Project Location: Pretoria 

Project Focus Area: Regenerative Public Spaces, Indigenous Cultural Practices 

Supervisor(s): Dr Jan Hugo 

Project Description 

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the necessity for alternative medical practices, to diversify medical provision rather than relying primarily on Western medicine. Surprisingly, according to the World Health Organization, 80% of Africans use traditional medicine (Booth, 2023). Its popularity in developing countries is due to its price and accessibility, as many people cannot afford private health care. However, there is a lack of documentation and spatial guidelines regarding traditional medicine and healing practices in many underdeveloped nations, including South Africa. This is partly because present research and development work is concentrated on novel medication research, with minimal effort directed toward enhancing traditional medicine's current harvesting, production, processing, storage, and distribution (Kepe, 2007).

Even though there is a lack of research on traditional medicine, its trade in South Africa is projected to be worth R2.9 billion per year, accounting for 5.6% of the National Health budget (Mander et al, 2007). The commerce is dynamic and prevalent, with 27 million consumers. It plays an important role to many South Africans, however, there is still a lack regarding its integration into the urban environment where it can be accessible to urban dwellers.

This project aims to introduce traditional medicine programmes to create a place within a non-place environment by adding a series of spatial layers and thresholds to the existing lost and forgotten urban space. The new building and spaces should address the current movement and flow of people by creating a legible link between place and space with the end goal of activating the public space that encourages public participation. To ultimately answer: What kind of architecture is required to support traditional medicine and cultural practices within the urban environment?