Munashe Mombo

This research explores how phenomenological design approaches can create holistic, rehabilitation environments for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in South Africa. CP, sometimes caused by birth-related medical negligence, is prevalent in the country, yet rehabilitative spaces, mainly in hospitals, remain clinically sterile and emotionally unresponsive. The study advocates for environments of treatment and residence that promote emotional comfort, stimulation, and spatial legibility from the child’s perspective. Grounded in architectural phenomenology and child developmental theory, it reimagines rehabilitation as an embodied experience for the mind and body rather than a purely clinical process. The methodology includes interviews with care-givers for disabled persons, desktop research, and precedent studies of centres for care and rehabilitation . The design proposal- a Cerebral Palsy Centre near Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus—draws inspiration from MRI brain imagery to shape an architectural language of healing. Through nature, sensory-responsive materials, and socially engaging design strategies, the project challenges institutional norms in order to empower children with CP.