools, it was later
reprinted with funding from Safcol. These teachers', and later, children's workshops were
organised in conjunction with the NBI and the Outreach Programme at Kirstenbosch was born
out of these. Groups of school children were invited to the Botanical Gardens, as Jeunesse
saw these as ideal places to introduce people from the denuded, degraded townships to an
indigenous environment. TFA raised the funds for the Nestle Environmental Education Centre
at the Witwatersrand Botanical Garden in Roodepoort. This Centre, which caters
predominantly for school children, is run by the NBI.
TFA has also
raised funds to help people who are lacking in both horticultural and business skills, to
start commercial nurseries in the townships and the booklet 'My Nursery', funded by the
Royal Netherlands Embassy, was developed out of this need. Jeunesse commented: "We
are still trying to develop a fast-track course for emerging nurserymen and have put in a
proposal to DWAF that the community nursery industry should be researched to establish
what is working and what is not, and why? Linda De Luca of Random Harvest Nursery holds
capacity building workshops for community nurserymen on a regular basis. She is an amazing
woman. But, I feel that other established nurserymen, members of SANA, need to form
partnerships with emerging nurserymen to help them over the problems of maintaining and
selling their stock, bookkeeping and, particularly, marketing. Often the community is not
aware that there is plant material right on their doorsteps.
"We buy
as many of our trees from community nurseries as possible - but they can't compete with
the bigger nurseries and I feel that the local councils should make an effort to support
them. We do have some success stories, the (Green 'n Grow) Brilliant Nursery in Benoni was
set up through sponsorship by Total and is selling trees to the Benoni Town Council, while
Protea Glen in south Soweto was sponsored by Liberty Life and two nurseries in Orange
Grove were sponsored by Total and the Rotary Club of Parktown, respectively."
Asked about
the highly successful Eduplant Competition for schools, another TFA project, Jeunesse said
that she had brought the founder of permaculture Bill Mollison out to SA in 1991 and that
this had done a lot to stimulate interest in a subject that was already of great
importance to her. Jeunesse then brought John Wilson - who ran the permaculture centre
called Fambidzani just outside Harare - down from Zimbabwe and the first permaculture
course was held on Avice Hindmarch's property in Johannesburg. "Since we established
Eduplant in 1994, interest in permaculture has increased tenfold and we have had numerous
requests for permaculture training. Permaculture is an ideal tool with which to address
food security, sustainable resource use, outcomes based education and even income
generation. Fortunately, Chris Bornman of Eskom Development Foundation, having worked in
community development for many years, saw the potential in Eduplant and felt that the
competition was worth sponsoring. Eskom are ecstatic about the results. This year DWAF has
joined Eskom as co-sponsors of Eduplant because they see the competition as a vehicle for
real social change. Many of the schools that have established permaculture gardens no
longer require the assistance of feeding schemes, while some are providing food for their
communities and jobs for unemployed parents.
"This
year Eduplant is running 27 permaculture workshops for teachers, three in each province -
the first nine workshops have attracted over 750 teachers. It is important that they know
how to integrate their permaculture projects into Curriculum 2005. Sixty three schools
will be chosen as finalists in the competition, this year, about seven from each province
and we will have our usual four day event, in Gauteng this year, where the projects will
be presented and the finalists will attend environmental, permaculture, performing arts
and music workshops. You don't have to have a fabulous project to be one of the finalists.
Nansindlela Primary School were the overall winners last year, having been one of the
finalists the year before. At the 1997 presentation, they heard what other schools had
done and went back and tried it and they won. They were also runners-up in the Green Trust
Awards School Project category this year. The Open Society Foundation, Zenex Foundation,
First National Bank and Anglo Gold have provided funding for on-going projects at 19
schools, while Total is funding two schools.
