Adaptive reuse as a conduit for regenerative & human-centred design in Johannesburg

Abstract

The residents of Johannesburg are facing actual real issues of housing shortages and a surplus of abandoned buildings in the CBD; many residents are living in poor conditions without necessities. This wicked problem has challenged designers to think with a human-centred design approach to resolve this problem. This research aims to examine the idea of a non-traditional theory of adaptive reuse as an alternative solution for the housing shortage, in Johannesburg by utilising a human-centred design methodology with regenerative design solutions as a resolve in the urban renewal for Johannesburg. The aim is accomplished by gathering information from literature reviews on two case studies and a third detailed visual observation of an abandoned building The Carlton Hotel. The first study was conducted on Jewel City, wherein the design interventions of adaptive reuse and human-centred design were applied to a six-block residential, retail, and commercial development. The second case study was performed on an office building with award-winning regenerative design principles rendering it one of the most successful low impact buildings in Africa. The results of the visual observation and case studies are then combined in order to develop a holistic design approaches with interior design strategies for urban renewal within the inner city and revival of abandoned buildings.