Location: Kimberley, South Africa
Program: Institution
Client: Architectural Competition
Status: Stage 2 top nine finalist
Area: 3000sqm
Team: In association with Jakupa Architects and Urban Designers
Renders: Matthew Pretorius

The future of education requires a new building typology to meet the demands of blended learning, foster a sense of community, and fulfil its role as a nexus for the city of Kimberley. Rather than the typical solid blocks with small openings to manage the desert climate, we envision a new building typology with a large oversailing roof canopy sheltering a collection of dynamic learning and collaborative spaces — a framework for different kinds of structured and unstructured learning.

This concept of 'learning under the African sky' allows the spaces to be adaptable, fluid, and open to change. It also allows the building to be more porous, inviting the city in and merging with the university as a hybrid space that bridges the connection between academia and industry.