Repairing South Africa’s Architectural identity through hybrid high-tech and low-tech emerging building technologies

Abstract

In accordance with Low’s Architecture in Africa: Situated Modern and the production of locality, it is highlighted that “the absence of a progressive and advanced construction industry” finds its proportional relations within the continent's lag in technological advancement (2014: 294). Therefore, Africa’s rate of technological development is directly proportional to the rate of development of its construction industry which in turn affects South Africa’s construction industry.

In addition to this, South Africa’s architectural discourse seems to have been susceptible to the adoption of many polarising identities ever since the first records of civilization. Its identity has been influenced by a diverse mix including “indigenous domestic architecture (Zulu, Tswana, Khoi), Afrikaner (Dutch) and English settlements, Cape Dutch architecture, Malay architecture (Hindu and Islamic), Republican, Victorian, and Edwardian architecture subsequently ending in explorations of local modernisms, including Brutalism and the International Style” (Okoye, 2002: 382).

Understanding South Africa’s complex architectural lineage in combination with limitations around the technological development of its built environment begs the question – How do practitioners within the built environment design for a new South Africa?

As human beings, we “behold, touch, listen to, and measure the world with our entire bodily existence” (Schwartz, 2016: xxvi). As a consequence, the “experiential world becomes organised and articulated around the centre of the human body” (Pallasmaa, 2007:64) through architectural expression. Considering that the implementation of a Tectonic architectural language instantiates a tight relationship between human beings and technology, it becomes the grounding element for authentic architectural experiences (Schwartz, 2016: xxvi).

With limited research on how the South African built environment could benefit from solving both problems simultaneously, this paper focuses on paving an alleyway to a possible solution. This study aims to investigate what aspects of hybrid high-tech and low-tech emerging building technologies could become a catalyst for revitalising the South African built environment while prioritising the instantiation of a relevant local identity in accordance with its places.

It was found that when considering the implementation of a hybrid tectonic language within South Africa’s built environment the development of both high-tech and low-tech emerging building technologies should be exaggerated simultaneously with intentions of finding the best middle ground. Global trends associated with advanced manufacturing, digital fabrication, automated construction, prefabrication etc. should be explored and studied in close proximity to the potential in eco materials such as clay, thatch, cork, bamboo etc. Examples of what this would look like are as follows: - 3D printing adobe wall systems - Advanced manufacturing of composite thatch insulation systems - Digital fabrication of clay building systems