"The
'Permaculture Villager' is our newsletter in this field - it is intended as a networking
exercise and a forum for debate. We are lucky to have Joseph Sithole on our staff as he
has a permaculture diploma from Zimbabwe and many years of practical experience in the
field. Joe has helped us with the schools' programme and given guidance at many other food
gardening projects, such as the Itlhokomeleng Old Age Home in Alexandra, where the six
former car hijackers who established the garden at Thusong Youth Centre are now developing
vegetable plots with the pensioners. This project is intended to back up the soup kitchen
at the old age home and to train others in the community. It is being sponsored by
Sentrachem."
Jeunesse
went on to tell about the Kagiso Trust demonstration food garden in Mamelodi East, where
150 women pensioners grow food for themselves and are even able to sell a little,
explaining how the training function of the project contributed to household food security
in the area. She said that in Mamelodi West, a group of unemployed women had started the
Nomzamo project on a school property and the Department of Agriculture had provided a
borehole and irrigation system for them.
In
conclusion, Jeunesse announced that another of TFA's booklets was on the way, the first in
a series for local authorities, called the 'Urban Greening Booklet'. The booklet is geared
to help municipalities lobby support from councillors and funders in the area of urban
greening. The booklet is sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Embassy.
-----
City living - a green Athens
It is the
historically dense settlement patterns and dynamic energies that flow through Athens that
make conditions liveable for its inhabitants and provide much of the attraction for
visitors. Contrary to the belief of many urban theorists, strict urban design principles
have little to do with the vibrancy and resonance of the Greek capital.
Athens
houses 4.5 million people in about 250 square kilometers, thus accommodating more or less
1.8 people per square metre. Historic settlement arrangements combined with the
unbuildable, rocky landscape around Athens have resulted in dense urban patterns on the
coastal plains where the city is built. It is not surprising then that the life-styles
that have developed are specifically focussed on outdoor living to compensate for the
tight indoor spaces which are the only affordable way of living for the bulk of the
population.
Yet, unlike
some other ancient cities, where the dirt of centuries is predominant, Athens is clean,
green, and inhabited by people with a high consideration for human comfort and progressive
living conditions.
Patterns of Athens
Athens is
the model city that urban designers dream of - there is no design to it but it comprises
complete neighbourhoods, consisting of:
•
pedestrian focus - by
necessity and by choice and, most significantly, because history has dictated this;
•
living quarters above
ground-level businesses;
•
convenient shopping
within a 400 m radius of home;
•
public transportation
and taxi's on every corner; and
•
public squares
focusing the neighbourhood activities and providing nodal orientation for visitors.
Although
socially organised, life in Athens is strongly influenced by the regional climate. Without
the existing ameliorating conditions, heat build-up in the city would, potentially, be
enormous. When considering the physical patterns of the city, three characteristics are
distinguishable and contribute to the successful cooling and functioning of the city.
Firstly, the
majority of inner city buildings are of a light colour and are limited to five storeys in
height because earthquakes are a very real threat. Most of these buildings incorporate
balconies overlooking the street, thus providing occupants with outside space, and have
large window and door openings to encourage ventilation. Few buildings have
air-conditioning units and inhabitants rely, predominantly, on heat being reflected off
the light coloured facades and on air movement for cooling.
The second
characteristic is the narrow streets of the city. A few large connecting streets link a
plethora of neighbourhoods consisting of streets as narrow as 5 m in width. Other streets
include both parking space and a driving lane - sometimes two lanes, and these are between
10 to 15 m from building to building.
The
relationship between building height and street width seems to be cardinal in regulating
the city's air and surface temperatures. Besides reflecting heat back into the atmosphere,
the low buildings cast shadows onto the streets below, ensuring that at least one side of
the street is always draped in shadow. There are long periods in which the sun does not
reach the street, whereas if it was allowed to penetrate it would create heat pockets that
could contribute, significantly. to heat discomfort in the city. Instead, a balanced play
of sun pockets and shaded areas causes small micro- climatic changes with high and low
pressure cells forcing air to move through the city.
