Boardwalk VS NMMU

Our assignment for Urban, was do a comparison analysis between boardwalk and the university south campus. Of course this meant going around each location taking photographs of interest and relevance......

now tell me the relevance this had in the assignment...hahaha. I found this bikers helmet in the African square at boardwalk. Of course being at boardwalk we all had the urge to go do a slight bit of gambling, how ever we were head down to the task in hand, and ran around boardwalk and campus taking photographs for analysis. 

as seen here i was hard at work in analysing the entrance of boardwalk compared to the universities entrance......

the final result of the task was to find an understanding of different design syntax and better learn the meaning of integration, which i can honestly say i do understand!!!! This assignment made me realize that our university is a beautiful piece of modernist architecture, although it could have been such a vibrant place to be if a few particular things varied through the architects plans. Although, the purpose of the campus is to learn i suppose, and not meant to be a club!!!!

This how ever after a long, full and straight 24hours is the result that myself and dewald  came to hand-in with. It only recieved a 45%, however we have been given a second chance to perfect our project and kill a 70% hopefully, hahaha

Knysna Trip

Although being convincingly behind on work and needing desperately to catch some wind in my sails as far as design is concerned, two friends and myself left a few days early before our entire class to catch a small breather of a weekend to catch back some sanity that had been lost. We did in fact do some research and some design work while we were down in Plettenberg bay on our excursion. Not much to be honest, but more than average. We even got to fit in a few rounds of golf, which was much needed as well.

 Although the weekend was not about all that. The point of the B-tech trip was to learn of Sustainable architecture and leaving a smaller carbon footprint. Which to be honest, Was brilliant. To learn how and what can be done with so little and a bit of initiative is mind blowing. The women who did every thing was quite cool as well, with her home grown herbs underneath the decking, HAHA.

Although the trip was a much bigger bonding session than we all realised. which made the trip even more special. To learn and see a side of people we would have never in the labs here at varsity 

It was also awesome what Mr. Pansegrouw and Hansie did for all of us, in the fact of how they didn't just take time out of there own life's, but took time away from there families and work for us, which in by itself is incredible. Would have been awesome to have had the rest of our lectures there with us, but hey. What can we do. I think this trip should be done every semester.

 Da Hansie & Da Panse

The second venue we saw on our trip after a good night, was Theusen Island. Named after the family which Founded Knysna. This island is a bit of a 2 way street in the fact how it is brilliant how it generated so much local employment and raised so much revenue for the town. How ever, the entire island only caters to the quite extreme rich and wealthy, which is not what i feel is what Knysna is about. Although having a stature of a upmarket and prime location Knysna is, its not what it portrays as you go through town. It is a culture deep town and full of marine life. Although who am i to comment.

 But the on location Architecture firm did do an amazing development. Especially the hotel, 'the Turbine'. the old saw mill factory converted into a hotel is breath taking from an architectural stand point of view. How they Incorporated old manufacturing plant machinery into the structure, and used is as a point of art to complement the structure. All in all, my over all perception of the Theusen Island development is brilliant and there is no other word for it what Chris Mulder and Eugene had done for this place.

Theausen Island, From Pezula Golf Resort & Spa

DKD Presentation

So the DKD assignment did not go as well as planned. I am how ever annoyed at the fact, that I worked late hours through a couple of nights to get the assignment ready to present and went through alot of effort to have a pretty O.K presentation, to learn that a few people didnt even bother with a Powerpoint presentation. I mean it was printed as clear as day on the brief, but yet, who am i to comment. I have made and been through even larger mistakes. However I am proud of my curtain walling method i used for my chosen Goven Mbeki Street building. Here is the main example of the curtain walling i had chosen for my building. Known as Urban Art, by 'NED KAHN'. He first experimented with the new parking building of

Brisbane Airport, Australia.

As seen in the posted video that I had downloaded, you can see the significance of the chosen curtain walling known as Water Facades. Ned Kahn believes that water features in an urban context creates peace and a better place to be and socialise. So what this facade does is create an image of ripples in water when a breeze hit the facade. This is caused by thousands of loosely fitted aluminium panels on a aluminium rods which are fixed in C-Channel hot dipped galv steel sections. As seen in the video.

This type of facade is exactly what Goven Mbeki needs to keep the historical feel, yet at the same time, bring a light of contemporary style a modern architecture to the main street of Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

I'm tired of driving down Goven Mbeki to see such a stunning library like we do, to be spoilt by disgusting buildings like the edgars building, or the old checkers building. That is such a culture and history deep street, but yet being wasted. We need to start pumping money into building a legacy for our city and its future, instead of making useless politicians pockets fatter.