Construction World December 2021

UCT AVENUE ROAD STUDENT RESIDENCE T he Univers i ty of Cape Town’s (UCT) R222-mi l l ion Avenue Road Res idence in the Mowbray precinct provides 500 addi t ional student beds , an invaluable addi t ion to the univers i ty’s student accommodat ion provi s ion. I t also set a local benchmark as the fi rst student res idence in South Af rica to achieve a 4-Star Green Star Custom Des ign rat ing f rom the Green Bui lding Counci l of South Af rica (GBCSA) , for i ts water and energy savings and ful l sui te of di sabi l i ty features . WSP’s team in Af rica was engaged by ERIS and worked closely wi th the ful l profess ional team to ensure successful project construct ion execut ion and that the targeted sustainabi l i ty aspects were achieved. Construct ion started in July 2019 wi th pract ical complet ion achieved in October 2020. The bui lding compri ses three and four storeys and cons i sts of an entrance lobby, securi ty (wi th desk , toi let , ki tchenette) , consul tat ion of fices , communal lounge, general toi lets , 500 student beds (mix of 144 s ingle rooms and 173 double rooms – and made up per floor to include student bathrooms , student meet ing / lounge rooms , student lounges , student tea ki tchens , student (box) storage) , two warden’s flats (2 bedroom uni ts) , warden’s of fices , laundr y, staf f change and mess faci l i t ies , storage, cleaner ’s stores , maintenance workshop, bui lding ser vice, refuse room. The Res idence bui lding i s organi sed around three landscaped courtyards , al lowing natural l ight into the inter-perimeter of the bui lding strips . At the head and tai l of each strip there i s a tea ki tchen and set of bathrooms and showers catering for the student dorms . There are mul t iple communal lounges to encourage social interact ion and group learning. Thi s bui lding forms a backdrop to the exi st ing Avenue and Cadbol l House bui ldings along Avenue Road and forms an edge along Matopo Road. The Dining Hal l i s a column- f ree, mul t i - funct ional , 536-seater main dining area,

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: WSP in Africa • Project start date: July 2019 • Project end date: August 2021 • Main Contractor: CSV Construction • Architect: Jakupa Architects & Urban Designers • Principal Agent: Focus Project Managers • Project Manager: Focus Project Managers • Quantity Surveyor: Matla QS • Consulting Engineers: WSP in Africa

supported by a foyer, toi lets , a preparat ion ki tchen and ser ving spaces . I t i s near the new res idence bui lding and adjacent to the exi st ing Univers i ty House res idence, which i t also caters for. The s i te of the Student Res idence and Dining Hal l i s bounded by Rhodes Drive (M3) , Rhodes Avenue, Avenue Road and Matopo Road wi thin the larger Mowbray precinct , which cons i sts of a number of bui ldings , most of which are heri tage-protected. Some bui ldings and parts of others were demol i shed to make way for the new structures , and the placement of the new structures was careful ly thought through in order to enhance and control vehicular and pedestrian movement . Ever y area of the des ign and construct ion of the res idence focuses on sustainable concerns such as energy, carbon emi ss ions , embodied energy, water, heal thy spaces for people, ecology, transport and construct ion management . 

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20 th Best Project Awards 2021