Landscape Architecture Portfolio | August 2020

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2020

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DESIGN PORTFOLIO D E S I G N | L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T U R E | F U R N I T U R E D E S I G N | G R A P H I C d E S I G N | i L LU S T R AT I O N S

JANA PRETORIUS

2020

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Thesis 2019 | MLA

Title: Restorative Healing Environments: How can Mental, Physical and Spiritual Wellbeing be Improved through a Biophilic design approach?

14 Technical Capability This section will show a wide variety of details, sections, technical and detailed plans.

18 Practical Experience A showcase of projects that I was involved in while practicing as a Junior Landscape designer

26 Creative Exploration Art, Illustration and Photography.

28 Furniture Design Designs created for clients.

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MONOGRAM created by Author (2013).

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MLA THESIS

E.O. Wilson, the father of the Biophilia Hypothesis, argues that our sense of belonging today comes from spending time in city parks, from the choices that we make for habitation, and from where people decide to spend their leisure time (Souter-Brown, 2015). Wilson states that we are hard-wired to be in nature, and it helps us to un-pack the fundamental idea of human nature and how people associate with themselves.

Restorative Healing Environments: How can Mental, Physical and Spiritual Wellbeing be Improved through a Biophilic design approach?

Biophilic principles can be introduced to the public realm through bringing nature into pedestrianized spaces, creating a natural analogue, and creating vernacular spaces that draws reference to the contextual narratives of Cape Town.

People have become a lot more subject to a wide range of maladies from stress-related physical diseases, to psychological disorders, all the way to spiritual detachment. As Humans, we coevolved alongside nature and the natural world. Human beings need contact with nature and the natural world. We need it to be healthy, happy and connected to live meaningful lives. Nature is not optional, it is absolutely necessary for a qualitative urban lifestyle.

In this project we will look at different ways to re-introduce the natural world back into the artificial and urbanized city. The focus will be on the business district of Cape Town, where there is a recurring weekday interaction with the urban environment. Through creating a city park environment it will create a beneficial environment for daily commuters and pedestrians to benefit the mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing throughout our rapid urbanized city.

In order to live an effective pedestrianize living we will have to design compact and dense city to minimize the amount of traveling in between places. But compact and dense cities presents challenges to integrate nature and finding ways to make it possible for people in these environments to still be able to interact with nature and the natural environment on a daily basis. Connection with nature and the impact it has on our overall well-being is extremely important in a developing urban environment.

Reference: Souter-Brown, G. (2015). Landscape and urban design for health and well-being.

London: Routledge.

* For the full document please contact me on janaprets@gmail.com

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Right: Multi-media collage exploring existing biophilia in Cape Town. (2019)

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HISTORIC CONTEXT

VIEW LINES

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT

FOCUS AREA

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Design Principals Going Forward

Site Factors: Biophilic identifiers

Cape town can be experienced as a biophilic city, because in some sense there will always be a visual connection to nature. Whether it is driving alongside the N2 and seeing devils peak heading to campus, seeing table mountain from nearly any point in space in the city or even if it is just a cheekily little bit of the ocean revealing itself to you driving about our beautiful city.

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.”

- E.O. Wilson.

But since our city has rapidly started to urbanize since the land was claimed from the ocean there has been a fragmentation between the natural world and the city environment as we know now. We need to prioritize re-establishing the connection between mountain, ocean and back to nature.

WHY Cape Town City Centre?

The project is focused in the Foreshore of Cape Town, At the crossing of Heerengracht and Hertzog blvd.

The project focus will be directed towards urban city dwellers, this will mainly include: - The working class: People that work in the precinct that will come in to contact with the city park. Whether it is a visual connection, a direct connection, or a non-visual connection (sound, wind, lighting, etc.).

- Pedestrians: Individuals that moves through the space on a weekly basis.

- Commuters: People that use public transport to get to work or to an end destination. Public transport includes; train, taxi, MyCiti, Bus.

A biophilic city is a green city, a city that invites in the natural world and ecological systems that are visible and accessible to city dwellers. It is certainly about physical conditions and design of the city realm—public parks, green infrastructure, ecosystems, pedestrianized environments—but it is also about the spirit of a place, an emotional connection to the natural world, and an interest in and curiosity about it (Beatley, 2011).

