Dr Sechaba Maape

Field of Study: Focus on the intersection of decolonization and architecture, specifically how these themes relate to climate change.
Research Gap: Limited scholarship in architecture addressing the relationship between colonization and climate change.
Objective: To contribute to the discourse by analyzing existing scholarly texts and artistic works that engage these themes.

Approach: Utilize texts and artworks that connect themes of decolonization and architecture for analysis.
Rationale: To address a lack of representation of these topics in dominant narratives often rooted in colonial perspectives.
Research Techniques:
- Textual Analysis: Engaging with scholarly works that discuss both architecture and decolonization.
- Visual Analysis: Incorporating drawings and experimental artworks to enhance understanding and illustrate points.

Decolonization: The process of challenging colonial narratives and practices within architecture.
Ecology: Understanding climate change as a consequence of colonization, particularly how land is conceptualized and used.
Land: Central theme bridging architecture, decolonization, and ecology—interpreted as both a physical space and a cultural resource.

Ancestral Connection: Exploration of how historical contexts shape the relationship with modernism in architecture.
Mythological Landscapes Research Project: A study focusing on how three-dimensional scans overlook the ritual and cultural significance of sites, advocating for the inclusion of these elements in architectural studies.

Purpose of an Abstract: Summary at the start of the essay guiding the reader's expectations of the findings.
Findings Overview: Key discovery that the intersection of architecture, decolonization, and ecology revolves around the concept of land.

Triadic Relationship: Visualizing a triangle where architecture, decolonization, and decarbonization are interconnected, with land as the central theme.
Dialogue Between Architecture and Land: Framing the narrative as an ongoing conversation between structures built and the land they inhabit.

Investigative Lens: Viewing architecture through the lens of its relationship with land, exploring how they shape one another.
Dialogue Unfinished: Noting the disconnection between buildings and their landscapes, indicating a need for deeper cultural and environmental integration.

Reflective Approach: The intention to provide insights into how architecture can bridge the historical divide created by colonization and respond to ecological challenges.
Future Implications: Encouraging a holistic understanding of architecture that acknowledges its role in both perpetuating and resolving colonial legacies.