Houses For the Masses
Author
Bergstrom, Audun
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2011
Submitted on
2011-08-18
Pages
286
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan man kan udvikle et billigt og skalerbart modulært byggesystem, der fremmer bæredygtig udvikling i udsatte by- og forstadsområder i Sydafrika, og samtidig leverer arkitektonisk kvalitet, der forbedrer levevilkår. Projektet trækker på idéer fra organisk arkitektur og på indflydelsesrige enfamiliehuse designet af Aalto, Prouvé, Utzon og Reynolds. Det genbesøger begrebet ly som et udtryk for hårdt arbejde, social status, fantasi og opfindsomhed. Med inspiration fra filosoffen Martin Heidegger hævdes det, at vi ikke blot skal bygge, men bo – leve meningsfuldt i harmoni med Jord, Himmel, Dødelige og Guddomme. Bæredygtighed forstås gennem cradle-to-cradle-modellen, hvor bygninger sammenlignes med træer: organismer, der interagerer med deres omgivelser og recirkulerer materialer, så output fra én proces nærer en anden. Med voksende befolkning og migration til megabyer er behovet for bæredygtige, overkommelige boliger presserende. Mamelodi, en udsat forstad til Pretoria, illustrerer boligunderskuddet og de sociale konsekvenser, herunder vold. Afhandlingen ser arkitekturens dobbeltrolle: at tilbyde ordentlige, overkommelige boliger og at understøtte sociale behov som tryghed, fællesskab og individualitet. Den trækker på Sydafrikas tradition – særligt under apartheid – for at bruge symbolske elementer i husarkitektur til at udtrykke sociale og politiske synspunkter, og fremhæver beboernes empowerment. Fællesskabsindsats diskuteres gennem den afrikanske idé Ubuntu, som betoner indbyrdes forbundethed; med Marshall McLuhans tanke om den globale landsby understreges det fælles ansvar for trivsel. Designprocessen munder ud i et forslag til et modulært enfamiliehus bygget med lokalt tilgængelige materialer, herunder hampbeton, et biobaseret materiale fremstillet af hampplanter.
This thesis explores how to develop a low-cost, scalable modular building system that supports sustainable development in deprived urban and suburban areas in South Africa, while also delivering architectural quality that improves living standards. The project draws on ideas from organic architecture and on influential family houses designed by Aalto, Prouvé, Utzon, and Reynolds. It revisits the concept of shelter as an expression of hard work, social status, imagination, and resourcefulness. Inspired by philosopher Martin Heidegger, it argues that we must not only build but dwell—live meaningfully in harmony with Earth, Sky, Mortals, and Divinities. Sustainability is framed through the cradle-to-cradle model, which likens buildings to trees: organisms that interact with their surroundings and cycle materials so outputs from one process feed another. With population growth and migration to megacities, the need for sustainable, affordable housing is urgent. Mamelodi, a disadvantaged suburb of Pretoria, illustrates the housing shortage and its social consequences, including violence. The thesis sees architecture as having a double duty: to provide decent, affordable homes and to support social needs such as safety, community, and individuality. It engages South Africa’s tradition—especially during apartheid—of using symbolic elements in house design to express social and political views, and emphasizes resident empowerment. Community cooperation is discussed through the African concept of Ubuntu, which highlights interconnectedness; drawing on Marshall McLuhan’s idea of the global village, it stresses shared responsibility for collective well-being. The design process culminates in a proposal for a modular family house built with locally available materials, including hemp concrete, a bio-based material made from hemp plants.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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