Disused power station at Little Brak is subject of thesis

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - An architecture student was so fascinated by the disused Eskom power station at Little Brak River that he made it the subject of his master's degree thesis.

And his passion for his project is evident because he graduated cum laude and also won a special prize.

Emile Roux's family has a holiday home in Reebok, near the power station, so growing up, he was enthralled by the imposing structure.

He notes, however, that his is not the first master's thesis on this shell of a building. Another was completed in 2017.

In his thesis, Roux proposes how the structure could be repurposed and his idea is for it to be an addition to the Western Cape Youth Café initiative.

Click here to see diagrams and images: Disused power station at Little Brak is subject of thesis

Youth Café's are centres where young people meet to learn new skills, hear talks on topics relevant to them, are given opportunities to uplift themselves and socialise with other youths, among others.

Roux says: "The repurposed building will offer mixed-use studio and lecture space, workshops, a computer lab and also provide communal gathering space, office space and a cafeteria."

Roux studied at the University of Pretoria.

He said he chose the Power Town site, which is the informal settlement around the power station, because of its history. He also noted that the old power station was a significant, noticeable landmark.

He engaged extensively with Power Town residents in his work, he says.

"The Power Town community is continuously confronted with insecure land tenure, inadequate housing conditions and periodic flooding. Despite these risks, the community has a strong relationship with the land and considers it an essential part of its history."

Roux's project was titled: Power Town Youth Café: The synergy between 1) civic responsibility, 2) urban fabric and 3) the natural environment.

Sustainable

He said: "This title highlights what I believe are the three critical aspects of sustainable architecture and throughout the project, the relationship between these aspects was explored to create a synergy between them, where they all co-exist."

Roux was awarded the Archneer Visual Communication Prize for 2024.

"The prize is a reward for astute, hand-drawn diagrams published in a professional Master's design dissertation. The diagrams will be included in the collections of the architecture archives of the University of Pretoria," he says.

Roux is currently working for a firm of architects in George.An isometric section of the proposed repurposed building.