Lotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrology

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dc.contributor.advisorFellingham, Kevinen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDu Plessis, Claireen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-22T11:07:21Z
dc.date.available2016-03-22T11:07:21Z
dc.date.issued2015en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical referencesen_ZA
dc.description.abstractDespite the abundance of fresh water produced in the mountains surrounding Cape Town, a range of factors contribute towards the imminent water crisis felt locally and internationally. While governing bodies have management strategies and infra structural upgrades planned, these interventions address issues of water quantity only. Steadily declining water quality is an equally important issue which will continue to impact on available fresh water quantities if action is not taken. The threats on water availability in cities stem from growing urbanization itself. The question this dissertation poses is how architecture can encourage a symbiotic relationship between built and natural environments, with special regard for urban water systems. The answer is found in the balance of quantity management, quality improvement and long-term protection of water - a symbiosis between city and urban hydrology. This dissertation documents the research and design of a speculative architectural proposition to embody such a symbiosis. It is hypothesized that the design must address quantity and quality issues simultaneously by coupling infrastructure with community facilities. This will ensure immediate remediation of a water system and encourage a long-lasting protection of water quality through passive education and public conscientizing. The research identifies the Lotus River, located near the Philippi Horticultural Area in Cape Town, as an appropriate representative of the urban hydrological cycle in Cape Town. Through an understanding of the major pollutants in the river and a study of current technology, an industrial process which recycles pollution into fertilizer is proposed as the major programme of the project. This programme is overlaid with an agricultural training center and public amenities which encourage and incentivise environmental awareness among the community. The architectural theories of symbiosis and the social' condenser are proposed as precedent for the way in which architecture has, through the creation of transitional spaces, attempted to usher society into a new way of living. This project explores the creation of a transitional space between building and nature to encourage a symbiotic relationship between urbanity and water, where the Lotus meets the Machine.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationDu Plessis, C. (2015). <i>Lotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrology</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18176en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDu Plessis, Claire. <i>"Lotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrology."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18176en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDu Plessis, C. 2015. Lotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrology. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Du Plessis, Claire AB - Despite the abundance of fresh water produced in the mountains surrounding Cape Town, a range of factors contribute towards the imminent water crisis felt locally and internationally. While governing bodies have management strategies and infra structural upgrades planned, these interventions address issues of water quantity only. Steadily declining water quality is an equally important issue which will continue to impact on available fresh water quantities if action is not taken. The threats on water availability in cities stem from growing urbanization itself. The question this dissertation poses is how architecture can encourage a symbiotic relationship between built and natural environments, with special regard for urban water systems. The answer is found in the balance of quantity management, quality improvement and long-term protection of water - a symbiosis between city and urban hydrology. This dissertation documents the research and design of a speculative architectural proposition to embody such a symbiosis. It is hypothesized that the design must address quantity and quality issues simultaneously by coupling infrastructure with community facilities. This will ensure immediate remediation of a water system and encourage a long-lasting protection of water quality through passive education and public conscientizing. The research identifies the Lotus River, located near the Philippi Horticultural Area in Cape Town, as an appropriate representative of the urban hydrological cycle in Cape Town. Through an understanding of the major pollutants in the river and a study of current technology, an industrial process which recycles pollution into fertilizer is proposed as the major programme of the project. This programme is overlaid with an agricultural training center and public amenities which encourage and incentivise environmental awareness among the community. The architectural theories of symbiosis and the social' condenser are proposed as precedent for the way in which architecture has, through the creation of transitional spaces, attempted to usher society into a new way of living. This project explores the creation of a transitional space between building and nature to encourage a symbiotic relationship between urbanity and water, where the Lotus meets the Machine. DA - 2015 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2015 T1 - Lotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrology TI - Lotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrology UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18176 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/18176
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDu Plessis C. Lotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrology. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, 2015 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18176en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentSchool of Architecture, Planning and Geomaticsen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherArchitecture, Planning and Geomaticsen_ZA
dc.subject.otherUrban hydrologyen_ZA
dc.titleLotus and the Machine: architecture for the symbiosis of cities and urban hydrologyen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMArch (Prof)en_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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