Through a collaborative effort between universities, non-profit organisations (NPOs), the local community and others, plans are underway to build a biodiversity learning centre in the rural village of Rantlakane to serve the communities, including schools, in the Waterberg district of Limpopo.
As the fruit of the South African Private Public Growth Initiative, the Thlagong Waterberg Biodiversity Learning Centre will be constructed in the UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve.
It will showcase the rich biodiversity of the region.
The committee driving the project includes representatives from Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana / Roof for All Group, Trajekt - Institute for Spatial Culture, the Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria, the In Transformation Initiative (ITI), Lapalala Wilderness School and the International Economic Development Council. Daniel Ngwepe, a director of ITI, serves as the chair.
Ivor Jenkins, also a director of ITI, said the site for the project has already been identified.
While the legal aspects of the land ownership are being finalised, quotes have been requested for boreholes and his team are negotiating electricity connections for the site. A fence must also be erected before the four-week construction process begins on 15 January 2024.
Meanwhile, students from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Ljubljana and the Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria (UP) are working to conceptualise the design of the building.
This will include a shelter, lecture rooms, workshops and an office. The natural area surrounding the buildings will be rehabilitated into an educational landscape, representing the local vegetation.
“The 13 honours students who are participating from UP represent the synergistic disciplines of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Landscape Architecture,” says Karen Botes, a lecturer in the UP Department of Architecture. “They enjoy the interdisciplinary approach to the project.”
To familiarise themselves with the project upfront, the students from UP assessed the site together with an ecologist and botanic specialist.
The biophysical and social environments inform the placing and design of buildings and outdoor learning spaces, including the construction materials and methods.
“To not only minimise its impact on the environment, but give back to the community and planet, the students are creating a regenerative design,” says Botes. “They are proposing a mix of natural materials and environmentally friendly construction processes that will uplift the local community.”
Some 37 students from Slovenia and seven mentors are also involved in the project.
They will be building the centre together with builders from the local community.
This offers the students a practical learning opportunity in a cross-cultural environment, while participating in a transfer of skills with community members, Prof Anja Planišček from the University of Ljubljana says.
Another partner in the project is Lapalala Wilderness School.
Director Mashudu Makhokha’s involvement was sought due to the NPO’s vast experience in outreach programmes in Limpopo, as well as conservation and construction. Makhokha is also contributing his insight on how to maximise the use of the centre.
“This is a wonderful project and ultimately we want the community to own it,” he says. He believes the centre should serve multiple purposes to benefit the community.
“In addition to sharing information on the region, there are opportunities for community involvement through skills development. Small businesses on the side could support conservation and tourism, while creating employment for young people.”
But the key beneficiaries of the project will remain the children in Rantlakane and the surrounding communities.
The centre will serve to educate children about the biodiversity of the landscape, the importance of conservation and the development of environmentally responsible economic activities. It will also encourage the development of skills that link people, flora and fauna in a sustainable and community-based way.
“This is the second time that architecture students from the University of Ljubljana are participating in a construction project in South Africa,” says Planišček. “In the previous project, they successfully designed and built a school in a rural town using bales of straw and other eco-friendly materials.”
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