OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Carter, Francis"

Browsing by Author "Carter, Francis"

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Open Access
A landscape in transition : architecture for an extreme climatic condition : accommodating the informal within a flood-prone area
(2009) Edwards, John; Steenkamp, Alta; Noero, Jo; Carter, Francis
[Not copying properly]Changing landscapes The npid urbanization !leen within the City of Cape-Town is a dyn2mic fluid, non-linor process as opposed to being stable or closely pcc:dicrJ.ble. Ecology and systems theory are· concepts inherent to the city and iu relationship with landSCllpe. Conceptualizing urbanization, human security and disaster risk, especially within Africa. will help unravel the issue at hand. The nature of the problem and the extreme conditions of flooding will also be explored. There are indiations that South A frica's climate is becoming increasingly variable (Napier & Rubin; 2002). Climate change increases the uncertainty fa.ced by vulnerable communities through a widening range of future climate variations and ha.z:trds. This is not a hypothetic:tl risk to be addressed §eVtral deades into the future, but a real increase in risk that is presently threatening livelihoods. (UNISDR; 2002) Residents of informal settlements in the Western Cape. as well as elsewhere in South Africa, are the hardest hit by extreme weather conditions and associated flooding. Thousands of households in the province and beyond suffer severe losses in informal dwelling floods and fires. During floods and fires. poor families suffer significant development setbacks. These disasters are also costly for the affected municipalities and provincial departments, and divert resources from other urgently needed services. (Holloway; 2007) rapid migration into the province and natural population growth have increased the number of informal settlements across the province. '('i.thin Cape Town alone, by 2007. mott than 220 separate informal settlements had been identified and mapped. (Holloway; 2007)
Open Access
Adaptive reuse : the Salt River market
(2010) Komane, Fatima Thapelo; Steenkamp, Alta; Noero, Jo; Carter, Francis
We live in a society that is constantly in change. As society moves forward, we experience social, political and economic shifts that somehow prove difficult for our buildings to survive in this rapid change. My Interest therefore looks to adaptive reuse as an approach to dealing with the change in our built environment. How do you deal, in an urban setting, with a neglected urban fabric without compromising Its historical and architectural memory which becomes important to a community? How do we begin to engage with the built fabric? It begins with accepting that transformation needs to occur. Adaptive reuse ensures the evolving life of any old building by expanding its practical use in its contemporary context. Existing and abandoned buildings represent a substantial resource. Through adaptive reuse, many buildings can continue to be brought back into use and contribute to a more sustainable development pattern. Old buildings in my opinion possess a timeless character. The aim of this document is to Investigate the potential of adaptive reuse as a response in transforming an existing structure on the brink of neglect into potentially a space that could be reused and function in a way that it supports the community and promote social engagement. The design and research develops a theoretically informed and sustainable approach to recycling built fabric in its contemporary urban context by linking patterns of adaptation and reuse to the change experienced in the contemporary built environment.
Open Access
Architecture of the Machine
(2013) Gild, Talia Orli; Noero, Jo; Coetzer, Nic; De Jager, Rob; Carter, Francis
A dissertation born out of the fascination of largescaled infrastructural engineered/architectural projects, where the individual human is absent from its initial architectural and programmatic goals, rendering built form/architecture that is free to explore scale and form. A project where the architecture is formally governed by a process that is mechanical and systematic. This dissertation that has been entitled Architecture of the Machine as I have chosen to explore the machine of our future water supply, that of a desalination plant. 2013 marks the year that we, South Africa, are no longer water "secure", in other words, the population of the country is going to exceed the amount of water available to us. A desalination plant in Hout Bay, able to produce 30 000M ℓ/day, situated on the edge of the industrial sector, harbour, the informal settlement of Hangberg and the beginning the mountainous terrain of The Sentinel. This dissertation proposes that the brine water be used for salt harvesting, via shallow pans, where naturally, the water will be evaporated from these pans, leaving salt crystals behind to be used in industry, as well as the implementation of sustainable energy devices to help supplement this extensive energy consuming process. With great infrastructure comes great responsibility, therefore the design of this infrastructure must be coupled with public activities. Building something that helps our future livelihood must be something that people can also interact with, and identify with, thereby creating a physical and emotive landmark.
