Urban Citizenship: CoDesign Studio

Studio leaders: Mr Jason Oberholster (PhD Candidate), Mr Christian Greyling & Prof Carin Combrinck

This project presents a CoDesign approach to micro-scale interventions at two key sites, MYDO 2 and the UP/Rotary COPC Clinic, aligned with the parameters of SANS 10082 for Timber frame buildings. Building on five years of collaborative research with stakeholders from the Melusi informal settlement and insights from the Co-Creating Wellness Project (2023–2025), the initiative addresses spatial conditions undermining community wellbeing through incremental upgrades and social stabilisation. By shifting the architect’s role from expert to facilitator, the co-design process embraces a participatory model that integrates both digital and analogue engagement tools, including design games, AI-assisted methodologies, and live build prototyping. Through iterative in-situ and possible online engagements, community partners and honours students collaboratively assess mapped spatial conditions, generate innovative intervention proposals, and implement a live build prototype. Ultimately, this project aims to deliver contextually responsive interventions that support ongoing health and education initiatives while contributing critically to the evolving discourse on socially engaged, participatory design in urban environments.