This Mini-treatise focuses on the design of a drug rehabilitation facility in Korsten, Port Elizabeth. During the urban analysis and the study of the social problems in Korsten, it was clear that a [drug] rehabilitation facility was needed in its society. Statistics show that 39% of people using drugs in Port Elizabeth are from the Korsten region. 67% of drug users are teenagers, and 80% of them are males. Therefore, the rehab will cater specifically for male teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 years. Despite the amount of medical centres (formal and informal) in Korsten, there are no drug rehabilitation facilities, especially since the drug abuse rate is so high in that area. Currently, there are no state-funded rehab facilities in the Eastern Cape, only having a handful in South Africa. This drives the project in the direction of funding coming from the government. The aim of the design is to create a green sanctuary that offers patients a meditative and spiritual recovery. The design opposes the typical clinical rehab centre, and offers spaces that are 'Zen' and tranquil. This allows patients to be in the right state of mind and to experience a total togetherness of body and mind. The form of the building and the derivation of spaces are taken from a geometric abstraction of a 'travel pattern of dopamine between the neurons in the brain'. To uncover the form and spaces, the design will be approached from a deconstructive theoretical standpoint. The aim is to uncover unique tranquil garden spaces that takes full advantage of the natural elements and to successfully blur the lines between the natural and the man-made to the extent of a controlled confusion of what is inside space and what is outside space.

Problem Statement

Drug abuse in South Africa, and specifically in Port Elizabeth has grown tremendously over the last 10 years. It has grown to reach near epidemic proportions. Drug abusers have advanced from a simple “cup of hemp tea” to a complex of chemical delights. The abuse of drugs are directly related to an alarming increase in drug-related crimes. Drug dealers have strategically placed themselves in easy-access positions within our society, making it accessible to almost anyone. It is tragic that the youngsters in our society has become the most recent victims of drug abuse, where statistics show that even pre-teenage addiction is sky-rocketing in South Africa. Drug abuse is the first step in a domino effect - as drug abuse relates to crime, and even teenage girls falling pregnant (all related to drug abuse). One of the biggest problems today, is that no one can afford to be admitted into a rehabilitation facility. If the addict cannot afford it, the responsibility falls onto the family members. This financially drains the families of the addicts. People turn to drugs because they cannot deal with the challenges of life, therefore, it is important to have more state-funded rehab facilities, so that more people can afford to be admitted. This will decrease the rate of drug abuse.