The Dune
The shuttle stop is designed with an organic form reminiscent of the natural landscape of the nature reserve found at the university.
It also functions as a landmark for the students who traverse along the pedestrian route between the UWC main campus and the student residence.
CLIENT:
University Of The Western Cape
LOCATION:
Bellville, Cape Town
STATUS:
Conceptual
With development on the university being governed and structured by 3 main grids throughout the campus, the chosen site for a new shuttle stop fell where these 3 grids converge.
As a strategic node that serves as the gateway from the Student Residences, and connecting them to the greater university precinct, the idea was to provide a design intervention that would act as a landmark to express this connection. Where the existing grids could be used and adopted to suit the structure and form of a new design, the intervention sought to draw inspiration from the nature reserve located on the south west of the university campus.
An organic form reminiscent of this natural landscape thus sought to harmoniously merge the 3 converging grids.
Within the freeform concrete shell, light wells were centrally placed to allow light through the undulating concrete roof above. The roof is supported below by circular concrete columns with splayed column heads, and organic concrete fins act as anchors for the entire shell while supporting the light well openings. Seating extends from the curved walls which in turn are used to define pause areas while giving protection from the south-easterly wind – their natural curve acting to both, strengthen and stabilize them against horizontal forces. The choice in concrete provides flexibility in form, with its durability allowing for little maintenance in a high traffic space.
