EDITED BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Increased urbanisation and pressure on infrastructure require new, sustainable ways of addressing how we develop our cities
More than 56% of the world’s population currently lives in cities, according to The World Bank, with this trend expected to continue. In fact, The World Bank estimates that by 2025, almost seven out of every 10 people will live in cities. In South Africa, this percentage is even higher, with 68% of the country’s population currently living in urban areas.
REDEVELOPING ABANDONED BUILDINGS
Increased urbanisation puts pressure on the infrastructure of cities, which require innovative and sustainable solutions. Philip du Toit, project architect at BPAS Architects proposes a concept he calls “palimpsest – layering (sub) urban fabric” to help address problems arising from densification.
The term palimpsest was originally used to describe an ancient form of recycling, where *parchment (with traces of the original content often remaining) is repurposed. The term has since been borrowed by other disciplines, such as artists reusing canvases and creating layered artwork.
While studying architecture, Du Toit began to consider how the idea of palimpsest could apply to urban design. “I did my thesis on this idea, looking at how we can use existing buildings and build on them in a three-dimensional environment to create new spaces,” he says.
Rather than developing empty sites or demolishing old buildings to make way for new ones, Du Toit suggests reusing the canvas of the cities to improve densification, minimise development costs, address housing pressures in urban and suburban areas and combat urban sprawl. This methodology also allows for wasted space to be repurposed, and for individuals – not only large-scale developers – to create solutions for themselves.
“It’s a green solution,” says Du Toit. “It can help to address various issues, such as reusing buildings in cities that have become abandoned, or addressing changing population needs. There are examples of how this has worked internationally, and I think it’s something that could be very effective in South Africa too.”
GLOBAL SUCCESS STORIES
In California, Jonathan Segal pioneered a model of architects as developers. To help address a shortage of rental housing in San Diego, he designed, built, and managed 15 projects that are credited with playing a key role inthe city’s renaissance.
On the other end of the spectrum, Torre David, an incomplete development in Caracas, Venezuela, that was halted midway is an example of organic urban palimpsest. A community of homeless people moved into the development and repurposed the space for their own needs.
While these type of “urban slum” applications are not ideal, Du Toit says that when properly managed, urban or suburban palimpsest can be undertaken in a way that ensures existing infrastructure and property prices are positively affected, rather than compromised.
BRINGING IT HOME
It’s common in South Africa for homeowners in suburban environments to build a granny flat in the backyard to accommodate ageing parents or grown-up children. Instead, Du Toit suggests exploring vertical urban interventions, which, if applied correctly and on well-suited properties, could help make cities greener.
“Homeowners working with architects can ensure that these interventions could take place based on good urban design principles,” he says. “The redevelopment, or layering, of existing single residential properties could be used to help provide more houses, offering opportunities for more people to live closer to commercial, social and educational nodes. They also offer additional income for homeowners by way of rental.”
He says that the City of Cape Town has created a precedent for this by changing its town-planning regulations in recent years to allow for up to three dwellings per residential erf, which simplifies redevelopment procedures by negating a zoning change application.
There is also room for developers to get involved in bigger projects, particularly within urban nodes, by partnering with city councils and town-planners to relook existing properties with an eye for development. “This type of partnership means there’s proper consideration given to green infrastructure, such as rainwater harvesting and solar installations, which ensures existing infrastructure is not put under strain,” he says.
*Parchment – A thin material made from animal skin and used as writing material in medieval times.