The third
characteristic is the extensive use of vegetation in the city. It is visually prominent
and a good indicator of the level of appreciation of greenery amongst the residents of
Athens. The streets are planted with trees and most courtyards and verandas contain potted
plants and vines. These plantings are installed to increase human comfort on the
balconies. This vertical contribution to urban green space is highly significant to visual
aesthetic appeal, while its functional value lies in ameliorating harsh climatic
conditions.
Trees along
the city streets are mostly native olives that provide shade, supply fruit for the
inhabitants, have tourist appeal and enrich the Mediterranean ambience of the city. Other
trees include north European pines and cedars. Although these also serve to ameliorate the
climate, invader species are commonly found on the non-maintained areas such as railroad
'rights of way' and major road corridors.
Life in Athens
When the Mediterranean sun is at its fiercest between one and three in the
afternoon, the people of Athens take a siesta to escape the heat. Shop owners close their
doors and business people relax in the tree-covered plazas found throughout the city.
Since most businesses only open at ten in the morning, most shopping and business
activities occur after three in the afternoon when the heat of the day has been broken.
These activities continue into the evening hours, keeping the city alive until the early
hours of the morning.
Throughout
the day, gentle breezes and water fountains cool the air in the plazas, where a large
percentage of community life plays itself out. Apart from the social and business patterns
which occur in the evening, the traditionally small living quarters also encourage people
to remain outdoors until bedtime. Entertainment, dining, visiting with friends and family
and other community activities all occur in the cafés and plazas that form the heart of
each neighbourhood.
As children,
the Greeks learn to be hospitable, socially active and to demonstrate a high degree of
community awareness. It may well be these historically social foundations of Greek culture
- these human qualities, more than design layout, that determine the successful
functioning of the cities they build.
Opportunities in Athens
Currently, it is greenery that creates human comfort and aesthetic appeal and
little attempt is made to use the green areas of Athens for other purposes. Opportunities
exist to improve the thermal efficiencies of entire buildings by growing more vines up the
sides of the buildings and not restricting the vegetation to balconies. Dust control is a
useful, although inadvertent, function of vegetation, as it collects large quantities of
the very evident airborne particulates, which remain on the plants until washed from the
leaves by the infrequent rains. For more efficient dust collection, vegetation with a
dense but fine-leafed structure could be utilised.
Excellent
scope exists for the creation of horizontal and vertical habitat for many species, other
than humans, as part of the extensive plaza system and balcony plantings in the city.
Inclusion of habitat or habitat components is possible through careful selection and
positioning of vegetation. Athens is on the migratory bird route - as they fly from Europe
to Africa, and the city should be endowed with seasonal pulses of bird life, butterflies
and bats.
Except for
birds, the existing animal population consists predominantly of domestic and stray cats,
which are encouraged to control rodents. However, these cats probably have severe impacts
on bird species on or near ground level. Locating feeding and nesting areas for birds on
roofs and in other elevated areas, where ground conditions can easily be simulated, could
mitigate the impact.
In
conclusion, it could be said that the Greek passion for life provides the essential
ingredient for good living and this is strengthened by their progressive culture and its
traditions. Unfortunately, connections to and the use of natural elements and vegetation
remain narrowly focused on human comfort and consumption. Local landscape architects have
the ability to assist this ancient yet changing city, in which the strong awareness of
self and community may be channelled, so that future development is beneficial to many
different species, through creating viable habitats for all species - human, bird, animal
and especially the plants that they depend on for survival.
Landscape
architect Gwen J Breedlove is a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria, Department
of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Ben W Breedlove is a doctoral student at the
University of Pretoria's Centre for Wildlife Management and Resource Analysis.
-----
A Simple, Modern Building
A
reflection of our time - 15 Georgian Crescent, Bryanston
This
building is an actual reflection of our time, both aesthetically and functionally. The use
of indirect lighting throughout the building signifies the importance of the computer
screen in the contemporary working environment. Rochelle le Grange of Boogertman Krige
comments that no attempt was made to conceal the working parts of the building, while at
the same time integrating elements into the design for purely aesthetic reasons: "We
wanted an architecturally authentic building, revealing both functional and aesthetic
parts for what they are."
