SPU’s Student Resource Centre

from Pro Landscaper Africa June Issue

A Catch up with our 2019 Winner of Faces of the Future Lesego Bantsheng

The material palette reflects the natural colours and textures of the Mpumalanga landscape. The building has a sense of growing out of landscape with the core material being a local clay face brick. Punctured brickwork screens shield the façade against direct sunlight, allowing for cross ventilation while maintaining privacy and security. Screens are an expressive architectural element for exploring texture and the filtering of light. Sliding aluminium shutters enable residents to control glare and heat gain on the west façade. Vertical fins on the shutters are designed to induce a negative-positive air pressure, channelling ventilation into and out of the rooms. Public art is also introduced along the promenade through a series of bespoke terracotta mosaic tile feature walls by a local artist.

Insite started working on the landscape conceptual design for the residences, wellness centre and multipurpose sports hall in spring 2015. The landscape brief by the University and GAPP Architects and Urban Designers was to provide a central promenade spine through the precinct. The remaining surrounding landscape was to be a practical balance between hard and soft landscaping and include seating and shade for students to gather under. The building precinct also includes sports facilities such as a swimming pool, netball courts and tennis courts. The landscape design was also to provide spectator seating for these facilities.

The landscape design was inspired by the program and rock of the site, as well as the vernacular of the lowveld location of the University Campus.

ELEMENTS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Hard landscaping design and specifications; planting design and specifications; street furniture design and specification, irrigation design and sleeve coordination and service coordination.

The central spine design resulted in Insite designing (with the Structural Engineers) a large deck promenade past the residences creating a long pedestrian and social space connective spine that links to eastern parts of the University campus. The residences also include a landscaped contemporary courtyard space with a cool microclimate between the residences for students to congregate in. The landscape design around the wellness centre focused on the practicality of a pool space as well as the continuation of the promenade passing in front of it. The landscape focus around the sports hall was a sidewalk landscape which aimed to be a continuation of the sidewalk design of the road leading up to the student residences, and spill out spaces with benches were also created.

The practical requirements of the landscape scope were to provide hard and soft landscape design, detailing an irrigation design, and in addition, to coordinate all services outside the buildings.

THE RESIDENCES

The timber deck promenade is the main feature around the residences which would also accommodate the impressive existing trees in openings through the deck. Universal access was important to consider, and thus a timber ramp was incorporated as an extension of the promenade.

The promenade is not only a mobility spine but also allows students to enjoy unobstructed views of the striking Mbombela scenery from the promenade. The design of the courtyard between the residences served as a gathering and relief space for students to congregate in. The space consists of seating and shaded areas along with some lighting features. The originally planned pergola on the promenade and in the courtyard has since been omitted due to cost saving measures.

The general landscape design is quiet and robust, consistent with the landscape design language at the lower campus. The existing levels and rock on site were challenging with regard to incorporating wheel chair access ramps according to SANS requirements, whilst simultaneously contributing to the design aesthetic. The site has beautiful rocky outcrops that add the Lowveld character to the landscape, however in some instances, the rock is high lying and proved challenging for proposing trees and certain built structures. Subsoil drainage systems was a consideration due to the high lying rock, as well as alternative ways of fixing built features to the rock.