An investigation into the process of making do in ad hoc self-builds in rural Wales

Waghorn, Mark 2016. An investigation into the process of making do in ad hoc self-builds in rural Wales. MPhil Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This study uses participant observation to investigate the process of making do in ad hoc self-builds in rural Wales. Making do involves the meeting of needs in situations where there is a scarcity of resources. In the context of self-build, these include skills, experience, materials, and finances. A review of the global and national context identifies a need for focus on resilience as a response to a future of resource scarcity. One Planet Development (OPD) is studied as a model for development that addresses the issue of resilience, and that has an established history in Wales. The OPD planning policy, which is unique to Wales, was introduced in 2010, and recognises Low Impact Development (LID) and permaculture principles, whilst also setting requirements for occupants to have considerably lower ecological footprints than is the national average. Direct observation of seven OPD/LID sites identifies them as locations where the processes of making do are common. A review of the literature on making do established a need for research derived from active engagement in the processes involved. To address this, the researcher participated with others in self-build activities on four case study sites, all involving the need to make do with limited resources. Photography was used as the principal method for recording the processes, and arts-based methodologies were used in their interpretation. The study found that different attitudes to OPD are rooted in conflicting world views, and that the evidence of making do is often the focus for such conflicting viewpoints. By revealing the processes of making do and the reasons for them, this study helps to bridge the gap between these opposing perspectives and inform the on-going debate on OPD.

Item Type:	Thesis (MPhil)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Architecture
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > NA Architecture
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Making do self-build rural Wales
Funders:	KESS
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 December 2016
Last Modified:	15 Nov 2021 10:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/96626

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