"The
plan follows a familiar parti of two superimposed grids. The dominant of the two adheres
to the shape and contours of the site and is articulated as the pristine white, main
volume of the building. The more functional and lightweight character of this part of the
building is expressed in its conventional structural grid revealed by the extensive and
regular fenestration. The second grid is orientated towards true north and its
juxtaposition to the first is amplified visually in the stark and solid walls which act as
protective screens to the west and east facades. The blankness of these dark blue surfaces
is relieved by the decorative use of stainless steel studs which cast different shadow
patterns with the movement of the sun. The intermediary spaces created by the surface
intersection of the two opposing grids are used as balconies and fire escapes. The visual
tension created by the contrasting grids is abated by the unifying plinth which is
coloured a deep, cool grey," are Le Grange's words.
It is a
multi-tenant building comprising 6000 m2 over three floors and it includes a parking
basement. Care has been taken to create a discernible entrance and identity for each set
of offices. The architects, Boogertman Krige, occupy the ground and first floor of the
north wing, while the computer technology supplier, Beads, has the second floor. The
canteen which serves the entire building has a separate entrance on the east side. There
is a Day Care Centre for the children of staff members in the south wing, opening on to an
area of lawn on which the children can play. Le Grange comments that this facility,
unusual in office premises, was included because there is a large contingent of female
staff in the building.
Staff
parking is in the basement, while visitor parking is adjacent to the building, limiting
the landscaping to the periphery of the site. "For this reason, the landscape design
was seen as an integral part of the architecture and follows the same structural and
formalistic approach. Plantings of a single shrub, Star Jasmine, encompass the building,
with a clear green and white theme. The entrance to the property is framed by a series of
'fingers' clad in quartzite as an expression of the secondary grid of the building,
extending beyond the boundary of the site and culminating in large trees. These fingers
interspersed with with strips of lawn draw the viewers attention to the macro context of
the site and the impressive views in the distance. This allows the focus to be detracted
from the visual barrier created by the security fence, while integrating the building into
its context," says Le Grange.
The offices
and canteen open onto a paved internal courtyard furnished with tables and chairs under
umbrellas. This space serves as a functional extension of the canteen. The theme of
structured landscaping is continued in the row of Leopard Trees contained in large square
planters echoing the structural grid of the building. A large triangular planter and water
channel intersect the courtyard. The planter is shaped into a densely covered mound of
Mondo Grass, providing a visual screen within the space.The solidity of this sculptural
form acts in juxtaposition to the scattering of light shade provided by the soft texture
of the trees. Balconies, easily accessed from the adjacent office areas, provide outdoor
pause areas for smokers in this non-smoking building.
An important
aspect of the building, in which a number of tenants are fully computerised, is the use of
indirect artificial light in an effort to lessen the effect of glare and reflection on the
computer screens. As part of this strategy, instead of a suspended ceiling, the soffits of
the concrete floor slabs are left exposed and are painted matt white. This provides an
effective and uninterrupted reflective surface for the standard uplighters, used as a
primary and diffuse light source. In the absence of a ceiling void, all electrical,
electronic and communication services are reticulated through a concealed duct under the
window cills - allowing for ease of access and flexibility.
The computer
training facility at Beads, in particular, benefits from the indirect lighting and and
extensive use is made of radiation-free screens. The diffuse light provided by the
uplighters is augmented by directed task lighting where required. In contrast to the high
lighting levels found in the office areas, a more subdued and warm light has been favoured
in public and circulation areas.
