Student life

The on-site student accommodation on the Mangosuthu University of Technology campus was substantially underprovided in terms of room numbers. The university determined a resolution to address the shortage of on-campus student accommodation and applied for funding from the department to build part one (624 beds) of its planned two-part, first of two-phase, strategy.

The provision of on-campus student accommodation is based on a fundamental principle and international trend. By providing affordable housing in proximity to academic resources, the university improves the learning efficiencies by creating an environment conducive to research and intellectual dialogue among students, their peers and faculty members. This serves further to encourage a sense of community among the students. The design proposal was developed around sound design and sustainable principles, rationality, functionality, efficiency of space and aesthetic appeal.

Located on a steep site, the buildings were designed to “cascade” down the slope in order to reduce the visual height impact. A grand staircase down the middle of the project becomes a strong link to the main sports field at the bottom, reinforcing the central collection point as the epicentre of the residential precinct while also providing opportunities for social interaction.

The design of the residential blocks is such that they are grouped as a series of buildings around courtyard spaces, providing “defensible space” and maximising its exposure to north orientation for functionality and environmental benefit. The maximum “walk-up” is limited to four floors within a five-storey building.

The concept of “responsible living” is used to accommodate 624 students in groups of maximum fifteen students per floor. This figure is derived from analysis of group dynamics that holds that within this size, patterns of self-responsibility and group commitment are engendered. Each group of rooms are provided with a dedicated communal room and kitchen facility to allow students to prepare their own meals. Each group of fifteen students assume an essentially equal mix of male and female students, and ablution facilities to each unit are provided for either sexes.

By grouping students in this manner, the aim was for a family-type relationship to take root, where security and feelings of group responsibility could manifest. The need for hierarchies of privacy is achieved in allowing progression from multi-group social space, to individual group social spaces, to semi-private and ultimately to private space.

The inspiration for the composition of the buildings was drawn from three primary references. Firstly, reference was drawn from the main campus’s central courtyards because of the way in which they transform negative spaces to positive social collective and defensive areas between buildings. Secondly, the introduction of a central precinct staircase with circulation on the horizontal plane creates a sense of presence and a student social gathering point. And lastly, the design drew on the concept of a hilltop village with modulated façades.

The pallet of variant material finishes drawn from the campus was applied to articulate the elevations and create a vertical scaling device. It also provides a sense of continuity with the existing on-campus residential building fabric so that there is the perception of a holistic design approach, while simultaneously providing a variation to what has previously been built on the campus. Materials throughout the project are on display in their honest raw state, and become decorations in themselves. It was therefore important that concrete shuttering was carefully planned and masonry work was neatly done.

Façade finishes become more refined the further it moves away from the site it sits on – starting with a red face brick for the lower floors, then scratch plastered and painted walls for intermediate floors, and finally vertical metal sheeting cladding for the top floors.

The new student accommodation on the Mangosuthu University of Technology ventures a new student residential concept on the campus, as the previous and existing residences are essentially dormitory in nature. The building is geared towards responsible student community living, promoting better social interaction and interface between students. Residential blocks are organised in a manner that forms an urban space while maintaining good surveillance and a sense of security.