Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010
“Time” as a key factor in design and technical
decision-making: concepts of accessibility,
affordability, participation, choice, variety and
change in the South African Housing sector
.
Amira Osman and Nosizo Sebake
Sustainable Human Settlements, Built Environment, Unit Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR)
1 Introduction
This study refers to a design attitude that
conceptualises ‘objects’ from a long term
perspective, thus integrating a fourth
dimension, i.e. time, in the design phase. The
use of time in design is generally referred to
as the “disentanglement” of buildings, systems
and components by Open Building practitioners
and researchers. Disentanglement in buildings
presents many benefits on site during
construction as well as throughout the lifetime
of the building during its operational phase.
The benefits of disentanglement also span
over to the ultimate change in use, re-use (of
the building or its salvaged components).
The disentanglement of the levels of the built
environment may offer a management and
design tool that promotes participation and
integration. A system of involving government,
the private sector and communities in
the development and management of a
new type of rental and ownership stock is
envisioned. For example, within a particular
neighbourhood, government or the private
sector may own and control a level of the
environment refered to as the “support” level
which is characterised by being relatively
expensive, robust and permanent – this is a
primary level. Communities, Social Housing
Institutions or companies may lease these
support structures on a long term basis and
apply fit-out or infill as deemed appropriate for
context, market demand, affordability levels,
etc – this fit-out/infill level is refered to as the
secondary level.
This provides a mechanism for achieving city
restructuring and introduces a new paradigm
which may entail reformulating the housing
construction sector. This approach may not
only to be applied at the building level, but
also at neighbourhood and city levels. This
increase in scale enables this approach to
have a true impact in terms of inclusionary
housing, participation and providing the poor
access to the city in legitimate ways.
The differentiation between the primary
and secondary levels of the environment
allows for the accommodation of informal
processes, the involvement of small scale
builders and small local industries in the fitout/infill
levels and full on-going participation
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