NEW UNIVERSITIES: KIMBERLEY

PROJECT INFO

SAIA ENDORSED NATIONAL COMPETITION WINNER: New Universities Kimberley South Africa 2013

Team: Henri Comrie and Amálie Comrie (supported by Michael De Beer)

The Sol Plaatje University campus was the subject of a two-stage design competition. The purpose of the competition was largely to select a a shortlist of five architects to develop designs for the ambitious project of building a major new university campus. The other practices that were selected are: Wilkinson and Associates, Activate, Savage + Dodd and Designworkshop SA.

The project is unique in South Africa in that the urban design framework by Ludwig Hansen locates the new campus as a series of interconnected fragments on reclaimed, under-utilised land in the deteriorated fringe zone of Kimberley. It is characterised by four storey educational facilities integrated with on-campus residences and ground floor retail. Great emphasis is placed on the quality of spaces between buildings and on erasing any possible boundaries between campus and city.

Click here to read more about the framework.

The design competition was followed by a detailed building design phase. URBA was allocated specific parcels with associated envelopes and codes within which to design buildings. The resolved URBA building designs can be viewed under architecture. Click here to view the project.

The buildings designed by URBA will be under construction in 2016.