Adaptive Reuse of the Old Woodstock Hospital: Reincorporating community identity into the social fabric of Cape Town.

Abstract

Purpose With an estimated 12.5 million people without a home in South Africa, it is a clear issue that needs to be addressed by the government. The illegal occupation of the old Woodstock hospital was a reaction to the current housing crisis in South Africa.

Methods Understanding the site and the current residents’ needs, design a multifunctional, mixed zone space that will help uplift the community. Looking at various case studies worldwide to help inform design decisions to maximise the hospitals’ transition success.

Results The old Woodstock hospital, renamed by the residents to Cissie Gool House, aims to set a new precedent for adaptive reuse in South Africa as a proposed solution to the housing crisis.

Cissie Gool House is an articulate example of a modern-day Commune in Cape Town located in the former Woodstock Hospital. They have demonstrated that oppressed, neglected, exploited, and impoverished people can organise better than the City of Cape Town, which has failed to provide much needed affordable housing.