Open Access
A Centre for Design: Catalyst for Urban Regeneration in Salt River, Cape Town
(2013) Viljoen, Tanya; Noero, Jo; Coetzer, Nic; De Jager, Rob; Carter, Francis
Our cities are plagued by "lost spaces," left over as a result of the modern movement and extensive mobility routes. These spaces result in negative areas of the city, and are associated with vagrants, pollution and crime, rendering the area and its surroundings unsafe and undesirable. This dissertation shows how, by means of acknowledging, considering and reprogramming space these areas can be reconsidered to be positive places The aim of this dissertation is to address the architectural problem of neglected space and show how, through revitalisation and insertion of functions and programs which respond to site, historical context and culture, the inherent potential of a space can be unveiled. The design and research develops a theoretically informed and sustainable approach to regenerating"lost space" and convert it into a positive architectural experience of place.
Open Access
Conceptualising design knowledge and its recontextualisation in the studiowork component of a design foundation curriculum
(2012) Steyn, Diane; Shay, Suellen; Carter, Francis
Universities of Technology have traditionally prepared students for the world of work and their close ties with industry directly impact on vocational curriculum, which has to impart subject knowledge and specialized knowledge valued by industry, whilst simultaneously encouraging the acquisition of vocational identity. This study of a Design Foundation Course’s curriculum is located at a University of Technology which is currently undergoing a process of re-curriculation, which has initiated a process of examining subject knowledge and its structuring in various course’s curricula. In the light of these developments, an examination of the nature of design knowledge and the role of the foundation curriculum in the transfer of core disciplinary knowledge to underprepared students appeared both timely and necessary.
Open Access
Creative housing : from provision to enablement : contexting housing policy through the investigation of support structures
(2009) Richardson, Robert Richard; Steenkamp, Alta; Noero, Jo; Carter, Francis
In South Africa, the pressure on the infrastructure and facilities of the city - designed for a privileged few and now accessible to a growing populace - has resulted in two generic conditions. Urban economic centres have either relocated to areas outside of the city- exacerbating sprawl and destroying our urban legacy, or, as in the case of Cape Town, as a result of topography; the racial and political boundaries constructed by the colonial and apartheid state have been replaced by social and economic divisions. The coincidence of the natural topographic assets of Cape Town and the resultant eccentric focus of the city constructed by such topography has created a reversal of the normal population densities of the city. The most densely populated suburbs occur on the periphery while the economic opportunities still exist mainly in the centre. The resultant daily migration to and from work, creates huge pressure on public transportation and infrastructure. The desire for urbanization and the scarcity of affordable resources creates numerable urban pathologies which manifest themselves on the boundary between the periphery and interior. Rapid urbanization and the incapacity of the state to cope in the provision of accessible and affordable housing has resulted in the development of resilient self-aided local typologies which can accommodate the realities of the South African condition• It is my thesis that these local types form a necessary context through which housing design and urban policy should be informed, in order to create an alternative approach to housing in our country.
