Zanre Van Der Walt

Kathu is a mining town located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The town lies in the central region of the greater Kalahari.

Apart from mining, Kathu, as a context, holds an interesting history and plays an important role in national and global heritage. And by gaining a deeper understanding of this environment, we may discover that it holds a key to unlocking some profound mysteries relating to where we come from as an evolutionary species. (Re)Source explores the nature of humanity’s relationship to its environment in ancient and modern times. It uses the practice of horticulture as a tool of agency and connection to the self, the community, and the natural environment.

By magnifying the ways in which way may grow to reach higher states of consciousness and a greater awareness of our personal landscapes, one cultivates affection for the natural world. For it is in nature that we see the reflection of ourselves; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Pointing us in a direction whereby we can create a more harmonious world for our own and our planet’s future.

The proposed architectural intervention aims to provide a framework for a new sustainable human settlement in a rural area, close to Sishen Iron Ore mine. It promotes the notions of “De-urbanisation” and “Re-ruralisation”.

Groundwater from existing large scale dewatering processes at Sishen is used to supply gravity-fed open water channels, called ‘leivore’. These channels outline the spatial structure of the new suburban development, which underpins a community agriculture program. Each property is equipped with greenhouse infrastructure and access to irrigation water to enable efficient production of local fresh produce. Whilst an educational and demonstrative precinct, set in the heart of the suburb, in the midst of a market street, form the microcosm of the scheme.