Revealing the hidden - the Cradle of Humankind
By: Marli Swanepoel
Mid-year review, MArch(Prof) student work
Within our current society, humankind often separates “human” place from “natural”
place. This alienation from nature leads human beings to believe that activities outside of protected natural areas, have no effect on the areas demarcated to be natural (Mang 2007). This belief is evident within the landscape of the Cradle of Humankind, the only UNESCO-protected natural and cultural World Heritage Site which is under threat from the presence of acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD is not only a threat to the fossiliferous deposits, but is also placing pressure on the vulnerable karst ecosystems, including the Schreiber’s longfingered bat colonies, in turn impacting on local farms and the livelihoods of the community (Durand et al.).
The dissertation aims to investigate the deteriorated relationship between humankind and nature, proposing an alternative understanding of humankind as part of nature, and how the presence of human beings in a landscape has the possibility to enhance ecological systems.
The urban intention is to build on the historical, economic, and social layers of landscape of the Cradle, taking into account the flaws of the networks between the layers of landscape and strengthening the opportunities. The program will utilise the existing tourism networks to remediate and conserve the landscape affected by a poor understanding of the significance of the karst landscape. Serving as a place which creates the opportunity for humankind to reconnect with nature.
Hidden within the landscape lies the catalyst, and the major informant of program; a Chiroptera (bat) conservancy. This niche tourism attraction not only has the possibility to appeal to visitors, and rebuild a lost connection to the landscape, but also has the opportunity to use the needed infrastructure to remediate the landscape as social space.
LOCATION - -26.027549, 27.716908
The site is located in the North Eastern quadrant of Bolt’s Farm. This portion of Bolt’s
Farm includes an abandoned aggregate quarry and a portion of the Rietvlei River severely affected by AMD.
Tourism and tourist destinations not only have the opportunity to be environmentally conscious in themselves, but have the ability to educate the public on the state of the environment and how it can be improved, as well as create the platform where tourism can contribute to the environmental upgrade of a site.
The question lies in how architecture can facilitate the regeneration of a place through the utilisation of tourism facilities, thus through the presence of humankind in a place. The dissertations aims to investigate the way built form can support a habitat for the co-evolution of human beings together with other natural systems, and through this brings focus to the role humankind has to play in the workings of ecological systems.
Exploring how infrastructure can be multi-functional, not to favour one living system, such as humankind, but by applying infrastructure to connect the various networks of a place.
REVEALING THE HIDDEN - THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
MARLI SWANEPOEL
Durand, J., Fourie, M. and Meeuvis, J. (2010). The threat of mine effluent to the UNESCO status of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa 6:73–92.
Gommery, D. and Potze, S. (2013). Bolt’s Farm-Greensleaves Permit Renewal (2013-2016). Pretoria: HOPE Research Unit.
Mang, N.S.(2007).The rediscovery of place and our human role within it.