Open Access
Digital boundaries: A study into how mobile devices and information + communication technologies can influence the social programming, spatial conditions and construction of public architecture
(2018) Van 'T Hof, Marcus Daniel; Carter, Francis; Brunette, Tessa
DIGITAL BOUNDARIES explores the notion of how ICTs and mobile devices can influence the social programming, spatial conditions and construction of public architecture. This topic is derived from the study of Urban Informatics which looks at three key actors: people, place and technology. This can be seen in South Africa where many young individuals inhabit public buildings in the urban environment purely to be connected to wireless internet through their mobile devices. This is done so that they are able to do research for studies, look for job opportunities or socialise. This digital infrastructure then becomes an important aspect of the public realm, not only for personal benefit and need, but for attracting people to place. Situated in the Nyanga Junction precinct south of Gugulethu, the architectural proposition looks at adding digital infrastructure to this complex precinct in the informal area of Cape Town through three scales of architecture; small, medium and large. The small scale is that of Wi-Fi hotspots at street level embedded within the informal market at ten strategically located sites. The medium scale interventions are upgrades to four existing trade posts elevated above at first floor level. Lastly the large scale which is of catalytic and institutional architecture at two proposed sites, of which one is the main architectural focus of the design dissertation and explored further. The architectural programme provides spaces for: IT learning and skills development to help individuals seek employment, collaborative hubs for those developing new entrepreneurial ideas, and youth hubs for students to study and socialise. These three scales and their locality have been informed by social thresholds developed through the theory and technology studies that have been influential in the urban strategy of the design dissertation. It has created a framework for digital infrastructure to be implemented that will help enhance the public realm for a safer and more conducive urban environment.
Open Access
Empowering Power Town : a contextual study that ascertains social and architectural sustainability
(2010) Beyers, Nellis; Carter, Francis; Coetzer, Nic; Noero, Jo; Steenkamp, Alta
My thesis investigates the ability to generate social and architectural sustainability from the surrounding context of a specific site- Power Town. A thorough analysis of the changing social conditions, cultural values and natural processes are done to be part of, and inform, this hypothesis. My architectural interventions are thus informed by the existing and will be a reflection of Power Town's vernacular. The first part of the document introduces Power Town to the reader, where it is situated and how it came to be, and why it is an unproductive settlement. Part two, 'a landscape enthused architecture', explores cultural, productive and responsive landscapes and their implication in architecture. Methods are investigated that help to uncover the complex layers of site and landscape. This thorough understanding Bird' s eye view of Power Town (Wildlife Expressions, Power Town) of the landscape will inform the design proposal. It will illustrate that Power Town has much potential to develop and evolve within its environment. In part three, 'adaptability', I discuss the potential of reusing structures, as they are, instead of demolishing them, clearing the site, and constructing new architecture. In many situations, manmade structures already exist in the context of a site and the adaptive reuse of them will be a productive addition to the context. New architecture must also be able to adjust and accommodate the unpredictable needs of the future. The fourth part, 'sustainable materials', is an investigation of a productive use of materials. Using materials originated from the context is the key initiative here. It makes for a sustainable construction that reflects the context and blends in with the landscape. This includes possibilities such as materials produced or harvested on site and the reuse of demolition- and industrial waste. All topics are discussed as interrelated issues that could contribute to the restoration of Power Town's dignity. Part five, 'design', is the synthesis of all these opportunities. A site making strategy that allows for unpredictable incremental phasing is designed initially. A number of design principles are implemented in this place making that would contribute to ascertaining social and architectural sustainability. The main idea here is to exploit the existing farming, fishing and construction abilities in the community and initiate a productive landscape. The place making plan lays the foundation for the design of a production centre. I propose to adapt and reuse the existing derelict power station. This new public building will form the heart of Power Town's productivity. It will house a number of facilities that offer, mainly; skills development workshops in different forms of production; a multi-usable auditorium; a production nursery; as well as flexible market, storage and work space for the processing and distribution of foodstuff in the community.
