June Newsletter
Louis du Plessis, a member of SAIA KZN and a staff member at the Durban University of Technology, has been awarded a doctorate in engineering and technical sciences, specializing in architecture and urban planning, by the Faculty of Architecture at the Gdańsk University of Technology. His thesis, titled “Determining an Architectural Character for Durban Residential Streetscapes,” examines the low-rise residential buildings of the Berea area in Durban. You can access his thesis through the digital library repository of the Gdańsk University of Technology here.
Acknowledging that the quality of the built environment greatly influences the health and well-being of city dwellers, Dr. du Plessis’s thesis investigates the contribution of architectural edifices to the overall urban character of an area. The research identifies a gap in both current research and practical approaches regarding the importance of architectural details in buildings lining the street and their invaluable contribution to the overall streetscape.
Using a 1.4 km² area containing 945 individual sites in the south of the Berea as a case study, the thesis demonstrates how critical these architectural elements are to the construction of the streetscape and how they define the context of a place. The work concludes by showing how these elements can support the process of maintaining a distinctive townscape. These findings can be translated into practical applications and used in urban development management to maintain or improve the character of the streetscape, ultimately contributing to the creation of a unique ‘genius loci.’
The research, supported by 175 images, provides a particularly rich and detailed analysis of the architectural elements of low-rise residential buildings that form the current streetscape character of Berea.
Special thanks are extended to Leon Conradie, the research assistant, and Dr. Deborah Whelan, the co-supervisor, both of whom are well-known in the local architectural community.