Optimum use
is made of natural light. All office floors are provided with extensive glazing,
culminating in the top floor, which has a continuous strip window reaching up to soffit
level. Sun control is provided by means of external, perfortaed metal screens, which are
positioned only where excessive and direct sun penetration occurs. Vinyl louvre drapes are
provided to allow for personal preference and have the addae advantage, should the need
occur, of cutting out all light penetration. The flush glazed steel structures,
intersecting the eastern façade, afford the building's most public face a measure of
permeability. These transparent boxes identify the more public of the internal spaces and
serve to orientate the visitor. The continually changing reflections in the glass contrast
with the severity of the surrounding blank walls.
In our
attempt to bring a degree of authenticity to the design, an effort was made to dvelop a
direct and robust aesthetic without resorting to the self- conscious. The use of low
voltage cable lighting in boardrooms, and the exposing of all functional parts are
examples of this. In the lobby areas, the fire sprinkler system has been left exposed, so
too have the mechanical parts of the lift, which in its glazed shaft affords the
approaching visitor a clear view of cables and mechanism. The intention was not ot develop
a n obvious industrial aesthetic, but to express an honesty of materials which is extended
to include the high quality of finishes which abound.
Project team
Developer: Acme Property Services (Pty) Ltd
Architects: Boogertman Krige (Jhb) (Pty) Ltd
Quantity surveyors: JS & Associates
Structural and civil engineers: Ellmer Partnership
Electrical engineers: Rawlins Wales & Partners
Mechanical engineers: Van Zyl & De Villiers
Land surveyors: J Siwinski Land Surveyors
Fire consultant: Fire Control Systems cc
Town Planner: Attwell Malherbe Associates
Main contractor: Gothic Construction
Landscape contractor: Greenacres Landscapes
-----
Sculpture Courtyard
3D
visualisation
Landscape
architects Cave Klapwijk & Associates designed a small sculpture courtyard for the
well- known Pretoria Art Museum in Park Street, Arcadia. The brief asked for a courtyard
which would not only serve as an outdoor display area, but would have some sculptural
significance of its own. Computer generated imagery facilitated the task of the unskilled
workforce that was used to implement the project.
The
centre-piece of the courtyard is a powerful sculpture of a large vessel and its crew, a
group of brutish figures, entitled 'Voyage II' from the renowned series 'Voyages' by
Capetonian David Brown, which was already in the possession of the Art Museum and will be
a permanent fixture in the courtyard. It is positioned on a pattern of stylised ocean
waves cast in concrete. The curved lines of the wave pattern contrast with the straight
lines of the rectangular courtyard and the building. The design of the courtyard, as a
whole, has been kept strong and simple with minimal planting in the form of two sculptured
mounds covered with Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) - each highlighted with a
sculptural, multi-stemmed specimen of Pride-of-India (Lagerstroemia indica), and there is
a low, clipped hedge of Nandina domestica against one of the walls. Mondo Grass was chosen
to accentuate the lines of the mounds and because it is shade-loving and maintenance-free,
while Pride-of-India was used because of its statuesque appearance in winter when it loses
its leaves, its attractive mottled bark and its stunning display of flowers in late
summer.
The paving
comprises granite sets of a blue-grey colour used as a cobblestone infil to a border of
slate tiles, exposed aggregate tiles and mosaic work. Smaller, local suppliers were used
for the paving materials. Project managers BVi Consulting Engineers employed unskilled
labourers to lay the paving. They were trained in the process of laying the granite
cobbles and did this successfully, even though these high quality sets were lacking in
uniformity which made the task difficult.
The border
of slate tiles is in rich autumn hues, while the exposed aggregate tiles were existing
tiles removed from an area of the museum precinct where a new part of the building was
being constructed - and these provide a link to the much earlier building. Two Mosaic
artists, originally from Kenya, put together strips of chipped ceramics, in a mosaic
pattern totalling 42 m in length, within the space of two weeks, off site. The bulk of the
paving is in natural colours contrasting with the in situ, cast concrete, wave pattern
which is in white and black - the black pattern was achieved with oxide coloured concrete
and separated from the white (natural concrete colour) with shuttering during the
construction process. The ceramic border in black, white and purple serves to outline the
wave pattern.