Open Access
Envelopes of adaptation - an architecture of social thresholds and flexibility: investigating the socio-technical relationship between the built edge and social surface
(2018) Moodley, Byron; Carter, Francis; Brunette, Tessa
The concept of adaptability in architecture is one that very often bears technical rather than social connotations. What are the mechanisms and systems that allow buildings to adapt to fluctuating environmental and climatic conditions? These responses are often the driving force behind design considerations, placing emphasis on the manner in which the technical resolutions facilitate appropriate adaptability and environmental response. This adaptability is generally addressed through the building envelope, which acts as the mediator between the interior conditions of a building, and the exterior conditions of its environment (Lovell, 2010). However, beyond addressing these environmental conditions, there are greater urban and social conditions that bear equal weight within any design inquiry. Building adjacencies, ethnographics, social development and imageability of spatial ordering are all fundamental factors that need to be addressed within building envelope design (Lovell, 2010). The design dissertation inquiry explores the multi-faceted nature of building envelopes as well as an architecture of internal and external thresholds. The inquiry examines ways in which building envelopes respond to both the environmental and social complexities of a context, as well as how internal and external threshold and edge conditions can be design generative and communicative; expressing spatial organisations, conditions of privacy and mechanisms of adaptability. This topic of adaptive envelopes and defining thresholds in relation to social complexities has been explored in an architectural design project, which aims to practically address social and environmental issues. This exploration yields a set of key findings into an architecture of thresholds and adaptability in response to the sociotechnical conditions of a context where the lines between the formal and informal are blurred.
Open Access
Forgetting To Remember : Remembering To Forget: a space for reconciliation and transformation in post-apartheid South Africa
(2013) Gevers, Katja Barros; Noero, Jo; Coetzer, Nic; De Jager, Rob; Carter, Francis
This dissertation discusses the origin, development and implementation of the design project - a reconciliation memorial in the Schotschekloof quarry in Cape Town. The project aims to illuminate the opportunity for architecture to engender reconciliation, and therefore contribute, however subtly, towards the transformation of a society. It is applied to the South African post-Apartheid context through the lens of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but deals with universal themes of memory, loss and forgiveness. The project critically explores reconciliation resulting from the interplay of memory and forgetting within the spatial confines of the memorial. It explores the functional aspects of both processes expanding on the traditional definition of commemorative space in art and architecture.
Open Access
Fractured pedagogy : the design and implementation fault line in architectural knowledge : a conceptual and historical analysis
(2007) Carter, Francis; Muller, Johan
There appears to be a gap in architectural knowledge between design theory and implementation practice which is difficult to bridge in teaching, learning and work. As evidence of the existence of this gap two sources of data are contrasted: exhibition catalogues which convey what individual architects say to each other about their work, and official reports which convey what institutional representatives of the organised profession say about failures in the work of architects. These data sets are contradictory, reinforcing the possibility of a fault-line between design knowledge and implementation. The question then arises as to whether this tension in professional knowledge in the field of production is reflected in the pedagogisation of the knowledge, reinforced through its transmission. As the architectural curriculum in Commonwealth countries has a generic format, this generic curriculum is analysed next, in terms of Bernstein's concepts of classification of framing, and integration of collection.
Open Access
Fractured pedagogy: the design and implementation fault line in architectural knowledge - a conceptual and historical analysis
(2007) Carter, Francis; Muller, Johan
There appears to be a gap in architectural knowledge between design theory and implementation practice which is difficult to bridge in teaching, learning and work. As evidence of the existence of this gap two sources of data are contrasted: exhibition catalogues which convey what individual architects say to each other about their work, and official reports which convey what institutional representatives of the organised profession say about failures in the work of architects. These data sets are contradictory, reinforcing the possibility of a fault-line between design knowledge and implementation. The question then arises as to whether this tension in professional knowledge in the field of production is reflected in the pedagogisation of the knowledge, reinforced through its transmission. As the architectural curriculum in Commonwealth countries has a generic format, this generic curriculum is analysed next, in terms of Bernstein's concepts of classification/ framing, and integration I collection. The analysis is ambiguous, as both strong and weak criteria co-exist with dual coding, complicated by the horizontality and tacit nature of spatial design knowledge on the one hand, and the extent of regionalised knowledge on the other which recontextualises contradictory knowledge systems from sources in arts and sciences. Tacit implementation knowledge sits uncomfortably in this mix as a largely segmental horizontal discourse. To understand the default pattern in this pedagogy more clearly, the research then tracks back to the initial definition of the knowledge system at the time of the formation of the modern profession. In this analysis Bernstein's pedagogic device is used as the framework for locating and unraveling the historic data in terms of the production and recontextualisation of knowledge, distributive rules and power relations between agents. The history maps neatly onto this theoretical model, confirming in-built tensions in the knowledge system which marginalise knowledge of implementation and which construct a professional consciousness centered around spatial imagination primarily and technical innovation secondarily. The research is thus an initial attempt at a historical analysis of a region of professional knowledge.
