Ntokozo Nhlapho

The project I designed is centered around the values that I have and live by. My values lie in Christianity, specifically in who Jesus Christ is. I recited a poem about the love of Jesus towards people by reinventing the parable of the prodigal son, the story of the adulterous woman and the piece of scripture found in the Gospel of John chapter three verse sixteen. The reason I chose love as a value is because it is the only force or power that can heal the world. The love of Jesus is patient, kind, does not seek its own agenda and His love puts others first in all things.

This specific description was contrary to the site that was given and its function. What my project aims to do is to spread this love throughout the city.

Against the GRID

Ntokozo Nhlapho- 3rd Year Degree

To achieve this, I needed to reimagine the grid of Johannesburg which is ridgid and uninviting; essentially the city, in response cannot give or receive the love that inspired this project.

In order to break the grid, I needed to approach site with Sensitivity, this was the driving concept behind my design. The sensitivity I explored looked at different types of love: romantic, sibling, parentchild, friend; and in each type, there is a sensitivity, no matter how much or little, that exists. Those layers of sensitivity were what lead to the form and spaces of the architecture.