As social beings people constantly interact with one another. N.J. Habraken (HABRAKEN, N.J., 1998) has
pointed out how our sense of emotional well being is fostered through our continuous visual and physical
interaction, and has emphasized the role of architecture in promoting this sense. Patrick Shumacher
(SCHUMACHER, P., 2012) mentions succinctly that “Architecture is the facilitation of human communication
processes.” These writers are representative of a general consensus that architecture is greatly
instrumental in developing and enhancing communication, and in contribution towards the vibrancy of a
community.
This thesis is motivated by these ideas. I have concentrated on Paarl, which has been a town divided by
natural barriers, and by Apartheid-period segregation town planning (Fescura, F). My intention with this
project is to assess these barriers, and propose an architectural construct to overcome these barriers, and
replace the instruments of division with new possibilities of vibrant communication.