Open Access
Inclusive & rehabilitative environment : the application of universal design principles to rehabilitate mainstream society's attitude toward disabilities & access
(2013) Bawa, Hiten M; Noero, Jo; Coetzer, Nic; De Jager, Rob; Carter, Francis
This "Inclusive and Rehabilitative Environment" dissertation focuses on the application of Universal Design principles and changing attitudes toward people with disabilities in the built environment. The choice of research subject is partly influenced by my disability as a profoundly deaf person and as a bilateral cochlear implant user as well as from my exposure to the spatial challenges people with disabilities face in the built environment. Cape Town’s built environment was designed and constructed with no reference to the needs of people with disabilities and the ageing population (Davies, 2013; Thompson 2013). It continued to perpetuate the social and attitudinal barriers toward disabilities despite recent attempts and policies at improving accessibility (Daniels, 2013; Opperman, 2013, Mycroft, 2013). There are few buildings in Cape Town that are accessible but most of them are restricted to institutional typologies. In addition, the research focus is further motivated by the following points: * There is a lack of relevant and updated resources on Universal Design in South Africa compared to First World countries (Davies; 2013; Lehohla, 2005; Opperman, 2013; Thompson; 2013). * The recently updated section of the National Building Regulation SANS 10400, Part S: Facilities for persons with disabilities, is a significant advancement for the rights of people with disabilities. Granted, the legal frameworks, policies and guidelines are theoretically in place. They are seldom applied in practice and are often not enforced (Thompson, 2013). * There is a lack of understanding on applying accessibility features to suit the local context compared to international examples (Daniels, 2013; Davies; 2013).
Open Access
The junction: transcending sociotechnical divides through youth space
(2018) Dowlath, Rahul; Carter, Francis; Brunette, Tessa
Infrastructure continues to perpetuate the effects of splintering urbanism in South African cities. Where apartheid planning policies such as the group areas act used infrastructure as a mechanism of social organisation, this design dissertation proposes using architecture as social infrastructure to transcend these sociotechnical divides. The concept of the sociotechnical denotes the synergy of a city's infrastructural systems and its social life. In this design dissertation this idea is explored at various scales: at the urban level, through a development strategy that spatialises unsafe public open land; at the architectural scale, through surface articulation and interfacing with urban infrastructure; and at the technical level, through building performance analysis and technical design development in support of architectural goals. The project uses a distributed programme that stretches across communities in order to socialise the existing urban infrastructure of a pedestrian bridge. By leveraging the social significance of a local football club, the project proposes a social programme around the idea of a football clubhouse as a programmatic anchor. In reacting to urban infrastructure, the idea of imageability and presence are important considerations. These concepts enable youth to positively engage with the architecture, and allows the building to convey its purpose and programmatic intent, thereby creating a strong social interface with its users. Sociotechnical architecture is considered as an urban armature that socialises and spatialises urban infrastructure. The architecture therefore seeks the minimal amount of fixity to support a variety of flexible events surrounding sports and recreation activities. This is achieved through a selection of robust materials used in horizontal surfaces of social purpose, and the combination of structure, materiality and geometry to create a series of vertical surfaces of social presence and architectural imageability. The result is a strategic arrangement of architectural interventions deployed across a large urban scheme. By distributing the architecture across urban infrastructure, the project connects two communities and presents an architectural response to splintering urbanism.