Brian
Rademeyer of Cave Klapwijk & Associates pointed out that aside from its function as an
area for changing sculptural exhibitions - the positioning of which would be the
responsibility of the client, the courtyard was an ideal venue for outdoor cocktail
functions in the summer months - an aspect which was not included in the client brief.
Gordon
Jubber of Cave Klapwijk was responsible for the creation of the computer generated imagery
and he looked at techniques which would make 3 D modelling feasible for smaller projects
such as this. Rademeyer prepared the base plan on AutoCAD and Jubber imported the drawing
file into 3D Studio Max.
"We had
no detailed plans of the building to work from but it was important to get the facades
adjacent to the courtyard looking as realistic as possible. We took detailed photos of the
building (guttering, windows, air-conditioning units, etc) and details of existing
materials and new materials. The 3D model comprises a combination of photographs that are
scanned in and computer graphics. I worked on average heights for a one-storey building
and 'eye-balled' certain aspects such as the distances between windows. It is important to
get in as many details as possible to make the computer imagery look as realistic as
possible. Modelling in the computer environment is an attempt to simulate the real
environment.
"Texture
maps called 'bump maps' were overlaid on the photos of the cobblestones to emphasise the
depth of the grooves between the granite sets. This texture map makes the deeper areas
look darker and the lighter, shallower. This is particularly important when the
walk-through facility is used, as the angles of light will change as the camera moves. A
'reflection map' was used to reflect the image of the courtyard onto the glass doors of
the courtyard to give further realism and depth to the model. Granite has a natural
reflective quality or 'shinyness' which is increased when it is overlaid with a texture
map."
Jubber
explained that the software package has different types of light available which can, in
combination, simulate the appearance of natural light. Thirteen different lights were used
to create the lighting of the courtyard. One light is used to simulate the sun and cast
shadows. He explained that there were two types of shadow casting - the normal 'shadow
map' and 'ray tracing'. "The 'shadow map' mathematically calculates the way in which
light falls over an object, but the shadows are a little fuzzy at the edges. 'Ray tracing'
has a specific ability of calculating how light moves through transparent objects. The
reason I chose 'ray tracing' in the courtyard scenes was because they needed the very
sharp shadows that it is able to render - to make the picture look richer in texture. Ray
tracing is very precise and casts very definite shadows, whereas a 'shadow map' is not as
accurate and gives the feel of a shadow in a softer manner.
"The 3D
tree in the courtyard involved more calculations than the entire building. This takes a
long time to do and it relates to computing power. Landscape drawings are more difficult
to do than architectural drawings," commented Jubber. "Every leaf on the tree is
a polygon, while the branches are cylinders, bent and tapered to give the affect of real
branches. The shape and texture simulates that of a real tree and the shadow of the tree
is calculated exactly. I took a single branch from one of the 3 D graphic libraries and
repeated the same branch three times to create the effect of a multi-stemmed Pride of
India. Maps were used for the trees in the background outside the courtyard but these are
not 3 D and only give the flat shape of the tree. This is a faster method of working but
it creates a less realistic look."
Jubber was
interested to note that the 3 D model of the courtyard only took him 18 hours, less time
than that spent to produce the sketch map of the courtyard. This meant that the use of
computer generated modelling made sense even for smaller projects. The more realistic you
make the model, the longer it will take - and it then, according to Jubber, takes every
bit of memory on the machine. Modelling of this nature is usually done to allow the client
(and the designer) to visualise the end product, but it had a secondary application on
this project. The realistic visuals were of great help to the unskilled labourers on this
project who were unable to read working drawings.
Project team
Client: Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council
Landscape architects: Cave Klapwijk & Associates
Project managers/civil engineers: BVi Consulting Engineers
Landscape contractor: Eksklusiewe Tuine |
