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Doctoral Degrees (Architecture)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/6670

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Architecture) by Author "Peters, Walter Hermann."

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    A contemporary assessment of the genesis of the modern aesthetic : the impact of modern art on modern architecture.
    (1999) Joubert, Ora.; Peters, Walter Hermann.; Radford, Dennis John Charles.
    This dissertation assesses the impact of modem art on the so-called heroic period of modem architecture, dated for the purposes ofthis thesis from 1917 to 1933. The study is premised on two principal arguments: firstly, modem art - Cubism, in particular - was the seminal influence on the codification of a modem architectural vocabulary. Secondly, the increasing preoccupation with utilitarian tenets obscured and ultimately undermined the semantic significance ofmodem architecture that was derived from the visual arts. A general introduction to the tumultuous history of 20th century architecture substantiates these presuppositions and contextualizes the current interest in the aesthetic intent of the pioneering Modernists. For the sake of reviewing the genesis of the modem aesthetic, the classical ideal of beauty is briefly reflected upon. This is followed by a review of the alternating depiction of pictorial depth and its extraordinary symbiotic relationship with the expression ofplastic space. The cubist-induced perception and experience of space is preceded by the catalytic role of the mechanization ofvision on the rejection ofthe classical canons of beauty. An in-depth analysis of Cubism, coupled with its derivatives that spawned architectural equivalents, reinforces the volumetric incarnation of modem art, exemplified by Purism, Constructivism and Neo-Plasticism. This study is concluded with an assessment of the adopted prerruses and a reflection on the longer-term objectives of this study.
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    A new vernacular architectural language informed by the use of space in informal settlements: selected case studies in the Ethekwini Municipality, South Africa.
    (2018) Ojo-Aromokudu, Judith Tinuke.; Loggia, Claudia.; Peters, Walter Hermann.
    Informal settlements are home to over 60% of urban poor in developing nations. They present a unique character in urban areas, making them easily identifiable. Nevertheless, they are often conceptualised in negative terms emphasising the illegality and non-conformity to building standards, arguably due to the limited understanding of the spaces created and meaning to the residents. The negative connotation of informality often directly or indirectly influences the upgrading interventions. This study sets out to gain an understanding of the use of space in informal dwelling environments, which could inform appropriate response and interventions to informal settlement upgrading programs, towards creating self-reliant and sustainable communities. It also intends to conceptualise a new vernacular architecture that incorporates the evolving character of dwelling spaces in the informal settlements. This research seeks to reconsider the informal dwellings in an objective light through the lenses of the residents. It reinterprets the self-built dwellings in relation to vernacular architecture. To do this, the key research questions raised are - What are the nature and characteristics of dwelling spaces in informal settlements that could inform appropriate response and interventions to upgrading programs? How can this be theorized into a “new vernacular architectural language?” The research applies a qualitative research methodology in three case studies in eThekwini municipality. The findings show that the settlements, as a whole, are an integral part of the dwelling experience and is affected by prevailing context, which includes accessibility to land (serviced or un-serviced) and accessibility to recycled materials for building purposes. This is also related to social ties often emanating from original homes, and leadership structures that are unrecognised by local authorities. A multi-layered dwelling pattern has been identified and categorised as simple, complex and multi-dwellings. These patterns show similarities to the vernacular language, particularly in the extensive use of outdoor spaces. The research concludes that the informal dwellings provide residents with experimental, existential, and aspirational meanings, as residents navigate their way into the city, and that the 21st century vernacular language is therefore trans-positional across rural-urban context.