‘ithuba science center’ by RWTH aachen university and s2arch, montic, johannesburg, south africa
image © leon krige
all images courtesy of RWTH aachen university
a few years ago, european and south african NGO s2arch undertook a project in montic, just south of johannesburg, to build the ithuba skills college that would provide education in natural sciences and english to underprivileged local children. in addition, all the design would be done by various european faculties of architecture and would be built by volunteers in collaboration with the local community and students. the most recent addition consists of the ithuba science center – two classrooms dedicated to biology and chemistry, a muti-use hall, and necessary support program – by students at the RWTH aachen university in germany. the concept took the regular rectangular footprint and cut an open public corridor through the center dividing two angular forms joined by a folded roof. a steel frame structure is supported on a poured concrete foundation and infilled with bales of a straw/clay composite – a traditional german insulation technique that creates a monolithic wall with high thermal properties. large operable openings allow for plenty of ventilation and light, while the double pitched metal roof overhangs to provide adequate shading, separated from the structure of the building forms to allow hot air to escape through the plenum.
image © leon krige
image © leon krige
view from the neighboring building
image © leon krige
image © leon krige
plastered walls create a natural earth-tone look and provide a high degree of insulation
image © nora muller
image © nora muller
dividing exterior corridor
image © nora muller
image © nora muller
image © nora muller
interior of the classroom clad in pinewood boards
image © leon krige
image © leon krige
large windows make for light-filled spaces
image © leon krige
image © leon krige
construction of the cob walls
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
construction
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
floor plan / level 0
section
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
section
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
axonometric
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
image courtesy RWTH aachen university
project info:
conducted by:
ithuba skills college, johannesburg
s2arch, social and sostainable architecture, wien: elias rubin
partners:
ithuba community college, johannesburg
s2arch, social and sostainable architecture, wien: elias rubin, marlene wagner
participants:
rwth aachen – faculty of architecture
department of building typologies and design basics:
dipl.-ing. bernadette heiermann, dipl.-ing. nora elisabeth müller, dipl.-ing. judith reitz, prof. anne-juchen bernhardt
department of structures and structural design:
dipl.-ing. christoph koj, prof. martin trautz
department of theory of architecture:
prof.dr. manfred speidel mit tatsuya tokura
advisors:
transsolar energietechnik gmbh: dipl.-ing. markus krauss, felix pöhler
engineers without borders
regional group aachen
completion: spring 2012
