In 2014, Sol Plaatje University [SPU] opened its doors as the first new University in South Africa’s democratic era. Strategically close to the Square Kilometre Array Telescope [SKA], its initial intake of 135 students is expected to grow to 7 500 within its first 10 years. Located in Kimberley’s Inner City, a progressive Urban Design Framework seamlessly incorporates existing civic, public and education stock with new purpose-built University buildings, positioning tertiary education as an integrated part of Inner City life. Perhaps it’s heart. Designworkshop was successful in a two-stage architectural competition towards conceptualising and delivering a Student Resource Centre as the functional and physical centrepiece of University life, including library, teaching, study, and social space.  The key question we explored was what this emerging typology could optimally be and enable in the South African reality of a globally integrated world. Ancient images of knowledge-sharing are of people gathered around elders, thought- leaders and gurus, in Public Space. Depending on where and when, this could be by the side of a river, under a tree, in a public square or on a street-side. This is learning and knowledge generation in a social setting. Within society and indistinguishable from it, learning is enabled by the practical and perceived reality of life as it’s experienced, often on a platform of traditional cultural practice. When information was recorded in writing, the emblematic image of learning is often the quiet study table surrounded by books. This is the dissemination of accumulated knowledge, most commonly recorded outside of the direct experience and as a more linear and one-directional transmission abstract from specific cultural settings. The ‘neutrality’ of science. The SPU Library and Resource Center integrates both, at the same time. It’s a social place where people make themselves available to wide-ranging incidental and planned interchange in the course of daily life, both in physical space and online, with and without books, collectively and in solitude, directed and enabled by mentors or among themselves.It is at the same time a tree, the side of a river, a public square, and a street. Centred on a raked public forum, the ground floor is an extension of Kimberley’s pavements, paths, squares and gardens. It’s a public space sheltered from the cyclical hot and cold extremes of the arid climate. Ascending from public to private, each additional floor is another ‘public square’ accessed from its perimeter to enable 3-dimensional exploration of a continuous knowledge-scape. Solid grass-reinforced moulded mud forms typify South Africa’s interior vernacular brakdak construction. The Library scales this heritage up into a 22cm thick freestanding concrete shell rising up to 36m high and lifted off the ground to reveal a single hollowed-out volume ascending upward to its highest point overlooking University Square. The inverse of Kimberley’s iconic Big Hole diamond mine, the building is a distinctive sculptured object, arising from the endless horizontality like a koppie, brakdak house, or mine shaft. In a single material, concrete is structure, enclosure, climatic attenuator, flexible use-enabler, extended tradition, and noble experience. In everyday university life, the building is a refuge, a 24 hour winter lounge and summer verandah.  In a world of scarce resources, it is highly energy efficient, allowing in the right amount of natural light with significantly mitigated heat-gain or loss, the internal temperature further moderated by hot and cold water pipes embedded into concrete floors. In the City, it’s a landmark of democratic learning, social and cultural exchange, and a generator of economic potential which always comes from empowered knowledge and ideas Engineering description derived from structural report done by AURECON This seven storey building project forms part of the new Sol Plaatje University central campus precinct, a multipurpose media centre and library, envisaged as the signature building on campus.Structural Engineer Interview: The structural steelwork related engineering consists of the following aspects : 1.An external continuous concrete envelope that encapsulates the whole building, that is primarily free-standing. Ranging to heights of between 12m and 30m above ground level and only 220mm thick. This concrete envelope is raised 2,4 m off the ground level with eccentric steel stilt supports. 