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19 March 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
Ergonomics
Martie Bitzer, senior lecturer at the UFS Department of Architecture, says an architect envisions how the user will live in a space and designs accordingly.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs

Whether at work or at home, scientists have found a way to “comfortably” carry out tasks. According to Martie Bitzer, senior lecturer at the University of the Free State’s Department of Architecture, we all experience discomfort due to the effects of repetitive actions in a day – whether in daily tasks of necessity like washing the dishes or hours spent at work behind a desk or a countertop. “The word ‘ergonomics’ is the key to ease this discomfort!,” she said.

Martie believes that a space needs not only to look beautiful but that it must be practical as well. 

“The specific dimensions of the human body should serve as the designer’s ‘measure’ for the height of your kitchen counter or the angle of your computer screen,” says Martie.

She continues: “In architecture, ergonomics is always the starting point for design. The architect envisions how the user will live in a space and designs accordingly. Ergonomics touches all aspects of a person’s life in a building – from the distance you walk in your kitchen while cooking to the impact of the height of a specific space. It is working at best when you live fluently in a space, unaware of obstacles and challenges. The human body’s capabilities and limitations are at the heart of the responsible designer’s task to improve the quality of life in a building.”

In a world where we are daily more aware of how we engage with our surroundings, good design matters!



News Archive

Nutrition congress to be held at the UFS
2012-09-21

About 1 000 experts, researchers, nutritionists and policy makers in nutrition and feeding from all over Africa and some abroad will gather at the University of the Free State for the Nutrition Congress Africa 2012.

This congress will take place at the Bloemfontein Campus from 1 to 4 October 2012 where various national and international experts will deliver presentations on the latest research and developments on nutrition and dietetics in Africa.

The Nutrition Congress Africa 2012 is a joint scientific meeting of the 24th congress of the Nutrition Society of South Africa, the 12th congress of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa and the 5th African Nutrition Epidemiology Congress .

The theme for the congress is “Transforming the Nutrition Landscape in Africa” and it motivates nutrition experts and scientists to take action and apply knowledge and skills to improve nutrition in Africa.

Plenary, as well as five parallel sessions will be presented over four days,  covering  topics which include amongst others addressing poverty and food insecurity, food regulatory and labelling issues, the food industry, HIV and nutrition, the sports nutrition industry, nutritional management of renal and GI-related diseases, food security, maternal and infant nutrition.

“We believe that working together as nutrition experts will strengthen professional networks and allow us to share expertise and exchange experiences to the benefit of all,” says Dr Ronette Lategan, chairperson of the Nutrition 2012 congress and lecturer at the UFS’ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Nutrition is a fast developing science and a wide spectrum of topics with the latest research and developments will be included in the programme.

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