Through targeting this group of people it will encourage healing on a daily basis, these individuals will most likely be in contact with the city park on a daily basis.

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Foreshore Precinct, Cape Town

Public Space & The Urban Scale

A lot of public spaces in the urban context is subject to a lot of influential factors. These include natural elements(sun/shade/wind/etc) as well as how it responds to the built forms surrounding it and how that influences surveillance, sheltering the space from wind or keeping the sun away.

Below you can see on what scale pedestrians experience this space and to what Extent the infrastructure has dominated this area. The area was designed to facilitate automobiles, not pedestrians. But since public transport has become a big factor in the CBD, pedestrians have made use of this precinct, but the space is experienced as uncomfortable and the scale is misproportioned.

HEERENGRACHT SECTION NORTH(top) AND SOUTH (bottom) FACING

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Design Development The precinct has a few strong narratives that can not be ignored and has to be considered when designing a public space in the foreshore.

These factors will influence the space making of the precinct, it will be more specific to the public realm.

The public realm has to be considered in a factual manner to recognize where people move and how they utilize the space. At the moment the space is use in a limited way. This is because of the current layout and design. There is opportunity to utilize the space to better the users experience.

The CBD is based on a grid layout that creates the urban scale in a functional way. This scale was not intended for pedestrians but rather a way of navigating cars and other transport through the area. This grid can be utilized to create a more humane scale in the precinct as well as pull through a theme. Because we want to pull through natural elements and combine it with a grid system to influence the scale in the area. The geographical grid will also be pulled through do dominate the way in which the grid is used in the precinct. The grid has been brought down to a 10m grid to separate different zones in the precinct.

If you look at the historic development of the foreshore you might find it very interesting to see how the site has been claimed from the ocean. This creates some mystery as to what type of layered site you might find. The layered landscape theme is something that will be pulled through the design to expose hidden biophilic associations LAYERED LANDSCAPE: • Upper rubble: this is a landfill made up largely of building debris and from the smell in places, also industrial waste; • Dredged sand: landfill consisting of

dredged seabed material, white in colour and rich in water rounded marine shell. Clearly of marine origin, this cannot be the dune sand reported to have been brought from near the airport and it must have been used elsewhere; • Lower rubble: earlier landfill containing much rocky material and other debris. This appears to have been submerged or waterlogged and had a strong sulfurous aroma; • Old seabed: this was marked by a relatively thin deposit (on average 80cm thick) of black/gray clay also having a strong sulfurous aroma; • Bedrock: Malmsbury Shale

“The thing that’s important is not something called design; it’s how you live, its life itself. Design really comes from that. You cannot separate what you do from your life.” Dan Kiley

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In order to relate the design back to its historic past we have suggested a sunken landscape that will draw the attention back to the old harbor and pier that would have been found in the precinct. This will also utilize the ground water. The ground water will be daylighted in certain areas to create memory though water. You will see that there is features located in the water passage, this will draw connection with the geological significance of cape town. Creating abstracted boulders that will be made on site through artists.

This sunken area will also help fight the natural elements, it will create sanctuary against wind, rain and the sun. The mound that is found on the artscape side will also help fight against harsh winds, as well as draw connection to the geological significance.

Design Outcome The design focuses on creating a sequence of experiences, these experiences is linked to different rooms located throughout the landscape. These experiences is linked to the biophilic principals accumulated in this study.

You will notice that the area has been pedestrianize, with an exception of Heerengracht st and the MyCiti that runs through the space (red). The myCiti has also had a change of route, this will be more effective in dealing with the pedestrian experience. The Myciti will also stop every 50 - 100m to ensure that it is accessible for all users. The bus lane has been sunken by 200mm to ensure pedestrian safety, and will only surface to ground level when a pedestrian crossing is permitted.

This new precinct will create opportunity for outdoor activity, whether it is connected to the artscape precinct, the business sector or recreational purposes.

The use of material is also very important in this design, because material can draw reference to biophilic principles. It is connected to texture, patterns, tactile, repetition, reflection,color, visibility, sound, and more. This is why the material study was so important.