2.The two lift structures comprise a structural steel frame, independent of the lateral stability. 3.The building frame does not obtain its lateral stability from a conventional uninterrupted RC shear wall system or lift core structures, but rather through a combination of: a. Sway-frame action from the flat-slab and columns accounts for 50% of lateral stability system in both directions above level 1. b. North-south shear wall action by the western façade wall down to level 1 and transferred through diaphragm action through the floor plate to the back of house shear wall grouping. c. East-west strut-and-tie action via the two multi-story transfer trusses down to level 1 and then transferred through diaphragm action through the floor plate to the in- plan eccentrically located back of house shear wall grouping that is offset by a steel A-brace to the north elevation façade wall. 4.Hanging concrete staircases to the west façade wall elevation with special tension ties, embedded key boxes and coupler connections to provide support from the façade wall interface due to no column supports. 5.Internal steel staircases hanging from roof beams via hot-rolled steel elements. 6.Structural Steel Sub-frame to Curtain Wall. Additional information about the use of steel in the building Although the primary mass of the building consists of a concrete shell, it was always envisaged that this would need to be supported by steel to allow the mass to float lightly and enable visual connectivity from the ground floor to the campus on all four sides.  Throughout the structural design of the building, steel was used to contrast against the heaviness of the concrete shell and enable almost impossible transfer of structural loads and bracing across the void between the floor plates and the shell to the ground. The attached images show these drak painted steel props, columns and A-frame braces.  Likewise the eccentric load of the external concrete stairs are hung from the external envelope and structure behind with very light steel elements.  Internally the vertical circulation located in the void consists of steel suspended staircases and steel framed lift shafts with steel mesh cladding.Contract Director Interview: The design of the connections between the concrete and steel were complex and highly detailed to ensure the bonding of the concrete to the steel cast-in items.  To maximise the feeling of lightness the steel sizes had to be limited and the detailing and implementation of the welds was therefore very critical.  There was a great level of co-ordination between the steel and the concrete during the construction of the building.  It was a highly collaborative process between the professional team and the contractors to enable optimum resolution of technical aspects as well as implementational challenges.  In turn the contractor had a strong relationship with the steel manufacturer and installer, with whom they had previously worked.  All contracts were undertaken under the NEC suite.Site Manager Interview: In addition to the structural steelwork the project uses customised expanded metal panels for sun-shading to the large opening on the north façade as well as to the courtyard roof; the pitch of the openings being carefully worked out to provide solar protection as well as optimum day-lighting.  Expanded mesh was also used to clad large [5,4m high] bespoke steel framed acoustic in-filled sliding doors to provide flexible arrangements around the in-formal auditorium as well as smaller scaled privacy and acoustic screens in the flexible study areas.  Architect Interview: https://youtu.be/cVm79_RqvUA STRUCTURAL STEELWORK Completion date of steelwork Around May 2017 [Structural Steel] Completion date of full project December 2017 Structural profiles used UC H-SECTION CHS PFC DETAN RODS   PROJECT TEAM COMPANY Nominator Designworkshop Client/ Developer Sol Plaatje University Architect Designworkshop Structural Engineer Aurecon Quantity Surveyor KDM Project Manager Aecom Main Contractor M&D Steelwork Contractor Mawele Metal Works Steel Erector Mawele Metal Works Corrosion Protection Galvanising Mawele Metal Works to advise Corrosion Protection Paintwork Contractor Mawele Metal Works to advise   If you were a part of this project, and your company details are incorrect or missing - please notify the SAISC so that the error can be corrected.