Open Access
Kinetic architecture$$h[electronic resource] : the spatial organization of daily mobility in a public bathhouse
(2011) De Vries, Hermias Cornelius; Noero, Jo; Carter, Francis
Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.
Open Access
The Lion Couchant - Architecture of the ontological landscape of Lion Mountain
(2013) Botha, Charlton; Noero, Jo; Coetzer, Nic; De Jager, Rob; Carter, Francis
This dissertation is focussed on the natural and cultural landscape of the 'Lion Mountain', comprising of Signal Hill and Lion's Head, Cape Town. Based on the earlier theoretical analysis of reading place through a phenomenological approach to landscape of memory, as well the technological analysis of contemporary methods for architectural mapping, both studies serve as a pretext to the dissertation, in so far as to provide tools of engagement and interpretation of the study area to be identified as the "overall site". The resultant findings uncover a rich, highly complex layering of place and the relationships that permeate the various stages of human inhabitation here. These findings provide the platform for tracing the present day evidence of their respective adaptations, and as such, identifies that the role of the landscape, primarily a seasonal place of recreation – in contemporary culture - dissolves within itself muted and often absent representations of its multifaceted history. Thus, the overriding architectural problem questions whether perhaps the true value of this landscape lie in its ability to be understood by its user as much as it is to be enjoyed, beyond its often chaotic usage. The project challenges the customs of both historical narrative and active natural landscape as inherently separate archetypes and proposes the establishment of a framework upon which key significant elements of the narrative, spread across the broader landscape, get developed as a series of spatial episodes with unique supporting programs. The neutrality of everyday life is suggested as the common factor that brings these archetypes into discourse. A network of inter-leading routes then incorporates these interim destinations and their respective histories into a dynamic present. The architectural design of each of these destinations gets expressed through the intimacy of the sensuous qualities of the built fabric and the fragility of natural ecology and its temporal authority. At times delicate influence simply reinforces existing conditions, and at others more extensive persuasion is required to realise the special qualities of each location. Adaptive reuse plays as big a role with programming the existing as it does with modes of production - emphasizing the situatedness of place and experiential embodiment. Such valency in the proposal shifts the prominence of normative associations of "nature reserve" maintenance and management into qualitative public engagement at a much deeper level than what is presently experienced.
Open Access
Living on the edge : Nature & Society - Re-imagining architecture through Thirdspace
(2013) Artz, Pim; Noero, Jo; Coetzer, Nic; De Jager, Rob; Carter, Francis
This design dissertation report investigates the paradigm of Thirdspace theory through explorations within the tensions between nature and society, directing the focus of site towards Cape Town's city bowl urban edge. Thirdspace is adopted throughout the development of this dissertation and investigated at different architectural scales within the design process: from the initial conceptualised stage through to spatial programming towards realisation of the construction process and materiality. Nature is under attack by urbanism, where architecture may act as a mediator by providing a platform for a new kind of urban form to manifest through coexistence. Where a neglected firebreak periphery once enforced a disconnected nature from society, it now presents an opportunity for a productive firebreak strategy integrated into an architectural layer, merging public space into the natural landscape. Designing opportunity for crossprogramming in the realms of residential architecture, generates a mixed use matrix, a space where cultures and traditions merge together to form a neutral social framework, where in the urban edge condition, an architecture coexists between the realms of nature and that of the city.
