Nelson Mandela University (NMU) will be opening one of its three student residences on the university’s North and South campuses as the 2022 academic year starts.
The university released a statement, stating:
The 500-bed residence, which includes various sustainability interventions and uses a novel construction method, forms part of the university’s bigger infrastructure plan, based on its award-winning urban design framework.
In the statement, the university added that this will provide a blueprint for the institution’s long-term development of spaces and places.
A second residence with 300 beds will open in the same vicinity in April 2022.
NMU has confirmed that 1 000 more beds will be made available when the new residence, close to the present North Campus entrance, is opened in October 2022.
In the new residences, students live in separate pods, each of which contains four bedrooms, an open area with a kitchenette, two toilets, and two showers.
On-site there is also borehole water available, which will be used for the toilets, while provision has been made for the possible introduction of solar energy at a later stage.
According to the university, it is the first institution in South Africa to use the “peri-uno” method of construction, which is maintenance-friendly, offers both good ventilation and insulation dependent on the weather, and is easy to adapt in terms of extensions or interior changes.
To accelerate the high demand for accommodation and the building processes, NMU has used an innovative funding model by combining government grants, which the university receives once every three years, and supplemented it with loan funding to fast track the student residences.
The university confirmed that SMMEs are an integral part of the project, working in teams and learning new skills associated with the new Peri-Uno building method.