Initially, the arch, being primarily a compression member, was envisaged to consist of precast concrete elements. The excessive weight associated with a concrete arch made transport and erection unfeasible and thereby a lighter steel solution was adopted.

Steel is utilised as it fits well into the modular design approach from the perspective of time-saving and transportability.

LSF was chosen due to the speed & accuracy of manufacturing that was able to be maintained as most of the schools were build more or less the same time, by different contractors, but had to receive their roofs at more or less the same time.

Structural steel girders and trusses were used to support roof sheeting.

The building was divided into four bays along the length of the building, resulting in short roof spans and three x 2m wide box gutters been installed.

The large spans and spaces require the implementation of a metal clad steel structure.

The warehouse and the various office components being approximately 37 000m2 were envisaged to be done in steel and sheeting

Technically, we wanted to achieve all this by using the simplest of construction details at a modest budget and easy to duplicate.

RFG is a major producer of fresh, frozen and long-life meal solutions distributed throughout South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. One of their multiple production facilities is located in Groot Drakenstein in the Western Cape and it is here that two new buildings, the New Product Development Facility (NPD) and the Laboratory, have been constructed to replace existing facilities that have been outgrown. While each facility is housed in a separate building, they have been designed together so as to create a cohesive pair of new buildings that contribute positively to the existing fabric of various sized industrial buildings. Ultimately their design has formed part of a bigger scale project whereby the infrastructure, services and other existing facilities on the site have been upgraded, as part of a coherent master plan. The NPD facility comprises a large kitchen with associated service components, a staff component including office space and meeting rooms, and a public component including a food theatre and reception space. The Laboratory building includes a highly specialised laboratory with associated services and a small staff component including an office and meeting room. Concept Both buildings were conceived as steel sheds, appropriate to the somewhat rural context of Groot Drakenstein, and in congruence with the existing buildings and nature of activity across the site. The Groot Drakenstein mountains to the west serve as a spectacular backdrop to the buildings and this inspired the divergence from a standard portal frame shed typology to an asymmetric shed form resulting in the building profiles subtly emulating the rise and fall of the mountains beyond. This was achieved structurally through a series of different height portal frames running the length of each building that ultimately generated sloping eaves along the long elevations and horizontal eaves along the short elevations. Furthermore, the play of roof-lines was enhanced by arranging the two building forms at ninety degrees to one another. Also important in the design of each building was to create interiors that were user-friendly and functionally efficient with a high level of finishes, notwithstanding their shed-like external appearance.Architects interviews: https://youtu.be/WOE2ysnniqQ Structure Each portal frame is constituted from 203x133x25mm I-sections. The portal frames are then assembled at regular grid intervals along the length of the plan, with their different heights ordered to form roof gradients along the long axis and the roof ridge along the short axis. 150x75x20x3mm roof purlins and 125x50x20x2.5mm sheeting rails provide the sub-structure for the buildings to be clad on all faces with Safintra ‘Newlok’ sheeting. The steel structure is concealed on all facades, as are the steel gutters and rainwater downpipes. Careful steel detailing was required to achieve this minimal aesthetic. The integration of windows into the facade and the concerns around achieving neat flashings lead to the use of steel window boxes that provide clean frames for the aluminium window sections. Sheeting rail spacings and layouts were carefully designed to accommodate all openings and canopies, and similarly, the roof purlin layouts needed to incorporate rooflights over the entrance areas. A further challenge was the complex coordination of services to ensure that chimneys and vent louvres were positioned thoughtfully on the sheeted facades and were finished with neat flashings. To achieve maximum levels of thermal comfort internally and to help reduce overall energy usage through mechanical means, the external facades were made up from brick cavity walls built between and around portal frames, positioning the steel to the outside face allowing a continuous skin of brickwork to the inside. This prevented a thermal bridge from being created between inside and out, and also provided the means for fixing sheeting rails. Similarly, the roof construction was designed to maximise insulation in the roof plane - ‘Lamdaboard’ insulation board was installed over purlin and roof sheeting fixed through to the roof purlins. Construction It was necessary to coordinate a large number of below-ground services before casting the raft foundations. Once the foundation was cast, the entire steel structure was quickly erected within 2 weeks. The cladding specification for Newlok from Safintra was made due to its distinctive aesthetic quality.  Cladding Contractor Interview: From the outset of the design, the architect and structural engineer worked cohesively with a common vision in order to develop the buildings to be true to their original concept. Together with proactive and motivated builders, the team achieved the project on budget with minimal delays to the construction programme. Project motivation editorials are provided by the project nominator. If any technical details, company names or product names are incorrect, please notify the SAISC so that the error can be corrected. STRUCTURAL STEELWORK Completion date of steelwork September 2017 Completion date of full project December 2018 Tons of structural steel used 41tons Structural profiles used 254x146x31 I section; 305x165x40I section; 203x133x25 I Section; IPE 200; 152x 52x23 H sections, 175x65x20 CFLC;150x65x20 CFLC;125x65x20 CFLC CLADDING Completion date of cladding August 2018 Cladding profile/ type used Newlok 440 Cladding area/ coverage and tonnage 2 100m2 PROJECT TEAM COMPANY Nominator Safintra Client/ Developer Rhodes Food Group Architect Loudon Perry Anderson Architects Project Architect Loudon Perry Anderson Architects Structural Engineer WSP Engineers  WSP Quantity Surveyor Michael Baker & Associates Main Contractor Power Construction Steelwork Contractor Triomf Staalwerke Steel Erector Triomf Staalwerke Cladding Manufacturer Safintra Cladding Supplier Safintra Cladding Contractor Scheltema If you were a part of this project, and your company details are incorrect or missing – please notify the SAISC so that the error can be corrected.

The roof design is affected by the internal access to the freezer pods which cool the freezer area, as well as allowing space for the smoke ventilators and translucent sheeting which allows more natural light into the warehouse.

The project involved the design a neighbourhood centre with a more rural/farm style aesthetic. Steel was a very important part of the aesthetic.

Use of the light gauge steel members meant a huge reduction in the overall weight of the roof structure.