University of Venda: Life Sciences and Chemistry Building

The building is designed for the faculty of Life Sciences and Chemistry and is sited within the campus of the University of Venda in Thohoyandou. This 10,000 m² building is constructed in a sub-tropical climate zone, with very hot summer days. The climate became the key generator for the courtyard setup of the building, configured around a cooled central atrium which acts as a thermally controlled outdoor space for students.

The brief was for a modern building to form part of the overall campus revitalisation, located in a central position with access all around. The concept was an elevated building mass that allows cool breezes across and into a central courtyard and extracts hot air. This was achieved with an open public gallery at ground level, with controlled access sealed at strategic locations for thermal purposes, forming a void with circular columns that carries the total building mass. The mass is a composition of materials of different textures and colours.

Pre-contract: project inception and appraisal; concept and design development; technical and procurement documentation. Post-contract: construction-phase contract administration, technical inspections and quality control.