Through the request from the Executive Dean, Prof Natasha Potgieter and under the guidance of Dr Khathu Magwede from the Department of Biological Sciences, the HoD and staff members from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning [URP] in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, showed engaged scholarship in practice when the staff and students of URP used the URP Department’s Integrated Development Project to produce the landscaping designs for the UNIVEN Herb garden.
The final UNIVEN Herb Garden design by one of the URP student groups that was decided to base the landscape design on
The Integrated Development Project is a Year 3 level noncredit bearing Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning module which combines all knowledge learnt from Year 1 to Year 3 into a practical assignment to enable students to put theory into practice. Key practical modules critical to successful designing of the tasks include Studio 1 (URP1140); Site Planning and Design Studio (URP2144); Metropolitan Planning (URP3141); Land use Planning and Management (URP3144); Planning Theory and Philosophy (URP3145); Urban Design Studio (URP3146); Spatial Planning Studio (3148). Through the Integrated Development Project, students work on a real urban design and spatial planning problem to provide real life solutions to the challenges observed.
The final product of the Integrated Development Project is an assessment of the designed project. The marks obtained are distributed to all Year 3 first and second semester formative assessments for students across all modules. Through their dedication to making a difference, the URP Department has produced 4 possible design outlays in 4 groups. The UNIVEN Herb Garden was then put together from ideas taken from the 4 designs provided and through the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture and the Facilities Management Directorate, the physical process to put the chosen design ideas in action on the land allocated for the initiative, then started in all earnestness and dedication from all involved in the beginning of 2024.
The URP Department students who were involved in the design planning of the Herb Garden were all delighted to see their work used to produce the UNIVEN Herb garden that will be used for research, Teaching
and Learning and Community Engagement activities
The Executive Dean thanked each of the students and staff members in the URP Department with a small token of gratitude for the hard work they put into the designs of the UNIVEN Herb garden and their commitment to contribute to making the UNIVEN campus a place to be proud of. A plaque with their names will be added to the entrance of the Herb Garden to remember their contribution to the final design concept for the Herb Garden. Prof Potgieter also stated that the UNIVEN Herb garden is part of the Environmental sustainability initiative for the UNIVEN campus to create an environment that enhance the biodiversity of the region and creates a safe place for the indigenous fauna and flora to flourish and where people can come and enjoy the environment and be rejuvenated.
It will also be a space where students can study and learn more about traditional Venda species of trees and herbs that is indigenous to this area and where they can also do research in the use of herbs. The different traditional herbs will also play an important role in the bee keeping initiative started under the Bee Academy in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture to produce high quality honey that can be used as a natural herbal medicine. The primary objective is to make the Herb Garden a space where people can go and sit and listen to nature and relax and get rejuve-nated and be close to nature while still at work but also create a space which can be used for teaching and learning, research and community engagement activities.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding & Communication
University Of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811
