Boundaries and thresholds: a study of the relationship between public and private space in Diepsloot, South Africa

Abstract

Throughout the developing world, informal settlements Informal settlement is the currently accepted term for what was previously called a slum, shantytown, or squatter settlement. are growing at a rate that far exceeds the growth of formal sector housing. Historically, negative stereotypes and images of seemingly disorganized and inadequate shelters has lead to these environments being viewed, generally by western society, as a form of visual and social pollution Kellett, P and M Napier "Squatter architecture? A critical examination of vernacular theory and spontaneous settlement with reference to South America and South Africa". p8. During 1960's however, theorists, specifically J. Turner Turner, J "The squatter settlement: an architecture that works", began to argue that informal settlements were in fact supportive environments which allowed their occupants to house themselves according to their needs and priorities. Informal settlements are solely constructed by their occupants without the limitations of professional advice and external controls. The process of 'informal placemaking' is the result of a number of individual decisions and actions based a set of shared values and beliefs Kellett, P "The construction of home in the informal city", p 22. The argument that informal settlements are legitimate and valuable environments has been carried through work of contemporary theorists, many of whom are interested in the economic, social and cultural aspects of the environment and how these are played out spatially. These underlying agendas often become the basis of any architectural study, and spatial and architectural findings are regularly dismissed. Kellett, P and M Napier "Squatter architecture? A critical examination of vernacular theory and spontaneous settlement with reference to South America and South Africa". P 10 This study aims to add to the already established body of knowledge regarding informal settlements, by documenting similarities between living environments in traditional vernacular settlements and modern informal settlements in South Africa. Specific reference will be placed on the architectural and spatial language that defines the threshold between public and private space. This will be discussed through the seven architectural elements of the fence, point of entry, yard, plinth, step, doorway and façade.