Barnato Hall Phase 1
Project by 26'10 south Architects
Barnato Hall Phase 2
Project by 26'10 south Architects
Project Type:
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Further Information
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My responsibilities on the project in conjunction with the project architect:
Professional – 26'10 south Architects
Architecture - Student residence
Barnato Hall Phase 2
2018 - 2019
WITS campus in Braamfontein, Johannesburg​
Carla Gaum
Lemay Construction
The project is a finalist in the GIFA awards for 2021
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Design of brickwork facades, brickwork detailing, internal finishes and external hard landscaping
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Construction detailing and coordination pertaining to brickwork, internal finishes, windows, signage and hard landscaping
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Weekly site supervision
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Quality inspections and reports as well as introduction of a ‘snagging’ app, to streamline quality inspection process
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Close out documentation and drawings
Project Summary:
Barnato Hall Phase 2 offered a unique opportunity to iterate and reflect on phase one since the entire team along with the project requirements themselves remained the same as in phase one.
This afforded us the opportunity to reflect on what worked well in Phase 1 as well as what could be improved upon before incorporating the conclusions into the design of Phase 2.
In contrast to Phase 1, Phase 2 was intended to function as a catered residence, resulting in a different typology needing to be used in order to keep communal spaces to a minimum while maintaining quality experiences.
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As with Phase 1, the new building was to occupy one of the main axis on WITS's West Campus. The challenge, however, was countering the fortress-like character of Barnato Hall’s original building. This was done by opening up the new building to the campus, creating a free-flow of energy (and great views) from the internal courtyard to the campus and vice versa.
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Furthermore, this flow of energy was also incorporated into the existing building, where new access points were created to facilitate and activate underutilised social spaces.
With the legacy of the dreaded double-loaded corridor in mind, care was taken to ensure it remained friendly and inviting. This was firstly accomplished by manipulating the optics of the corridor to make it seem shorter and more intimate that it is in reality, this was done by alternating the floor finish, the tile pattern, the window placement at the end of the building and by contrasting the painted wall segment with the brickwork opposite it. An additional 'surprise moment' was also introduced at the end of the corridor where the user turns into a colourful kitchen that both lends an element of whimsicality while also aiding in wayfinding as colours correspond to floor and recur throughout the respective floors.
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This same whimsicality can furthermore be seen from the campus at large and is a glimpse into the more private sphere of the residence without hindering the students living within it.
Phase 1
Seemingly random pattern
Phase 1
Example of pattern errors
Phase 1
Example of consequenses of fixing pattern errors
A second challenge within Phase 2 was that there were no more (or at least very few) of the exact odd-bin bricks that were used in phase one.
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This however, posed an interesting opportunity to address both the difficulties the builders had experienced in Phase 1 while also taking advantage of what had already been learnt in order to get far more experimental with how different brick colours and shapes could be used.
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An example of the former can be found in the way the patterns themselves work. In Phase 1 the pattern was intended to appear random and dappled to emulate the surrounding trees. While there was a distinct logic that could be identified on the drawings, the builders found it extremely difficult to keep track of the seemingly random pattern while building on scaffolding and being unable to step back and seeing the pattern as a whole. This resulted in extensive errors that had to be fixed retroactively, which in turn caused a domino effect of secondary complications.
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In response it was elected to make use of alternative brick bonds (specifically flemish bond) and use the inherent pattern of the bond to our advantage by having every header end be a different brick (whether by colour or by protruding). This meant that builders didn't need to keep track of a bigger pattern, they simply needed to keep track of the bond and brick combination being used in a section and the bond would do the rest. Ultimately this methodology change resulted in brick related 'snags' reducing by almost 80% when completion lists were being compiled.
Phase 2
Patterns
As noted above, phase two also gave us the opportunity to be far more experimental with the brick types and patterns we used, which was partially also due to an increase in buy in from the contractor, especially after potential phase two patterns were workshopped with the site agent and brickwork foreman.
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Many of the patterns made use of unique effect that could be achieved through combining bricks in alternative ways to make the most of their unique features. Some examples of this includes having squint bricks protrude and due to their asymmetrical triangular shape, they cast very distinct shadows that change during the course of the day. Another example is stacking narrow bricks (klomies) in a soldier course while also having them protrude, which results in a elegant yet undulating surface.
