ZULU, TB - 215264190

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4

5

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ABSTRACT The government­appointed formal waste services and the formal recycling facilities in South Africa are under strain. At the same time, South Africa has a fast­growing informal recycling industry. For participants in the informal recycling industry, the collection of recyclable materials and products is a route to financial freedom. This project emphasises the key role informal waste recyclers play in solving the systematic waste disposal culture endemic in our contemporary society.

In 2020, the impact of the coronavirus in South Africa was mitigated with lockdown regulations and curfews. These regulations resulted in landfill sites and recycling centres restricting informal recyclers access to these environments for the extended period. The drastic change in the informal recycling industry was primarily introduced when government appointed waste disposal pickup trucks delayed in collecting waste disposal from neighbourhoods to landfill sites. Therefore, trolly pushers needed to increase the frequency of collecting recyclables due to daily financial needs.

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There is gap in the recycling process for informal recyclers, between the collecting process, and the advanced processing of recycled materials. This study proposes an architectural design solution to integrate informal recyclers into the further processing of upcycling, upscaling, and recycling materials. This will be achieved by re­thinking the functions and program of recycling centre’s and integrating well­ knowlegded and well­established recyclers with the non­structured informal recyclers. The proposed architectural intervention is a recycling facility serving as a recycling activity centre with a trading platform for artifacts created by informal recyclers and advanced material processing training facilities to expand on economic opportunities in the informal recycling industry. This facility will be constructed using materials collected by informal recyclers and restored construction and building materials. This approach will assist in minimising consumption of new products and materials, thereby reducing the environmental impact of the proposed design The recycling hub will function as a collaboration place hosting both informal recyclers and the established formal recyclers or recycling firms. The research proposal also suggests a decentralised approach by presenting an adaptive design template of a recycling hub that can be placed at various junctions within and around Pretoria. These hubs will then act as waste recycling and sorting or management points for informal recyclers. Therefore, contributing to skills development and advanced recycling processing for more financial opportunities.

The expected outcome is an urban framework for decentralised recyclable material exchange nodes.

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list of figures Figure 1.1. Introduction Sketch of trolley pusher in the city [By Author] Figure 1.2. A sketch of packaged recycled materials collected by informal recyclers within a week. [By Author] Figure 1.3. A Sketch showing the current conditions of the Rooikraal recycling centre.[By Author].

Figure 1.4. Illustration of informal recyclers using a trolley as a form of transportation Figure 1.5. Image of packaged and packed materials and conditions of the bronkospruit recycling centre. [by Lucia Modipi] 8 and 9 Figure 1.6. Silhouette of trolley pushers fixing load 10 and 11 Figure 1.7: Silhouette of informal recyclers using trolley as a form of transportation 1 Figure 1.8: Bronkospruit recycling yard current conditions (2021) Figure 1.9: informal recyclers crafted trolley Figure 1.10: Sorted green plastic bottles Figure 1.11: Sorted brown Plastic bottles Figure 1.12: Sorted clear plastic bottles Figure 2.1: Silhouette illustration of informal recyclers using trolley as a form of transportation 2 Figure 2.2 Informal recyclers sorting materials Figure 2.3.1 Image of Municipality pickup truck in operation Figure 2.3.2 Image of street kid digging in public Dustin for food Figure 2.4: Sorted and packed class bottles Figure 2.5: Informal Recyclers private sorting and storing yard in Windmill park Figure 2.6: Sketch of informal recyclers living conditions in recycling centres ( Rooikraal recycling centre) Figure 2.7: Sketch of informal recyclers living conditions in Windmill Park adjacent to Rooikraal landfill site.

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list of figures Figure 3.1: An Illustration of women in the informal recycling sector Figure 3.2: Axonometric site sketch Figure 3.3: Site Sketch Figure 3.4: Sketch of recyclers using Nana Sita landscape island as recycling space Figure 3.5: Perspective sketch 1 of site use Figure 3.6: perspective sketch 2 of site use Figure 3.7: Figure 3.8: Site sketch highlighting Nana Sita greenery Island Figure 3.9: Site sketch highlighting prince Park adjacent to site Figure 3.10: Detailed Diagramic site study sketch Figure 3.11: Movement perspective Figure 3.12: Site boundary wall perspective Figure 3.13: Diagramic locality plan Figure 3.14: Axonometric city scale drawings Figure 3.15: Axonometric block scale drawing Figure 3.16: Axonometric street scale drawing Figure 4.2: Illustration expressing informal recyclers pushing Trolly & reflection of working environments.

Figure 4.3: Sketch on pallet connection and adjustable facade.

Figure 4.4: AME LOT street perspective artistic impression.

Figure 4.5: Elevation of AME­LOT facade with open panels Figure 4.6: Axonometric view of AME­LOT Façade with open panel Figure 4.7: Elevation Detail facade of AME­Lot

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list of figures Figure 4.8: Detailed artistic impression of timber pallets as an adjustable facade Figure 4.9: Zoomed in Perspective of Can­Cube Faced Figure 4.10: Entrance perspective into the Can­Cube Figure 4.11: Can­Cube view from the back side Figure 4.12: Groosman recycling centre elevation expressing industrial roof type Figure 4.13: Groosman Recycling centres prominent entrances to site elevation Figure 4.14: Groosman recycling centre perspective, showing large entrances with exposed roof construction.

Figure 5.1: Illustration of informal recyclers working together Figure 5.2: Sketch of regenerative design concept. Set out, dismentle, reconstruct Figure 5.3: First concept sketch of decentralised recycling hub Figure 5.4: Second concept sketch of Decentralised recycling hub incorporating recycled timber pallets Figure 5.5: Initial concept sketch of proposal Figure 5.6: Program development Figure 5.7: Program Diagramic layout Figure 5.8: sketch of site highlighting main streets & proposed sites Figure 5.9: Diagramic conceptual layout Figure 5.10: conceptual layout emphasising the importance of large walkways Figure 5.11: Conceptual movement and circulation Figure 5.12: Conceptual sketch of connecting west site with east site using a bridge Figure 5.13: Sketch of program placement on conceptual layout Figure 5.14: Sketch of conceptual form Figure 5.15: concept development 2 Connecting bridge 1 Figure 5.16: Concept development of connecting bridge 2

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Figure 5.17: Concept development 1 opening up building for easy public access Figure 5.18: Form development and connecting walkways Figure 5.19: Concept development 1 ­ formalizing living spaces and integrating the recycling centre with the revitalized living spaces Figure 5.20 Concept Development 2­ Splitting the program into three sections, public spaces, semi­public spaces and private working environments. Introducing a prominent core for exhibition spaces.

