Oude Molen
| Problem Statement/ Hypothesis : Can a state run project with all the challenges of bureaucracy & contradictory legislation, result in a sustainable, integrated human settlement that is an example of best practice and showcases a true understanding of the conceptual domain? Context: Oude Molen (OM), spans approx. 14 Ha on the edge of the CBD of Cape Town. It is well-located near public transport & an industrial area, yet provides opportunities for recreation along the river network to the east. It is an heritage site of multiple layers from the Khoisan era & the early days of the Cape Colony. It has been a sacred burial site, a farm, an hospital & now an ecovillage in the making. The land is owned by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC) & was last officially used as an asylum for blacks only during the Apartheid era. Since the deconstruction of Apartheid, the land & buildings were left to degrade, un-maintained as low density rental stock pending a decision for its future. In recent years people began to move there for the opportunities it provided for cheap electricity & premises, open space & community. A Villagers Association was formed with an unusually high eco- & socio- conscience. When deciding how to develop the land, one of the primary questions for PGWC, was what to do with the people using it. Instead of evicting them, it was decided that all stakeholders, including inter alia the neighbouring social housing scheme, the villagers’ association, the Khoisan elders council, the Two Rivers Urban Park etc. would be included in a robust social process that would see the developments occur with the people in place. Design Response: A vision was developed in partnership with the people that resulted in a mixed-use, medium density, rurban, eco-village. The village seeks to produce its own food, recycle its water & use electricity from renewable sources. Existing buildings will be renovated & restored, whilst new buildings will tread lightly on the earth using materials selected for their low embodied energy & health-giving properties. In addition, new buildings will be designed to utilize passive solar properties for heating & cooling & old buildings will be renovated to achieve the same. As a showcase project, it has been earmarked by the City of Cape Town, for the Cape Care Tourism Route. The project reflects the complex nature of human life; the links we make to nature, history, prevailing politics & neighbouring communities. Against the backdrop of massive homelessness & housing shortages in South Africa, it is hugely challenging for the state not to revert to the tradition of simply building dwellings of mass-housing for the poor. The project proposal has not maximised density, but kept the threshold levels to an optimum medium to high density so as to provide spaces that are both bustling & quiet within the fabric of the village. It is the first sustainable project of its scale to be instigated by a state organisation in South Africa & sets a precedent for sustainability previously not seen. |
