Best Future Focused Paper Award for UKZN Student

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Ms Hlengiwe Ngubane of UKZN’s School of Built Environment and Development Studies presented her Master’s research at the 2024 Annual Humanities and Social Sciences Postgraduate Conference where she received the Best Humanities and Social Science Future-Focused Paper Award.

Ngubane’s work highlights the future of Humanities and Social Sciences in the era of digital technology and the AI revolution.

The study was titled: “Exploring the Co-Existence Between Nguni Spiritual Healing and Biomedical Practices as a Generator of Built Form: Towards an Integrative Healthcare Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa”.

Her research explores holistic healing, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, integrating traditional and biomedical practices and further investigates the potential for an integrative healthcare model that harmonises Nguni spiritual healing with biomedical practices.

Ngubane explained that ‘the study is driven by the recognition that holistic healing - addressing the mind, body, and spirit - is a foundational aspect of Nguni cultural practices and offers valuable insights for contemporary healthcare in South Africa, especially in post-pandemic contexts.’

It was intentional the research concentrated on Durban - a diverse urban area with robust medical infrastructure and deep cultural ties with traditional healing practices to enable the study to examine how healthcare facilities’ architectural and spatial features might support both types of recovery in a cohesive setting.

‘The primary aim is to develop architectural designs and spatial configurations that support this integrative approach, enabling traditional and biomedical practitioners to work collaboratively while respecting the unique values and processes of each practice,’ added Ngubane.

Consequently, through interviews with Nguni spiritual healers, biomedical practitioners, architects and members of the community, the study identifies the core principles that guide Nguni healing, such as communal support, natural elements, and spaces for spiritual reflection.

According to Ngubane, these principles are then translated into architectural elements that complement biomedical facilities thus creating a space that responds to the holistic needs of patients and the proposed model emphasises adaptability to future healthcare challenges, including the increasing role of digital health technologies and AI in medical practice.

Setting the standard for comparable programmes in Africa and beyond, the research offers an innovative, culturally aware, and all-encompassing approach to inclusive healthcare design.

Words: Sinoyolo Mahlasela

Photograph: Supplied