Design 10 Process book

eNtokozweniCommuntiy center

Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, South Africa

Matthew Deitrich

The eNtokozweni Community Center Project:This objective of this project is to design a new facil-ity for the currently existing eNtokozweni Community Center in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, South

Africa. In this studio extensive research was done on the factors infl uenced by culture, context, and

climate. As the site is in South Africa, site visits were not possible so all design was done from a distance, with an attempt to be as sensitive as possible to the

rich history of this site as well as the desire of the clients for a new and innovative beacon for the com-munity. There were multiple Skype conference calls

made between the class and the clients in South Africa for the purposes of gathering information and

developing a relationship with the clients.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents.............Page 4

Research...........................Page 5Culture....................................Page 6Context..................................Page 10Climate..................................Page 14

Initial Reactions.............Page 18

Continued Development......Page 22

Final Documents............Page 32

Acknowledgements..........Page 48

RESEARCH

The studio broke out into teams to do back-ground research for the project. The three

teams each had an individual focus on one of three topics. Culture, Context, and Climate

CULTUREIn this section the research team developed a series of diagrams outlining the history of the township, as well

as a series of diagrams outlining what areas the overall design of the center should address with regards to the

program and the culture.The team used a UNESCO Survey as the basis for most of their fi ndings from which the diagrams were based. The survey outline areas of need in Alexandra as well as what age groups are most effected by what needs.

The list on the opposite page outlines the list of the clients specifi ed list of targeted pro-

grams they wanted to see included in the new eNotkozweni Community Center. The bubble

diagrams seen on the opposite page as well as to the left of this page outline what age brack-ets are the most likely targeted users of each

portion of the clients proposed program.

CONTEXTThe context team was tasked with a series of

diagrams which examine the physical context of Alexandra. The diagrams on the opposite page

fi rst outline Alexandra’s position within the larger city of Johannesburg, and then is slightly larger detail outlines the confi ning boundaries of the

township.

In the diagrams depicted on this page the team looked closer into the area directly around the

site, which contains the majority of the people the center is likely to serve. And then moved on closer

to the targeted region (below) which the team determined to be the cultural hub of this section

of Alexandra as it houses schools from primary through college with Johannesburg Community

College Alexandra branch being across the street, and a few other community centers.

London RoadLondon Road 12

3

Wood

Innovation Cultural Experience

Sustainability

Steel

Concrete

Glass Block

Glass/windows

Masonry

Plastic

engaging recycled content

and low in toxicity

provides thermal mass that adds to

provides thermal mass that adds to

digital manufacturing of

used in areas where privacy

used in areas where privacy

Security Contextualism Local LaborPrice

secured

require surveillance

security devices

secured

security devicescommonly used

materials for houses

commonly used material for commer-

commonly used material in South

Africa

expensive

expensive (usually

imported)

reason-

local workers

less involvement of local worker

secured

security devices

require surveillance

security devices


Africa


Africa


Africa


Africa

reason-

reason-

reason-

reason-


local workers

local workers

local workers


recycled content

Provides natural daylight, reducing the

Provides natural daylight, reducing the

Opposite- a closer inspection of the site and its exist-ing conditions accompanied by panoramas of the site constructed from photographs provided by Professor

Harnish.

The context team also looked into building materi-als that are currently used as well as how they are

perceived by in the greater context of Alexandra. This data was then compiled into the matrix seen below to

help begin to defi ne what materials may be accept-able as well as which materials should be ruled out

as possible construction materials.

CLIMATEAlexandra is in the Southern

Hemisphere and thus has a climate very different from here, so the

climate team developed a series of diagrams as a reaction to spe-

cifi c climactic conditions given the perspective of designing this center

without the use of mechanical systems.

Depicted opposite as well has on this page are solar studies

determining what the optimum angle for solar shading as well as the available methods of passive

heating and cooling with regards to solar gain.

5. ROOF DECK, INSULATION, WATERPROOFING

4. PROTECTION AND STORAGE LAYER

3. DRAINAGE - CAPILARITY LAYER

2. EXTENSIVE GROWING MEDIA, ROOT PERMEABLE

1. PLANTS, VEGETATION

INTENSIVE GREEN ROOF SECTION

1

2345

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

GREEN VEGETABLE TOMATO PRODUCTION

Opposite- given the ineffi ciency of the existing power grid in Alexandra, there was a desire by the client to generate a large portion of the electricity needed to

operate the center on site. The climate team did a series of diagrams outlining the amount of solar panels

needed to operate a given number of computers and then compared that to the number of computers that

could be powered by the use of wind energy.

The clients also sought to generate a portion of the food used in the center’s kitchen on site, so the climate

team also developed a study of how much food could be produced with rooftop gardens.

INITIAL REACTIONS

This section contains the initial reactionary sketches to the informa-

tion gathered from the research in the previous section.

CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT

In this section the design organization and details are fl ushed out in greater detail the previous general reactions.

Programatic Space Quantity Area (sq Ft) Area (sq m) Income Generation security access to exteriocategory Community Center Entry/Reception 1 100 38 locked up at night direct access to e multi-purpose room 3 to 4 1200 each 111 no direct access exterior accessib private meeting room 1 or 2 200 18 public meeting room 1 or 2 2 00 18 kitchen 1 600 55.7 locked up at night dinnng room 1 600 55.7 proformance space 1 1500 139 accessed through other areas direct access to o Siyakona Offi ces 1 1200 111 locked up at night rooftop garden a Offi ces 4 80 each 7.4 locked up at night rooftop garden a Tech resource room 1 1000 93 locked up at night

Education Library 1 1200 111 checkout fees locked up at night classroom 3 to 4 1200 each 111 possible small fee locked up at night Early childhood dev. existing 2712 252 locked up at night exterior accessib Computer Training Cen 1 2000 185.5 Small fee for service locked up at night

Income Generation Retail Shops 4 to 8 400 each 37 owners pay rent closed and locked after hours direct entry from Gym 1 1500 139 small member fee locked up after hours able to open up o

Other Caretakers House 1 owner only a small private y Storage as needed as needed Restrooms 150 each 13.9

Outdoor Space Mandela Memorial Garden security gates closed Playground no access after hours Fitness Center no access after hours Informal Gathering Space security gates closed Food Production in accessible Open Air Market owners rent space merchandise in storage

Business/ Income generation:- Retail Shops some formal inclosed shops some in open air market style-Gym will need locker rooms and an office

Educational Programs:-Library can this have some element of income generation?-Early Childhood Development Center-Classrooms-Computer Training Center Can this also have some element of income generation-Business Training Center can this also have some element of income generation

Community Center Programs-Multi-Purpose Rooms-Offices-Siyakohnoa Offices need offices, sound booth, and computer stations -Technology Resource Rooms-Reception Area-Kitchen-Dinning Room-Proformance Space-Meeting Rooms public and private

Can those who get training in the Business Training Center then rent the shops?

Other:- Caretaker’s House-Storage-Restrooms-Parking





Outdoor Fitness Activities is there a partition that can be closed in bad weather? Roof?

Informal Gathering Spaces small initimate spaces for enjoying the outdoors Flex space for other program

Mandela Garden of Honor Public access formalized garden

Playground Playground for children

Open Air Market Portion of the retail space as open air market space

Food Production Rooftops used for gardens











London Road 13th Street 12th Street




Can those who get training in the Business Training Center then rent the shops?








London Road 13th Street 12th Street

ProgramThese line diagrams take the program document

on the previous page and begin to explore spacial adjacencies with regard to similarity of use and

site context

Solar Studies:top- second fl oor multipurpose space. Dec. 1 at 12pmbottom- second fl oor multipurpose space June 1 at 12pm

FINAL DOCUMENTSIn addition to being on an unfamiliar continent the site for the eNotkozweni Community center also has very unfamiliar sets of circumstances with regard to climate, culture and context. For this reason speaking with clients was of the utmost importance. The clients seek for the new eNotokozweni Community Center to be a beacon of the community, a place from which the com-munity can build itself up. For these reason this scheme calls for the “breaking ” of the common aesthetic pres-ent in Alex, of community centers being built behind a big concrete security wall. It does so by pulling itself right to the edges of the busy sidewalk along London Road, having tow main points of entry into the courtyard at the rear of the site,and by keeping the portions of the program which need the most security on the second fl oor where visitors must walk by a staff member on the way in and out.

In addition there is very little outdoor “green” space in Alex, so to balance the clients desire for on site food production and providing outdoor space, all food pro-ducing gardens are located on rooftops, thus freeing up grade level for general outdoor space.

The center also has a small portio of income generating program, mainly through the retail shops located along London Road. Each is equipped with its own dedicated storage room and can be rented out by the center to lo-cal entrepreneurs. One or two of them can be reserved by the center to work in conjunction with the youth business hub on site and with JCC across the street to help young entrepreneurs in the area develop a solid business plan as well as get the business started.

Acknowledgements

CULTURE:photographs:

Harnish, Chris, photographer. Photograph(s). (accessed February 10, 2013).

Diagrams:Daisey, Belinda, Joanne Thieu, Mike Majewski, Laura

Royer. diagrams (accessed May 5, 2013)

CONTEXTphotographs:

Harnish, Chris, photographer. Photograph(s). (accessed February 10, 2013).

Diagrams:Deitrich, Matthew, Fellycia Sutanto, Megan Henry,

Tara Henig. diagrams (accessed May 5, 2013)

Climate:Diagrams

Bertero, Andres, Sara Bonett, Henry Thomas, Michael Labbe-Lane, Megan Sutherland. diagrams

(accessed May 5, 2013)