Open Access
Magnifying the interstice: Mixed-use reuse of abandoned lanes in Salt River
(2010) Vaughan, Sasha; Steenkamp, Alta; Noero, Jo; Carter, Francis; Coetzer, Nic
Open Access
Making place for petty crimes : an exploration into the use of boundaries as a vehicle for generating an appropriate response to the complexities of urban courts
(2010) Rademan, Louiza; Steenkamp, Alta; Noero, Jo; Carter, Francis
Boundaries form a critical part of any architectural process. During my years of study I was continuously confronted with the word 'boundary; and the function thereof. Where do we find it in architecture and the cities we live in? Martin Heidegger notes that a boundary is not that at which something stops, but as recognized by the Greek, the boundary is that from which something begins its existence. Boundaries either invite or exclude. We all follow the lines created by architecture in our everyday life, and our movement through places are regulated by them. Whether the boundary is between public or private, open or enclosed spaces, it should be seen as a starting point for the journey. What is the role of boundaries in law architecture and at what point does it invite or exclude the public on the journey. To address the question, the terms 'superiority' and 'exclusivity' in law buildings will be explored through investigating the appearance of traditional law courts. What impression the architecture left behind and the boundaries they've established. The architecture of courthouses originated from past movements which resemble cathedral like structures. These courthouses were designed with power to create a sovereign atmosphere over the entire city and establishing fear amongst the people for the law. The grand columns on a court's front facade created the impression of looking up towards the king and then to God. The characteristics of these courthouses are universal, which create court typologies that can be located anywhere in the world. In South Africa, where the principle of 'moving forward' guides a diverse society through history, it is important that the architecture of law buildings is not 'left behind: Our current courthouses represent the past, and have left the majority with a pessimistic perception of law and justice. The transformation which South African law went through establishes that the law should not be a fixed rule, but that it needs it to be an interchangeable law that transforms according to the needs of society. The intention of this project is to define a new court typology that bridges the gap between the elitism of the past and a unified future, which allows for an appropriate response to the complexities of Urban Courts. An investigation into the spatial structure which traditional law courts have adopted will elucidate the issue of hierarchy in traditional courts and inform possible interventions for facilitating an accessible arrangement of space. How should the hierarchy of space be reorganized so that they are not reflective of a system that individuals can't relate to? Making of boundaries will be investigated in an attempt to understand how the thresholds of law courts can empower people to cross the 'imagined' line. The question which then manifests itself is: Can the built environment play a role in transcending these boundaries that constrict us as a society? Traditional Courts convey a clear and strong boundary between the public and the private, the accessible and the inaccessible. It draws a line between that which belongs to others and that which is of ourselves.
Open Access
The meeting of cultures
(2009) De Moyencourt, Lucie Bernadette Joan; Steenkamp, Alta; Noero, Jo; Carter, Francis
The concept for this paper and for my thesis comes from a personal desire to facilitate cross-cultural interaction in a space. I began by questioning whether architecture can bring together people from different backgrounds and cultures, and if so then what type of architecture does this? And how does it do this? I believe the city is a psychological as well as physical reality. The city exists as a series of doubles; having official and hidden cultures, it is both a real place and a site of the imagination. Its elaborate network of streets, housing, public buildings, transport systems, parks, and shops is paralleled by complex attitudes, habits, customs, expectancies, hopes and popular culture that reside in us as urban subjects. (Cbamber5 I. ( 1986) Popular culture, the metropolitan experience, USA; Methuen & Co. P. 183) I believe that public architecture should represent and reflect popular culture in order to arouse and attract people together in a space. By doing so, the art and magic of architecture becomes accessible to the general populace. Architecture is a public art whereby the creator of the work should think of designing for pleasing the people on the street as much as pleasing the client of the project. A building that is able to communicate with people adds depth to people's lives and daily experience. I am interested in architecture which makes you fantasize, dream, marvel, act, jump in fountains, climb up walls of buildings, lose your inhibitions, and break taboos in society. A work of architecture thus becomes a stimulus for discussion, exchange and pleasure. This study is my opportunity for developing a number of ideas about popular architecture as well as to express my own love of vibrant popular places in order to enable creative design for my architectural thesis. Through this theoretical investigation I hope to discover innovative ways of realizing my concepts of building for 'the people'; of giving the people what they would like to see in a public building. I believe that fascinating structures can be made for the built environment by applying knowledge from popular culture.

Browsing by Author "Carter, Francis"

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