Figure 7.1: perspective of proposal expressing the building envelope designed using recycled and found materials.

Figure 7.2: Site plan Figure 7.3: Master Plan Figure 7.4: Ground Floor Plan Figure 7.5: First Floor Plan Figure 7.6: Informal Recyclers market space & recyclers craft and food vendor stalls.

Figure 7.7: Section on A­A Figure 7.8: west elevation (from prince Park Avenue) Figure 7.9: North block axonometric drawing Figure 7.10: North Entrance perspective view Figure 7.11: North block perspective from facility public courtyard Figure 7.12: North Elevation 104 & 105 Figure 7.13: South Elevation 106 & 107 Figure 7.14: Bird's­eye view of proposal from the South East of the facility 108 Figure 7.15: Bird's­eye view of proposal from the North west of the facility 109

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Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

3.3.1 Movement and circulation

v

ABSTRACT vii

3.3.2 Climatic study

LIST OF TABLES xii

3.3.3 Locality

LIST OF FIGURES

3.3.4 Site graphical study

xiii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

3.4 Urban Scales

1.1 Brief Outline

3.4.1 Axonometric City Scale 1:2000

1.2 Problem Statement

3.4.2 Axonometric Block Scale 1:500

1.3 Research Questions

3.4.3 Axonometric Street Scale 1: 100

1.4 Design­led Research Objectives

CHAPTER 4: PRECEDENT STUDY

1.5 Delimitations

4.1 Stephane Malka Architects, AME LOT

1.6 Design Methodology and Conceptual Design

4.2 Archi­Union Can­Cube

CHAPTER 2: ISSUES OF CONCERN

CHAPTER 5: DECENTRALISING INFORMAL MATERIAL

2.1 History of Emerging of Informal Recyclers

RECYCLING HUBS

2.2 Timeline of Waste Management in South Africa

CHAPTER 6: DESIGN RESPONSE AND BUILDING

2.3 Informal Recyclers’ Journey

PROGRAMME

2.4 Landfill Sites as Informal Recycling Centres

6.1 Accommodation Schedule

(Centralisation)

6.1.1 North block – public

2.5 Context and Environments of Informal Recyclers (Adaptive

6.1.2 Central block (semi­public – formal and informal

Living)

recyclers)

2.6 Urban Integration and Environmental Sustainability

6.1.3 South block (private – informal recyclers)

CHAPTER 3: SITE

6.2 Concept Development

3.1 Location of Selected Site

6.3 Design Development

3.2 Site Description

6.3.1 Response to the street­edge

3.3 Site Analysis

6.3.2 Proposed movement and circulation on site

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6.3.3 Extension of Nana Sita urban landscape island to proposed site 6.3.4 The use of recycled materials to design the recycling facility CHAPTER 7: DESIGN RESOLUTION CHAPTER 8: TECHNICAL RESOLUTION 8.10 Specifications V 8.10.1 Specification selected system 8.10.2 System outline CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION 9.1 Conclusion 9.2 Final Design Exhibition REFERENCES APPENDIX A: ETHICAL CLEARANCE APPENDIX B: OBSERVATION NOTES

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Architects can design spaces and environments that support the recycling process to drive industries toward the ideal of 100% recyclability, as postulated in the book titled cradle to cradle, remaking the way we make things (Braungart & McDonough, 2009, pg 5­9).

The

central

question

of

this

mini

dissertation

in

architectural design is the following: What architectural design techniques and construction methods are appropriate for informal waste recyclers and the built environment within which they function?

1.1 Brief Outline The primary objective is to explore various design techniques and construction methods which will be appropriate for a building that houses recycling and incorporates aspects that demonstrate the recycling of building materials and unique and creative ways in which these could be used. The process of the research intends to explore a suitable building program for trade in recyclables which includes training for recyclers to identify recyclable building materials, collecting a more extensive range of materials and preparing materials for advanced processing. This design process intends also to improve the livelihoods of the recyclers by ensuring a higher profit potential for collecting more specialised materials to be converted into ready­made products by the informal recycling sector.

A contextual response to this design problem necessitates using materials collected by informal recyclers and restored construction and building materials to construct this facility (Bolden, 2013, p 3). The secondary objective of this research project is to introduce a decentralised system of placing recycling hubs at various nodes in the city. This will result in resource efficiency by reducing travelling distances for informal recyclers.

A formalised network between the hubs will assist in providing the training facilities where they are most needed (Simatele, Dlamini & Kubanza, 2017). These hubs will serve as an environment where informal recyclers collaborate with formal recyclers to exchange knowledge for new solutions to further process materials for re­use (Wilson, Velis, & Rodic, 2013).

1.2 Problem Statement Reusing and recycling of materials has become highly recommended as an attractive and sustainable alternative within the construction industry (Shooshtarian, Caldera, Maqsood & Ryley 2020). South Africa has a large group of informal recyclers that have become a part of this fast­growing industry. While informal recyclers provide an important service, they encounter many difficulties.

The problem statement is informed by the researcher’s visit to several recycling yards in Pretoria were the activities and challenges facing informal recyclers were observed. These recyclers work out of informal recycling yards, which often need to be well configured to make the yard function well enough for the process to run smoothly and efficiently. In addition, informal recyclers face many challenges through their day­to­day work (Department of Environmental Affairs 2018 p). Observations as part of this project revealed, a senior citizen who got up at 4am to pull a heavy and ill­constructed trolley to search through discarded rubbish in residential neighborhoods to collect specific recyclables. He had a nine­hour journey and working day of collecting all the necessary recyclables. He worked in the full sun, with no access to water, food and necessary sanitation. He collected recyclables from environments that were up to 30km away from the sorting and storing sites.

Many recyclers experience a sense of condescension from people. Recyclers are not welcome to use sanitation facilities in both private and public spaces.

(Godfrey & Oelofse, 2017).

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The government has made many promises for financing and sponsoring of the informal recycling industry, but and yet after 10 years these promises have not been fulfilled. This based on the 2011 National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) which is to provide guidance to municipalities and industry on measures to improve the working conditions of waste­pickers. From the first social science research grant project awarded under South Africa’s 10­year Waste Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap, managed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on behalf of national government (Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries and Department of Science and Innovation, 2020).

