Construction World December 2023

PROJECT INFORMATION

an easy-to-understand structure made of durable materials was intentional as many of the aspects of the original design, such as the concrete super structure, were based on early in-kind sponsorship that had committed to the project. As construction progressed, some aspects of the design had to be modified based on materials that could be obtained from donors and construction expertise available to the project. The design and construction process adopted was flexible enough to accommodate changes due to resources available. The project has become a source of pride for the community, especially for the more than 200 local skilled and unskilled people who were directly involved in its construction. Critically important was the income earned that in turn fuelled the local economy. The architecture of the building itself, with the impressive concrete structure and heroic • Company entering: Growing Up Africa, NPO-PBO • Client: Growing Up Africa, NPO-PBO • Main Contractor: Growing Up Africa, NPO-PBO • Architect: Boogertman & Partners (Architect of Record) William Reue Architecture NYC (Design Architect) ML Architects • Principal Agent: Deborah Terhune • Project Manager: Deborah Terhune • Quantity Surveyor: Norval Wentzel Steinberg • Consulting Engineer: Surbana Jurong South Africa (Civil) Earth Civils (Civil) Surbana Jurong South Africa (Structural Spoormaker & Partners (Electrical) MRT Electricians (Electrical) • Ferro Plumbing (Plumbing) The WSP Group Africa (Traffic)

roof, has been received as a positive symbol of hope and optimism. The SOWETO Education & Technology Campus includes a 2 000 square metre building on a beautifully landscaped 7 000 square metre site in SOWETO, about 25 kilometres from Johannesburg. The fully accessible structure consists of multipurpose teaching spaces, flexible classrooms, open-plan work areas, a lecture hall, restrooms, storerooms, and administrative offices anchored by a large auditorium. The building’s most reconisable feature is its soaring roofline that caps the auditorium on the northeast side of the site. The auditorium’s concrete framework is filled with thousands of sandbags, contributing to the extraordinary thermal and acoustic qualities of its interior space. Hundreds of galvanized aluminium extrusions make up the auditorium’s exterior cladding. Thousands of tons of reinforced concrete make up the framework for the building’s flexible spatial organization, and the coffered concrete ceiling is a bold, unifying element for the building’s interior. The SOWETO Education & Technology Centre was designed with sustainability features and a range of processes that reduced the building’s environmental impact. 

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22 nd Best Projects Awards 2023