Project title: Evolving Knowledge Landscapes; Reviving from Ghost Town to ecological campus, Fostering Alternative Knowledge, and women’s Empowerment in the City of Tshwane

Project Location: Pretoria 

Project Focus Area: Design Ecologies 

Supervisor(s): Dr Dayle Shand

Project Descriptions: 

The UNISA Sunnyside Ghost Town, situated on the outskirts of Pretoria Central in South Africa, serves as the canvas for an innovative landscape architectural intervention. The primary objective of this project is to foster the decolonization of knowledge and environmental stewardship within the City of Tshwane by transforming this abandoned teaching college into a landscape-based polytechnic institution. This intervention aims to address socio-economic challenges, including unemployment and limited educational opportunities, by providing vocational training, supporting small-scale enterprises, and incorporating urban planning principles to create inclusive, safe, and accessible learning environments.

The project's design integrates active and passive approaches to ecological education within the landscape. Active engagement involves hands-on experiences like gardening and ecological restoration, fostering practical knowledge of ecosystems. In contrast, passive awareness encourages reflection and understanding of the environment through observation, interpretation, and a deeper connection to the natural world. This dual approach caters to diverse learning needs, empowering individuals and communities and promoting stewardship and engagement.

It acknowledges the socio-economic challenges faced by the surrounding community, particularly women from low-income backgrounds. By employing a bottom-up approach and integrating local knowledge and practices, the project aims to empower these communities, enhance employability, and support entrepreneurship. Additionally, the campus design aligns with the triple-bottom-line approach, emphasising economic, social, and environmental harmony in urban design, thereby promoting nature-based education.

Central to this intervention is the departure from Eurocentric perspectives in higher education, emphasising the importance of addressing the needs of local African communities. The project is guided by principles of craftsmanship in landscape, expression of alternative knowledge, and regeneration. Craftsmanship is emphasised to shape the landscape, while alternative knowledge is integrated into the landscape to facilitate diverse forms of learning. Moreover, regeneration is pivotal, focusing on revitalising the site and integrating the local community.

The intervention leverages Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and integrates garden planning directly on campus to enhance ecological awareness and community engagement. It also embraces the dynamic interplay between nature and human intervention, allowing natural processes to influence the landscape, and promoting gradual regeneration and a deep appreciation for ecological phenomena.

The project incorporates water bodies and specific plant species not only for their ecological significance but also for their potential to yield functional by-products, aligning with a curriculum focused on vocational education. Craftsmanship and the transmission of knowledge play a critical role in community revitalization by fostering engagement with the natural world and promoting sustainable practices.

This landscape architectural intervention embodies a holistic approach to education, community development, and ecological awareness. By addressing specific community needs, fostering diverse learning opportunities, and emphasising sustainability and inclusion, it envisions a more equitable and sustainable education for the communities at the heart of the City of Tshwane.