The concept of Ubuntu has become a survival mechanism for the informal recycling community, with recyclers helping each other. Informal recyclers store and recycle materials in different communities, each community has a group of people who have a supporting relationship. When one informal recycler needs to attend family needs, the other informal recyclers on site guard and look after the absent individuals’ materials and equipment. For some women, who might find the load too heavy for certain distances and sloped roads, younger informal recyclers assist by moving Infront or behind the older women who might need assistance in certain routes. Despite the tough competition, informal recyclers still use ubuntu to minimise the challenges faced in the process of collecting recyclables. However, Ubuntu alone is insufficient to support the recyclers. More needs to be done to assist this growing and necessary industry (DEA, 2018 ).

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With the architecture aspect of the construction industry and the recycling industry integrated, an opportunity exists to counteract issues that prevent work and environmental sustainability, and promote, skills development, and economic opportunities within the informal recycling sector. Architects need to reconsider the decisions of material selection and use as well as construction methods employed in buildings in South Africa. Using the large number of recyclables collected by informal recyclers daily, more opportunities are presented for architecture professionals to collaborate with informal recyclers (Shooshtarian et al. 2020). Architects could design products, spaces and environments using these materials. There is also an opportunity for architects to consider the further processing of recycled materials that could be used in construction. For example, glass bottles and aluminium cans would require less processing to be used for certain features of a building, home­ decor products and interior design products than would plastics, paper, and cardboard. Recycling has long been an entry point to sustainable design.

Increasingly, the need to sustain life is part of a continuous process of production and recycling where waste becomes the input for production (DEA 2018).

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1.3 Research Questions There are three main research questions that the study seeks to answer: The central research question is whether recycling centres provide a conducive working environment for informal recyclers in which they could prosper while playing a sustainable role in waste management and recycling?

The first sub­question is what architectural design techniques and construction methods are appropriate for informal waste recycling environments?

The second sub­question is how indicial recycling centres could be linked to form an integrated network with specialised centers focusing on different materials, products, and training methods etc?

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1.4

Design­led

research

objectives The first objective of this research project

This will ensure that further processing

The concept of decentralising material

was to provide new solutions in which

for architectural construction purposes

recycling hubs in South Africa was

architects and the architectural fraternity

can be carried out by informal waste

inspired by the municipalities closing their

can

reclaimers (DEA, 2018).

doors on informal recyclers, which meant

contribute

recycling

towards

process

making

easier

and

the more

that they are forced to push their trolleys

convenient for the waste reclaimers. It is

The project aims to create an urban

far distances in the streets and are only

anticipated that this could alter the

caterpillar that provides a platform for

able to rest alongside their trolleys on

perspective of the informal recycling

sorting, compacting, and scaling as well

roadsides. Observing this made me

industry

as

collected

question how the needs of informal

diversification amongst the people who

recyclable waste can be stored. A space

recyclers can be catered for and how

participate in it.

that will accommodate for the reclaimers’

architects can contribute towards making

sanitation and resting needs will be

the process of informal recycling better

to

designed to accommodate their irregular

for informal recyclers (DEA, 2018).

investigate how architects can design

and long working hours. The design

new construction solutions to integrate

includes an environment where trolleys

the recycled materials that the waste

and working equipment can be serviced

reclaimers collect into the architectural

with the integration of professional skills

construction

help

ensures durability of said equipment.

establish a solid circular economy within

This integration between professional

these informal recycling sectors where a

and informal recyclers aims to influence

design of a facility where recycling skills

more environments that cater for the

can

informal

The

and

secondary

be

that

there

objective

industry.

developed,

exchange established.

This

and

will

was

will

be

material

safe

spaces

recycling

where

industry

2016).

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(Melnyk,

1.6 Design methodology and conceptual design The methodology used for this research study was qualitative and involved both primary resources and secondary resources.

Primary qualitative methods used were images, everyday lived­experiences, articles, architectural drawings and sketches, and observations at recycling collection centres. The secondary involved research done through desktop analysis and literature reviews on recycling in architecture and urban influences on informal recycling.

The specific research techniques used for this research project were note taking, illustrations (mainly photocopying and sketching), and visiting locales and environments related to the topic. Other qualitative methods used to develop the design involved an observational study of the changing natures of informal recyclers over time. Observational studies observed the objectives of behaviour within the informal recycling sector.

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2.1 History of emerging of informal recyclers The recycling waste undertaking has existed for over 30 years in South Africa (Godfrey & Oelofse, 2017). It originated with discoveries of social and economic needs as well as environmental concerns within the waste­disposal industry. Although the control and management chain of hierarchy is based on national policy, this legislative framework has increased the difficulty levels of participation for the public as well as the private sector in the recycling industry (Godfrey & Oelofse, 2017). In South Africa, like many countries in the world, landfill sites are regulated by law, specifically the Waste Act, 2008 and Norms and Standards for Disposal of Waste to Landfill (DEA, 2013).

The government has chosen to keep control of the management of waste at large (Shooshtarian et al. 2020). At first, its objective was to control waste­disposal sites and, later, the focus was directed at minimising the amount of waste in landfills by striving for reuse, recycling and recovery (DEA, 2013). The authorities struggled in implementing systems and methods for the public and private sector to be involved in the process of separation at source (Shooshtarian et al. 2020).

Landfills continued to be cluttered and overloaded with mixed types of waste. A local informal recycling economy emerged from individuals seeing financial opportunities in collecting and separating reusable, recyclable, and recoverable waste at the landfill sites, to sell at recycling centres (Godfrey & Oelofse 2017). When municipalities struggled to collect waste in many lower socioeconomic areas within South Africa effectively, informal recyclers, realising that this negatively influenced their process of separating and collecting at landfill sites, developed an alternative system to outdo the municipal waste­ collecting system.

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At times, this involves travelling up to 30 kilometres at a time, while pulling a self­constructed trolley that can weigh up to 250 kg. Operating within residential areas and business areas, their system follows the schedule that the municipality sets for garbage­disposal collection days.

The informal waste recyclers have been key in accessing materials at source, which the private sector has had difficulties achieving owing to the municipalities’ gatekeeping of the industry (Godfrey et al.

2017).

2.2. Timeline of waste management in South Africa Waste management in South Africa has been evolved through four main stages, with the fifth stage predicted to be the direction in which the industry is heading towards (Godfrey & Oelofse, 2017). The four main stages of waste management in South Africa are as follows: •

Stage 1: The Age of land Filling

•

Stage 2: The Emergence of Recycling

•

Stage 3: The Flood of Regulations

•

Stage 4: The Drive for EPR

•

Stage 5: The industry is striving for Circular Economy (integration of informal waste

reclaimers)

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2.3 Informal recyclers journey Where municipalities provide waste­collection services, pick­ups from households and businesses are scheduled on a weekly basis.

