The outcome of this research demonstrates the importance of a nurturing inner city environment for supporting and creating opportunities for the pavement dwellers in their day to day life. This inner city environment is largely comprised of the architecture within it, as such architectural interventions can be applied to create a stage for life.
The theoretical framework is built on the Theory of Living, which is used to inspire and interpret the concept of a nurturing inner city throughout this dissertation. The basic assumption outlined is that architecture should be in the service of life, informed first and foremost by needs of the people, rather than abstract planning (Ortega, 1969). Complexity Theory and Critical Regionalism is applied in conjunction to further examine an architectural response to street living needs. Complexity Theory (Alexander, 2003) highlights the multiplicity of human dimensions in relation to the built environment, requiring a holistic, diverse and multi- perspective approach, while Critical Regionalism calls for a unique design rooted firmly in the specific cultural and social context and for the geographic region (Frampton, 1983). This has led to an understanding that requires the reality of street living to be taken into account, with its diverse and multiple interrelations, within a defined location, in order to respond with a rich humanism, rather than a neutral abstraction.
At the outset, the literature review established the idea that "I dwell in the city and the city dwells in me", Palasmaa (2005:40), as a means to understand the relationship between people and the inner city environment. This insight shows that architecture can create a canvas upon which life is outplayed, and furthermore people's lives have an impact on this environment. Because of this complex interaction, it is possible to conceptualize and design environments that nurture.
Historically, this was illustrated in a continued relationship between inhabitants and a city through time. A nurturing inner city environment is one that is planned in conjunction with the
CONCEPTUALIZING A NURTURING INNER CITY ENVIRONMENT INFORMED BY THE N EEDS OF STREET LIVING:
Towards a multipurpose dream centre for the pavement dwellers of the Durban CBD.
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130 | P a g e people that inhabit it, and incorporates their needs, aspirations and dreams in its functionality.
This can be practically applied for example by considering orientation, flow of movement, natural light and ventilation, and shapes and spaces created. Accordingly, as mentioned, abstract planning without consideration of people, does not constitute a nurturing environment.
Subsequently, the inner city is analysed from the point of view of the pavement dweller, discussing street living and livelihood strategies. It is in terms of these two components of an inner city environment and the pavement dwellers' living needs that a nurturing inner city environment is conceptualized; and equally, an architecture that nurtures the pavement dwellers can be created. The investigations into the case studies and precedent studies bring the analyses of these relationships into sharp focus, creating a foundation for conceptualizing the guidelines for the dream centre.
The case study of the Anton Lembede district highlights the specific needs of the pavement dwellers in their particular context, that being within the Durban CBD. The needs that arise from the lifestyle of street living within a certain area need to be included in the conceptualisation of a dream centre, in order to appropriately address the realities experienced by those to whom it will cater for. It demonstrates the principles outlined in the theoretical framework, that a successful scheme cannot be simply abstract and independent of the specifics of place, people and environment. The buildings and social programmes in the case studies of the Strollers Overnight Facility and the Durban Beach Shelter were also assessed and interpreted in terms of Durban's response to the nurturing issues identified in the literature review within the relevant theories.
This analysis of the case studies revealed that the shelter design solutions were inadequate for the needs of the pavement dwellers in the Durban CBD. The analysis of the design of the shelters demonstrated that there is little harmony between the architecture and the context or between the architectural functions and the facilities offered to the pavement dwellers. These findings demonstrate that Durban needs improved, and more adequate facilities, and it is this gap in the provision of facilities that the conceptualization of a nurturing multipurpose dream centre addresses.
131 | P a g e The analysis of the precedent studies demonstrated that the environment in The Bud Clark Commons and The Bridge Homeless Assistance Centre is appropriate, by moving in the direction of a nurturing architecture. These two precedent studies demonstrate practically how nurturing architecture responds to the specific needs and issues of the pavement dwellers within their vicinity. In addition, the studies showed the importance of how each building combined the facility functions into spaces for social programmes to address street living needs. The buildings address holistically the architecture, the programmes and the needs of the pavement dwellers, by providing for both basic shelter needs and furthermore equipping them for life off the street, through education, skills training, mental and physical health and well-being. The spaces themselves cultivate this by being naturally ventilated and well lit, the choice of materials and colours provide a soft and inviting environment, the physical design makes it both visible and humanly orientated to publically acknowledge its position, and the position of the people.
In the resulting analysis and discussion, the Anton Lembede district case study was used to identify the needs of the Durban CBD pavement dwellers, in order to prepare an informed response. The conceptualization of a nurturing inner city environment in terms of the identification of facilities for pavement dwellers, is augmented by identifying the design issues in the Durban shelter case studies and the precedent studies. The precedent studies contrast the inadequacies found in the Durban shelter case studies, and provide an example of how to proceed toward a humanly orientated, life facilitating and nurturing architecture for pavement dwellers' street living. Countering these issues, supplementary guidelines were formulated to inform the site and schedule accommodation guidelines, which are outlined below.
The analysis articulated the point of view that a nurturing inner city environment can be conceptualized by ensuring that the lived space, the functions and the needs of the pavement dwellers speaks to values of the humanistic ideals of Ortega (1962), Frampton (983), Alexander (2003) and Pallasmaa (2005). The humanistic dimension enables the architect to conceptualize a nurturing inner city environment, moving away from an abstract and isolated idea and design.
Within the framework of the theories and the literature review, the pavement dwellers' needs in the Anton Lembede district case study were investigated. This investigation coupled with the
CONCEPTUALIZING A NURTURING INNER CITY ENVIRONMENT INFORMED BY THE N EEDS OF STREET LIVING:
Towards a multipurpose dream centre for the pavement dwellers of the Durban CBD.
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132 | P a g e nurturing design issues arising from the shelter case studies and the precedent studies are the foundation for the articulation of a multipurpose dream centre, informed by the needs of street living in the Durban CBD.
6.3RECOMMENDED SITE AND SCHEDULE ACCOMMODATION GUIDELINES