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The Pavilion Distorted views will be displayed in the pavilion to evoke mystery and curiosity. The landscape will be experienced in a metaphoric manner to observe the lack of identity of the area and what was and what is to become.

Rock Abstractions Varies in textures to resemble the progression of geology textures.

Progressing from granite, sandstone and malmesbury shale

The fill of the mound will be exposed by a double glazed glass ‘window’ to reveal the historically filled landscape below our feet.

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Section views 12

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Technical Capabilities Details, sections and plans created during my studies, and working career.

During my studies we have had to explore

is important in order to know how all the

a wide variety of details in the landscape

design elements come together and work

profession.

as a functioning system. This is where design becomes more concrete and

I have touched basis in the following;

understandable. It is important to unpack these elements and make the design work

- Wetland Systems and Construction,

before the installation even starts.

- Bioretention systems, - Water features,

Understanding the site and the proposed

- Paving detailing,

design is extremely important. As a

- Material Joints,

designer you have to make sure you

- Cut and Fill,

understand the application requirements

- Decking,

with regards to the load or use intensity,

- Grading / Levels,

the soil and hydrology, the climate and

- Runoff calculation and design,

the regulatory specification. This will

- Retaining walls,

ensure that the project is successful and

- Planting design and BOQs,

the client will be satisfied.

- General lighting design, - Pergola design,

Through carefully considering every detail

- Furniture design and specs,

of the design you will ensure that the

- Ramps,

project is successful now and in the long

- Terraces,

run. The details and devices of a project

- Swales,

will ensure a efficient design, cost, energy,

- Ponds,

resources and maintenance. It is crucial

- Seating walls,

to unpack the design in such a manner

- Material studies,

that it is clear what your intentions is to the installation team as well as the

Design Details together with specifications

maintenance team going forward.

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WATER FEATURE DETAIL AND SPECS

* NOT TO SCALE

PERGOLA DETAILING

* NOT TO SCALE

PLANTER DETAIL

* NOT TO SCALE

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GRADING PLAN

* NOT TO SCALE

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OUTDOOR FURNITURE SPECS

* NOT TO SCALE

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Practical Experience Work Completed at Golf Data (jhb) and Contours Design Studio (cpt)

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HOUSE ROBBERTZE Paarl, Cape Town

This project was completed in my time at Contours Design Studio. The client has a small space but wanted to utilize it as a social area that both the kids and the parents could utilize.

This was a project that I ran with from design to installation. I was assisted with a installation team as well as a project manager.

Graden designs, Completed at Golf Data (JHB)

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Creative Exploration Illustrations, Photography

I love creating, whether it is art, illustrations, landscapes, systems, furniture. I just know that I was built to design and create.

As long as I can create, I will be happy.

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KOLLA

DESIGN

Furniture design & manufacture

Design is my passion, as long as I can create I will be happy.

Magic exists, it is all around us and it is definitely flowing through my veins. The idea of creating something out of nothing brings forward a kind of magical and mystical phenomena that excites me every single day. Being able to materialize something that was just a thought or a conversation is what gets the adrenaline pumping. Because… Isn’t it exciting?

As a designer you are able to see things even before you have even put pen to paper, and it doesn’t matter whether it is architecture, graphic design, gardening, product design, industrial design, etc. But that moment when you put your pen down, that is what you call MAGIC. It might not be the first sketch or the second, but the ideas and the key details begin to be translated in a more physical and upfront manner. This is when you get to identify key aspects that are crucial to move forward in this process of creation.

I have applied all my design principals to so many different types of practices and I hope to become more fluid in this kind of expression. I love the challenge of being faced with all kinds of design challenges and interventions. I think that’s how I came to create this passion project.

I was thrown into so many different avenues and I simply couldn’t find myself to just choose one, so I decided to take a chance and try all of them under one umbrella. I had to reassure myself, that no matter what path I choose, I will always practice the same analytical thinking and methodology.

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Steel work station.

Hot rolled steel piece with a matt black powder coating finish

Current Build (not completed) Shift Coffee table.

Designed by Jana Pretorius. Steel frame with matt black finish and a repurposed Oregan Pine timber top.

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