The municipal waste­collection trucks have scheduled collection dates. Each truck typically has four to seven workers, one driving the truck and the remaining people being responsible for handling the bins. Residents, shops and businesses assist in the collection process by placing the municipality­approved waste bins alongside their pavements at predetermined places (DEA, 2018).

The waste materials that may be re­used, repaired, and/or recycled are considered economic opportunities for the lower socioeconomic sector. Inaccessibility to professional work due, amongst other factors to lack of education, opportunity, financial means and exposure, has created a platform for many in the lower socioeconomic sector to resort to informal recycling for a source of income.

Before the Covid­19 pandemic, the waste collectors were quite efficient concerning when and how regularly they would collect domestic waste (DEFF, 2021). Many of the government­funded waste­collection companies started losing businesses as economy shrank (DEFF & DSI 2021). As a result of a lower budget, the municipalities have been hard hit to manage the original waste­ collection system post­pandemically (Photolo, 2021).

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Street children and homeless people (also known as “abo Bozza” in South African slang) initially search through disposed waste in landfills, dumpsites, kerbside (households or communal bins) and business waste (Photolo, 2021). In this process, the waste reclaimers collect and sort certain materials that can be taken to semi­formal recycling scaling yards. A scaling yard is where the recyclers weigh the collected materials according to certain classified material types (Schenck & Blaauw, 2011). They are then paid a fee in exchange for the materials (Schenck et al. 2011).

These materials are then transported to larger and more established

recycling

factories

or

plants

for

further

processing(Schenck et al. 2011).

This process has become one of the fastest­growing industries in the city of Pretoria, in terms of the number of people starting to participate in the process and thus becoming informally employed (DEA, 2020). Owing to the Covid­19 pandemic having a hugely negative impact on the economy, more and more people have lost jobs. The loss of informal waste recycling employment has a direct negative impact on the environment and climate change.

Recycling could become more efficient in South Africa. The waste reclaimers in South Africa constitute approximately 150,000 people, which is 0,4% of the total urban population or 6% of the classified informal sectors, with these numbers continuing to increase rapidly (Statistics South Africa, 2018).

2.4

Landfill

sites

as

informal

recycling

centres

(Centralisation) There

are

five

Onderstepoort,

official,

operating

Heatherley,

landfill

sites

Bronkhorstspruit,

in

Pretoria:

Ga­Rankuwa

in and

Soshanguve (De Klerk, 2019). These landfill sites are consistently used by informal recyclers as informal recycling centres to sort through the waste disposed of by the municipalities after the waste is collected in neighbourhoods as well as in and around the city. Only two out of seven landfill sites that were audited in the Greater Pretoria area have failed to adhere to national standards. In terms of applicable legislation and regulations, including the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act no. 59 of 2008), a landfill site must adhere to standards.

With the changing of the process of informal recycling, they have resorted to collecting the recyclables directly from the end­user of the packaged products (De Klerk, 2019). With the changing of the process of informal recycling, as landfill sites become less reliable sources of recyclables, informal recyclers have resorted to collecting recyclables directly from the end­user of the packaged products.

As levels of lock down change, so does the access to landfills. Landfill sites no longer serve as the only reliable sources for informal recyclers to collect recyclables (DEA, 2021). The informal recyclers have created a system of collecting recyclables, using the schedule provided by the municipality for waste collection days and times. Therefore, the informal recyclers have manipulated the schedule by changing the times for collecting the recyclables to be earlier than that of the municipality.

This has an indirect impact on the type of waste that eventually reaches the landfill sites through the municipality. The difference between the municipality’s method of collection and the informal recyclers methods of collection is that municipality uses trucks to collect waste. But informal recyclers use trollies, and instead, they are the ones pulling the trollies while on feet (Blaauw, Pretorius & Schenck, 2017).

The industry of informal recycling in Pretoria continues to grow, despite the lack of assistance from the government. The concept of decentralising material recycling hubs in Pretoria embraced by this project was inspired by informal recyclers bypassing the gatekeepers of the industry with their newfound method of collecting recyclables.

This can now be done without having to rely on the government’s inconsistency in delivering a basic service (Polasi, Matinise & Oelofse 2020).

It is evident that that there are a greater number of people pushing trolleys far distances in the streets. Old women and men resting alongside their trolleys, under trees, or pushing heavily laden trolleys along the road, is evidence of hard work under harsh conditions. The needs of the recyclers need to be considered in the urban context. This presents an opportunity for architects to design decentralised informal recycling hubs that can contribute to the new process of informal recycling. Such decentralised hubs could enable informal recyclers to move away from unhealthy, hazardous landfill sites and spaces as working environments (Polasi et al.2020).

2.5 Context & Environments of informal Recyclers. 2.6

Urban

Integration

&

Environmental

Sustainability

(adaptive living)

Informal recycling in South Africa is a tough industry. Driven by Informal

recyclers

contribute

greatly

to

cleaning

up

the

economic needs, many informal recyclers usually come from environments and spaces we live in. Although their objectives are townships and informal settlements. Some of the recyclers live in driven by economic needs, the result of the informal recyclers’ government recycling centres normally situated adjacent to landfill efforts contributes immensely to the control and management of sites (Godfrey, 2021; DEA, 2020). With the growing numbers of waste in Pretoria (Melnyk, 2016). people relying on collecting recyclables to earn an income, some recyclers have started to apply the concept of adaptive living within As the government appears to have difficulties in assisting informal the central business district (CBD). Since recyclers stay far from recyclers in South Africa, a good solution would be for the where they collect recyclables, adaptive living or a “sleep­by­night” businesses involved in the recycling industry to assist in system is considered the best option by some recyclers for getting contributing to making the process easier for the informal recyclers the recyclable materials from the source early.

(Melnyk, 2016). An area in which architects can contribute their skills

would

be

the

development

of

solid

solutions

for

decentralised, accessible spaces where informal recyclers feel at home and can work comfortably and freely, with the integration of informal recyclers and formal recyclers. Architects and informal recyclers in South Africa could help to find local and global solutions that could provide a new management and control scheme for recycling. (Nobile, 2018).

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3.1 Location of Selected Site

The site selected for this study is situated in the Pretoria CBD adjacent to the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) on the western parking lot of the TMPD. The site is surrounded by three main roads. On the northern side is Francis Baard Street, to the south is Nana Sita Road and to the west is Prince’s Park.

The site is currently being used for parking. Cars instead of built urban form take up valuable land within the city, while parking lots are used only temporarily, later to be closed off from being accessible to people in need. This site was selected because of the opportunities it presents for positive built form as a recycling centre. Currently, there is an open platform with a concrete surface bed that allows for temporary lightweight construction on the site.

