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PROJECT

The design of a water hyacinth and natural fibre research and development facility at Hartbeespoort.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Water hyacinth poses global challenges, impacting ecology, economies and communities. Its rapid growth in nutrient-rich waters disrupts ecosystems, navigation and recreation, as seen at Hartbeespoort Dam. Despite various management efforts, few have been effective. This dissertation proposes shifting from eradication to innovation by establishing a semi-permanent harvesting and processing facility at Hartbeespoort Dam. The facility will manage water hyacinth while creating economic opportunities for the local community. It will focus on processing hyacinth fibres into commercial bio-based products like natural biopolymers. By integrating harvesting, processing and production, the architectural intervention aims to address hyacinth proliferation sustainably. The outcome is a prototype facility dedicated to transforming invasive plants into valuable resources.

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Quintin Bezuidenhout

representing 

Tshwane University of Technology

why did you choose to study architecture?

The future is not something we enter but something we create. Words that shape my every decision. I have always been captivated by architecture’s power to influence experiences, shape visions and challenge perceptions. For me, architecture is the fusion of my father’s practical vision and my mother’s artistic sensibility, a discipline that balances functionality with beauty, building spaces that outline human interaction.
I have always felt a deep urge to pursue something meaningful, and in many ways, I felt architecture itself embodies that purpose. Outside of its aesthetics, it serves as a medium to enhance lives and address global challenges. The ability to create and build something though merely just a thought is something only architecture can do. I chose to study architecture because it allows me to channel my passion for problem-solving into something tangible, meaningful and transformative.

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