Abstract

Throughout history fewer things have better cemented socio-political zeitgeist than public spaces - including both public open spaces such as parks and public service buildings such as hospitals or courthouses. Our country’s history in particular produced public spaces which were wrought with inequality and disproportionately favored quality provision to select groups over others. One’s access to our public spaces has always been a key concern, as in the past quality public spaces were deliberately planned to be inaccessible to the marginalized members of our society, whilst the few spaces provisioned for them were purposefully underfunded, overburdened and lesser in quality. Following the end of apartheid, an initiative was formed to empower those who were previously neglected with dignifying, accessible and socially/culturally grounded public spaces. 30 Years later however, this process has been rapidly stagnating with most interventions into the public realm remaining highly sporadic or are considered to have failed altogether. Hence, the majority of South Africans will likely never be privileged with

constant access to good and inviting public spaces and will remain wholly reliant on spatial infrastructure purposefully built to be inaccessible to them.

Healthcare is a basic human need and healthcare facilities account for one of the most frequented public services - particularly for the most vulnerable of our society such as the elderly or those suffering with chronic illness. However, inaccessibility to these spaces can be further exacerbated due to their highly compartmentalized and functionalistic/specialist nature, often resulting in a patient spatial experience which is cold, sterile and artificial as well as significantly removed from everyday life.

The intention of this project is centered around intervention into how the existing primary CHC (built as a hospital during apartheid) interfaces with the surrounding community at a spatial as well as a social level. Through

architectural intervention, the scheme seeks to reintegrate the compartmentalized and alienated facility back into the surrounding community and the everyday life of its users as well as transform the experience for patients visiting the facility to be more welcoming, empathetic and dignifying as a whole.

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