The selection of the site was inspired by my witnessing a few informal recyclers building tents for living purposes on the south side of Prince’s Park on a site that had previously been used as a parking lot.

To avoid the long distances of travelling with trolleys from their homes to the CBD for waste reclaiming, recyclers saw the opportunity to use a rarely used parking lot within the Pretoria CBD as a multipurpose space where they could live, work and relax during the week.

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3.2 Site Description Over a period of several working days, I observed and studied the movement of trolley pushers and their use of the space around the parking lot on the eastern side of this growing neighbourhood. I then realised that there was a larger parking lot, closed off with a 2 m­high boundary wall with a small guard house on site. In a period of two months of observing this space, I saw that only 10 cars in total had parked in this parking lot during working hours. On the adjacent site where the informal recyclers resided, there were more than 30 people moving in and out of a space that was only 20% of the size of the unused TMPD parking lot.

With the growing need for spaces where informal recyclers can work within the CBD, I realised that this rarely used parking lot on the site of the TMPD could serve as an opportunity to be repurposed for the use of informal recycling. As there are currently recyclers already established on the western edge, the proposed intervention is seen as an extension of this rising neighbourhood.

Nana Sita Street to the south of the site is characterised by an island of rich greenery separating the east and west traffic flow. This island has distinctive large­scale trees of about 9 m high, with a tree­ canopy radius of approximately 3–5 m. Scattered randomly along the strip that divides Nana Sita Street, the trees create a cooling zone for people who walk long distances under the blazing sun in the Pretoria CBD. Prince’s Park to the west of the site hosts a local clinic as well as the City of Tshwane bus headquarters. On the eastern side of Prince’s Park is the parking lot where the informal recyclers have used the surface bed and top cover structure to construct tents for living purposes.

On the eastern side of the site lies the TMPD, which presents an opportunity for a safe environment and the development of a good relationship between informal recyclers and the police service.

The position of the selected site gives prominence to the proposed intervention and provides a much­needed node of activity to the south­western quadrant of the city.

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3.3 Site Analysis 3.3.1 Movement and circulation The site is located in a prominent city context. Movement and circulation are enabled by different forms of transportation for city users. On the north­western side of the site, on the street edge of Prince's Park, taxis have created a mini­transportation port. These taxis normally park on this site, under the large trees, specifically during working hours (from approximately 9am to 6pm). With Nana Sita Street being a main road, lanes have been created for different forms of transportation. Three lanes accommodate vehicles ranging from small vehicles to large trucks, with an isolated lane to the south side specifically demarcated for buses. Pavements and walkways around the selected block are between 7 and 10 m wide, with beautiful vegetation that grows to 1.5 m high creating a street edge for pedestrians to walk along comfortably and freely without cluster.

This is an advantage for informal recyclers, who are always moving around the city with trolleys. As these walkways well paved, this creates a comfortable space for pedestrians and city trolley pushers.

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Currently, the site is accessed from the TMPD main parking lot, which is entered from Francis Baard Street on the north side of the block. The main entrance is defined by a series of palm trees alongside the walkway on Francis Baard. This indirectly disconnects the informal recyclers from the city on the western side. The TMPD parking lot on the western side of the block is closed off with 2 m­ high concrete boundary walls. This creates an island of separation between the proposed area in which the informal recyclers reside and where everyday city users commute.

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3.3.3 Locality On an urban scale, the site is surrounded by multiple government organisations. This presents an opportunity to integrate informal recycling into the government landscape to assist in raising awareness of the growing industry of informal recyclers.

Within a 500 m radius on the south­eastern side of the site is the Department of Labour building. Moving north of this building one reaches Church Square, on which are situated the Pretoria Magistrates Court, the offices of the Department of Home Affairs and Department of Social

Development, and the Pretoria Central police station. These departments and government organisations fall on the east side of the site.

There is a significant dichotomy between the use of spaces on the eastern side and western sides of Prince's Park.

Prince Park is a significant end strip, or division strip, that creates an end to the surrounding buildings. A form of urban landscape path is created starting on the south side of Nana Sita Street and moving north to end in Bloed Street at the Marabastad Jazz Square. This path also moves alongside the Steenhoven Spruit, which seems to end at Nana Sita Street at the northern end, pouring into the Apies River on the north side of the city.

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3.4 Urban Scales This section presents three different urban scales to show the different spaces in which informal recyclers reside and move around within the Pretoria CBD. The urban scales are created in axonometric form to focus on the uses of these spaces by informal recyclers as well as everyday city commuters.

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3.4.1 Axonometric City Scale 1:2000 The first scale is an axonometric city scale of 1:2000. This shows the greater extents of other spaces in the city in close proximity to the proposed site for the informal recyclers’ residence. This scale is used to enable us to see the different routes within the city centre along which informal recyclers mainly operate.

This becomes a template for mapping the most suitable spaces for the proposed decentralised material recycling hubs. Sites for these hubs are chosen according to how accessible, comfortable, and usable they are for the informal recyclers. To establish which spaces within the CBD are best suited for these decentralised material recycling hubs, it is necessary to understand the reasons why informal recyclers move in the spaces in which they move and work in the spaces in which they work within the CBD.

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47

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3.4.2 Axonometric Block Scale 1:500 The next axonometric block scale of 1:500 is used to focus more closely on the area near the block in which the proposed site is situated. The block scale shows how most of the block accommodates the TMPD, which allows for further security and integration within the South African Police Service. The separation between the prominent green spaces surrounded by large­scale trees on the south side of the site as well as on the western side of the site is examined with this scale. The grain of construction for built forms within the city is separated at Prince Park Avenue, where an island of vegetation moves parallel to the Steenhoven Spruit.

The large­scale trees and wide street building edge on which pedestrians move around is emphasised on this scale, where the use of these spaces by informal recyclers and everyday city commuters is shown separately. The taxis close to Prince Park and the school on the northern side of the site are also considered.

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3.4.3 Axonometric Street Scale 1: 100 The axonometric street scale of 1:100 is used to show how the informal recyclers living adjacent to the site use the space in which they reside. This shows the growing neighbourhood and community that takes place on the green strip of Prince Park.

During the day, adults sit on the street edge under the beautiful shading trees on buckets or tyres sourced on the journey to collect recyclables. A parking lot that was converted into a community that supports multiple families houses children and creates opportunities for recreational spaces for further growth and convenience. These informal recyclers have found adaptive means to use this space to best accommodate their needs.

