Humble and hardworking

The new Education Building at Sol Plaatje University. which was awarded a SAIA regional award, is set within a coded envelope as dictated by a robust urban design framework for the wider campus. It forms part of a family of buildings that work in concert to define a range of public spaces and movement routes that extend well beyond the site and into greater Kimberley. The legacy opportunities lie in the collective rather than the individual. Because of its specific location, the building is consciously quiet in its expression and recognises its primary role as a background building and responsible neighbour towards both the abutting public spaces and surrounding buildings. Given these facts, it is not possible to read the building as an object in isolation, detached from its evolving context.

The urban design effort and the client’s consistency in realising an integrated vision should be recognised as the most significant ingredients towards leaving a meaningful legacy. “Throughout the competition and construction phases, our aim has been to value inclusivity through a ‘responsive’ approach,” says Henri Comrie. This includes the development of climatic, cultural and place-making responses, which were aided by the original competition brief. The focus offered this competition prioritised collective content over individual form, particularly since such content was taken seriously by a jury that values urban design. This was never going to be the place to showboat in a glossy way. “This has provided us with much joy in quietly delivering this building without the usual calls for bells and whistles that dogs commercial practice,” says Comrie.

SOLID AND VOID

The building is stereotomic in its conception and relies on solid brick mass to mitigate the severe climatic conditions. In this specific building, which is orientated north-south, heat conditions are compounded by extensive east- and west-facing façades that justify the thickening of walls. Externally the four-storey, cubist volume as inherited from the urban design framework was moulded and sculpted not only in relation to the functional programme, but to dynamic variables such as pedestrian movement routes, optimal light ingress and legibility concerns. A combination of these responses provided opportunities for honest design expression within the uncluttered brick envelope as architecture parlante, or an architecture that speaks.

The solid brick mass on the east- and west-facing façades mitigate against extreme heat.

The four-storey cubist volume was moulded in relation to the functional programme as well as to dynamic variables such as pedestrian movement routes and light ingress.

A BUILDING THAT BREATHES

The solid mass is hollowed out internally to provide a hierarchy of teaching, movement and amenity spaces. The spaces are moulded to provide light ingress and natural airflow. The circulation spaces are not climatically sealed and are a continuation of the external circulation system, thus becoming shaded internal streets rather than claustrophobic movement conduits. It is possible to stop and talk while others that are late for class have space to rush past.

WORKING WITH NATURAL LIGHT

The crisp natural light of the Northern Cape penetrates through to the circulation spaces creating shifting patterns.

The bold form of the building is supported by unfussy detailing in recognition of available skills and low maintenance requirements. It is also a reflection of the honesty found in the landscape, the rural vernaculars and the people of the Northern Cape. Apart from the local influences, the work of Louis Kahn at Ahmedabad and Laurie Baker in Kerala were important references in their liberal use of imperfect bricks and flawed concrete work to create expansive surfaces that only get better with time as patina settles.

Internally, it borrows from Luis Barragán in the use of rendered, often brightly coloured surfaces softly bathed in ever-changing, indirect or filtered light. “These influences remain central to much of the work produced by our practice at various scales over time and is part of an ongoing experiment in mastering the use of natural light,” says Comrie. “The crispness of the light in the Northern Cape is something special to work with. Light penetrates deeper and the etching of solid against void becomes more pronounced. Around sunrise and sunset, the moody Bergendal Light brick that was used glows magnificently and with an effect that far exceeds our expectations. At noon it becomes dull and recedes.”

THE QUALITY OF LIFE BETWEEN CLASSES

Inside the building, brightly coloured surfaces reference the work of Luis Barragán.

The statutory rules associated with measuring usable floorspace have been utilised to define passages as ambiguous spaces by introducing seating and standing work desks along perimeters and termination points. In certain places, this dimension of the design has been deepened by carving seating alcoves into the mass or by projecting balconies to beyond the envelope as parts of a promenade architecture. “Our aim was to reduce monofunctional lost space in favour of creating overlapping and multifunctional spaces,” says Comrie. “We wanted to recognise the need for an inclusive environment in which the quality of ‘everyday life between classes’ is as important as the formal business of attending class.”

The bold form of the building is supported by unfussy detailing, reflecting the honesty of the rural vernaculars of the Northern Cape and in recognition of available skills.