Supervisor: Jason Oberholster & Prof Carin Combrinck
Location: Melusi, Pretoria
Programme: Street regeneration, retail, residential
Client: Community of Melusi
Research Field: Co-Design and Public Interest Design
Keywords: Co-Design, Informal Settlement Upgrade, Threshold Design, Street Typologies, Public Interest Design
Abstract
This project explores the development of a contextual street-based urban typology in Melusi, an informal settlement located in Pretoria West. The focus is on Theo Slabbert Avenue which presently is defined by poor infrastructure, unsafe pedestrian conditions, and a lack of clear thresholds between buildings and the public realm. These limitations constrain mobility, reduce safety, and hinder everyday interactions between residents, shop owners, and the wider community.
The project focuses on residents and informal entrepreneurs who rely on the street for movement, trade, and connection. The current urban form does not synergistically satisfy these needs. In response the project proposes an architectural and infrastructural upgrade that positions the street as both a public space and a framework for economic and social life.
The design process consists of co-designing with members of the community in order to imagine the street through both tacit and expert knowledge. The design aims to enable safer, more interactive environments through pedestrian routes, active thresholds and a series of nodal points. The nodes act as anchors through encouraging interaction between people and reinforcing the street’s role as a shared resource.
Rather than imposing a formal order, the proposal supports and strengthens spatial practices already present in Melusi, with an approach rooted in incremental, in situ upgrade. It positions infrastructure not only as a technical fix but as a tool for agency. In doing so the project highlights the potential of architectural design to meaningfully contribute to informal settlement upgrading by working with, rather than over, the realities of place.
