The University required a building to ‘decant’ staff and students to – a temporary space, while buildings on campus are being upgraded. Planning Partners formed part of a large team of professionals and were responsible for the hard and soft landscape design. The is situated north of the Engineering Faculty in Hammanshand Road, Stellenbosch. The project started in 2019 and was completed in 2020.

The University is serious about sustainable design and this brief was applied throughout. Stormwater management, that is often hidden from the eye, was celebrated in this project – providing the storm water facilities at the front door and turning this utilitarian necessity into a visual feature. Attenuation ponds were designed with gabion walls to provide shelter and shade, seating is incorporated, attractive wetland plants populate the floors of the ponds.

Tactile paving is designed into all hard surfaces to ensure easy and safe universal access. Safe pedestrian linkages are provided from and to the main campus. Street furniture conforms to the University robust yet attractive palette of materials.

All parking bays consist of permeable grass blocks filled with crusher stone to ensure the water table is replenished during winter rainfall.