GASS Architecture Studios racked up an incredible three awards for a single project – Green School South Africa – at the SAPOA Property Development Awards that took place from 28 to 30 September.
The SAPOA awards, which celebrates excellence in the commercial real estate industry, are generally considered the most prestigious awards of its kind in South Africa.
GASS Architecture Studios took home the awards for best sustainable project, best “other” project and best overall project for this remarkable educational facility.
Green School South Africa, which opened in February 2021 in the Drakenstein Valley just outside Paarl in the Western Cape, was developed along sustainable and biophilic principles with the aim of going beyond net zero status. This regenerative approach to architecture and design was guided by the requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification, which is considered the world’s most exacting and advanced sustainable building certification.
By enhancing the connection between the students and teachers and the natural environment, the architecture not only maximises their wellbeing and enhances their ability to learn and develop, but also harnesses the school environment as an educational tool itself – the “third teacher” in educational parlance – which embeds all learning in sustainable practices.
At present, the school includes facilities for learners from kindergarten to Grade 8, which includes 16 classrooms, the ‘Sangkep’ (Balinese for ‘gathering place’), an administration building and a central area known as the Heart of School, which includes a dining hall, kitchen, library, art and music studios, and ablution facilities. A second phase, scheduled to break ground in 2023, will add facilities for learners up to Grade 12.
The spatial arrangement of the buildings was inspired by the tectonic shapes of the Paarl Rock Boulders which surround the site, and mimics the broader geography of the area, following nature’s example in which patterns are often repeated on varying scales. Clusters of buildings are nestled amidst orchards, vegetable gardens, walkways, landscaped terraces and spill-out spaces, emphasising the relationship between interior and exterior spaces. Curved, ribbon-like paths and wayfinding systems conceal and reveal aspects of the landscape, encouraging an exploratory principle and a sense of wonderment and discovery analogous with learning itself.
The low-slung, horizontal emphasis of the buildings helps immerse them in the landscape, while deep overhangs and other passive design principles enhance their comfort and performance. By prioritising natural light and ventilation, not to mention a rich and tactile palette of natural materials, the buildings foster a strong connection with the natural environment.
Natural materials were prioritised throughout the campus, and include rammed earth, locally harvested rock, clay, timber and locally manufactured bricks. Several of these materials were drawn from the site introducing a natural colour palette that arises from the landscape.
The classrooms have clay floors, timber roof structures and reed ceilings. The LBC also demands that the materials used in construction contain no harmful products, and further, that none are used in their manufacture.
Local crafted details and references to local vernacular building types embed the architecture in its social and cultural context. The notion of the Cape werf or farmyard is evoked in the spatial arrangements and distinctive low walls around the campus, and in the water channels inspired by traditional leiwater or irrigation channels, drawing on the power of cultural heritage in creating the educational environment.
While efficient passive design (including thermally massive materials, insulation, orientation, shading, etc) provides abundant natural light and thermal comfort, additional heating and cooling is provided by a Thermally Activated Building Structure (TABS) system. The system – one of a handful in SA, and the first in a school – circulates warm water in winter (and cool in summer) through pipes embedded in the floors.
Energy for Green School SA is supplied by a hybrid solar system, and rainwater is harvested, stored and used for irrigation, completing the natural cycle.
The gardens promote biodiversity through habitat creation, reintroducing endemic Renosterveld to the site, and the vegetable and fruit gardens add an integrated, experiential dimension of the connection between landscape and sustenance.
“We are incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to be part of an amazing team to develop this amazing project and push the boundaries of sutainable construction,” said Georg van Gass, founder and director of GASS Architecture Studios.
GASS Architecture Studios was also named winner in the “residential developments” category for The Onyx at Jewel City, as well as winner in the “transformation” category for the Jewel City Precinct, bringing their tally of awards for the year to five.
