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2022
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18:00 SAST
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Thrift City
Spatial Narratives
Ubuntu. Motlhabane, O. Unit 13. 2021.
Oratile Motlhabane
BArch Hons 2021Supervisors:
Unit Leader: Claudia Morgado
Unit Tutor: Ruby Mungoshi
Unit Assistant: Azraa Gabru
UNIT 13︎︎︎
Second Nature | Shared Futures
My year’s work is interested in the non-architectural qualities of space, specifically bodily architecture - where postures, relationships, and the fluidity of space work together to encourage and accommodate different programs.
The final works focus on the act of thrifting within Johannesburg's inner city, drawing a productive parallel between the notion of secondhand and reuse within both the clothing market and the formal built city around it. The focus on thrifting relates to my intentions to use architecture as a tool for social change. I've done this through accurate documentation of the city, with the intention to address the misconceptions that it is chaotic and completely unsafe.
This investigation shows how thrift culture has transformed the accumulation of fast fashion waste, predominantly from the West, into employment opportunities and affordable retail. This highlights the importance of accurate academic documentation, especially when it pertains to the informal sector. Additionally, it allows us to consider how architectural practice could adhere to principles of temporality in order to create spaces that can be appropriated, encouraging people to build and inhabit space in their own right.
The final works focus on the act of thrifting within Johannesburg's inner city, drawing a productive parallel between the notion of secondhand and reuse within both the clothing market and the formal built city around it. The focus on thrifting relates to my intentions to use architecture as a tool for social change. I've done this through accurate documentation of the city, with the intention to address the misconceptions that it is chaotic and completely unsafe.
This investigation shows how thrift culture has transformed the accumulation of fast fashion waste, predominantly from the West, into employment opportunities and affordable retail. This highlights the importance of accurate academic documentation, especially when it pertains to the informal sector. Additionally, it allows us to consider how architectural practice could adhere to principles of temporality in order to create spaces that can be appropriated, encouraging people to build and inhabit space in their own right.
Keywords:
Non-architectural, Thrifting, Informal, Social Change
Non-architectural, Thrifting, Informal, Social Change
Contact
Oratile Motlhabane:
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