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4.1 Stephane Malka Architects, AME LOT Architects: Stephane Malka Architects Location: France, Paris, Rue Amelot Project: Student housing project (conceptual) Year: 2011 Precedent: A material reuse, found material, restorative proposal (timber pallets) (Jarz ,2011).

“In reality, ecological strategies often generate an over­ production of materials, becoming energy­vores and clients of factories, the polluters of the world. The real ecological combat is within the re appropriation of materials and experimentation with ready­made objects, far from the so­called benevolence of subsidized agencies” (Jarz ,2011).

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Stephane Malka Architects’ conceptual design of the AME LOT is a project that expresses the possibilities of integrating recycled or used materials into architecture. In this project, Stephane Malka Architects designed a whole building from recycled timber pallets that are easily accessible and have a certain level

of

temporality

when

used

in

construction. These pallets have been placed in horizontal and vertical directions, to form the building envelope. The majority of the timber pallets are fixed to the structural steel frame of the building to allow for a certain level of durability in the connection of the timber pallets.

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When the timber pallet adjustable louvres

The timber pallet adjustable louvres can be

Certain pallets have been placed in

are closed, they create a rigid form that

opened for ventilation and to let light in.

selected

spaces

has the appearance of multiple timber

The building takes an organic form in its

function

and

boxes stacked on top of one another. This

overall aesthetic, with undefined edges that

connected

creates a straight edge with a uniform

constantly change positions based on the

screens to move vertically. For example,

timber perforated building envelope, which

angle or perspective that the building is

adjustable timber pallet screens ventilate

allows the building to sit well within its

being viewed from. These louvres create

certain spaces within the building when

context through form and hierarchy (Jarz

extrusions that appear to be sunshades

opened. Most of the adjustable timber

,2011).

and balcony overhangs from the street

pallets have been cut in half to minimise

edge under which pedestrians walk.

their weight so that they can be adjusted manually

with

and

circumstances.

according

use

and

hinges

to

individually

to

their

have

been

allow

in

the

different

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4.2 Archi­Union Can­Cube Architects: Archi­Union Architects

Archi­Union designed a steel frame, with

Location: China Shanghai

four nylon tethering layers and fixed and

Project: Office buildings

movable

Year: 2010

support and connect the stacked steel

Precedent: Can Cube’s façade, a system

cans to the can facade. In South Africa, a

of aluminium carbonated drink cans which

large number of informal recyclers collect

are enclosed in an aluminium frame to

thousands of these types of cans. This

form a façade (Archi­Union, 2010).

presents an opportunity for certain spaces

steel­connection

pieces

to

to be designed using inspiration from Archi­Union created the can­cube design

Archi­Union

by forming a controversial facade with a

building facades. This would minimise the

collection of recycled steel cans that are

need

used repeatedly to form the building

construction. The façade works alongside

envelope. In South Africa the equivalent

underground heating and cooling devices,

cans would be

rainwater

the cans used to store

for

for raw

constructing materials

filtration

and

for

solar

can­cube building

energy

baked beans or pilchards. From the way in

systems, which all provide more efficiency

which the cans were used, it is evident that

and minimize the wastage of energy

these recycled cans have undergone

(Archi­Union, 2010).

minimum processing to be able to use them to create a facade. The façade saves the

energy

wasted

during

recycling

processes by reusing the cans in their current form, without the need for recycling or further processes (Archi­Union, 2010).

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4.3 Groosman Architects Milieustraat Recycling Centre Architects: Groosman Architects Location: Netherlands, Dordrecht.

Project: Recycling centre Year: 2012 Precedent: Recycling centre program and spacial organisation

Figure 4.12: Groosman recycling centre elevation expressing Industial roof type

Figure 4.13: Groosman Recycling centre prominent entrance elevation

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Figure 4.14: Groosman Recycling centre large entrances showing interior roof construction

Figure 5.1: Illustration of infromal recyclers working together.

Decentralising recycling hubs for informal recyclers contributes towards facilitating the waste­collection process on an urban scale.

Informal recyclers travel by foot while pulling a trolley. Through an urban­mapping process as part of this study, I observed and documented the routes that informal recyclers pass regularly and that illustrate intermediate points of collection. Intermediate points are spaces that informal recyclers use to rest, take a break from the journey, oil the trolley wheels, drink some water, and see to their sanitary needs. Architects could help provide solutions to the problems that informal recyclers face by studying these problems.

Often, the informal recyclers find their own primary solutions to problems. This suggests that combining the ideas of informal Figure 5.2: Sketch of regenerative design concept. set out, dismentle, reconstruct.

recyclers with the skills of architects would be greatly beneficial to the urban integration of informal recyclers into the city. This could help prevent city edges from looking like dumpsites because the process of informal recycling is not catered for within the city.

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Architects need to look for more sustainable architecture solutions.

In South Africa, with the growing numbers of informal recyclers that collect recycling items at source, architects could find ways to use these recyclables to design building components and systems. An example of this is found in Kenya, where a young engineer, Nzambi Matee, solved environmental issues on a global scale related to waste being discarded by configuring a way to turn plastic waste into plastic bricks and plastic brick pavers. The plastic bricks have Figure 5.3: First conceptual sketch of decentralised recycling hub

an assumed strength of up to five to seven times that of concrete.

These brick pavers are now being used in private and public spaces in Kenya, such as schools, community centres, churches, and homes, among other places. This proves that we can find different ways to use the problems we face as inspiration for profound solutions provided by sustainable architecture.

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Figure 5.4: Second concept sketch of decentralised recycling hub incoporating recycled timber palletes

Figure 5.5: Initial proposal concept sketch

Figure 5.6: Program development

6.1 Accommodation Schedule The accommodation schedule has been split into three sections.

The first section is the north block, which contains the reception, offices and multi­purpose exhibition area. The central block is the advanced material recycling area, where informal recyclers are integrated with formal recyclers for the exchange of knowledge and collaboration in creating crafts. The last section, which is the most private space, is the south block. This block is strictly reserved for informal recyclers.

Figure 5.7: Program Digramatic Sketch

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6.3 Design Development

6.3.1 Response to the street­edge The proposed site is on the western edge of the TMPD block. This increases the difficulties of having to respond to three main roads within the Pretoria CBD without disturbing the current operations of the adjacent sites.

Figure 5.8: Sketch of Site highlgihting main streets, & proposed sites

The design was generated considering different ways to facilitate the movement of informal recyclers using trolleys with large bags of recycled materials and to enable them to move freely within and around the site.

