Sustainable buildings and infrastructure are foundation for success of HOPE Project
Buildings, facilities and infrastructure that not only meet the strict requirements of sustainability, but are also furnished for a 21st century university. This serves as the foundation for the success of the Stellenbosch University (SU) HOPE Project. Without the best buildings, computer and library facilities, teaching and learning centres, residences and laboratories, SU cannot be a leading centre of excellence in Africa.
The University’s campuses and buildings are picturesque and famous for their architectural value. However, many of these buildings were built in the 19th and 20th centuries and are not optimal for the unique needs of a 21st-century knowledge pioneer. The growth in student numbers at the University also means that lecture halls are filled to overflowing, while the maintenance and renovation of research laboratories are increasing the financial pressure on SU.
The HOPE Project has heralded an era in which SU will have to pay specific attention to its facilities and infrastructure in order to develop them to produce the next generation of African students, researchers and educators, while preserving the University’s rich architectural heritage at the same time. The aim is to create campuses where physical spaces support strategic objectives.
A core objective is to ensure that buildings are more effective and more environmentally friendly in order to limit their cost and ecological impacts.
Campus Master Plan
In 2011, the SU Campus Master Plan was launched, forming the core of SU as a modern university with world-class facilities. At the heart of the plan is that staff and students will play a central role. The emphasis therefore shifts to ‘human spaces’ and a positive student and workplace experience. This also is in line with modern trends, which show a blurring of the boundaries between living, learning and working. It also supports staff and student success.
The Master Plan furthermore makes provision for a stylish merging of the modern and the historical, and the conservation of our heritage and our cultural-historical buildings.
Among the exciting projects that are being developed at present are the renovation of buildings on the Health Sciences Campus at Tygerberg; the extension of health services in rural communities; ultramodern teaching and learning spaces; an academic support centre for students; a commuter and transport network; better access for people with disabilities; new buildings for the Africa Centre for HIV/Aids Management, the Graduate School in Arts and Social Sciences, and the Bureau for Economic Research; the renovation of the Konservatorium, as well as of the drama theatre and teaching complex; and the development of the Lentelus Sport Complex.
The Master Plan also examines how SU utilises its available land – including the Bellville Park and Tygerberg campuses, experimental farms and nature and sport areas. Accessibility for visitors, staff and students; the retention and creation of open and green areas; sustainability aspects; and pedestrian and vehicle circulation are also being scrutinised.
A core element of the Master Plan is mobility, particularly on the Stellenbosch Campus. A growing number of students and increasing vehicular traffic no longer just place pressure on parking needs, but also detract from the quality of a campus abounding in trees and offering a peaceful academic environment. An important aspect of the Master Plan is fewer vehicles on campus and many more pedestrians, cyclists and commuter buses.