Monang Pre-school

The studio asks students to design and build a small social-impact architecture project each year. Starting each September – students design proposals and develop fundraising in support of the project. A shortlist is selected in December, which is shared with studio partners, the pre-school committee, and the head teacher. An on-site community meeting reviews the proposal in February and over six weeks in April and May the students travel to site and construct the project in its entirety. Over the last 15 years the design/build studio has become embedded in the local communities around Hanertsburg South Africa – maintaining relationships with several head teachers and our long-time partners the Thusanang Trust and Education Africa. In the UK the studio is supported by London based practices Studio 8Fold and Grimshaw. Monang pre-school was undertaken by 44 undergraduates, 3 postgraduates, 6 industry partners, and 13 studio staff. Monang Pre-school was designed to the brief set by the Department for Basic Education, Limpopo. The site presented design challenges, overcome with pile foundations and steel beam foundations. The pre-school includes 2 large classrooms, a sick-bay, an office, a kitchen and secure storage areas. The studio included photovoltaic lighting, USB charging and a rainwater harvesting system as well as several fruit producing trees. The substantial outdoor deck nearly doubles the formal space, functioning as an outdoor classroom. The pre-school is led by head teacher Rose Molepo who has been running a pre-school since 2001. The new building will allow the pre-school to register as an official early childhood development (ECD) provider, making them eligible for government subsidised childcare funding.