In the process of designing the environment to make the walkways and proposed site a safe environment for informal recyclers and every city user, walkways leading to important spaces were

Figure 5.9: Diagramic conceptual layout

introduced. These spaces included taxi boarding areas, fast food restaurants and living spaces on the south side of the site in addition to the government buildings.

Figure 5.10: Conceptual layout emphsising the importants of large walkways

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As the proposed design caters primarily for informal recyclers, this creates an environment that will continuously have people moving around for different purposes. The design has multi­purpose spaces that accommodate different people and at different times. This is also to ensure a safe neighbourhood that always has eyes on the streets and gives a reason for people to

use the surrounding Figure 5.11: Conceptual circulation and Movement

walkways at any time.

Figure 5.12: Conceptual sketch of connecting west site with east site using a bridge

Figure 5.14: Sketch of Conceptual Form

Figure 5.13: Sketch of Program placement on layout

Figure 5,16: Concept development of connceting bridge concept 2

Figure 5,15: Concept development 2 (Connecting Bridge)

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Figure 5.17: Concept development 1, Opening up building for easy public access

Figure 5,18 : connecting walkways & form development

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Figure 5.19: Concept Development 1 formalising living spaces, and intergrating the recycling centre with the revitalised living spaces

Figure 5.20: Concept development 2 spliting program into three sections, public, semi­public, and private. Introducing a prominent core for exhibition spaces

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6.3.2 Proposed movement and circulation on site There are three main entrances on the site. The first entrance is for staff members and for the public interested in the recycling industry.

This entrance is planned for use by the public on the days set for exhibitions and sales of ready­made recycled products. This entrance is situated on the north of the site and is strictly for pedestrians. Designated parking for the public exists on the north and western sides. A tree­covered walkway guides the user to the entrances of the building. An arcade has been created, for informal recyclers coming from the northern side of the block, to minimise having to walk long distances while carrying heavy loads.

The second entrance is for informal recyclers. This entrance has an informal recyclers’ landscape entry path with food stalls, vendor stalls, resting areas and large walkways to accommodate people entering using trolleys that carry large bags of recyclables. This entrance will mainly be used by informal recyclers who are moving with trolleys or on bicycles. This entrance leads to the informal recyclers’ trolley yard and primary material­recycling area. The formal recyclers that come to the building will enter from either the south entrance or the designated entrance for recyclers on the southern side. There is existing street parking space where the formal recyclers can park their cars and be guided by the walkway to enter the facilities.

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The third entrance is for the dropping off or collecting of recycling materials. This entrance is situated on the north­eastern side of the site. This entrance is mainly for trucks and is the only entrance on site where vehicles can enter the facilities. The vehicles are restricted to moving on the north­eastern side of the site, where the drop­off area and collection zone of the materials are situated.

The proposed design has distinctive large walkways that connect and move around all the buildings on site. This is to accommodate both pedestrians and trolleys moving around the site at the same time from one building to the next.

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6.3.3 Extension of Nana Sita urban landscape island to proposed site The idea of having an urban landscaping pouring into the site was inspired by witnessing informal recyclers using the island that divides Nana Sita as an informal recycling site after collecting recyclables within the city. Since the space on the western side of the site has been fully occupied, this site has spaces that have been demarcated and designated to specific informal recyclers that have been working in the CBD for longer than others. The informal recyclers are occupying the open green spaces around the city where they can work productively undisturbed. Therefore, this urban landscape begins to welcome informal recyclers from Nana Sita into the site where the same activity that is already taking place in open public spaces can gradually start taking place in more designated, private spaces with better working conditions and better sanitary facilities for health purposes. This proposed landscaping, which enters the informal recyclers’ section of the facility, becomes a continuation of the already existing informal recycling space that is currently being used by the informal recyclers.

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The urban landscaping will have stalls scattered along the strip of the landscaping to accommodate people selling food, drinks, water, and other necessities for the informal recyclers that travel these long distances. Because the urban landscaping links with an already existing pedestrian walkway on the southern side of the street edge, the public is welcome to buy goods when passing by.

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6.3.4 The use of recycled materials to design the recycling facility The building materials have been selected according to the level of temporality. The reason for this is that these informal recycling centres are designed so that they can simply be dismantled and moved to a different location over time, based on the different needs or growing opportunities in other environments. Informal recyclers live according to the concept of adaptive living.

The materials to be used are materials that are sourced from building dumping yards as well as materials that are sourced by the informal recyclers.

The materials targeted are those that require minimum processing to be used in buildings for construction. This is used as an energy­ saving strategy to create a facade for an environmentally friendly facility. The selected materials for this facility will be specifically collected by the informal recyclers at large.

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Aluminium cold drink cans will be separated and sorted according to their level of damage and their colours to retain a consistent aesthetic.

Timber pallets have become a distinctive look for informal recyclers and spaces they create for themselves. This is because of the level of accessibility to the timber pallets. Therefore, a large portion of the building’s envelope is designed using timber pallets, placed in a patterned format to accommodate openings that allow controlled light into the working spaces.

Recycled timber doors are to be collected and refurbished, to be used for the industrial and public spaces as the sliding folding doors to allow for large openings and properly ventilated spaces.

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8.10 Specifications V 8.10.1 Specification selected system An adaptive facade that expresses the journey of informal recyclers The system selected was inspired by the hardships that informal recyclers experience in the journey to collect recyclables. An adaptive facade was chosen as best suited for a system that can be applied in different settings and spaces designed for informal recyclers.

The adjustable facade will be applied to the multi­purpose informal recyclers’ exhibition space to allow for multiple conversions of spatial needs. This industrial building is meant to accommodate monthly functions to welcome everyday city commuters to view and purchase crafts created by informal recyclers within the building.

This becomes the most prominent space where the public is able to experience the informal recyclers’ craft.

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The façade is planned to be made from collected aluminium cans stacked in a vertical and horizontal form that is structurally held by mild steel sections. This combination of the materials that recyclers collect and architectural structures introduces the concept of recyclables being integrated in architectural construction and design.

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Conceptual models were used to express the different transformation forms. Through these models, the possibilities and extents the façade could reach were tested to establish the types of forms the façade creates and the spaces the different forms create.

An idea of transformable spaces through an adjustable façade was explored through building models from recycled materials.

The first objective of the façade is to protect the working environment as well as the valuable process the recyclers use. The second objective is to have a façade that is adaptive and interactive and can also be changed to suit specific recycling needs.

