“A university is a place where dreams are pursued and realised. Every year, thousands of students come to us with big dreams for themselves, their families and the broader community. Our role is to welcome those students and, through higher education, help them achieve their dreams. To this end, we need well-equipped buildings in which excellent learning and teaching can take place. We need smart buildings, green buildings, buildings of the future,” says Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU).
“Despite great advances in information and communication technology, there is still a need for human interaction. Personal interaction between lecturer and student as well as between students from different backgrounds remains essential when it comes to learning together and from one another. And for that, one needs suitable buildings.” De Villiers explained.
The new building that will rise on this site will create the capacity to make the University even more accessible. Nestled between the Langenhoven student centre and the Polymer Science building, the Jan Mouton Learning Centre will have a low-carbon footprint, including a greywater system that will serve the ablutions. The infrastructure will be readied for a future photovoltaic roof panel installation, while rain and groundwater will be harvested and stored.
The centre will boast an atrium and terraced seating that will create light and flow, providing a welcoming place for students while they tackle the latest theories and concepts. Group-work classrooms respectively seating 350, 270 and 150 will provide the flexibility for lecturers and students to adapt their environment to facilitate discussion and teamwork.
Triple-volume circulation spaces dotted with pause areas for interaction will connect the auditorium and computer classrooms. This will minimise congestion and promote an effective learning and teaching space. A gather-and-share communal space adjacent to the main rooms will accommodate breakaway discussions and peer-to-peer interaction. An undercover walkway will link the centre with other campus buildings, and a restaurant will offer meals to keep students sustained and eager to learn.
Work on the centre, which will accommodate more students than any other current teaching space on campus, started in October 2017 and is set to be completed towards the end of 2019.