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8.10.2 System outline Adjustable façade with removable aluminium panels The façade consists of the following components. a)

Substructure:

i)

Size: 90 mm x 90 mm mild steel equal angles

ii)

Material: Galvanised mild steel

iii)

Name: Mild steel equal angles

iv)

Finish: As delivered, primed for site painting

v)

Sub­Frame fixing to structural support: Sub­frame fixed joints to use

expansion bolts, mechanically adjustable joints to use moving hangers into mechanically supporting steel structure as per mechanical engineers’ specifications vi)

Ironmongery: Mild steel hinges, mild steel brackets, mild steel pivot

joints, mild steel track, rubber wheels on mild steel hanger for adjustable frame. b)

Structural support:

i)

Size: 300 mm x 100 mm parallel flange channels

ii)

Material: Galvanised mild steel

iii)

Name: Mild steel parallel flange channel to form sub­frame

iv)

Finish: As delivered, primed for site painting.

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v)

Fixing: 300 mm x 100 mm parallel flange channels vertically

welded on galvanised mild steel plate that is bolted to 600 mm x 600 mm concrete pad foundation as per engineers’ detailing vi)

Requirements: Bracing crosswires to be fixed corner to corner of

structural steel frame to prevent buckling. c)

Aluminium façade panels:

i)

Size:1200 mm x 1000 mm aluminium façade panels

ii)

Material: Aluminium

iii)

Finish as delivered: Natural anodised

iv)

Colour: As per architect’s finishing schedule

v)

Manufacturer: Screens to be manufactured by informal recyclers

with guidance from local aluminium manufacturers vi)

Façade panel pitch and angle: Adjustable panels and alternating

pitch to the acceptance of the architect and the mechanical engineer vii)

Arrangement: Horizontal panels as per architect’s drawings

viii)

Façade fixing to sub­frame: Expansion to bolt into mechanically

adjustable sub­supporting steel frame with rubber washers in­between steel and aluminium connection points to prevent corrosion ix)

Melted aluminium cans heated to be re­moulded for the

aluminium panels.

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Figure 7.1: Perspective of proposal expressing building envelope designed using recycled and found materials

Figure 7.2: Site Plan

Figure 7.3: Master Plan

Figure 7.4: Ground Floor Plan

Figure 7.5: First Floor Plan

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Figure 7.6: Informal recyclers’ market space & Recyclers’ craft & food vendor stalls

Figure 7.7: South Elevation (from Nana Sita street)

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102 The north block accommodates the

The central block accommodates the

following facilities:

following facilities:

1. Reception

9. Multi­purpose recyclers’ exhibition

13.

2. Application offices

studio

integration

3. Registration offices

10. Boardroom

processing)

4. Processing offices

11. Consultation offices

14. Arts and crafts studios

5. Sickroom

12. Public courtyard

15. Integrated resting areas

Informal

and

formal

material

recycling

6. Public ablution

16. Integrated ablution area

7. Office files storage

17. Integrated courtyard

8. Food court

recyclers’ (final

The south block accommodates the following facilities: 19.3 Food vendor stalls

20.2 Material sorting area

18. Informal recyclers’ trolley yard

19.4 Informal recyclers’ exhibition space

20.3 Storage for unpacked materials

18.1 Trolley parking area

19.5 Informal recyclers food court and

18.2 Trolley service area

dining hall

21. Secondary material recycling

18.3 Trolley wash area

19.6 African cuisine food shop

21.1 Material compacting area

18.4 Trolley equipment storage

19.7 Spaza shop

21.2 Material scaling area

19.8 Fish and chips food shop

21.3 Glass­breaking area

19. Informal recyclers’ market space

19.9 Fast food restaurant

21.4 Material packing area

19.1 Recyclers’ craft vendor stalls

20. Primary material recycling

21.5 Storage of packed materials

19.2 African signature art sculpture

20.1 Material cleaning and washing area

vendor stalls

Figure 7.8: West Elevation ( From Prince Park Avenue)

Figure 7.9: North Block Axonometric drawing

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Figure 7.10: North Entrnance Perspective view

Figure 7.11: North Block Perspective from facility public courtyard

The north block is the most public block on site. This block introduces newcomers to the recycling centre. This is where new informal recyclers who would like to start using the facilities frequently are registered, processed and apply to be placed in the system.

The north block accommodates a very important space, which is the multi­purpose recyclers’ exhibition studio. This is a building that serves as a template or an example that can be used in multiple junctions within the Pretoria CBD for decentralised material recycling hubs for informal recyclers. The multi­purpose recyclers’ exhibition studio has been constructed using cold drink cans that have been collected, sorted, and cleaned by the informal recyclers working within the facilities. This is to create a prominent feature that celebrates the informal recyclers’ crafts and invites interested people to contribute to improving the process.

Figure 7.12: North Elevation

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108 The south block is planned to be the section on the site that will be the most frequently used since this specifically accommodates informal recyclers and the informal recycling culture.

The south block has been split into four different sections. The first section is the informal recyclers’ trolley yard. The second section is the primary material recycling area. This is followed by the third section, which is the secondary material recycling area.

The last section accommodates the informal recyclers’ market space and an exterior landscape market space.

Owing to the large numbers of informal recyclers that will be accommodated within the facility, an outdoor informal recyclers’ trolley yard has been designed with spaces where trolleys can be parked, serviced and washed without interfering with the informal recycling process taking place within the building or the outdoor recycling courtyard.

Figure 7.13: South Elevation

The primary material­recycling sorting area is the area where the materials are dropped off as soon as the informal recyclers enter the facility. The process begins with the materials being separated. The materials that are still in good condition are then washed and placed in separate batches. The materials that are damaged are placed in separate batches according to their material types to be compacted, packed and scaled in the secondary recycling area for further processing in the integration studios in the central block.

Figure 7.14: Birds­eye view of proposal from the south east of facility

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Figure 7.15: Birds­eye view of proposal from the North west of facility

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114

115

116

118

119

123

124

125

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ETHICAL CLEARANCE

The mini­dissertation is for a design­led research project in architecture.

The mini­dissertation falls in the low­risk category. According to Item 4.7.3.5 of the TUT POLICY ON RESEARCH ETHICS (REVISED: 22 Oct 2019), the definition for a low­risk study is the following: The probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the proposed research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life.

The project is theoretical. The desk review uses data from secondary sources that are publicly available. If necessary, the study may include interviews with professionals, officials, and practitioners in their official capacity. The work of others will be indicated and acknowledged in both the text and the list of references.

Primary data consist of visits to similar buildings or building typologies, site visits and photographic surveys. The purpose is to obtain first­hand information and add value to the research.

Where a photographic survey of the site forms part of the study, the photographs will exclude the public. Suppose it is impossible to take a picture without the public being part of the photo; the author will blur all faces to become unidentifiable.

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